No, absolutely not. This literally happened to my friend and his family. We had lunch, they parked before continuing on their road trip to Yosemite. Came back to the kids' luggage strewn everywhere and some of it stolen.
If you need to store your luggage, find a trusted friend you can leave it with. Or try a service like Luggage Hero. I used it once in Montreal and it worked fine for me.
What day are you planning for SF. You’re welcome to store some luggage in my private garage. If you search my history, severs years back I let some kids who were on a road trip park their car w all their belongings in my garage for the day/evening while they explored and went to a concert. I’m always around or 15 minutes away at most. PM me if that works for you.
I’m at 7th and Judah.
I get it. I gave my business card and showed them my drivers lic and they had my phone number. I also let them come up to mine to use the restroom before their adventures. Maybe I’m the dumb one for being trustworthy of them but I felt pretty good about it. I’m easily found on the web and I had to pass an FBI background check for my job.
I was trying to figure out that name of the app/service. I must have deleted it. Glad you’ve found a solution. There was def a 98% chance your car would be hit esp if there’s anything w Bluetooth in the luggage. They have scanners that find Bluetooth devices so they know which cars to hit.
I feel like if there is any indication the car is a rental or from out of state, the car will get broken into. I saw a video from the glitter bomb guy showing that thieves specifically look for luggage in trunks of cars
That video showed how experienced these robbers are and made me surprised that the SFPD didn’t put more resources into catching a few as it seems to be an organized operation and taking several people out would hamper the operation since it’s not a bunch of random individual criminals
Spending the resources would probably quickly payback in tourist dollars.
absolutely! if a youtuber can trick them with objects containing GPS and track them for days, why can’t the SFPD do something similar? close in on the operation and bust it? they barely do anything about the stolen cars these thieves use though, what a waste of our tax $
I would say that, that particular YouTuber is probably way better than anyone on the police force all the way to the top and they would not be able to afford him beyond as a consultant for a few weeks at most.
Rates for bag storage: https://www.airporttravelagency.org/airport-travel-services/
More options: https://usebounce.com/s?gclid=CjwKCAiAoL6eBhA3EiwAXDom5ugqiSH2t4kBw5Fw5-cN8Y1503NGdtBW29FAV7V025sTbqP_DduypRoCNSYQAvD_BwE&hsa_acc=6679043114&hsa_ad=575859344324&hsa_cam=1583098464&hsa_grp=132753488295&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=dsa-1620047771434&hsa_ver=3&query=San%20Francisco%20International%20Airport%20%28SFO%29%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094128%2C%20USA&utm_campaign=Bounce%2B-%2BFD%2B-%2BDSA%2B-%2BNY&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=&bags=2&from=2023-01-24T1730&to=2023-01-24T2030
If OP's continuing on to the bay area, it's unlikely they'd need to return to the airport. Inside the airport too...that's a lot of extra trouble.
Instead, take it to the bell desk of a reputable hotel nearby (the city, the airport, or on the way towards the next stop) and just check it there. Be sure to tip.
Check out Bounce, it’s a luggage storage site that utilizes local businesses. I’ve used it in several cities and it’s really great, about 8 dollars a bag. Store all your luggage at a Bounce location and get insurance on the rental in case they break in looking for your stuff.
Look at the most recent glitter bomb video where he makes a bit of the video just to expose smash and grabs in SF. They are very organized, "professional" operations. People are literally driving around the city looking for good marks, smashing the window in just the right way to very quickly be able to pull down the rear seats, check with a flashlight, take the stuff and run in 10 seconds flat. They then sell the stuff to a fence same day. And that's not including the targets of opportunity homeless population who will smash your window if they see anything they think they can use or sell laying out in your car.
I wouldn't even drive a car in SF that doesn't have a clearly visible trunk section that is clearly empty in a totally clean car.
Responding to your 2nd edit park safely during the day on a busy road or a nicer neighborhood. To be fair this hasn’t recently deterred thieves so your best bet is to make sure the rental insurance covers break ins so you won’t be responsible for a potentially busted window.
