I just found something very weird

[RyanX]

Hello All,

Ok, so tonight I looked in the glovebox of my car to see if I had any cigarettes. I shuffled around in my glovebox digging out a pack of American Spirits when I saw something odd sitting on the top of them.

There was a small plastic bag and then a small piece of paper. The small plastic bag turned out to be a package of opened insulin syringes with five syringes left. I don't know anybody who uses insulin syringes.

I looked at the small piece of paper and it happened to be a bank issued check. It looks like the check is from Wells Fargo, printed under the account of a company called "Complete Structures Co" located in Boulder, CO it was made out to a lady with a hispanic name who lives in Denver, CO. I won't print the name here since this is a public forum and I don't want to air somebody's personal finances.

The strange thing is that the check is dated 10/29/2001. This was before I even owned this car! Not only that, but I was never in Denver, CO anytime during 2001. I did live out in Montrose, CO for a brief period from 2002 until 2004 and I did visit Denver periodically during that time period, but I didn't even own this car until 2004, so I don't think this could have been something placed in there for a long time and I just forgot it was in there. I know nothing of either the business or the person listed on the check. The check is for an amount in the hundreds of dollars, which might be significant to some people.

I believe the last time I looked in my glovebox was probably a few weeks ago. I don't recall seeing these items - I mean, they would have stood out. The only explaination I can think of is that somebody placed them in there at some point when I left the car unlocked - maybe while I was at work or in the grocery store or something. I'm not religious about locking my car since I live in a small town and there are few problems with theft. I park my car in the garage at night when I'm at home. Nobody, besides my children has been in the car with me for probably the last month or so.

I just can't understand how a check dated from 2001 and an opened bag of insulin syringes got in the glovebox of my car? This doesn't make any sense.

Any thoughts on what I should do? Should I attempt to get in touch with either of the parties listed on the check? Should I contact the bank first perhaps, maybe the police? There is no signature on the back of the check, so it looks like it was never received by the intended recipient.

 

[EGVG]

Wow, that's weird, I would suggest that you analyse the info in the check maybe you'll find some answers there. But so weird...
Just one thing, thiefs are every where, so don't naive and lock your car!!!! remember there are STS stealing from you every moment.

EDU :)

 

[RyanX]

Just one thing, thiefs are every where, so don't naive and lock your car!!!! remember there are STS stealing from you every moment.

Thanks for the reminder EGVG!

I agree. My car is old, so I have to lock it the old fashioned way by going to each door and pushing the lock in. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when the kids are going in and out. Maybe this is the wake-up call I need to start getting serious about keeping my car locked at all times? I will certainly make an effort from now on.

 

[Beau]

If it was a used car when you bought it, then maybe it was the previous owner's? And perhaps you just overlooked it all this time?

 

[RyanX]

If it was a used car when you bought it, then maybe it was the previous owner's? And perhaps you just overlooked it all this time?

Heimdallr,

Yes, it was a used car, so that is a possibility. The dealership I purchased it from claimed that it was used only as a rental car prior to it being on their lot.

The strange thing is that when I opened the glovebox, these items were sitting on the top. It's possible that somebody like one my kids was digging around in there and if these items were sitting on the bottom they could have shuffled things around putting them on the top.

I swear I've cleaned it out at least a few times since I've owned the car and I don't ever remember anything like this to my recollection. But my memory is not perfect either.

The only other thing I can think of is that I did have some repairs made to my car earlier this week. They had to do some work to part of the heater, so maybe they had to move things around to get to where they had to work? I don't know much about cars other than the basics. Maybe I'll ask them next week if they had to open the glovebox to get to anything.

 

[thevenusian]

Is it possible the items might have been shoved up into the top of the glovebox, or maybe got stuck somehow in the door? Would depend on the details of your particular glovebox, but maybe they were either hidden or caught up somewhere and either fell or came loose. That might explain why they were on top.

 

[agni]

Hi RyanX,

It is little bit strange. Do you have a "common" car ? Could it be someone accidentally confused the cars since you did not lock it and put items in glove box. Then realized it was wrong car and left in panic forgetting items ? Happened to me once, only difference I did not make it inside, because I've realized my car does not have anti-theft system. I also saw it happened while working in construction, where co-worker got into wrong truck during lunch break.

I hope it's something simple ! But as always, would not hurt to be vigilant !

 

[Gimpy]

Just one thing, thiefs are every where, so don't naive and lock your car!!!! remember there are STS stealing from you every moment.

Thanks for the reminder EGVG!

I agree. My car is old, so I have to lock it the old fashioned way by going to each door and pushing the lock in. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when the kids are going in and out. Maybe this is the wake-up call I need to start getting serious about keeping my car locked at all times? I will certainly make an effort from now on.

