A Museum of Car Theft has opened in Moscow, offering visitors "compelling examples of how a car thief can overcome almost any barrier," "The Moscow Times" reported on 11 July. According to its founders, the museum is the first of its kind in the world.

On display are various antitheft devices, including some that are homemade. A World War II veteran placed fishing hooks on the driver's seat of his car every night, but stopped when he kept forgetting they were there. Meanwhile, on 12 July, the Moscow City Council adopted a law that will ban the use of car alarms, strana.ru reported. "People cannot protect their property at the cost of sacrificing the peace and health of others," council deputy speaker Oleg Bocharov was quoted as saying.

(RFE/RL 12.vii.02)