The difference is that physical attacks require 1) individual skills and 2) prolonged physical contact in compromising pose.
Where every single thief had to be a skilled lockpicker before, now you just need a few specialized crackers and then you can mass-produce user-friendly hacking devices or even downloadable software.
Where a thief had to spend several minutes in a compromising pose near the car, often carrying suspicious tools, now he can just sit on a bench nearby, wait for the magic click and then choose the right moment to stroll in. A passerby might as well think he's the owner.
a thief had to spend several minutes in a compromising pose near the car
A couple of weeks ago I saw someone using a slimjim, and I did nothing. I have never done anything in reaction to a car alarm. I'm not sure that thief's pose is sufficiently compromising.
Where every single thief had to be a skilled lockpicker before, now you just need a few specialized crackers and then you can mass-produce user-friendly hacking devices or even downloadable software.
Where a thief had to spend several minutes in a compromising pose near the car, often carrying suspicious tools, now he can just sit on a bench nearby, wait for the magic click and then choose the right moment to stroll in. A passerby might as well think he's the owner.