We always lock our cars, even if its just at night at home. (Our driveway is hidden)

One rule you can adopt with the kids is "Lock the door every time you get out." My Mother started us on that mantra from the time we could get in and out of the car. :)

 

[anart]

Is it possible the items might have been shoved up into the top of the glovebox, or maybe got stuck somehow in the door? Would depend on the details of your particular glovebox, but maybe they were either hidden or caught up somewhere and either fell or came loose. That might explain why they were on top.

I was thinking this as well, could it have fallen from above, from inside the dashboard, when they were working on the heater? Did you buy the car in CO? It is really weird, and would definitely make me wonder as well.

 

[EGVG]

One rule you can adopt with the kids is "Lock the door every time you get out." My Mother started us on that mantra from the time we could get in and out of the car. :)

and make sure they put on sitbelts. ;D

 

[Infiniteness]

Hi RyanX,

That is really weird, but I am hoping that you did not get poked by the needles. I am highly paranoid of needles, probably because of the OCD issues I have :/.

 

[Laura]

If the person who was supposed to receive the check did not get it, there was probably communication between that person and the issuer and it has already been taken care of. I would throw both items away, figure it was in the car and somehow became evident after the repairs, and take the hint to lock the car.

 

[aragorn]

I think it's possible that the car repair men found the stuff 'behind the heater' for example. They may have felt uncomfortable in finding those syringes (perhaps they thought that it was drugs or something), and that's why they just stuffed it in the glove compartment without telling you?

 

[RyanX]

[quote author=venusian]Is it possible the items might have been shoved up into the top of the glovebox, or maybe got stuck somehow in the door? Would depend on the details of your particular glovebox, but maybe they were either hidden or caught up somewhere and either fell or came loose. That might explain why they were on top.[/quote]

venusian,

This is a good point and one I haven't fully investigated. Looking at the glovebox, I can't see how it could have fallen out from anywhere, but if the mechanics had taken apart part of the dashboard, something like that may have happened. I'm not sure.

[quote author=angi]It is little bit strange. Do you have a "common" car ?[/quote]

angi,

Yes, it is a common car. A Ford Focus, actually. However, it has a huge dent behind the passenger door on the driver side, which makes it pretty distinguishable from other cars of its type. I know what you mean about common cars though, when I used to own a Buick LaSaber, I almost mistook another car in a parking lot for mine.

[quote author=Gimpy]One rule you can adopt with the kids is "Lock the door every time you get out." My Mother started us on that mantra from the time we could get in and out of the car. Smiley[/quote]

Gimpy,

That's a good idea. I think I'll try that out with the kids when I see them tomorrow. Come to think of it, my parents had my brother and I do this when we were growing up.

[quote author=Anart]I was thinking this as well, could it have fallen from above, from inside the dashboard, when they were working on the heater? Did you buy the car in CO? It is really weird, and would definitely make me wonder as well.[/quote]

Anart, that's what I'm thinking is probably the most likely explanation. It was hidden back behind the dashboard somewhere and when they were working on the heater fan they found these items and placed them in the glovebox. I can't say for sure this was the case, but it seems reasonable. I did purchase the car in CO from a dealership in Montrose about 3 months before I moved back to Wisconsin. From what I was told, the car was used as a rental by Enterprise prior to this and it already had about 30,000 miles. So there is a good chance these items got lost in the car somehow around 2001, which would have been around the time the car left the factory.

[quote author=EGVG]and make sure they put on sitbelts. Cheesy[/quote]

EGVG,

Yes, I don't start driving until they have seatbelts on. That's always been the case and they're pretty used to that routine.

[quote author=Infiniteness]That is really weird, but I am hoping that you did not get poked by the needles. I am highly paranoid of needles, probably because of the OCD issues I have[/quote]

Yes, I dislike needles too. I get squeamish when I have to have blood drawn. Seeing needles tends to set off alarm bells for me.

[quote author=Laura]If the person who was supposed to receive the check did not get it, there was probably communication between that person and the issuer and it has already been taken care of. I would throw both items away, figure it was in the car and somehow became evident after the repairs, and take the hint to lock the car. [/quote]

Laura,

This makes sense. There's really no point in trying to correct something that happened almost a decade ago. I've thrown away the items. And yes, I will be locking my car doors all the time from here on out!

[quote author=Aragorn]I think it's possible that the car repair men found the stuff 'behind the heater' for example. They may have felt uncomfortable in finding those syringes (perhaps they thought that it was drugs or something), and that's why they just stuffed it in the glove compartment without telling you?[/quote]

Aragorn, I agree. I think this is probably the best explanation.