Carjacking 101

[bph9]

If he's begging for money, he IS an animal and just as if you encountered an amimal out in the wild, you treated him accordingly.

I do not regard my fellow human beings as animals, nor do I put money over human life. That is the lowest form of life you can live.

My ancestors were poor and I have found all over the world in which I traveled its the poor man that will share what little he has with you including giving you the shirt off his back but the well to do man will squeeze every penny so hard it screams for mercy even though he could lose half his fortune and still be rich enough to buy anything he would ever need or want.

I have given money to starving people or a man who needed a cup of coffee on a freezing night. I can tell by body language if the person is in need or is just a panhandler or is a thug looking to rob me. There are various ways to talk to them that further reveals what they need or just want. I have even given some panhandlers the last dollar in my wallet because I knew how easy it is sometimes to end up at the bottom of the economic ladder often through no fault of your own.

I once invited a man into the restaurant I was going into and bought him a meal and shared some companionship with him and was astonished to find out he knew my grandfather because he had lived in Europe many years ago. Now what would be the chance out of all the millions of people in the world that I would meet a stranger with a connection to my family especially one from the other side of the world. I think someone up there was rewarding me for the kindness I gave a stranger that turned out to be no stranger at all. What the man knew about my grandfather proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he was who he said he was.

At the end of your life you will not remember the money you stuffed into your pockets or the pennies you squeezed until they screamed for mercy but you will remember the human beings you helped and their stories and interactions with you.

Howard Hughes one of the richest men in the world during his lifetime once broke down in the middle of the desert and was helped by a man in a broken down car. The Good Samaritan never knew who he helped out until one day a brand new car was given to him with a thankyou note that totally stunned him.

As the character in the 60's sitcom Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) used to say "Like your a real human being". Today sadly there are too few "real human beings" around anymore.

 

[akchef]

I do not regard my fellow human beings as animals, nor do I put money over human life. That is the lowest form of life you can live.

My ancestors were poor and I have found all over the world in which I traveled its the poor man that will share what little he has with you including giving you the shirt off his back but the well to do man will squeeze every penny so hard it screams for mercy even though he could lose half his fortune and still be rich enough to buy anything he would ever need or want.

I have given money to starving people or a man who needed a cup of coffee on a freezing night. I can tell by body language if the person is in need or is just a panhandler or is a thug looking to rob me. There are various ways to talk to them that further reveals what they need or just want. I have even given some panhandlers the last dollar in my wallet because I knew how easy it is sometimes to end up at the bottom of the economic ladder often through no fault of your own.

I once invited a man into the restaurant I was going into and bought him a meal and shared some companionship with him and was astonished to find out he knew my grandfather because he had lived in Europe many years ago. Now what would be the chance out of all the millions of people in the world that I would meet a stranger with a connection to my family especially one from the other side of the world. I think someone up there was rewarding me for the kindness I gave a stranger that turned out to be no stranger at all. What the man knew about my grandfather proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he was who he said he was.

At the end of your life you will not remember the money you stuffed into your pockets or the pennies you squeezed until they screamed for mercy but you will remember the human beings you helped and their stories and interactions with you.

Howard Hughes one of the richest men in the world during his lifetime once broke down in the middle of the desert and was helped by a man in a broken down car. The Good Samaritan never knew who he helped out until one day a brand new car was given to him with a thankyou note that totally stunned him.

As the character in the 60's sitcom Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) used to say "Like your a real human being". Today sadly there are too few "real human beings" around anymore.

Good for you. I can tell by your words that your a true believer and working hard at building your resume to ensure your place in heaven. I've known people like you and I pity them.
As someone who doesn't believe in an afterlife, I can live this one life I have to the best of my ability and not have to suffer any degradation of it by concerning myself about the welfare of others. Especially people unworthy of help.

Most trash develop the silver tongue, a gift of gab. It's a skill they develop to swindle regular people out of money.
They come off as honest, kind people who through some misfortune of life, simply ended up on hard times.
That's just not the reality of it anymore. It's not the 70s.
Although with a dedicated search you might be able to find such a unicorn, the overwhelming majority of beggars, bums and homeless people are in that state because of mental illness or drug/alcohol addictions and the resulting inability to get or keep a job and manage a "normal" life.
And once you start down that road, it's practically impossible to ever get off it.
Programs to get these people clean and help them get jobs never work. These programs are at their core, simply lip service and only serve as a tool for those people involved in them to make themselves feel good about helping, and pad their resumes for that place in heaven that they are convinced is waiting for them.

