My 83 BMW 320i was a theft attempt victim. The ignition lock on the dashboard was broken, and the previous owner had substituted a factory switch, with no lock, just dangling on the floor. This was my first standard shift car. It had an E30 M3 shift knob, which, showed the WRONG shift pattern for a 320i. Not knowing this, I was not only learning to drive stick with a gutless 1.8 motor, I was also starting in 2nd gear.
Picture this - I'm leaving WalMart, at the light waiting to turn left. The light turns green. I try to go, but stall out the engine. Reach down with my left hand to pick up the dangling ignition switch. Reach across with my right hand to pick up the flathead screwdriver I'd left on the passenger seat. Put the two together, twist, restart engine. And then the light turns red again. Lather, rinse, repeat, with the number of angry people behind me increasing each time.
Eventually I figured out where 1st gear actually was. I also replaced the dangling switch with an $8 generic keyed ignition switch. I installed it in the panel under the steering column, replacing a lock for an alarm system (disconnected and probably never worked). No problem after that - but anytime I had a shop work on my car, I had to tell them to use the OTHER ignition switch, NOT the factory one!
