Neil Smalley

30 Tips from From Drive to Survive ISBN 0-7603-0525-0

1. Situational awareness is the key
2. Leave enough space between you and car in front at traffic lights/queues of traffic etc.
3. If someone approaches you who you don’t know, get away NOW. If they have a weapon get away NOW and make as much noise as possible
4. If someone’s holding a weapon AT You, don’t resist and don’t argue. Just let em have the keys
5. In situation 4, Do not reach for anything inside your car as they may think you are going for a gun/knife etc
6. If your child is in the car shout “My child is in the car” Car theft is one thing, kidnap a whole bigger thing
7. Check your rear view mirror for people following you(see 1)
8. Find out alternate routes home, so any one following you doesn’t find out where you live.
9. Always carry a mobile phone, have 999 in the speedial.
10. If you are rear ended wait to see if the passenger gets out too. If so get away and try and make a note of the number plate. Call the police right away(see 9)
11. Avoid double teaming(car behind knocks you into it’s mate in front) thus blocking you in.
12. Have you car keys in your hand and check out the surroundings for anyone/thing suspicious, Make sure your path is clear
13. Don’t carry too much stuff to the car, it slows you down if you have to run for it.
14. Check inside your car before setting off, it’s rare but not unknown for crims to hide inside your car waiting for you with the keys.
15. Fit a good security system(tracker etc)
16. Always completely shut your windows when parking.
17. Make sure your car is locked when leaving
18. Keep a torch in the car, in case you are stranded in the dark(**** off maglite)
19. Avoid the inside lane in urban traffic jams. It easier for people to get to you if you are on the left
20. Keep your car in good repair and also keep your fuel above a qtr full. It’s easier to run if your not going to run out of fuel.
21. If you have a valet park your car, take your house key with you
22. Don’t flash the cash when shopping and put it away as soon as you’ve paid
23. At night Drive into your garage front first so that your light will show up anyone hiding in there for you to come in with the keys.
24. If something looks wrong, it usually is.
25. Check out the other cars/drivers when going for fuel. If it looks dodgy come back later.
26. Don’t leave any bags, money,phones etc in plain sight when driving or parked
27. When using cash machines, check out the surroundings first
28. Follow your instincts and get away from anything suspicious right away
29. Be on Yellow Alert all the time, you have a 1500Kg weapon and a brain use them.
30. Don’t be scared to damage your pride and joy to save your life.


Some of them are a little extreme, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Tiggs

bizzare- if i lived in an area where i felt i needed to consider 5 of these i would sell my car.

if there are people out there who consider these an accurate assesment as to how they should live their lives (when in the car) then you are clearly very brave to have a scoob!

Tiggs

Neil Smalley

Quite.

However it seems nowhere in the country is safe, so it makes sense to at least have one's wits about you whenever you are out in the scoob.

When I first read these I thought 'This guy is living in fear all the time', however IMHO there's a difference in cringing with fear everytime you see a dodgy bloke hanging around and being proactive , ready and knowing what to do should said dodgy bloke try anything.

[Edited by Neil Smalley - 5/17/2002 1:53:24 PM]

555-Shaggy

I love the "1500kg weapon and a brain, use them" statement.. I'm sure that will stand up in court when you've run over the criminal and killed them.. "Oh yes, sorry Judge, he tried to steal my car so I used it as a weapon against him. He wasn't supposed to die.." I can see the headlines now.. Nice idea though, if only we could get away with it..

Alpine

My girlfriend thinks I'm paranoid because I think about these things.. My personal opinion is that if I've thought about what to do in a given situation the more likely I am to act in an appropriate matter should it ever happen. I also talk about it with her in an effort to make her more aware of her safety when she's driving.. You can be prepared for the worse even if you don't expect it to happen.

mark d

Drive your girlfriend up Coldharbour Lane in Brixton one evening - see how paranoid she becomes...

Squizz

Strange how that message isn't used against criminals stealing cars and trying to avoid the law.

The law should be changed to regard such an activity as use of an offensive weapon/attempted murder/etc.

NO DETERENT = NO RESPECT = NO LAW

Wake up government & Judiciary - It's no use blaming the Police...They catch 'em and send 'em in to be out on bail to re-offend.

[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

swan

Remember that it's not only the high value high risk cars that are attacked but more likely the ones that blend in with the rest and which are easier to strip and sell for spares or just put back on the market. There's a smaller market for stolen Lamborghini's than Fords.

sillysi

Blunkett seems to have gone quiet on his new tough policy regarding car hi-jacking. I hope it does not take another serious injury to someone for the message to get across to the politicians.

scoobypig

Re: 1500kg weapon.
Forget courts! If I'm in a carjack situation and got so scared that I 'accidentally' ran over a scum bag or injured him by smashing the drivers door in with the car I could live with that...
Reversing back over the excrement could be harder to defend.

