Sitting in my Subary Forester XT last night (6pm) in a queue of traffic about 20 cars back from the junction.
In my mirrors, I saw two lads running towards me on either side of the cars. They looked menacing. I locked the car and the lad on the passnger side tried to open the front door just as I locked the car so he failed to get in. The lad on my side started hitting the drivers door window with a sledge hammer. Remarkably the window did not break and after three failed attempts to get in they ran back to their car and drove off after a dangerous U turn.
I was a quivering wreck and thankfully my house is very close to the site so I drive up the wrong side of the road (fortunately no cars coming towards me) and got into my drive asap.
The Police were very helpful and calm, and although we though we had a print, it was just a glove mark.
So a message to you all sitting in traffic in decent cars. Keep 'em locked. Five minutes after the police came (within a few minutes) there was a call over the radio.... the gang struck again and dragged a guy out of his Golf GTI and drive off with it.
I keep shivering at remembering the sight and sound of the hammer hitting the window.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune, you were very lucky to be looking in your door mirrors just as they were running towards you.
Have you got laminated glass in all windows? There was a thread a year or more ago relating to how laminated glass windows make theives likely to make more of a mess of your car as they then bash the door in for failing to get through the glass. Yours is certainly an experience which supports the need to laminated glass all round though.
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Dreadful story. You have my deepest sympathy.
Where did it happen?
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Thanks for your support.
No, no laminated glass but I wonder if frameless doors and lots of rubber seals make the window harder to break?
It happened in north Manchester.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Blimey Espada. Still, at least you're ok which is the main thing. I remember when my mate got a new Citroen C2 GT last year and was on his way to Salford. In traffic, he saw a lad appear out of the bushes and try the door handle of the car in front. It was locked and he tried my mates to find that locked also then legged it back into the bushes. My mate now carries his tyre iron under the seat!
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Adam
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wouldnt you just love to have a handgun
(im against guns by the way)
but could you imagine their faces
just out of interest where abouts are you
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The only other thing I would advise is to leave enough room between your car and the vehicle in front of you for you to be able to make your escape. Obviously a lot of the time if you leave a gap someone will invariably stick their car nose into it but just enough room to pull out is all you need.
Car windows can be very difficult to break with any object that has a large flat surface area such as a sledge hammer, no matter what the weight. They could have broken your window easily if they'd hit it in the right place (which I won't mention) or if they'd been equipped better.
You have my sympathy, I drive a measly Mondeo and I always lock my doors when in a built up area, especially in Manchester for some reason.
PP
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Hi Adam,
It took place in Salford!! I think I was followed from the Lowry Theatre complex at Salford Quays - I go for a swim after work at the Esporta club within the Outlet Mall. I was early yesterday as normally I arrive at 6pm and yesterday I was leaving at that time.
Derek, I would have loved to have had a gun, but it took place so quickly, I wouldn't have even found the gun in time to point it let alone use it.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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i know where you mean i live in wythenshawe and drive a e200
it locks automatically, i can honestly say ive had no bother at all and there are £40000 rr vogues and t5S on my estate
bet your glad you had your whits about you, i wonder how many of the little pink fluffy dice will be trying out again at the chelsea match tonight ?
you should get hold of that new police boss , he reckons hes doing good doesnt he, hes only round the corner from you
my own take on it would be to give them the best second theyve ever had. ie
kick and bite and throw the keys and gowge eyes etc, he wouldnt be able to nick it with his eye on the end of your key ring would he. try that can of hairspray thing that women carry around, if you got caught with mace youd be 4 it would nt you
unfortunately its the world we live in,
serves you right for having the time to go swimming after work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 (joking)
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I think a flame thrower would be much more fun :-) Instead of having daft neons you could fit one of those to the bottom of the car. It could also double as a drift melter for inclement weather! These car jacker types want a good smacking frankly. Shame no large persons wish to drive around in flash cars waiting for one of these low lives to try and car jack them so they can give them a good pasting.