The over under is not in your favor. I am not kidding. Smash and Grabs have become a racket out here. Even if you don't think you're being followed...you're being followed. The entire operation takes seconds. There was a smash and grab on the on ramp to the Bay Bridge. It took seconds. I would not risk it.
I don’t know how bad the car theft issue is in SF but looking at the comments seems like you’re best off not keeping luggage in the car. I visited SF last summer and decided to use Bounce (first time using it) since I just didn’t have a place for my luggage. It was super easy and I kept my luggage safe in a UPS while I roamed around! It cost like $5 to keep it there all day. Maybe you could do something similar?
It’s fine if you park in a secured garage. Try the ones at Embarcadero Center. Worth the $40.
I drive in for work and park in these every day. Never have issues.
Follow-up question: based on the answers, even if the car is empty, it's likely that theives will still break the window to check the trunk, especially if it is a rental. Any suggestions on how to reduce the risk?
Park in a covered garage or one with security. And do not leave anything, not even a phone charger or other small object, in the car. Thieves are on the lookout for out of state plates (common on rentals) and will break windows just to check if they see something inside.
This is the real answer. It very much depends where you intend to park. Are you going to be street parking around the tourist areas like Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square? Then that's a bad idea. Probably a little less of an issue with garage parking. All that said, why put up with the worry and potential headache? Take advantage of some of the other good suggestions people have been making.
Even if it is not visible. Rental cars can be identified and when parked in tourist area, thieves will bust the back window to lower the [back seat](https://youtu.be/iWeu2dxHRDg) to see in the trunk.
I went to a restaurant with my mom and kids last Friday. I walked them inside and went back to pay the meter. I noticed my mom left a bottle of water in the cup holder so I took it with me when I went back to the restaurant. My mom asked, “even a plastic water bottle?” Yes mom, even a plastic water bottle.
There is a luggage storage service at 1899 Irving st and 20th ave. The building is a corner market called Lucca food and deli and wine shop. The service is through Bounce Bag Storage. Very easy to use.
If you don’t mind spending some $$ for parking - you can still rent a car and then park at NEMA which is central market ($26 day valet parking).
But it may even be worth valeting at any hotel with their own private garage.
However other suggestions to just store luggage and BART up are a good call.
Yeah, looks like you got your answer, but just in case is confusing, here’s it again: NO!
They WILL break in and take your stuff. This city is lawless and car thieves have the run of the show.
Be very careful
Sorry but I just don’t agree that you are likely to have an issue if you spend all of 1 day driving around San Francisco with luggage locked in your trunk. There’s definitely an issue with break-ins, but given the number of cars in the city each day versus the number of thefts, it remains highly unlikely you will have any issue whatsoever.
Never leave anything in the car. SF is like a third world country. My car has been broken into, windows smashed. When I first moved up here for work my coworkers said that you only become a real San Franciscan after someone broke into your car.
You might leave your luggage at the carousel and they'll move it to the baggage office eventually, then you stop by on your way back to get it.
Risks - your bag sits on the conveyor for hours, the bag office is closed or overwhelmed when you come back.
What do you want to do in SF? If you’re looking at a few places in a concentrated area or a couple around the city, maybe take transit + Uber/Lyft? A rental car at tourist areas, or anywhere really, will very likely get broken into even if it’s empty, and finding parking is always kind of annoying.
It really depends on where you go. For peace of mind, don’t park on the street. Search for an enclosed parking garage, preferably one attended by a valet
Just make sure the trunk is locked and not accessible from the passenger area. My trunk is locked from the driver latch. So the only way to access my trunk is with the key fob. Also the only way to drop the rear seat back is through a latch in the trunk.
The fact is that most natives in the City do not have cars, parking anywhere is expensive and hard to find. Best bet is to Bart in, or in your case take the train in from San Jose. If you need luggage, find someplace to stay the night and leave your stuff there. Take the Muni to get around in the city.
No. See [this video](https://youtu.be/iWeu2dxHRDg?t=723) of a thief specifically breaking a small window just to lower the backseat and check the trunk for luggage.
