Car Jackers New Scheme

[heelpin]

Warning from the State Highway Patrols, a recurring problem at holiday time. CAR JACKERS NEW SCHEME: Be aware of this new car-jacking scheme. Imagine: You walk across the Parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine and shift into REVERSE, and you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space and you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into PARK, unlock your doors and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view... When you reach the back of your car, that is when the car-jackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off !! Your engine was running, (ladies would have their purse in the car) and they practically mow you down as they speed off in your car. BE AWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED. Just drive away and remove the paper that is stuck to your window later

[Quint]

You know, public hangings of carjackers would probably put a heck of a dent in this problem. Worked with horse thieves way back when.

[WanderingOak]

This is an urban legend. For more details go here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp . I allways verify e-mailed warnings and storys with this website before passing them on.

[mammabooh]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

This is an urban legend. For more details go here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp . I allways verify e-mailed warnings and storys with this website before passing them on.

I use truthorfiction.com. I just received this one yesterday and informed the person that it was fiction.

[heelpin]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

This is an urban legend. For more details go here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp . I allways verify e-mailed warnings and storys with this website before passing them on.

Might be a hoax but it sounds like a pretty good idea if you are a car jacker.

[jack_c-ville]

Originally Posted by heelpin

Might be a hoax but it sounds like a pretty good idea if you are a car jacker.

No it wouldn't. Think about it: you pick a car in a parking lot and you're trying to stay hidden without looking suspicious for what could be hours while you wait for the person to show up. A person who could turn out to be armed or perhaps has seen you someplace before and can ID you. So you've already invested a lot of time and risk by the time the person walks up to the car and then just as likely as not they see the piece of paper before they even get into the car. Or they don't see it until they are in the car but they take the keys out when they get out of the car - which is exactly what I would do. Or maybe everything has gone right but the victim is just as likely to see you first and jump into the car before anything can happen.

The whole thing is a dumb idea. It would take way too many attempts before one of them went exactly according to plan. It depends on far too many more or less random actions that the car's owner could take. You would probably get arrested for hanging around in the parking lot and acting sketchy long before succeeding.

Carjacking is just a stupid thing to do. Professional car thieves steal cars while the driver is nowhere around using tricks of the trade that depend on predictible technology rather than unpredictible human behavior that can get them killed or arrested. Carjackers are generally stupid people out to have their idea of 'fun'- they don't have patience or much capacity for strategy of any kind. They'll just point a gun at you at a red light. Not too many homesteaders are likely to live in places where carjacking is a problem, but those who do are advised to utilize something along the lines of a .38 personal security system.

-Jack

[bgak47]

I carry a .45cal personal security system. It's good for car theft & many other forms of antisocial behavior.

[Old Jack]

Originally Posted by heelpin

Might be a hoax but it sounds like a pretty good idea if you are a car jacker.

Not around here.
I have a CCW as do most people I know.
Ho Ho Ho
Happy Holidays

[SouthernThunder]

Do what I do and drive a crappy old truck. No body wants to steal a crappy old truck. Shopping carts dont bother running into it and the paper would only add to the value so I would just leave it. Their loss is my gain.

[Ken Scharabok]

When I lived in Dayton, OH a favorite was winter mornings when people would go out to warm up the car by leaving it running for a while as they finished breakfast. The exhaust would give them away as a running car, likely unlocked - and warm also.

Other trick is gas stations. How many of you leave keys in the car while you go in to pay for gas???

If a seasoned thief wants your vehicle they can be in and have it started in less than 60 seconds.

Nashville police are using a decoy. Equipped with GST, video cameras and equipment to roll up windows, lock doors and turn off engine. Left out as bait. Videos are amusing to watch when they realize their situation.

Ken Scharabok

[Snugglebunny]

Originally Posted by SouthernThunder

Do what I do and drive a crappy old truck. No body wants to steal a crappy old truck. Shopping carts dont bother running into it and the paper would only add to the value so I would just leave it. Their loss is my gain.

I had to laugh... we have a crappy old truck that's just a nice half-ton paperweight right now...needs work, been sitting in our driveway for about a year now waiting for the money to fix it. My hubby locks the doors and I tell him "Why bother?" I mean, if someone stole it, we'd probably run into the parking lot cheering.

[Zuiko]

It sounds like a lot of work to get a car, but since somebody broght it up, it could be tried. Just leave the paper there, you dont want it anyways. I've never seen things stuck to rear windows either, people mostly use windsheild wipers, so that would be your first clue that something is awkward. I think that if you are a low life trying to steal a car, you would rather not get somebody involved, when you could just break in and hotwire it or find a running car like Ken pointed out.