My car alarm automatically locks the doors whenever the engine is on so I don't have to remember to do it.
teabelly
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Yep, one of the few USPs of Mercedes that I know of now - automatically locking doors as you drive off. Very good idea.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I found out that the central locking on my girlfriends 52 plate Ford Focus was DIY programmable to lock the doors once you reach 5mph, good safety feature that Ford don't seem to tell people about. It took me about 30 seconds to set it up.
PP
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I found out that the central locking on my girlfriends 52 plate Ford Focus was DIY programmable to lock the doors once you reach 5mph, good safety feature that Ford don't seem to tell people about. It took me about 30 seconds to set it up. PP
Please let the rest of us Focus owners know how to do it.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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There's a thread on here about autolocking Focus, Mondeo and new Fiesta when you reach 7mph. It's also very easy to change the car to open only driver door when you press central locking unlock.
It's in the carjacked woman thread....
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=27888&...e
Don't know why this isn't in the manual.
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Incidently, this will only work with the facelifted Focus.
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Adam
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>My car alarm automatically locks the doors whenever the engine is on so I don't have to remember to do it.
Sensible idea! (probably VW then.....)
Would be a sensible and cheap security option for all manufacturers to make standard.
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need one of those samari swords & strong spring just under the sill.
if you try to get jacked, press a button and woooooomp
car jacker standing there with no feet.
bit of arabic justice.
serve the light fingered swinehunds right
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You have my sympathy - it must have been terrifying to be completely defenceless against an attack like that.
Carjacking doesn't happen a lot where I live in the US! Come to think, I don't believe I can recall any cases at all! Too bad President Blair and his liberal elite don't trust the proles to protect themselves.
Head over to www.kimdutoit.com for something to cheer you up.
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Esapada, really glad you are ok - I know how frightening this can be.
Its not quite the same but I had a guy put his fist through my driver's door window a few years ago because I had the temerity to blast my horn at him after he nearly ran me off the road. Luckily he wasnt able to hit too hard through the window and i think in the end came off much worse than me as it damaged his hand. (Which also probably cost him more in the long run as he was the outdoor type). I know that I was quite shaken up for a couple of days afterwards as I was effectively trapped by my seatbelt and car door and could do very little to defend myself.
Police werent interested in the slightest when they traced the car to a traveller !
All this on a busy urban dual carriageway !
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>>Police werent interested in the slightest when they traced the car to a traveller !<<
Of course not, they prefer going after serious criminals like the woman eating an apple in the other thread. They might get hurt taking on a bunch of travellers!
The Chief Constable won't lose his job if crime goes through the roof or you get beaten up, but he might if he offends a minority! Can't risk that!
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Espada - exactly where did this occur? Was it on Trafford Rd before you get to the M602?
I work at Exchange Quay and have seen some characters hanging around the traffic queues. I would lock my doors but I have a fault where the back doors lock, then open again! Over to the technical thread I go!
Glad you still have your car and you're okay. It could have been a lot worse..
DB
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Crikey.
I thought this sort of thing only happened in Jo'burg.
This must have been absolutely terrifying for you, and you have my sympathy.
My view would be that using trying to fight back in a similar situation would be very dangerous and unwise. If these people are prepared to commit a violent crime such as carjacking, they are highly likely to be armed. Any attempted resistance could get a driver shot or stabbed.
Scary.
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>>If these people are prepared to commit a violent crime such as carjacking, they are highly likely to be armed. Any attempted resistance could get a driver shot or stabbed.<<
They only do it because it's easy. They know:
1) People are passive and will just let them get away with it;
2) The law-abiding people they target are banned from carrying weapons. They on the other hand can choose to go armed, thus giving them a huge advantage in a confrontation;
3) There is almost no chance they will be identified and arrested;
4) If they are arrested, they will most likely just get bail or in any case be back on the streets in a few months;
5) If somebody does have a go at them, they are likely to be arrested and treated with far greater severity.
As Kerik and Giuliani demonstreated in New York starting in 1994, what at first looks like out of control crime verging on anarchy can in fact be tackled very effectively given the political will to do so.