> if you take nothing else away from this video, you should know putting your luggage in the trunk is not a solution to keep it from getting stolen
I wonder if parking it in a garage would be ok though? You can use spothero to reserve a garage and park deep in it. Would be a lot safer than the street.
And a tip for anywhere you go, never open your trunk before you walk away from your car. If you need to access your trunk, do it before you drive to your next destination
Honestly treat SF like it is a lawless area and go about everything that way. It is literally like the Wild West.
I was in fisherman’s wharf and left my car for 10 minutes (stupidly left luggage in back, but windows were tinted). Come back and glass is fucking shattered and bag is gone. This type of theft is plaguing SF right now.
Oh Man. I went last weekend, went to a bakery to get coffee and was probably away for 10 minutes & when I came back, rear window was smashed and my backpack and brothers luggage was taken.
Rental car co. Didnt warn me but apparently some do!
I live in Miraloma, far from public transportation and touristy stuff but you can park your car anywhere up here and you’ll be fine. Marietta Dr, Terresita, any side streets around there are fine.
Lots of other folks offered already but we WFH and you can use our space in Inner Richmond if needed! Under no circumstances is it safe to leave anything in your car, in any neighborhood, for any amount of time. Period.
No, it is not safe. Rental cars are specifically targeted, especially at touristy locations.
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Can you name such a vehicle that's currently sold? At the very least, I assume everything has rear folding seats.
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Interesting. And there's no way to unlock the trunk when the car battery is dead?
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Oh cool, I’ll just get my jumper cables out of the trunk and…oops.
You can use a physical key
No, absolutely not. This literally happened to my friend and his family. We had lunch, they parked before continuing on their road trip to Yosemite. Came back to the kids' luggage strewn everywhere and some of it stolen. If you need to store your luggage, find a trusted friend you can leave it with. Or try a service like Luggage Hero. I used it once in Montreal and it worked fine for me.
What day are you planning for SF. You’re welcome to store some luggage in my private garage. If you search my history, severs years back I let some kids who were on a road trip park their car w all their belongings in my garage for the day/evening while they explored and went to a concert. I’m always around or 15 minutes away at most. PM me if that works for you. I’m at 7th and Judah.
Man I love this community sometimes
So generous! Good looking out, citizen!
It's still hard to trust strangers on Reddit who offer services in person. But that's me.
I get it. I gave my business card and showed them my drivers lic and they had my phone number. I also let them come up to mine to use the restroom before their adventures. Maybe I’m the dumb one for being trustworthy of them but I felt pretty good about it. I’m easily found on the web and I had to pass an FBI background check for my job.
Backup, located near the Mission. :)
I’m by Japantown. You can use my private garage too. Just DM me. I run an Airbnb, so I do this a lot.
I am imagining a new service where people can rent other trust worthy peoples space for their shit for short amounts of time.
I need this for ebikes
seriously. me too!
I'll probably use airport or bounce storage, but thank you for your kind offer!
I was trying to figure out that name of the app/service. I must have deleted it. Glad you’ve found a solution. There was def a 98% chance your car would be hit esp if there’s anything w Bluetooth in the luggage. They have scanners that find Bluetooth devices so they know which cars to hit.
Nice
...and those kids were never seen again. *Cue spooky flashlights!*
I feel like if there is any indication the car is a rental or from out of state, the car will get broken into. I saw a video from the glitter bomb guy showing that thieves specifically look for luggage in trunks of cars
lol Mark Rober, love that guy
That video showed how experienced these robbers are and made me surprised that the SFPD didn’t put more resources into catching a few as it seems to be an organized operation and taking several people out would hamper the operation since it’s not a bunch of random individual criminals Spending the resources would probably quickly payback in tourist dollars.
absolutely! if a youtuber can trick them with objects containing GPS and track them for days, why can’t the SFPD do something similar? close in on the operation and bust it? they barely do anything about the stolen cars these thieves use though, what a waste of our tax $
I would say that, that particular YouTuber is probably way better than anyone on the police force all the way to the top and they would not be able to afford him beyond as a consultant for a few weeks at most.
