The Importance of Keeping Your Car Doors Locked- Attempted Robbery!

Well, I am still a little shook up, and more just seeing red than anything.

About an hour and a half ago, I decided to get something to eat down at a local Wendy's. Seeing as I like to listen to talk radio, and Michael Savage spewing all his spewings, I pulled through the drive thru, got my food, and parked in the lot, kind of to myself. Car running, heat on, it was snowing, but at least I could listen to the radio. I was about 30 feet from the drive thru window and in their plain sight.

So I'm sitting there eating, and I remembered, thank God, to lock my door. All doors. 9:30 at night in a small town still cannot break my good habit of always doing so. Life in Atlanta for 15 years will learn you quick. ALWAYS lock your doors when you're in your car.

So after about 10 minutes of being there, things got kind of quiet and dark, with all the drive thru customers gone for the moment.

And that's when this small car pulls up and parks in the second space over to my right. I thought nothing of it. Hey, it a Wendy's in a small town. Big whoop.

Two guys get out of the rear doors and kind of lolligag around, and I still didn't pay them any attention. And that's where I screwed up.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt someone press the doorhandle in and pull on my driver's door real hard. And just about the time I looked out my left window to stare in the blue eyes of a dude wearing a bandana up to his eyes, I felt a similar click and tug on the passenger side front door, only to see the other guy trying to get in there.

Oh boy. Then it hit me. These dudes are trying to rob me! Holy crap! Grrrr. Aight. Pissed me off. I thought "They're fuggin lucky I didn't have my 9mm with me." Cause I would most definately be downtown right now on manslaughter charges instead of typing this. So I slam my car in reverse (the engine was running) and floored it. I never knew a jeep 4.0 had so much power. I whipped the car hard, hoping to slam one of them as I went. But he got out of the way, and they both headed for the car they came in, got in and pulled out in a hurry. That's when I noticed there were 4 of them.

So then they kind of headed in front of me and turned around in the parking lot and sort of stopped, I suppose probably a bit nervous about where to go. By that point I was furious and ready to draw blood. So I whipped the car around and headed for them flooring it and fully intended on broadsiding them hard. I was headed right for them, and at the last second they floored it and just barely avoided me, and they pulled out into traffic, with me spinning tires all over the place to get behind them. Before I could catch up, they had pulled out into traffic, and dissapeared before I could catch up to them or see their plate.

Grrr. So then I'm like aight. Cops. I didn't have to drive more than a 1/4 mile and two were pulled over talking in a McDonalds. So I flag them and tell them about it, and they said, "yup same description as we just got from an attempted robbery just a few miles from here at the mall bout 15 minutes ago."

Wonderful. So the cop and I went back to the Wendy's and the guys inside said they hadn't seen a thing. So I filed an incident report, and was on my way.

Phew. Big city habits may have just saved my life. I guess I'm lucky that I didn't get shot, just for foiling there little scheme. When they saw they couldn't get in, I believe they just decided to look for an easier target. Little did they know how truely lucky they were I did not have my Glock with me. Funny thing is, I thought about taking it with me before I left, but said "nah." I would have killed them all or died trying if I'd of had it. Thank God I didn't in this case.

Little door locks. Life savers.

Glad you are ok!
Amazing story, and it's a great point about having the doors. locked.
Your situational awareness kept you safe..Thats awesome.



Almost exactly the same thing happened to me outside a 7-11, except my doors were unlocked. I ended up getting assaulted by two carfulls of jerks.

Me getting sucker punched ( he walked up pretending to ask directions), then attacked by 5, with another 5 jumping my buddy who walked up on the scene. They kicked out the headlights, kicked and dented the cars exterior (it was a rental, LOL).
I had a chance like you too, to run one of them over..I floored it, right at him, I would have killed him. But I stopped, before pinning him against the Storefront. I still don't why I stopped.