The guys carrying out these sort of attacks are vermin - cowards. They are nothing to be afraid of. Unless you are relying on the Government to tackle them, and the Government doesn't give a monkey's.
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Having an aerosol can of oven cleaner handy might be useful.
It can't count as an offensive weapon, : "I forgot to unload it with the rest of the shopping, Officer".
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Isn't that the USP of Maglite torches?
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Espada,
sorry to hear about it and glad you're ok. Thanks for raising it, I'll be telling SWMBO to lock her doors, and I'll be locking mine too.
I notice we had a contribution from Jo'burg, maybe he can comment - I'm sure I've read that flame throwers are legal over there. I think they're attached rather like those neon lights only when you hit the button they're a bit hotter.
John
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Laminated glass would have broken easily, as it takes a force 7x stronger to break toughened glass than laminated of the same thickness. Interesting to wonder if broken laminated glass would then be easier to penetrate than breaking toughened glass in the first place. I wish my car would lock the doors automatically, it's a good routine to get into if they don't, I always forget to lock and unlock.
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JH,
I'm not from Jo'burg but I have visited the place many times and have many SA friends. Levels of murder and violent crime there are, I believe, among the highest in the world. You would be completely, suicidally insane to drive around downtown Jo'burg in a flash car at night.
I don't know whether fitting flame throwers to cars is legal over there but, like you, I have heard of cases where people have had them fitted. Perhaps others can enlighten us.
In answer to the point about Cape Town, I have found it to be completely different to Jo'burg, and no more dangerous than other big cities with huge inequalities of wealth.
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So glad to hear you survived, Espada.
Interestingly most of the cars we've hired in South Africa (usally Golfs or Meganes) are programmed to lock automatically once the car is moving - so it must be an easy thing to offer as an extra.
Never been to Jo'burg but we go to the Cape every year and - touch wood - have never felt threatened. Cape Town is probably safer than Manchester; Jo'burg, I believe, quite a lot less so.
There are probably those who would say that automatic locking is a safety risk as you might need to be pulled out of your car if you overturn. Any thoughts on this?
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Yes. They unlock in a crash. Supposedly. I'm guessing they're linked to the airbags in which case, I roll-over *may* not trigger them.
Could be wrong though.
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Adam
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I presume they're linked to a fuel cut-off intertia switch so any impact would open the doors when the engine shuts down.
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THat sounds like a more logical explanation. Either way, I'd rather the doors autolock than possibly, the minute chance of them not bouncing open in a crash.
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Adam
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Yes. They unlock in a crash. Supposedly. I'm guessing they're linked to the airbags in which case, I roll-over *may* not trigger them. Could be wrong though. -- Adam
(from The Times)
An anti-hijack device which locked the doors may have stopped Darren Anderson, 38, a car dealer, escaping from his Jeep Cherokee when it slid down a slipway into the River Stour near his home in Christchurch, Dorset, an inquest was told. His drowning was accidental, the coroner decided.
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Hmmmm.
Those of you familiar with Ford locks, you'll know what I'm on ahout (I assume other cars are the same) but when my doors lock, pulling the interior handle, pressing the unlock button and hopefully a crash will unlock the car. So if I've crashed and am conscious, can't I just open the door? If not, can't the Fire Brigade cut me out?
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Adam
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In the case of the jeep it's thought the electrics shorted. It's highly likely the poor chap was in an almighty panic. I know I would be
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Fair enough. I would be too. But you have to weigh up what would be more dangerous. Rolling over and shorting the electrics or being carjacked.
I drive through Liverpool about 4 nights a week and have never locked the doors but when I next go to Salford I will be!
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Adam
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Faced with said scrote, I think my first instinct would be to open the door very hard, if he was level with it, hopefully breaking any of his bones it contacted.
Probable result though, myself charged with any number of offences in Bliar's Britain.
