LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

Im getting a bit paranoid now, its happening too much so what could we do to try and prevent hijack or damage.
If someones gonna bump into the back of you would a towbar help, perhaps some bull bar type.
What d'ya reckon?

DjacK

Get an Anti Hijack system in ya car, it just locks the doors when your engine starts up.. Clifford do em and also Cobra etc..

Otherwise, just carry ya BB gun in the glove box! j/k

CELL

I have some sort of Clifford alarm that locks all the doors when i start the engine, when i first got the car i thought WHY? is there really any need?
But from now on especially if i let someone out (unlocks all the doors)i am going to make sure i lock them again before continuing.

I used to have a towbar on it too, maybe i will put it back on but add a robot wars style hydraulic ram to it

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Well you may all laugh at this but having the roll cage fitted to my motor plus it's graphics all over the place I'm pretty confident that no-one would want to take the risk....I know it's not the answer but it'll make anyone think twice

Jolly Green Monster 2

I have towbar with large bars on for a bike rack fitting..

Thing is if someone hit the back of me I'd still stop and get out..
removing keys from the ignition and place them in my pocket, also probably alarm it... and look at the damage and access the other person/peoples attitude..

Try and get into the habit of locking the doors when driving I suppose, at least the Subaru automatically unlocks them when you open the door by pulling the handle, otherwise it gets really annoying.

Leave a bit of room between you and the car infront all the time so you could leave quickly if things turned nasty.

At the end of the day though you never know they might have a knife or gun so if things get nasty give them the keys...

An extra immobiliser with a timer switch would be a nice idea.. allows the engine to start and drive for about 2minutes and then cuts engine.. would be rather easy to add I suspect (where is my nears maplins).

The Blackjax system sounds good if you are really worried..

chiark

...and please, seeing as anti-hijack systems work by obscurity, could people restrain from posting in infinite detail how they work???

simo

The my99 & onwards have the sigma alarm which has a function allowing autolock & unlock. Look in the instruction book for details

simon

Jolly Green Monster 2

good point Chiark... do you want me to modify any of my post?

Ray_li

a copper told me a tow bar is a good idea
options

1, tow bar,
2, keep doors locked,
3, keep in first gear at lights and hand brake off (quick get away)
4, anti hijack alarm things.
5, always take keys out if you had to get out the car.
6, drive with windows up.
7, get a Metro

[Edited by Ray_li - 1/30/2002 4:37:23 PM]

pele

is it only my99 onwards that has the auto locking when you turn ignition key, or is there something wrong with my my98. I did try & lock it from the inside once, then I couldn't get out without re-setting the alarm!!

fast bloke

If someone pulls a gun and your doors are locked with you inside what are you going to do. Would it not be better to fit a tracking device and hand the car over without a fight? Let the police pick it up later.


(My personal preference is to have 2 pounds of semtex below the drivers seat, and a remote trigger on your person somewhere. Might get messy if you accidentally sat on it though )

astraboy

Bottle of vodka laced with Cyanide kept in the glove box should do it....
astraboy.

juan

hey I was thinking of full rally paint job etc and rally mods (ie. not 17 / 18 inch wheels, roll cage etc.) rather than road mods as a deterrent too.

that was the best I could come up with

BuRR

Problem with a towbar is there's a chance that the front of their car will get hitched onto it, making it a possibility that your clutch will burn out.

Re the gun in the glovebox. All someone needs to do is think that its a firearm, then you commit offences. Remember how many apparently "mad" people have been shot, only to find that it was a toy gun they were waving around?

Your risk. You take it.

Richard Askew

I use an anti hijack device on my car - cuts the ignition and locks them in...within a qurter mile - gives me time to wander up...assess the situation and if necessary pull them out and administer a severe kicking...I also carry a jack handle in the car, a Beretta Dolphin 9mm (replica) and a lock knife in the door pocket...
Flame me if you want but I travel happier...

DavidRB

Keep the doors locked, your eyes peeled and drive off if you're worried.

BuRR

The thing is, a BB gun is a toy and as far as I'm aware is not directly covered by any firearms legislation.

The question is when does a toy become a replica firearm? It only has to look like a gun, then the grey area that covers this legislation suddenly grows. If someone sees you waving that around, especially a quick glance could end up with you being face down on the ground with a fully-loaded police MP5 aimed at you.

