If you've ever been a victim of car theft, you're familiar with that penetrating and sinking feeling of knowing that your car is somewhere on this planet, but at present is not available to you. It seems to always happen at the worst time, doesn't it? Well, any time is a wildly inconvenient time to discover that someone's made off with your vehicle. But just once, could the thieves perhaps wait a couple weeks AFTER I make the final payment to enjoy my newfound freedom from having a bank note to make every month? Can I be afforded that courtesy? No.

I first had my car stolen in 2001. I drove a '93 Chevy Lumina onboard which nothing was digitized: manual window rolling, manual seat adjusting, manual transmission and manual volume knob on the radio. I think I gave myself onset RSI operating that thing so much...manually. The thieves turned out to be former coworkers of mine (there's a special place for you, fellas) and they abandoned my car in a public park with both front tires flat.

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Credit: carsforsale.com
Credit: carsforsale.com
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Not the biggest, not the best. Just what there was.

We're lucky to live in the Treasure State where a universally understood code of behavior is more commonplace than in some west coast cities. While car theft does happen in Montana, there's one city where it seems to happen more than in other cities...because it does.

Credit: National Insurance Crime Brueau
Credit: National Insurance Crime Brueau
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Insurify looked at vehicle thefts that were reported to police departments and insurance agencies. While car theft does happen in Montana, the city with the most reported car thefts in the state is...

Credit: wellesenterprises / Getty Images
Credit: wellesenterprises / Getty Images
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There are over 119,700 people living in Billings (source) and they rank as not just the city with the most vehicle thefts in the state, but in the ten worst cities for car theft in the country. Insurify calculated that there have been 565 thefts per every 100,000 people, so that's still an alleged 661 cars stolen IN JUST ONE YEAR.

What You Can Do To Prevent Auto Theft

  • don't keep valuables in your car
  • parking outside? try to park in well-lit areas
  • don't leave a spare key in your car, keep it at home
  • make sure your alarm system works
  • don't leave stuff showing on your seats (especially during holiday shopping)

10 Things Montanans Do to Get on Santa’s Nice List

Tis a few weeks before Christmas and as you can see,
Montanans are kind and super sweet.
The big guy is watching so you better be good,
he won't skip over you, but if you're naughty he would.