Dr Hu

Yeah right...how the **** are you supposed to know that the car in front is an accomplice to the car behind.......

I have been carjacked...although they were unsuccessful, as I wasn't going to let go of the keys that easily (daft)...because I had read stuff like this, I knew right away what was going on...so forewarned IS forearmed...I wasn't caught totally unawares

Dr Hu

also heard on the news a coupla weeks ago about Britains overcrowded jails......Judges & Magistrates were being warned NOT to send people to jail for short spells, and to give them community service instead.

So unless you half kill someone the chances are you will get away with it anyway.....there is no room in Britain's jails for more crims...even if the conviction rate was 100% where are they going to put them all?

Diesel

Where did this happen Dr Hu?

BuRR

He means don't pull too close to the car in front when waiting at junctions. Remember - "Tarmac and Tyres" - make sure you can see both when pulling behind a car, thus making space for you to pull free if necessary.

[Edited by BuRR - 5/17/2002 6:10:48 PM]

scooby_si

Er also correct me if im rong as i've never had 2 do it but it is actually 112 is it not that u must dial on a mobile 2 get emergency services & not 999.
Si

Dr Hu

Diesel:- It was about a year ago, dark nights...I walked up to my car on a lonely carpark, got in took off the Stoplok, then 3 doors opened, 3 blokes jumped in & tried to remove me....luckily I had my car keys in my hand as I just removed the lock, They tried to get the keys from my grasp but I had a good hold of them, they just knocked me around a bit...I didnt let them get me out of the car by bracing myself against the pedals, and the horn with my free hand, otherwise they prob would have kicked the **** out of me....They were kids really 17 18yr olds, and luckily for me amatuers - no weapons.....police reckoned they had seen my car on its own....noticed it had a stoplock on so waited for me to get in & remove it for them....bastids. They were disturbed after a minute or so by my horn sounding as someone (luckily) walked onto the carpark and came over to see what was going on, they had managed to break off my alarm keyfob in struggle & ran off with it plus my breifcase & they also grabbed what they could from the glovebox. Worst thing was I was now stranded as no fob to de-immobilise the car (forgot my PIN) so had to wait 4 police (who came quick!) and my wife with spare keys. After seeing a tape of the incident on CCTV the scum had been hiding around the corner in a bus stop & behind a wall waiting for me....I did not see them until they were in the car. This was Birmingham area.

I now ALWAYS get in and immediately lock the doors although my alerm is set to lock them on ignition they had'nt got that far when I was jumped!

Shook me up but was the only incident I have ever had after having scoobies for years.....It comes from having a car other people want....**** happens - I was lucky - I still use my car everyday without fear, just am more aware now!

It could have happened driving any new high value car - it hasnt put me off

Now if they started breaking into the house & threatening with weapons....then its time to say enough is enough......but luckily I live in a nice quiet area in a cul-de-sac....car cannot be seen off the road so I reckon its a safe as it can be these days.

Jen

I've dialed 999 - isn't the other one the European number or have I completely made that up?!

scooby_si

Erm u could have a point just looked in the little book i got with me mobile & it did say 999 or 112 so ho hum whichever floats yer boat i guess
Si

catflap

kill em all

Dred has it right, just drive around shooting the scum

IanA

I would have no compunction about using my car as a weapon in a car-jack situation if my nearest and dearest weren't in the car just as I would have no compunction about shooting someone who broke into my house (especially if my nearest and dearest were there).

These people are scum, whatever social difficulties the government likes to label them with. I deserve my car, I'm not rich and I regularly risk my life for strangers to earn the money to pay for it, just as everyone else on here works hard to pay for their cars.

I'll take whatever legal outcomes for the moral right to stop people taking what's mine and I'd make sure it was on every front page if I had to.

muppet paster

Next tip.
Sell the car to the guy around the corner.

SD

Some good points there.

BTW:

There's no such thing as an overcrowded jail. Just keep stuffing them in there.

The Crushinator

I couldn't agree more however politically incorrect it may sound it's not like the scmbags can steal and deface other peoples property in prison[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

RichiW

We were talking about crime the other day at work.I said they should be fed bread and water in jail, and made to break big stones with small hammers for the privaledge of getting fed at the end of the day.One of the other lads said "Glad i dont work under you !"

grrr...bloody do gooders!

Rich.

The Crushinator

It is infuiriating(sp?) to see the justice system failing people who try to enjoy life, After somebody tried breaking into my first car, which i really loved. I couldn't explain the rage i felt[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] i just don't get it[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]


Richi, should they be mde to wear those suits with the arrows on them (whatever happened to them anyway?)