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A cheery story that's slightly off topic. There was a fashion in London for the crime of 'steaming', where a gang hops on a bus and demands wallets etc off all the passengers. Police intelligence got wind of this and put a load of plain clothes officers on a 'target' bus. The gang came on board and were all arrested and led away to a waiting police mini bus.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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>>>A cheery story that's slightly off topic. There was a fashion in London for the crime of 'steaming', where a gang hops on a bus and demands wallets etc off all the passengers. Police intelligence got wind of this and put a load of plain clothes officers on a 'target' bus. The gang came on board and were all arrested and led away to a waiting police mini bus.<<<
And following a severe ticking off from the magistrate, and a Caribbean cruise at taxpayers' expense, they are now all back at it!
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I got the instructions for the Focus Autolocking from the forum on the Ford Focus Owners Club, www.ffoc.co.uk
They're the same as those in the link that's been posted to the previous car jacking thread.
As Adski says it won't work on pre facelift Focus models.
Interesting that it works on the facelift Mondeo too.
Another function on the Focus facelift models that some owners may not be aware of is that you can program the car to unlock only the drivers door with one press of the keyfob, then press again if you want all doors unlocking.
Instructions for this are very simple, stand within keyfob range of the car and hold the lock and unlock buttons on the fob down simultaneously for a few seconds until the hazards flash.
That's it, your driver door only will open with first press of unlock, all doors with second press.
To revert to all doors unlocking with press just carry out the same holding of the two buttons procedure.
PP
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Autolocking car doors are nothing new or unique. The first car I drove that had these was a 'Toyota Crown Super Saloon 2.6l' in the early-mid 1970's. Doors locked when you hit about 15mph. I never trusted the idea though - what happens if the car catches fire or you have a roll-over. Probably more likely than getting carjacked.
Also, keep something heavy in the car - like one of those telescopic wheelbraces (which you left at the side of your seat after tightnening the wheel bolts up)..
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Also, keep something heavy in the car - like one of those telescopic wheelbraces (which you left at the side of your seat after tightnening the wheel bolts up)..
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Nice theory but unless you have a good tenis backhand....
As a non smoker you may well ask why I retain a cigar lighter.
I am always well equiped to keep my windscreen clean so I have to hand either an aerosol of fly squash remover or a de-icer.
I may have left an aerosol of other cleaning aids to hand.
IIRC some driving instuctors say, bring the car to a halt so that you can see the tyres of the vehicle in front. Thus allowing you the option of a clean exit.
Having experience someones road rage, I would suggest making an exit plan now so that if things turn nasty you will recall the plan and act.
If it is my skin at risk I would not hesitate to reverse to make myself room and to hell with the back of my car or any other vehicle.
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IIRC some driving instuctors say, bring the car to a halt so that you can see the tyres of the vehicle in front. Thus allowing you the option of a clean exit.
When I did the IAM course they suggested extending it to stop such that you can see the tyres and then add the same amount of visible tyre to the clear road surface, ie. if 12" of tyre is visible add a further 12" of visible road surface. I hope you catch my drift?
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That's standard police training too.
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I've seen a car partially submerged by a rising tide when parked.
Only about as far as the wheel centres but it played havoc with the electrics, lights flashing; windscreen wipers on and off; windows going up and down; etc., etc..
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I've had an attempt on me also.
I carry a handgun and a can of Mace. Where I live nobody would charge me with defending myself and my vehicle by all possible means.
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Glad to hear you are ok and still in possesion of your vehicle, espada. It must have been a very unpleasant experience.
Working in part of Bolton that is/was frequented by 'ladies of the night' (and believe me, it would have to be a very dark night), I usually lock my doors on leaving work
I'm sure somebody was about to make an attempt to nick my mobile (I'd left it on the passenger seat) as I was sat at a set of lights in the town, but the lad (who appear to have seen the phone and turned round to walk toward the passenger door) turned away again as I put the central locking on - so any auto-locking that unlocks at low speeds would not have been any benefit to either of us
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Thanks for you good wishes all.
It happended so fast and I was so alarmed that I would not have been able to retaliate in any way.