Take a look at this page for example, and tell me if you can tell the difference, especially if you were looking downb the barrel.

Also, I found this interesting quote, which might help you understand the difficult position these toy guns put the police in:

This probably hasn't answered your question, but I thought you may find it interesting.

As I said before. Your choice - you take the risk. Depends if you meet a police officer like the ones you chat to on this board, or one of the officers that will happily do you for 31mph in a 30.

We have a valuable tool in the police called "discretion" - unfortunately some haven't worked out what this is yet



[Edited by BuRR - 1/30/2002 6:41:51 PM]

bug-eyed wonder

Just a thought but don't carry any "tools" in the door, what happens if they get the doors open while you're inside.
Wouldn't a little less detail about what we carry be advisable.
Imagine a bastid car thief reading this, would he think "oh best not go near Scoobs" or "think i'll be well prepared for a Scoob driver".
BURN THE ***** [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

[Edited by bug-eyed wonder - 1/30/2002 6:40:11 PM]

LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

What about one of them laser pointers

RB170

I have an anti car jack system that primes whenever the drivers door is opened (even with the engine running) and arms the first time the brake is depressed, if you don't unarm it within 30 seconds then the immobiliser kicks in, the car comes to a stop and the alarm goes. You can't reset the system for 15mins even with the keys and if you try, the clock on the system resets to 0:00 and you have to wait another 15 mins.

It's not gonna stop people running into the back of me but it will stop me from fighting back and perhaps getting seriously injured or killed. I'll let them take it cause unless they know the system the car will konk out 200 yards down the road and I'll get it back. I also have a satellite tracker fitted.

Paranoid or what

Mike

BuRR

You're not paranoid. You just want to keep your hands on what is yours, and for some tw@t to keep their greasy hands off something that they should not assume they can take.

Katana

Best hijack solution is to be a good martial artist. Worked for me. I've never been hijacked before but I have been in situations where physical force is used.

Here's a tip from me, any object be it mobile phones or bottle openers can be used as an offensive weapon. Premeditatingly striking them is perfectly legal if you suspect that their intent to harm you. I love having parents as lawyers.

thecirsch

I'm in the same profession as BuRR (Hello mate) and based in London. There has been a spate of these car jackings, as mentioned before the BEST thing you can do (especially if you are by yourself in the car) is if you are 'rear-ended' regardless if there is 1 or more in the other car is TAKE YOUR KEYS WITH YOU. I know of a chap who had just taken delivery of a brand new BMW 330 conv. He had justleft the showroom when 5 minutes later an old Sierra goes into the back of him whilst he was waiting to pull out onto a roundabout. Obviously V. annoyed he gets at, goes to the rear of the car then speaks with the other driver, in the meantime a passenger in Sierra gets out, walks up to the Bimmer and is off before you can say 'outside lane hogger'. Bimmer owner turns to see Sierra driver jumping back into the car and taking off. As far as I know neither car nor suspects ever seen again. Makes you think next time you going to pick up your brand, new shiney car from the showroom to have a quick look around as you drive off.
Whilst I'm on the subject of keys in the ignition, take 'em out when you go to fill up. I have personnal experience of one chap who (at a conservative estimate) had £500,000 worth of motors away in 3 months. He would wait until people left their cars with the keys in the ignition whilst they paid and have 'em away. Which, you would believe happens a LOT. He won't see the outside of prison until 2006, but there are a lot more like him out there...

Happy motoring,
Ed

juan

surely the knife is illegal?

astraboy

Being a ford, it has its fair share of loose rattly fittings and fixtures. However, this is solved by my keeping a number of large and pointy screwdrivers secreted around the car. Hey, I like my car rattle free, what can you do?
astraboy.

peccy

a BIG phone. forget all these 8210's , t28's, mines smaller then yours etc, get one of the big early ones that came out in the early 90's, even if you dont use it to make calls they hurt when you hit someone with it!

BuRR

I think you'll get away with a screwdriver, especially if its in there to fix your "attachements" when they come lose. To be honest, almost every car I stop where I work has about half a dozen screwdrivers kicking around it.

Its hell-on trying to prove someone going equipped to steal with a screwdriver in the car, even though you know that's what its in there for, as they use exactly the same defence as you've mentioned.