Hmmmm...it is true that such setup attracts the attention of thieves, but there are workarounds. I have a few small CO2 cylinders which can be discharged by electrical trigger, soon to be remotely controlled via GSM (I'm currently building a GSM alarm system, which will let you know when your car is disturbed via call and SMS). It's not a deadly deterrent, but it gives a hell of a scare! I'm sure most thieves would just run away...

Regarding being pulled over, I have been asked once about all the gear, which was quickly excused by being a member of my local volunteer fire dept. I even gave the cop a demo of the new TETRA digital rigs we have :-)

Anyways, I think that if you have some other program running in the background, like AutoRoute or whatever, you can claim to be using THAT. I don't believe that having a laptop on your passenger seat is 'probable cause' for a search or seizure. Alt+F4 gets rid of NS in a second. Ah, an extra Enter to save changes.

Cheers,

Mother