They were doing it all over town (Mission Viejo, CA).
They got caught..I got to make a Citizens Arrest.
2 of them were over 18, and got almost 10 years, because of the multiple incidents

It's good that you're ok!
I always lock my doors in my car. No matter what, i always do. thank God i've never had a break-in before(knock knock) you just can't be too cautious these days.

It just worries me because my father never does, even if there's valuables inside. we try to get on him about it, but he never listens.

I was just thinking.
Wouldn't the whole event be recorded on the Security cameras at the Drive-thru?

I was thinking the same thing SpaceDoubt.................I wonder why the cops did not think of this? Unless the cameras are not trained on the area TA was parked at.......

VERY GOOD advise about keeping doors locked whilst IN the car.....thanks for the reminder TA, gads I am glad your ok. I try and keep the doors locked when I am in the car to.

I used to keep my car locked all the time at night, but then after paying for another side window the 2nd time around.....I decided I can live without a sterio easier than buying decent car audio stuff for thieves ..... now my car is'nt locked anymore so if they want in they do'nt have to break my window. I keep nothing in the car I think is important.......if the clowns want the air freshner that bad they can have it.
A few months back 'they' decided to take my ash tray
I am glad I did not have to replace another window though......

[edit on 7-4-2007 by theRiverGoddess]

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Little did they know how truely lucky they were I did not have my Glock with me. Funny thing is, I thought about taking it with me before I left, but said "nah." I would have killed them all or died trying if I'd of had it. Thank God I didn't in this case.

Little door locks. Life savers.

Its great to hear your unharmed.

Also though because you didn`t have your gun you had to use another coarse of action which I applaud.Where in this type of circumstance others may not be so fortunate to be able to react quickly enough,especially as you rightly say to keep your doors locked,if people dont take that advice in America.

If your life meant nothing to them and they had a gun with the intent of using it for the easy of the crime,you may not have had time to react even if you had your gun.But if like you said you had taken it,you would probably be up for manslaughter.You go home a little shaken and I`d bet they are shaken as well,knowing the police are now after them and one day because you didn`t kill them they may change for the better.

Seems to me there are many lessons to be learned from your bad experience for many people and I`m glad you come through it to share.

Hey thanks all for your kind sentiments. I'm over it today, but with a bit different view of my current reality. It's never good to get sucked into that "it can never happen to me" syndrome that most Americans prefer to live by.

Because it can. Anywhere, any time. Death lurks closer by than most people want to think about. I say death because in a situation like that I dunno about you's, but I assume the worst- that my life means nothing to them at that point, and I must be prepared to act- with deadly force if needed. Problem is in that moment overcoming emotions that semperfortis has mentioned in other threads.

And I failed. I lost my cool and went after them with my car, which was a pretty stupid thing to do, considering they had given up, headed back to their car, and were trying to drive off, no harm done. Hell if any of them had a gun they could have shot me, especially when I tried to broadside them. And just in case they did shoot, I put my head way down when I did it, just enough to see over the dash.

I was fortunate enough this time to escape with what turned out to be just a harmless reminder. It sucks to be on guard all the time. But gotta do it from here on out. And I am prepared.

Edit to add:
Spacedoubt sorry, forgot to answer your q, re: the security cameras. Even if they do have cameras, I doubt one of them was trained on the parking lot. I was out of the drive thru and parked already. But who knows, it's possible. But those tapes are probably erased over by now, if their security systems are typical.

And that does remind me of something else I did notice that bothered me a bit. Those cops saw I was pretty flustered, and acted like pretty much ho hum. Just another day at the office, I guess. They took their sweet time in assessing the situation, while the bad guys were getting away.

The other thing is that one of them kept making trick statements like "And they were all black guys, right? And it was a white car right?" When I had told him multiple times that the car was red and the guys pulling at my doors were white. That part was wierd. Maybe one of the real policemen here can shed some light on why that one cop kept doing that?

[edit on 7-4-2007 by TrueAmerican]

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
The other thing is that one of them kept making trick statements like "And they were all black guys, right? And it was a white car right?" When I had told him multiple times that the car was red and the guys pulling at my doors were white. That part was wierd. Maybe one of the real policemen here can shed some light on why that one cop kept doing that?