BTW it happened on a local cut through road that is quite narrow in north Salford, so those of you worried about being the the scrotes in Ordsall should rest easier.
Why are all these smart new posh areas (Like Salford Quays) next to places that you wouldn't down at middday, let alone in the evening? I was in Ordsall last year on a hot spring day in my Volvo, doing a shop valuation and two lads who should have been in school made it very clear that they were having a good look over my car. I put everything in the boot and waited until they wandered off before I ran into the shop and did my fastest valuation inspection ever. Needless to say I advised the bank not to loan against it!
.*********
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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oops swear filter got me.....
What I wanted to say was that if I had left a gap in front of me more than two feet (as was advised earlier in the thread I could have got away and possibly run the miscreants down. They would have loved that.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Espada - ::[horrified frown]:: - sorry to hear of this.
The 3 is in for a service tomorrow. I will now be asking them to activate the autolock!
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I always leave a gap to the car in front so I can see the tarmac and tyres so I can make a clean getaway if anything happens. Also while finishing work one early morning the button on the crossing had been pressed and nobody was there, thankfully I pressed the central locking with my elbow as it didn't seem right. As I drew up as 3 or 4 lads rushed past my car on both sides, they must of heard the locks go and didnt bother dispite giving my car a good look over as they passed.
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Only in taxis do the doors unlock again at low speeds. Autolocking principle is that it locks when you start moving off, and unlocks when you pull on the door handle from the inside. At least that's how it works in dad's car.
I've seen a couple of comments saying, "if it'd been me I'd have clobbered him."
Not so sure you would, it's bound to be a terrifying situation. Only time you might have the upper hand is if you had a gun which you could point and shoot through the window if necessary.
If you squashed an attacker with your car while trying to escape, would you be likely to be prosecuted? What if you killed them?
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I've seen a couple of comments saying, "if it'd been me I'd have clobbered him." Not so sure you would, it's bound to be a terrifying situation. Only time you might have the upper hand is if you had a gun which you could point and shoot through the window if necessary. If you squashed an attacker with your car while trying to escape, would you be likely to be prosecuted? What if you killed them?
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Having been on the wrong end of a road rage attack that lasted many many minutes I soon made up my mind what immediate actions I planned and it was not to dial 999. Fortunately for all concerned the other party gave up.
I have already made up my mind what actions I will take in future.
In the original thread
>>The lad on my side started hitting the drivers door window with a sledge hammer.
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IMHO a sledge hammer will likely severly damage the driver when it breaks through the glass. Who will call for an ambulance?
I will save MY skin and if I face a jury later then so be it.
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I always lock my doors in town. Whether you have a desirable car or not, thieves may be after items left on the seats or in the boot. There have been several similar incidents to Espada's in Leicester.
From reading postings at www.briskoda.net , I understand that the feature to cause doors to lock at 8 mph can be enabled on most Skodas (so almost certainly on VWs, Seats and Audis). This has to be done by a dealer or with the aid of a program called VAG-COM (from www.ross-tech.com ). The car doesn't unlock when you stop: it waits for you to remove the key from the ignition. Passengers aren't actually imprisoned in the car: they can still open the doors by pulling the latch twice.
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Unfortunately we are now in the position that the only people who are willing to defend us is ourselves. Also I can not accept the arguement that I am to meekly give up what I have worked hard for because some scrote demands it.
To this end I seem to have forgotten to take a can of aerosol oven cleaner in doors after shopping and my tyre lever is in my front footwell because I have changed a tyre recently and haven't got round to returning it to the boot.
I'll take my chances with the jury.
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My manual steering lock is essentially a large metal bar, which I would imagine could deliver a hefty clout if needed.... No problems carrying it in the car either, m'lud.
I think I'll take to driving through the rush hour traffic in Salford with my doors locked from now on...
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"I'll take my chances with the jury"
Until 'they' manage to abolish them for that type of case.
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Very glad you made it out OK.
