Cool story Dan.
My Jazz bass has a kind of shorter story than that.
We were doing a gig at a pup in the northern area of Adelaide one night when I was about 17 or 18 years old and I had just rolled up for sound check with the guitarist in his van. We went inside and waited no more than 10 mins while the crew finished of their setup. We went out to grab my bass and the guitarists combo and guitars. (Spare bass and bass rig were in the truck). As I opened the pub door and looked outside I noticed that Shauns van was sitting about a car length back from where it was parked, blocking an aisle. Then I noticed that the old Holden station wagon next to the van had the back open and so did the van. Putting 2 and 2 together I started to run towards the cars As I did so a guy jumped into the old Holden and got her started and started to drive off.
I got there just in time to jump on the bonnet (Hood) of the Holden. Holding onto the wiper with my right hand I was screamin at the guy and swinging my left arm through the driverside window at him. He managed to back the car up a few meters and move fwd about 2 car lengths before a car entering the car park acidently blocked him off. Shaun cam running up as the guy slid accross the bench seat and jumped out the passenger side door and ran off with me after him at full pelt.
He got away. Probably a good thing for me as I had turned rabid. (one of the very few times in my life)
It seems he was unable to break the steering lock on the van so had had to move the gear into an older car that was easy to break into and steal. This delay is almost certainly what saved us from losing our instruments. A 67 Les Paul and a 74 Jazz bass and a Musicman 115RP EV combo.
All three items are still in our possesion, regularly played and treasured.