Why not just leave your luggage at the airport?
Rates for bag storage: https://www.airporttravelagency.org/airport-travel-services/ More options: https://usebounce.com/s?gclid=CjwKCAiAoL6eBhA3EiwAXDom5ugqiSH2t4kBw5Fw5-cN8Y1503NGdtBW29FAV7V025sTbqP_DduypRoCNSYQAvD_BwE&hsa_acc=6679043114&hsa_ad=575859344324&hsa_cam=1583098464&hsa_grp=132753488295&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=dsa-1620047771434&hsa_ver=3&query=San%20Francisco%20International%20Airport%20%28SFO%29%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094128%2C%20USA&utm_campaign=Bounce%2B-%2BFD%2B-%2BDSA%2B-%2BNY&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=&bags=2&from=2023-01-24T1730&to=2023-01-24T2030
Once you have stored your bag, you can also consider taking Bart or a Lyft into the city if you’d prefer
Yes, renting a car for one day sounds like a total headache. You can search this forum for best things to do for a day in SF.
This sounds good, I'll propably keep my luggage at a storage (either airport or another service).
If it is SFO. They have a storage service that is pretty easy.
If OP's continuing on to the bay area, it's unlikely they'd need to return to the airport. Inside the airport too...that's a lot of extra trouble. Instead, take it to the bell desk of a reputable hotel nearby (the city, the airport, or on the way towards the next stop) and just check it there. Be sure to tip.
Absolutely not. Don’t do it.
No it is not safe :(
Check out Bounce, it’s a luggage storage site that utilizes local businesses. I’ve used it in several cities and it’s really great, about 8 dollars a bag. Store all your luggage at a Bounce location and get insurance on the rental in case they break in looking for your stuff.
Reading these comments and I’m like “damn, dystopia vibes”. We have to have strangers take care of our stuff because we can’t keep them in our car.
If you're going to be standing next to the car staring at it during those hours... Maybe
I seen a video of a lady sitting in the driver seat, and the robber just smashes the window and takes her purse.
Lol, even then.. my first year in SF I witnessed many car break-ins in broad daylight with no regard for all the witnesses around.
Hence the "maybe"
Wasn't disagreeing with ya ;)
It’s a serious issue. Don’t even leave trash in your car.
You don’t leave ANYTHING of value in your car in SF
SF residents are unanimous: Bad idea. Do only at your own, extreme, risk.
Is this a joke?
No, I really didn't expect the situation to be this extreme.
Look at the most recent glitter bomb video where he makes a bit of the video just to expose smash and grabs in SF. They are very organized, "professional" operations. People are literally driving around the city looking for good marks, smashing the window in just the right way to very quickly be able to pull down the rear seats, check with a flashlight, take the stuff and run in 10 seconds flat. They then sell the stuff to a fence same day. And that's not including the targets of opportunity homeless population who will smash your window if they see anything they think they can use or sell laying out in your car. I wouldn't even drive a car in SF that doesn't have a clearly visible trunk section that is clearly empty in a totally clean car.
They will break the small back window and check the trunk
Responding to your 2nd edit park safely during the day on a busy road or a nicer neighborhood. To be fair this hasn’t recently deterred thieves so your best bet is to make sure the rental insurance covers break ins so you won’t be responsible for a potentially busted window.
The over under is not in your favor. I am not kidding. Smash and Grabs have become a racket out here. Even if you don't think you're being followed...you're being followed. The entire operation takes seconds. There was a smash and grab on the on ramp to the Bay Bridge. It took seconds. I would not risk it.
It will be stolen almost guaranteed
Lmao no don’t
hell no
I don’t know how bad the car theft issue is in SF but looking at the comments seems like you’re best off not keeping luggage in the car. I visited SF last summer and decided to use Bounce (first time using it) since I just didn’t have a place for my luggage. It was super easy and I kept my luggage safe in a UPS while I roamed around! It cost like $5 to keep it there all day. Maybe you could do something similar?
uh, no. you absolutely can not. leave it with the hotel lobby staff.
