Guadalajara is a lawless city when it comes to auto parts theft. One story began in the trendy Americana neighborhood. A man parked his car there, and the next day discovered that the computer, throttle body, battery, and other parts had been stolen. The repair cost him a third of the car's current market value. He resigned himself to paying the amount demanded by the thieves. His friend, whom he had warned against parking in that area, encountered the same fate a few hours later. Another person, who parked in a different neighborhood, returned from lunch without moldings and several engine parts: battery, computer, etc. The estimated cost of repairs at a dealership could be between 150,000 and 200,000 pesos. After a theft, you are confronted with a harsh reality: while you are trying to cope with the damage, you receive a call on your phone from 'someone' who knows your number and offers to sell you the parts and install them. 'I finished my own ordeal last week,' one victim tells me. His neighbors told him it was the third robbery in their area in 48 hours. The situation has become desperate: insurance companies refuse to cover the damage, and the authorities are unable or unwilling to do anything. As a result, some people resort to desperate measures: they report their car stolen to the police in order to get an insurance payout, as they would otherwise get nothing. It's a horror story because the synchronicity is brutal: while many people are suffering, the police act as if they are unaware, the authorities report a decrease in car thefts, and insurance companies do not process claims. The citizen is left alone with the criminals and has to pay extortionists to avoid even greater expenses.