But the bottom line is that there are people who at their core, feel good about "helping" (like you) and those who refuse to be drawn into the scam (like me). And nothing I, or anyone can say to change either of our minds.
So you live your way, and I'll live mine.
And if someone tries to carjack you, you can hand them your keys becasue a piece of property isn't worth a human life, and when someone tries to carjack me, I'll shoot that SOB in the face because that's my car and I worked hard to get it and I'll be damned if I'll let some POS criminal have it!

 

[Skully128]

I have a family member who in the 90s was in a big city with a lot of crime. They lived in the hood/ghetto and had to deal with carjackings as a every day possibility. At stop lights in certain areas was apparently the most common area back then carjackings occurred in that area (other than gas stations though he filled up in better parts of town). He was always aware of surroundings at stoplights and when someone would come up twords his car (especially with gang colors), he would put his .44 magnum on the dashboard with finger on the trigger (not pointing at them but ready to go). That apparently saved him a few times in the 90s. Obviously I would not recommend that now as its at minimum brandishing a firearm, but if you can tell a carjacking is about to happen I 100% understand why that was what he did. Thought OP would like that story and anyone interested in 90s carjackings. Got a few other ones OP might like but thats irrelevant to this topic.

One of the best pieces of advice was given from my self defense instructor (hand to hand). He said one of the best things for self defense is to avoid situations and areas that you are more likely to need it. Also to always be aware of your surroundings and have your hands ready (not in pockets) for a gun I think everyone has preferences so do I. I like a compact pistol personally though I think any pistol your accurate with will work.

 

[steelslaver]

As a security guy once told me if you haven't got the schematic for an alarm system you can always get one from a real good burglar.

I am quite sure the same applies to cars. I know they now make a box that runs through all the codes for cars and thieves will stand in a parking lot and turn it on and wait for one to flash its lights.

But the easiest way to steal cars would be with a wrecker. Drive up to someplace where people spend time like a restaurant or a bar, wait till a nice car arrives and the people go inside and load it up and go. I ran a wrecker for about 6 months once and nobody ever asked me what I was doing. Then replace or reprogram the control module with one that matches. The Vin can be replaces by removing the front window and on some the other tags Best way would be in with a salvage yard. Strip what you need from a wreck, apply for a salvage title, wreck goes to crusher and then go looking for a car that is a close match.

But, I can't remember a cop ever checking my registration against my Vin. Maybe they do for some serious crimes or when the car is impounded???

I truly believe I could have been a real good criminal. But, my believes are such that I know that bad money never comes to good. Plus, then there is also the unplanned event. You scope out the armored car, you have the route down pat, you know when they got max cash. You know figure out the perfect spot to stop the, have a private plane spotted and a couple parachutes to make your get away But, them Joe, the Cops is late for work the first time in 6 years and ends up right there.

 

[sigp220.45]

Carjackers don’t want a car to have a car.

They want to have a car to have something to drive for the night.

 

[Muss Muggins]

But the easiest way to steal cars would be with a wrecker. Drive up to someplace where people spend time like a restaurant or a bar, wait till a nice car arrives and the people go inside and load it up and go. I ran a wrecker for about 6 months once and nobody ever asked me what I was doing. Then replace or reprogram the control module with one that matches. The Vin can be replaces by removing the front window and on some the other tags Best way would be in with a salvage yard. Strip what you need from a wreck, apply for a salvage title, wreck goes to crusher and then go looking for a car that is a close match.

You do realize that the VIN is in a lot of other places than the dashboard, right? Everything you said never worked for the dozens of car thieves I dealt with at the Yankee Gov't. It ain't near as easy as you describe. . .

 

[steelslaver]

Yes, I realize the vin is in multiple places. No doubt you have caught some car thieves but did you catch them all? Here is an interestingg little tit bit. You don't need an ID to sell a car or even buy one. Most people don't check the vin and if they do they only check the one. You had to have extra information from somewhere or the car thieves you caught were dumb and or lazy. I have only ever had one rig's vin checked and I have had a lot of cars and trucks well over 50. When I worked in the oil patch I would buy a car using a fake name put tags on it, crew would drive it until it dropped leave it where ever and we would get another one. North Dakota, Wyoming Montana, and when it was 55 Montana speeding tickets were $5 and I had lots of them. No issuses. I did get one of my licences revoked in N Dakota, then got caught with 2 in Monttana, I never did stop drivingcars that were not in my name.