Interested to read all the responses suggesting fighting the scrotes off. On this front:
1. See how hard you could hit someone from a seated position when they are standing by the door. Even prepared for it, I suspect you'll find you have no way of hurting them. You have no room to swing and no leverage.
2. Try the same with no warning whatsoever, after a sledgehammer has just come through the window.
3. Throughout, remember that if you don't totally incapacitate the attacker, he's still got a sledgehammer in his hand and a mate on the other side of the car. He may well be drugged as well, so feeling no pain.
4. Compare:
a. the likely effects of giving up your car and having to pay insurance excess or even pay for the car if you're third party only
b. the effects of knife cuts and broken bones.
FWIW, my advice to anyone who isn't a bruiser of a fighter is to get out of the way in the car if possible, and if not, to give up the car with as little damage to you as possible. Cars are replaceable, you are not.
V
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On ebay, you can buy (uk seller too) this stuff that looks like pepper spray, but is a sticky blue foam, ideal for the door pocket or cubby hole?
It is not a legal minefield like pepper spray either.
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=...W
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I can just imagine the police line up
"Yes officer, it was the smurf who tried to hijack my car..."
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Espada, I grew up in Higher Broughton, please tell us which street you were on.
If you suffer a car-jack attempt it happens so quickly that it is very difficult to collect your wits and react. Just do as everyone suggests and make the habit of locking the doors. And, stop far enough behind the car in front that you can you can see his back tyres on the ground, and a further two feet of space. This gives you two advantages,
A. You don?t draw in his exhaust fumes
B. If the bad guys try to car-jack you there is space to turn out or in and move off. If you are lucky you will also steer over the bad guy?s feet, especially if he is between you and the kerb.
I have a further experience to share.
Once I stopped to help a motorist who had the bonnet up and was holding up a pair of jump leads. I am of the earlier breed who always helps where possible, so I stopped and gave him a charge. He said that his alternator had failed, and he was trying to get to a garage. He was also very interested at my car - three months old Volvo 440 ? asked if it was very fast etc. SWMBO is much wiser than I ? called me over and whispered that she thought we were being set up for a car-jack. A BMW had passed us three times and the driver was looking intently at my new friend. SWMBO is a healthy athletic woman, and was weighing the steering wheel lock bar in her hands and giving it the occasional swing (one of the yellow AA, ones about 18inch long with two hooks for the steering wheel). With the assistance of SWMBO and the fact that a normally lonely road was unusually busy, we left unscathed.
The lad looked like a farm boy, but in the light of back room comments, was probably a traveller.
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Good gravy. That's an awful thing to happen to anyone.
Good you got away though.
Just a thought - the one thing I remember from the old Advanced driving lessons is to always leave room enough to drive around the car in front when in traffic. I usually go for seeing all the tyres on the back of the car.
I realise it's not a complete fix, but it might help even if it meant mounting the curb/ driving wrong side to drive off.
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Lee
Having a Fabialous time.
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Espada, I am sorry to hear about your experience.
The only advice you can follow is to leave a big gap in front of you (yes people will push in, but at least you have a good chance of staying alive)
Many people said to bash/shoot/burn etc the CRIMINALS. Although this is what I would too love to do, you can't.
We live in a Labour run country, well, it might just as well be Liberal Democrats running the show while Tony is in power. I can't believe criminals have more rights then victims but it is true.
YOU as the VICTIM have NO RIGHTS whatsoever. The CRIMINAL has every right under the sun.
The CRIMINAL can steal your car and face
i) a warning
ii) community service that he won't turn up to
iii) a short minimum security prison sentace (of arround 90days) where he will receive 3 hot meals, internet access, unlimited use of a gym and other recreational facilities.
If you the VICTIM, hit/hurt/injur, infact if you even so much as touched the CRIMINAL then you would MOST LIKELY face a prison sentance
That is absolutly true, there are thousands and thousands of exmpale court cases that can be used to prove this point.
It sickens me
Luke
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Thanks again for advice.