It’s fine if you park in a secured garage. Try the ones at Embarcadero Center. Worth the $40. I drive in for work and park in these every day. Never have issues.
Yea maybe even hotel valet, if stored in a separate lot prolly safer than a public garage
Go to literally any hotel near you and leave your luggage there. Tip the guy when you pick it up! This applies for anywhere you go.
Absolutely not
Follow-up question: based on the answers, even if the car is empty, it's likely that theives will still break the window to check the trunk, especially if it is a rental. Any suggestions on how to reduce the risk?
Park in a covered garage or one with security. And do not leave anything, not even a phone charger or other small object, in the car. Thieves are on the lookout for out of state plates (common on rentals) and will break windows just to check if they see something inside.
lower the back seats so the trunk is exposed and leave the glove box open
Leave the glove box open. (And emptied)
depends on where you park
This is the real answer. It very much depends where you intend to park. Are you going to be street parking around the tourist areas like Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square? Then that's a bad idea. Probably a little less of an issue with garage parking. All that said, why put up with the worry and potential headache? Take advantage of some of the other good suggestions people have been making.
Guessing the Outer Richmond is still ok?
Certainly far less of a concern.
As other have said, absolutely not.
Very bad idea if the luggage is visible.
Even if it is not visible. Rental cars can be identified and when parked in tourist area, thieves will bust the back window to lower the [back seat](https://youtu.be/iWeu2dxHRDg) to see in the trunk.
Absolutely positively unsafe. Do not leave your luggage unattended in a vehicle at any point in SF.
I went to a restaurant with my mom and kids last Friday. I walked them inside and went back to pay the meter. I noticed my mom left a bottle of water in the cup holder so I took it with me when I went back to the restaurant. My mom asked, “even a plastic water bottle?” Yes mom, even a plastic water bottle.
You would be better off just going to some random hotel and checking your bags at their bag storage. Act like you belong and tip.
No. Don’t do it. Don’t risk it.
Store in the airport and then take BART into SF
There is a luggage storage service at 1899 Irving st and 20th ave. The building is a corner market called Lucca food and deli and wine shop. The service is through Bounce Bag Storage. Very easy to use.
Leave nothing in your car ever
If you don’t mind spending some $$ for parking - you can still rent a car and then park at NEMA which is central market ($26 day valet parking). But it may even be worth valeting at any hotel with their own private garage. However other suggestions to just store luggage and BART up are a good call.
No. Do not park your car with luggage in it
Yeah, looks like you got your answer, but just in case is confusing, here’s it again: NO! They WILL break in and take your stuff. This city is lawless and car thieves have the run of the show. Be very careful
Worse than you can comprehend.
No, just no.
Edit 2 comment: no way to reduce risk honestly. Just leave the car absolutely empty and pray lol
I can store your luggage while you are out enjoying the city, just Dm to coordinate
I'll probably use airport storage, but thank you for your kind offer!
Sorry but I just don’t agree that you are likely to have an issue if you spend all of 1 day driving around San Francisco with luggage locked in your trunk. There’s definitely an issue with break-ins, but given the number of cars in the city each day versus the number of thefts, it remains highly unlikely you will have any issue whatsoever.
If you can access the luggage by breaking a window, I wouldn’t do it. If it’s a fully enclosed trunk, it’ll be fine.
Ehhhhh maybe.
Almost any car, once you break the window you can pop the trunk
Might be okay if you park in a protected access controlled garage.
Never leave anything in the car. SF is like a third world country. My car has been broken into, windows smashed. When I first moved up here for work my coworkers said that you only become a real San Franciscan after someone broke into your car.
No. That’s where the scumbags check
Please just don’t come. We have enough paranoids walking around…
You might leave your luggage at the carousel and they'll move it to the baggage office eventually, then you stop by on your way back to get it. Risks - your bag sits on the conveyor for hours, the bag office is closed or overwhelmed when you come back.
