Candid Caller
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.ONE OF the country's greatest unsolved crimes is the probably pointless car-radio theft. This week the Candid Caller, in a probing motoring special, asked: Have you ever had a car radio stolen? And what do you think the motoring thieves do with the radios they steal?
Brian Pinch of Liverpool: 'No, but then I only have a battered company car. Stolen car radios are sold or passed on. I reckon they're nicked to order - someone asks around in a pub for one and a car thief goes to work.'
Charles Breakwell of Southampton: 'Potential thieves take one look at my car radio and decide it's so ordinary it's not worth touching. I imagine most car-radio thefts are by kids stealing them to sell to other kids. My own children, when they were younger, would spend pounds 20 on an old banger and then pounds 25 on a radio for it.'
Julie Copper of Cardiff: 'I've had a radio-cassette stolen twice, although more annoying than the thefts was the quarter-light being smashed in the process. I've no idea what happens to them, I've never heard of anyone buying a second-hand radio anywhere.'
Christopher Constable of Tyneside: 'I work in an inner-city area and my general impression is that car-radio thefts are carried out by younger kids who are practising their thieving skills. Snatching a radio is something they can do relatively quickly. Afterwards the radios are either thrown away or passed on to older brothers to sell in pubs.'
John Sergeant of Coventry: 'I've had two car radios stolen in the last two years. I expect after they have been stolen they turn up at car-boot sales or, discreetly, in pubs. To get around the problem I've now got a pull-out radio and, when I park, I put it in a carrier bag and take it with me.'
Simon Bates, Radio One DJ: 'Having a car window broken and the car radio stolen changes an ordinary, everyday, moderately freethinking Liberal Englishman into a raving, fascist maniac.
'I had my radio stolen from my Volvo last year. The police caught the thief and recovered the radio, then asked if I wanted to press charges. I said I didn't until they told me it had been irreparably smashed]
'I think there's only one car-radio thief in the entire country and he's got them all and is still trying to find Radio 5.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments