car jacking defenses

[falloutguy]

"Please remember that your logic is portable. If someone chooses to pull me into their own trouble, I retain the right of refusal. I will act in my own best interests. This may include putting the truck in Reverse and taking the other driver to school. Or, I may drive away and report the incident to the appropriate authorities. If I sense that the other driver is in fact in duress, I may even choose to assist them. "

Good Lord man, remind me to never get into an accident with you. Any time an accident occurs I was always informed that when both parties feel safe to exit the vehicle and exchange insurance information, not to cursh the offending party with your vehicle because they ruined your day. The way I see it, they're having a pretty bad day too, even if there wasn't some one trying to carjack them.

 

[Eskimo Jim]

Eye Contact

After riding public transportation and being in rough areas, I've found that making eye contact can lead to "what are YOU looking at?" type of reactions from people so I avoid it. I usually watch people's hands, body language and movement. Some times eye contact can be taken as staring and put someone else on edge so I avoid it. I don't want someone else thinking that I'm about to confront them.

Also, the people standing in the median strip collecting money for some sort of cause, will come beg from me when I make eye contact. If I don't make eye contact, a person collecting or begging for money or not won't have a reason to come near me when I'm in the car.

If someone has a better idea, then suggest it.

-Jim

 

[carpettbaggerr]

Blaster inventor Charl Fourie, 33, disputed concerns that the flamethrower could burn someone to death.

"My personal feeling is that it would definitely blind a person. He will never see again," he said .

He's got his priorities straight. Reminds me of an interview with a WWII veteran (from Finland I think). They asked him if it was hard to shoot another human and he replied something like " Yes. Very difficult. They tend to duck, hide behind things and run in zig-zag fashion"

 

[Vermonter]

Seems to me that a BG might try to steal a purse or something from a car that was "boxed in", but wouldn't be very likely to try to steal it?

When I visted NYC a few years ago I found myself in a pretty sketchy area by accident. Shiny SUV with Vermont plates. I rolled DOWN my rear tinted windows a bit to reveal my anti-carjacking system. I highly recommend getting one if you have a family in a high-crime area. Or any area for that matter.

 

[HiWayMan]

Just a thought but if you are boxed in at a light ram the ass end of the car in front of you. You'll get both the attention of thedriver's in front and behind you. Nothing worse than witnesses to a car jacking and what punk wants a busted ride.

 

[benEzra]

Remember that most fuel-injected cars have an impact sensor that shuts down the electric fuel pump after an impact. Keep in mind that if you ram the car in front of you, your car will quite possible cut off and not start again (as well as the vehicle in front of you). Maybe that's a good thing if the carjacker is trying to abduct you. Definitely a bad thing if you want to be able to flee the carjacker.

The latest SWAT magazine had a good article on anti-carjacking techniques, IIRC.

 

[cracked butt]

Tall man- You sound like the type that would simply ignore a woman being beaten/raped/mugged because it is none of your business. You are a credit to society.

 

[junyo]

Keeping space is good. Being prepared to throw it into reverse is better IMHO. Assuming the assailants standing at the driver's window, reverse puts roof, A pillar, or a sloped piece of safety glass between you and the attacker very quickly. Also most cars have a trunk/built-in collision buffer in the rear. The back end of most cars will take a horrific amount of punishment. I once caved in the front end of a car; smashed the bumper, grill, radiator, and jammed a couple of fans with the only damage to my car being a slightly creased rear fender. Slamming into something with the front end (you know, where the engine is) is begging for an inoperative car. If you need to run, pushing the car behind you out of the way will gain you space to hop a curb and take off. Also think in terms of the car being disposable; if you can scrape the criminal between car and another solid object, or t-bone him, be prepared to trash the car to end the threat. That's what insurance is for.

As to the "you don't have a right to involve other people" issue; that made me stop lurking and post something. That's one of those libertarian arguments that look good on paper but break down in the real world. If my wife and/or child's safety could be affected by inconveniencing you, guess what, you're getting inconvenienced. The imposition is not that of the victim, it's that of the carjacker who set the chain of events in motion. Take it up with them. In some situations the absolute right of the individual yields to the common good and common sense. If someone hit me trying to avoid a potential rape/abduction/murder I might not be happy about the state of my car, but assuming they accepted their responsibility to pay for the damage their actions caused, I wouldn't hold it against them either.