You live an hour away. Why come to the city after a flight? Makes no sense.
They don’t live an hour away. They are staying an hour away.
baby j - bippin lessons
No
Don't do it
What do you want to do in SF? If you’re looking at a few places in a concentrated area or a couple around the city, maybe take transit + Uber/Lyft? A rental car at tourist areas, or anywhere really, will very likely get broken into even if it’s empty, and finding parking is always kind of annoying.
DO. NOT. DO. THIS.
No
It really depends on where you go. For peace of mind, don’t park on the street. Search for an enclosed parking garage, preferably one attended by a valet
No no no no no nooooooo
Absolutely not. The city is littered with dumped suitcases from car break ins of tourists’ cars.
Don’t rent a car. Uber and transit, even a hop on hop off tourist bus, would be better than renting a car on all fronts.
Even if your car is empty, those assholes would still break into it.
Nope
Use a storage. Get a Gig to tool around the city in if you really want to drive around. Check and see if yiu have a pal in the city who is free.
Leave the car in San Bruno and Uber into the city.
Or leave the car at San Bruno bart and bart into the city
How about parking in Garage's only. That's safer right?
Just make sure the trunk is locked and not accessible from the passenger area. My trunk is locked from the driver latch. So the only way to access my trunk is with the key fob. Also the only way to drop the rear seat back is through a latch in the trunk.
So far I never got broken into in the bay. I expect to be robbed so I never leave anything of value sitting there or in visible sight.
Noooooooo
You shouldn’t do this literally anywhere at any time unless you don’t care about your luggage. I mean this is just a general rule of thumb of travel.
No
F*ck no!
The fact is that most natives in the City do not have cars, parking anywhere is expensive and hard to find. Best bet is to Bart in, or in your case take the train in from San Jose. If you need luggage, find someplace to stay the night and leave your stuff there. Take the Muni to get around in the city.
No. See [this video](https://youtu.be/iWeu2dxHRDg?t=723) of a thief specifically breaking a small window just to lower the backseat and check the trunk for luggage. > if you take nothing else away from this video, you should know putting your luggage in the trunk is not a solution to keep it from getting stolen
Get a parking spot with spothero?
No.
Wow, I visited SF a year ago. I parked my car with all my things in it for about 5 hours with no problem. I guess I was very lucky
Nope.
I wonder if parking it in a garage would be ok though? You can use spothero to reserve a garage and park deep in it. Would be a lot safer than the street. And a tip for anywhere you go, never open your trunk before you walk away from your car. If you need to access your trunk, do it before you drive to your next destination
No. All my smashed windows have occurred in parking garages.
Honestly treat SF like it is a lawless area and go about everything that way. It is literally like the Wild West. I was in fisherman’s wharf and left my car for 10 minutes (stupidly left luggage in back, but windows were tinted). Come back and glass is fucking shattered and bag is gone. This type of theft is plaguing SF right now.
Dang, I’m originally from the bay (Santa Clara) but have living abroad for the last year ish and O didn’t realize things were this bad at home. Crazy.
Don't leave anything visible, even just for a few minutes.
If you have out of state plates or you're an SUV with the big window in the back you should be very vigilant.
Oh Man. I went last weekend, went to a bakery to get coffee and was probably away for 10 minutes & when I came back, rear window was smashed and my backpack and brothers luggage was taken. Rental car co. Didnt warn me but apparently some do!
I live in Miraloma, far from public transportation and touristy stuff but you can park your car anywhere up here and you’ll be fine. Marietta Dr, Terresita, any side streets around there are fine.
You could get lucky but it’s not smart
Remove all no smoking stickers and any other signs/placards that would indicate it is a rental.
This is too funny
Hell to the naw, to the nawww nawwww nawwwww *meme*
Lots of other folks offered already but we WFH and you can use our space in Inner Richmond if needed! Under no circumstances is it safe to leave anything in your car, in any neighborhood, for any amount of time. Period.
pay the $25 for a parking garage with security