"Permanently" attaching your pannier bags to the rack to prevent theft
I'm now finding it tedious to keep attaching and removing the panniers from the rack when I have to get inside a grocery store fearing the pannier bags might get stolen.
I wonder if I could punch some small holes along the pannier bag and attach them to the frame with zip ties, would that discourage would-be thieves from tying to steal it? At they won't be able to remove the bag without any tool. They'll need a box or wire cutter and if they attempt to remove the bag, they have to deal with a large number of zip ties and risk damaging the bag trying to remove it.
I'm not a commuter and I never have to leave the bike out in the sun for long periods so there's no risk of damage from exposure to the sun nor the rain. The bike spends the vast majority of the time indoors.