‘You Aren’t Going to Lock the Car:’ Man Says He Has an ‘Anti-Theft Device.’ Then He Reveals What It Is

"Nobody in 2025 driving this car."

Photo by: Retromr2k

By: Natasha Dubash

Jul 4, 2025 at 9:00am ET

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A man claims to have an unbeatable anti-theft system for his car. But once he revealed what it is, some people didn’t quite agree that it’s as effective as he thinks.

Retromr2k (@retromr2k) recently shared a post in which he and a friend acted out a scenario to showcase how confident he is in his car’s “anti-theft” system.

The two appear to have just parked and gotten out of Retromr2k’s Honda S2000 convertible.

The friend asks, “You aren’t going to lock the car or put the top up?”

Retromr2k answers, “Nah, it’s [got a] pretty good anti-theft device, we good.”

The video then cuts to reveal the “anti-theft device”: the car’s manual transmission gear shift.

The video appears to be a humorous take on the fact that in an age dominated by automatic transmissions, electric vehicles and self-driving cars, driving a stick shift is a less common skill to have. Some thieves trying to steal a car with a manual transmission might not get too far before the vehicle started to stall and get stuck—if they can start it at all.

Retromr2k's post has a cumulative 2.3 million views as of this writing.

Are Manual Cars Stolen Less Often?

A manual transmission is a gear system that requires the driver to change gears by hand. They accomplish this by manipulating the stick shift and pressing down on the clutch pedal.

Unlike with automatic transmissions, a manual gear shift gives the driver complete control over gear changes and the overall driving experience.

Automatic transmissions, on the other hand, are easier to drive. Many drivers also prefer them for driving in stop-and-go traffic, such as in urban areas.

Fox Business reports that vehicles with manual transmissions made up a third of the United States market in 1980. By 2010, that share had dwindled to just 7%.

Many driver’s ed courses don’t even teach students how to drive a stick shift.

This and the dwindling popularity of manual transmissions supports Retromr2k’s hypothesis about leaving his manual Honda S2000 unlocked to deter theft.

However, MSN reports that a 2020 survey by Cadillac found that two-thirds of drivers know how to drive a manual. A little over half had owned or leased one at some point.

So while it would be a deterrent to some thieves, such as Maryland teens who got caught because they couldn’t drive the stick shift they tried to steal, most probably wouldn’t be deterred.

A Manual Comeback

CarMax reports that while 97% of their customers drive automatic cars, stick shifts are more popular in certain areas of the country.

Manual transmissions are more common in Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico, per CarMax. Even in the states where stick shifts are popular, they still reportedly make up less than 5% of CarMax sales.

They’re also making something of a comeback, however. CarMax reports that sales of vehicles with stick shifts increased from 2.4% in 2020 to 2.9% in 2022.

So today’s thieves may be more likely to be able to pop that clutch and take off than those of recent years.

‘Oh free S2000'

A few people agreed with Retromr2k’s joke about his stick shift being an anti-theft device.

One woman wrote, “Literally the reason I didn’t lock my old manual Corolla ever. Nobody in 2025 driving this car.”

But several suggested that Retromr2k has underestimated the popularity of manual transmissions.

“The current generation of young people want to drive stick more than the previous generations. They are causing a resurgence of manual cars,” one person claimed.

“You hold [the] clutch down every time you shift. You guys act like multitasking is soooo hard,” another user wrote sarcastically.

A third joked, “Oh free S2000.”

Others suggested nefarious ways people could mess with the Honda S2000 without stealing it.

“You do realize they can just take a poo in your car,” one person asked.

This was not an isolated comment. Another commenter wrote that once he borrowed his parent’s Saab convertible when he left the top down. He returned to find Ziplock baggies filled with excrement inside.

What do you think?

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“Thank God it was in the ziploc baggies but we were so bewildered,” he wrote.

Motor1 has reached out to Retromr2k via Instagram direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.