As we have all been reminded and I reminded myself as I was sitting there in total panic mode, it's only a car. I held my hands up and screamed out to the guy, 'I'll give you the keys' but he carried out swinging. Couldn't hear me I suspect.
Yep I would have been very happy if I had got out safely and the car had been driven off. Of course I am much happier as I didn't lose the car, but through no actions of my own other than locking the car.
The incident took place (for hillman's benefit) on Singleton Road, near the junction with Bury Old Road. If any is local to there and fancies a meet - let me know - just ensure there are no scrotes with you!!!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Espada, Good Grief! That was such a respectable area: almost a colony of Hasidic Jews. What went wrong? I rented a garage on Leicester Road from a jewish family during the 1950s for my motorcycle combination. I must take a day off and go to have a look what it's like now.
Hoping that you have recovered. I still have an area of bone missing from below my eye socket from when I suffered an attempted car-jack in Zambia. Kept the car, but could easily have lost my life.
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Well Hillman, its not really changed. I'm Jewish and its still a jewish enclave, in parts even more so, although we are becoming more ethnically diverse on the fringes.
Quite simply, we are close to rough areas of Salford and Blackley, so lots of scrotes see easy pickings from supposedly 'wealthy jews' who don't fight back. As it happens, I wouldn't have fought back just to save a car - a child yes, a car no, but you are welcome to pop in for coffee when you come and have a look! Its funny I feel safer walking around Jerusalem at 2am than walking along Singelton Road at 10am.
I have recovered, but realise that I am becoming very materialistic (I have these thoughts about one a year then take a cold shower and get over it) but thats life and if I want to live like a pauper, I'd move to London.
Your incident in Zambia sounds far more hair raising than mine. Bet you're glad to be in one piece. Yes we all love our cars, but apart from various specials, all cars are mass produced, even Ferraris, so they can be replaced.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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>>The incident took place (for hillman's benefit) on Singleton Road, near the junction with Bury Old Road. If any is local to there and fancies a meet - let me know - just ensure there are no scrotes with you!!!
I'm not a million miles away, drive that road pretty often. Let me know if a mini-meet comes together.
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Lee
Having a Fabialous time.
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Came late to this thread. Nothing really to add except to add my concern to that already expressed and hope you get over it quickly.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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"Yes we all love our cars, but apart from various specials, all cars are mass produced, even Ferraris, so they can be replaced."
Agreed. My problem was, being grown up in Salford gives one a sense of imminent danger, and when to run. I jumped back into my car and hung onto the steering wheel while hooting the horn to alert the Securicor watchman two doors away. He was more sensible than to come out to help me. In retrospect, being inside the car only allowed two of the seven or so bad guys to get to me. If all seven had joined in it would have had a different outcome. Cleaning the blood out of the car was a chore, but the most frightening thing was riding in the front seat of a police car with a shotgun between my knees. I persuaded a constable to remove it - I wasn't sure that it was loaded, and didn't want to find out.
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Sorry to hear about this Guys, seems crazy that people will go to such lengths to get hold of a car but I guess that's the world we live in now .
Having trawled through a few security websites since first reading this topic it doesn't seem that there is much we can do to stop events like this - some aftermarket products exist like "security tints" & antihijack devices (which only work once they have your car anyway so don't avoid the event )
Seems general advice is try & be very aware, especially in city centres, leave plenty of room between you & the car in front & always keep your doors locked. Maybe a "tracker" would discourage this sort of thing but current advise seems to be if you have one fitted don't advertise it --- seems a bit like mad advice to me though
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Don't forget that if you have a weapon they may dispossess you of it and use it on you. In car jacking and road rage incidents you need to remember that the other guy is probably an absolute lunatic.
Unless you have experience of fighting people, it is best to avoid confrontation as the people who are baiting you have some practice at it. I've been in one fight in my life, that was at school and I lost that so I decided to steer clear! Anyway, I'm a lover not a fighter :)
You do sometimes think that owning a handgun would be the great leveler and put the bullies in their place but then common sense prevails. But one things for sure, if they were legal, I would have the biggest available.
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