Iowa City in the Midst of Catalytic Converter Crime-Wave!

Apparently, stealing catalytic converters off of cars is the it-crime these days in Iowa City. Larger vehicles that are easy to crawl under are particularly susceptible. I was told that catalytic converters are laced with vibranium or platinum or adamantium or some other rare metal, which attracts thieves. Unfortunately, our family got caught up in this latest crime-wave.

Two mornings ago, Husband Mark went to the gym and had the catalytic converter sawed off our Hyundai Tucson. Keep in mind that this happened sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning in a busy parking lot along a busy street. Someone pulled next to our vehicle, crawled underneath it, performed a few quick strokes, and drove off with a portion of our vehicle's exhaust system!

I often listen to KCJJ radio in the morning. One of their segments reviews the local police reports. I remember hearing police reports about stolen catalytic converters over the past week. I chatted with two separate folks yesterday who told me about friends who'd had catalytic converters stolen off their cars. A quick review of the online police reports shows a handful that were reported just yesterday.

Fortunately, I have good auto insurance with a low deductible. But it bugs me that I even have to go through the motions of contacting the police and my insurance agent and arranging for repairs.

So if you're at the gym or a store or wherever and you notice someone crawling under a vehicle with a saw, call the police. Most likely, you are interrupting a theft. As indicated by the fricking saw.