Real world 'right now' survival---Carjacking!

Full story here
From the local 7 TV news

This morning when I turned on the News the breaking news out of Denver was about a man who had stolen a car with a 4 year old child still in his car seat. Momma went in for gas and this guy just jumps in and off he goes then were getting live helicopter footage of this hour long chase.

Before you ask the little boy is okay, scared yeah but otherwise unharmed

Naturally the wife and I are thinking the same thing as were watching all this unfold.
What would we do if that was one or both of our daughters in the back of that stolen SUV?

My instincts tell me I'm going to come out fighting my butt off rather than let some A-hole run off with my kids but is that really the best option? And that is what I'd like your help with today. Making a plan...

Survival is all about preplanning knowing what to do when a crisis happens.
In my house we do fire drills with the girls... go over what to do in case a fire breaks out.
We go over stranger danger and how not to place yourself in a position where someone could take them.

But after this morning I'm thinking we need to go over a
What to do if your Carjacked--- Drill

Have some kind of plan like my oldest taking her little sis out of her car seat, then getting out as quick as they can while mom or dad try's to delay the attacker at least long enough for them to get away.... stuff like that.

Said plan is something I never thought about before today and even surfing for said plan--- there is not much out there.

The State Department
Has a posted some good advice and is well worth a read. Mostly it's about Avoidance and Nonconfrontation just give them the car.

But as for specifics I think we can do better and I ask for your suggestions.

Let me kick things off with this one.

Not to blame the distraught mom... But if she hadn't left the keys in the ignition when she went into the store... this guy would not have run off with her car and her kid.

Simple solution...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KIDS ALONE IN A VEHICLE!

2nd

reply to post by HardCorps


Protip: don't leave your kids on the car. No matter how long you expect to be away. Just don't do it!

Great info hardcorps.

Kallisti

BTW I agree with everyone who's saying don't leave your kid in the car, for very obvious reasons.

But there was a not so long ago day when my daughters got into my parked truck, somehow managed to kick it out of gear and it rolled back smashing my little storage shed.

The lesson I learned from that was not leave my car unlocked because my girls like to play race driver when no ones looking

Kukri
Simple solution...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KIDS ALONE IN A VEHICLE!

2nd

edit on 3/12/2014 by Kukri because: added second line

Or if it is literally to jump out to use a cash point LOCK THE DOORS AND TAKE YOUR KEYS!

However if I was the person who was in the 2nd car, I would have worn a seat belt so he couldn't yank me out! If he tried to remove my seatbelt, punch him in the head lol he would have to reach over! She could have sped off if he tried anything.

reply to post by HardCorps


I know a young lady who had an attepted car-jacking a few years ago.
She had stopped at a light when a man snatched open the drivers side door; no auto locks then.
It startled her so much, she slammed the car in reverse and cut the front wheel hard to the right.
When the cops arrived, they could not get the man to explain why he was under the car with the driver's door open. He was still holding a knive, but I guess the car didn't care.

reply to post by iRoyalty


So were all on the same page...
this guy steals the red SUV from in front of a store first. that's the car with the kid in back...
police chase him and while turning onto an off-ramp he cuts off a minivan. Looks to me like there were two people in that van because you see one lady jump out the passenger door but as he drives away you see what looks like a second person sitting in the dirt.
It's after he crashes that van he goes for the lady in the silver car (A grand am???)


but I want to point out in both cases the drivers sides door was unlocked... he just opens the door calm as you please and yanks the drivers out of their car.

Kukri
Simple solution...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KIDS ALONE IN A VEHICLE!

2nd

edit on 3/12/2014 by Kukri because: added second line

SIMPLE...do not leave your kids alone OR your keys in the ignition.

What a retard..

Two words...

Concealed carry...

Please keep in mind how serious carjacking is... It is a crime of violence and force, usually perpetrated with a weapon. The use of a weapon infers the willingness to commit murder, and murder during a carjacking will get you the needle... The Federal needle... So even if the crime occurs in some leftist liberal state who gives more of a crap about some scumbag loser(s) than it's good citizens... There can be a happy ending... For those interested, or don't believe... The federal statute is 18 U.S. Code § 2119

As G.I. Joe says, “now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

Before pulling out the heavy weaponry spend a moment to think and lock the doors and take the keys with you so they have to move on to the next poor sucker and emptying a few clips in a petrol station sounds like a bit of a daft idea unless you fancy getting deep fried

reply to post by Mirthful Me

As G.I. Joe says, “now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

Ain't that the truth... it's always what you don't know that kills ya.

I agree CCW is my first option too.
But I am also out of the habit of daily carry.

I will also say--- If I had to--- I'm going for a quick kill headshot because I don't need to start a protracted firefight with my kids in the car behind me.

HardCorps
But I am also out of the habit of daily carry.

That is what is known as a "you" issue...

iRoyalty

Kukri
Simple solution...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KIDS ALONE IN A VEHICLE!

2nd

edit on 3/12/2014 by Kukri because: added second line

Or if it is literally to jump out to use a cash point LOCK THE DOORS AND TAKE YOUR KEYS!

However if I was the person who was in the 2nd car, I would have worn a seat belt so he couldn't yank me out! If he tried to remove my seatbelt, punch him in the head lol he would have to reach over! She could have sped off if he tried anything.

Another option would be to drive away or put it in the ditch and always keep your doors locked whether driving or not. Although I admitI don't follow my own advice here but I'm Canadian and we don't obsess over crime or need to compared to some other countries

reply to post by Mirthful Me


I agree. If you want protection from criminals, carry a gun within proper training.... I mean, that what LEOs do right?

