Curse modern technology. I have yet to figure out why people think that just because you can do a thing, that doesn't mean you should.

Wife just let the heelers out, and hollered from the front door...

"Do you have a red light flashing on your dash?"

Yeeess. The new truck has this annoying little feature, a tiny little red Christmas light mounted on the dash that flashes to let you (and any supposed car thieves) know that the vehicle anti-theft system is functioning.

I.e., the battery ain't dead.

"Well that's not very good. How are you going to sneak up on anybody in the dark with that?"

Exactly. I asked the radio tech if there was any easy way to disconnect that thing. Like pulling a fuse, or cutting the right wire.

He suggested black duct tape.

Works for me. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Sort of like the other problem I haven't resolved... how to disconnect the door sensors so that the truck never knows when the doors are open.

Hence no annoying (and alerting) dome lights and "the key is still in the ignition" buzz. For $140, the dealer will do it for me.

Uh, no. I think not.

Plan B is to cut one of the four wires running from each door to the body.

Odds are 50-50 that will do the trick.

And 50-50 it will kill the stereo speaker in the door.

'Course, a warden with the same problem tried that option, and found his radio/cd player no longer turns off when he leaves the truck. He has to physically turn it off.

Okaaay. I can live with that.

Which brings me to the point (finally) of this entry... I explained these problems to the wife, and she mentioned...

"You know you can't pull the radio trick on me anymore?"

No. I didn't. It appears the new SUV is designed so that the speaker volume on the radio automatically resets to level "3" every time you start the vehicle.

Well, craaap.

Pretty sure I've stopped by a couple times since we got that machine, to leave my calling card.

And she never knew.

Craaap.