Absolutely the dumbest news report I've ever seen

[ceetee]

There was a lot of inaccuracy in the news piece, but I can't argue with the major thrust of the report.

Pretty much what I was thinking, but stated much more convincingly than I would've been able to. During those two seconds where the carjacker has to make a decision on what he wants more, he already knows he wants the car. HIs decision to take you along may well be a spur-of-the-moment one.

Plus, I can't fault the news guy for backing his own story. He's mostly reporting what he's been told by the "experts" (I'm the only one here professional enough to handle a carjacker...) There may or may not be a bias on how the story has been told, or which "experts" statements they played tape of, and which "experts" statements got erased, but we can't know, unless we were involved in the production of the piece.

Of course, if it was me, I'd get an actual shooting instructor's opinion on the effectiveness of running away from evil...

 

[Pebcac]

I've exchanged emails with ABC24 before, and I believe it was with Mr. Turpin, although I can't confirm that since I've deleted the emails long ago. I had commented negatively on a story on much the same basis as I'm dissappointed now. Unfortunately, the quality of the reporting has not much improved in the intervening time. For example, in this instance, "experts" are mentioned several times, but none are ever cited by name or directly interviewed. At no point did they interview on camera a self-defense expert, a firearms expert, or even a police officer. What we do get is a kid from a paintball park discussing the difficulty of hitting someone from 30 feet away with not a paintball gun, which he might know something about, but a real pistol, with which he clearly has little experience.

This particular group seems to have forgotten that credibility is earned, not just free for the taking. When you mention experts in a news story, quote at least one directly. Otherwise, the reporter may as well be expressing her opinion on the matter.

TV news is way down the track of "fluff over substance," and the ABC/UPN group (same folks) and the Fox affiliate are the worst here. We get reporters dodging paintballs rather than calmly talking to someone who might really know something about self-defense. It's at its most harmful when it's dealing with a subject that can truly have life-and-death consequences.

I do agree with the overall point of the piece--I'm honestly glad to see something other than the "just do what they tell you" garbage usually espoused by the media. But the quality of the piece was just terrible. To me, it was more about showmanship and cheap images than the quality of the journalism. True journalism is dying fast in this country, and it's ultimately the viewers who suffer due to the lack of real, useful information. It's why I don't watch the news on TV much at all, unless it's The Daily Show.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Experts say if the carjacker does manage to get in the car with you, the best thing to do is actually crash your car. First wait until you get to a busy intersection, then if you're driving, slam into something on purpose. If the carjacker is driving, reach over and grab the wheel to cause the wreck.

Wrong. It makes a great deal more sense just to wreck the criminal.

 

[Lonestar.45]

If my kids are with me, I won't be trying to grab them and leave or run in a zig-zag fashion, I'll be beating a carjacker about the head with an empty pistol after slidelock, be it his pistol or mine.

 

[isa268]

Paintball guns are inherently INACURATE. First there are no sights, the hoppers in the way, you sight down the barrel and get accuracy by volume

Second that pre-pubescent kid was an idiot if he couldn’t hit the target at 30 feet or 10 yards. This must be the same kid that keeps shooting down the target holders at my local range.

At least they got the point across that you shouldn’t go with them. To bad they didn’t suggest doing a Mozambique on the car-jacker

 

[real_name]

What is a 'Mozambique'?

 

[AJ Dual]

What is a 'Mozambique'?

It's a body armor failure drill. I forget who, but some acquaintance of Col. Cooper invented it in, well... Mozambique.

The man was accosted by some ner-do-well in that country who was wearing a flak-jacket, and he put to rounds from his handgun into COM, and when that didn't stop the assult, he shot the attacker in the head for a direct CNS stop.

Some time after that, it was turned into a training exercise for whenever two shots to COM fail to stop, for whatever reason, not just body armor, the third shot should go to the head.

 

[real_name]

Thanks, that's better than what I thought it might be.
I was assuming it was another term for the South African practice of 'necklace' killings (burning tire around neck).

 

[MBane666]

Am in Memphis for my father's funeral, and I grew up here. In addition to the 'jackings, there's been 2 or 3 gang shootings on the news, etc. You can't drive around the block here without getting some "stink eye" from some discount 'banger. Always was a hard town.

Since I'm from here and periodically talk to Tom Givens at RANGEMASTER, I thought it wise to bring along my new ACME CAR-JACKING PREVENTATIVE, a Bond Arms derringer in .410 gauge loaded with Winchester #000 buck (five .36 caliber pellets at 1350 fps). Been working with it out at the range at car-jack distances...kicks like all get-out, but enormously effective on the "upper b-zone."

Last night, after a whole day of making funeral arrangements, I thought a guy was going to make a run at me. Honest to goodness, I just started laughing; I figured it was that kind of day. He moved on. Who says laughter isn't the best medicine?

Michael B, very tired.