I had a car jack attempt on me and when I put a gun in his face, he ran off screaming like a lil girl. I think it might have been his last after meeting me. Use and defend your rights or be the one to cry to everyone else when you do not exercise them.

My question to everyone is: Why in the hell would not lock your vehicle and allow your kids to play.... Yes play in a vehicle. The stupidity and irresponsibility of some parents these days have know idea how to maintain discipline in their household and this op gives a example of what happens to those whom lack responsibility to themselves and their family.

it's like a fat person saying its not my fault I'm fat. Yet he/she eats and drinks a cake and 12 pack a day....

Pure ignorance, undereducated, irresponsible kind of people.

Then again blame everyone else but yourself. I understand accountability sucks but an adult with heart and understanding already knows this.

Bit mad leaving the keys in an unlocked car.
Very mad to leave your kid in said car.

You don't need a gun for this, just the sense most of us are born with.

As for more traditional car jacking, when you get dragged out, keeping the door locked and windows up will stop it. Also makes sure you get the benefit of the air con.

I do remember some south African company fitting flame throwers to cars to deal with car jacking. Not sure if it would be legal

That saud, no doors or windows on my bike, but England isn't so mental a place.

link to video

reply to post by HardCorps


I would rather be in the position of shooting a criminal, putting myself or my kids in a fire fight than having to be vulnerable as a sitting duck in fear of doing what's right.


It all comes down to living in fear. Be a man and protect your family with as much as you can with the rights you were born with. Otherwise this "situation" will happen more often than not.

All the adults and kids in my family feel safer around when I carry 24/7, they may say I'm crazy, but safe.

Coming from a big able bodied man and father, I dont think it is viable to take your kids in to the store to pay for gas so: Dont leave your keys in the car, keep an eye on the car if you are waiting in line to pay. By the time the piece of # tried to hotwire the car, I would be cracking his head open with my fist, but I dont think anyone would try that hard anyway. If you are not one of the above then lock car with the kids in it and keep an eye on it. Once the car has taken off with your kid in it, I dont think there is much you can do other than call the cops.

In Australia it is illegal to leave your children in the car alone. I dont know how the law stands on when paying for gas or using an atm if the car is always in view. They have left this part obscure (and I think on purpose so they can charge you with something if they want you or take your kids away). It is also illegal to leave your keys in the car whilst you are not in it, or to leave the car parked on a public street with the doors unlocked.

Surprised this thread hasn't gotten more action.

After all, this kind of SHTF situation is much more probable for most of us.

I carry concealed, more and more every day. I originally got my license for the few times a year I have to go into downtown Metrolpolis. But lately I've felt vulnerable in the nice suburbs. High schoolers, drunk, skipping class and just raising hell at the walmart, smashing merchandice, etc. Who knows what they'll think of next. So I am starting to carry once a week or so.

My car plan involves locking the driver's door with my elbow when I pull the door shot. My suv doesn't have auto locks when it is put in gear (an older model), but if the drivers door is locked manually, it locks all car doors.

In the front doors of all our vehicles, there's a little tray or pocket down low. I keep a can of pepper spray in the front of the pocket, and a flashlight in the back. The flashlight is back there as a sort of kubotan. You can reach both of them easily while sitting in the seat, but can't really see them without sticking your head down toward the bottom of the door's panel.

When we travel, I always carry something light in the glove box or the box between the seats. Spouse's SUV is so big that a 357 actually fits snugly in that console between the bucket seats!

My kids do survivor drills, and we practice "How to tell if mom & dad are scared," which is important. Kids tend to trust anyone their mom or dad talks to, and they have to be trained that I may be fending off a scammer or strong-arm artist.

If you watch that video carefully, I think you'll see that the woman in the silver grand am(?) thought the male was coming to share insurance information since he had just struck her car. She doesn't get out, but she didn't have the door locked when he approached.

I've told my family that if you are middle class white, you've been raised to never be rude. But it's ok to be rude in order to be safe, and most bad guys depend on your desire to not be rude. Examples include:

-You feel too embarrased to audibly lock your car when a panhandler approaches you. Yet he may be sizing your up for car-jacking

-You feel obligated to open the door when someone knocks on it. When you ask who it is, and they say something like "I'm from the gas company," you feel like its wrong to just shout through the door at them--which is what your gas company says to do!

-When a cop approaches the vehicle, you feel obligated to roll your window all the way down. I don't do this until I am sure they real are police.

-When a person in dirty clothes speaks to you, you feel obligated to reply or get out your wallet. Seriously? Show them the money? What a great way to grab wallets for a living...

I have taught my kids that they are not allowed to feel threatened or in danger at all. And they are SUPPOSED to be rude if they feel in danger. From a friend's mom or dad, from a guy claiming to be a policeman, anything.


.

reply to post by tovenar


I'm every bit as surprised as you are this this thread never took off?

Anyway something I noticed, if I have a rifle in the rifle rack in my pickup...
panhandlers and other assorted neerdowells are good about keeping their distance.

That rifle that normally rides in the rack is a SR-25

reply to post by HardCorps


Where I grew up, ranchers had either a cane in their rifle rack, or an umbrella. The local chief of police had ruled that having a gun displayed in the gun rack of your truck within the (big) city limits was "open carry" and meant to intimidate. So people started carrying canes or umbrellas in their gun rack, to telegraph that they wanted you to know, that they had a REAL gun under the seat.

One elderly fellow I knew carried his granddaughter's frilly umbrella in the gun-rack. Somehow even-out-of-towners knew that there was a gun under the seat of that particular truck.

One of the high school students had a business welding long tubular lock-boxes that would fit behind the seats of a pickup. You'd lock it with a regular padlock.