 

[Muss Muggins]

You don't need an ID to sell a car. Most people don't check the vin and if they do they only check the one. You had to have extra information from somewhere.

Agreed. But try to license and insure it . . .

 

[steelslaver]

Easy to license in some states and back in the good old days never had any insurance and lots of people still don't. Heck at one time I had 3 different drivers licenses al stat issued with different names. Reason, Lots and lots of speeding tickets, I fleeing a officer and a couple reckless. Had to keep the points spread out. In fact the last fall I bought a car off a lady who left the Montana forever plates on it. A 2000 something Mercury Sable with 100,000 miles for my step daughter. Plus, I never saw her sign the title and I didn't check the vin. Want to run it for me?? LOL My daughter bought a hot rod with a 5t speed instead, so it is sitting in my yard with the keys in it, just like my truck, side by side and my spare Lincoln. I haven't been home since May 10th and am on my boat in Alaska for the summer.

Years back my one brothers bought and titled an Indian motorcycle. A couple years later he was talking motor cycles with a guy in N Dakota and the guy was telling him about an Indian he had stolen. My brother told him, Hey I have it and let the guy have it back. Law was clueless
.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Easy to license in some states and back in the good old days never had any insurance and lots of people still don't. In fact the last car I bought the lady left the Montana forever plates on it. A 2000 something Mercury Sable with 100,000 miles for my step daughter.

You can't license a vehicle in Missouri without insurance specific to the vehicle. I know you're living in the good old days, but that ain't the case any more. I applaud you if you can still license that Sable today, and really, a 26 year old car with only 100,000 miles seems like a unicorn . . .

 

[akchef]

You can't license a vehicle in Missouri without insurance specific to the vehicle. I know you're living in the good old days, but that ain't the case any more. I applaud you if you can still license that Sable today, and really, a 26 year old car with only 100,000 miles seems like a unicorn . . .

It's plenty easy enough.
You call up the insurance company and insure whatever the title VIN is. Then you go to the DMV and with the title and matching insurance and boom! You now have a new registration.
Does it match the VIN on the car? Only you know because the DMV doesn't go outside and make sure the car and title match. It's all just paper.
It's even easier in Alaska. When you go to register your vehicle you are asked to sign a statement that the vehicle is and will be insured for the registration period. They don't even ask for proof.

 

[Muss Muggins]

It's plenty easy enough.
You call up the insurance company and insure whatever the title VIN is. Then you go to the DMV and with the title and matching insurance and boom! You now have a new registration.
Does it match the VIN on the car? Only you know because the DMV doesn't go outside and make sure the car and title match. It's all just paper.
It's even easier in Alaska. When you go to register your vehicle you are asked to sign a statement that the vehicle is and will be insured for the registration period. They don't even ask for proof.

And then when you crash it, nobody's insurance pays and you're on the hook . . .

 

[biku324]

It's plenty easy enough.
You call up the insurance company and insure whatever the title VIN is. Then you go to the DMV and with the title and matching insurance and boom! You now have a new registration.
Does it match the VIN on the car? Only you know because the DMV doesn't go outside and make sure the car and title match. It's all just paper.
It's even easier in Alaska. When you go to register your vehicle you are asked to sign a statement that the vehicle is and will be insured for the registration period. They don't even ask for proof.

Unless you live in a state that does VIN inspection at first in-state titling.

 

[dockmurgw]

Unless you live in a state that does VIN inspection at first in-state titling.

I thought all states required this...learn something every day.

 

[biku324]

I thought all states required this...learn something every day.

Mine does. It's not rocket science.

 

[steelslaver]

My state doesn't look or inspect, Show em the title and pay. I have only had to show any insurance papers once. But, I won't drive a car without liability. The Sable has forever plates already on it. They never expire. You can get them for any car over 11 years old. I once bought a 7 year old car with under 8000 miles. My 1999 Lincoln Town car only had 120,000 on it when I bought it in in 2022 or 3 and my 2001 had 130,000 when I bought it for $2,700 the year after buying the 99. Both were off older people. The Sable was another grandmas old car. Nobody wants sedans, they have little trade value especially when they get a bit older, as everyone wants an SUV Got to know where to look. In Montana it don't mater when the title got signed. just say it wasn't running and needed repairs.