[edit on 7-4-2007 by TrueAmerican]

You probably don't want to know why...

But if you do read the next bit:

More than likely, the cops have had a run in with a group of black guys in a white car. They could not make something stick and tried to use this as the case to do it. It happens a lot and is a real problem. Furthermore, black people are more often than not, easier to convict especailly in some parts of America. (Not trying to be rude).

Glad to see you are alright.

I've never had it happen when I was in my car, but I've had a few people try to mug me and such when I was younger. It really can shake you up. Glad to see you are doing better now and sorry to see the Police were well typical.

Originally posted by Odium
You probably don't want to know why...

But if you do read the next bit:

More than likely, the cops have had a run in with a group of black guys in a white car. They could not make something stick and tried to use this as the case to do it. It happens a lot and is a real problem.

lol Odium, I must say, that's pretty farfetched for even a conspiracy-minded ATS'er to swallow. But not a whole lot surprises me anymore- except maybe for two guys in face bandanas like out of the old west (I swear!) trying to rob me.

And only now can I smile at all, for the briefest of moments.

I'm still pretty pissed that I just about became a statistic. Another mere lost digit in some column of disputed numbers. While society's twisted logic prefers that the criminal live and be rehabilitated, the good innocent dead with no last word on the matter wormrot in a questionably mourned grave or fire. It's not right.

If each one of us vowed to take one of these scum with us before we died, maybe eventually we wouldn't need cops. War against crime from the grass roots of all good people everywhere. Vigilanteeism? Yup. Over ones self. A sad way to live indeed.

Well, the forum wants social issues from a personal experience, and this is about as personal as it gets. The experience of being attacked and the resulting thoughts that one must deal with, such as the desire for revenge, changed state of mind, and renewed vigilance.

One of the more positive results of this is, a good friend of mine's door was locked when I went to visit him this weekend. It's usually always unlocked. That simple action could safe his life one day.

One good argument for locked doors is that they usually allow more reaction time, if nothing else. And that is why I always lock my bedroom door when sleeping. Should someone get into the house, and I fail to awake, I might be awoken by them shaking the bedroom door, trying to get in. In the case of an armed home invasion, that could well be your last chance at life. And to me that translates as "put as many bullets through that door as possible."

Fine. Bring on the manslaughter charge. Rehabilitate ME, by God. Not the sewer rat.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
And that does remind me of something else I did notice that bothered me a bit. Those cops saw I was pretty flustered, and acted like pretty much ho hum. Just another day at the office, I guess. They took their sweet time in assessing the situation, while the bad guys were getting away.

The other thing is that one of them kept making trick statements like "And they were all black guys, right? And it was a white car right?" When I had told him multiple times that the car was red and the guys pulling at my doors were white. That part was wierd. Maybe one of the real policemen here can shed some light on why that one cop kept doing that?

[edit on 7-4-2007 by TrueAmerican]

I'm sure the cops saw you where flustered but unfortunately for them it is just another day at the office. While it may seem like they were taking their sweet time assessing the situation what they were doing, hopefully, was getting a full and accurate description of the suspects so the other officers and allied agencies in the area could keep a good eye out.

I'm sure those officers wanted to catch the guys just as bad as you didl; the type of attempted robbery you describe is very dangerous and if any of these guys have any weapons this could easily escalate one day and someone is bound ot get hurt.

As far as the trick statements ... maybe since you were, understandbly flustered, just maybe you made some slightly conflicting statements and they were making sure your story was credible and didn't change.

Glad to hear you are okay.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
One good argument for locked doors is that they usually allow more reaction time, if nothing else. And that is why I always lock my bedroom door when sleeping. Should someone get into the house, and I fail to awake, I might be awoken by them shaking the bedroom door, trying to get in. In the case of an armed home invasion, that could well be your last chance at life. And to me that translates as "put as many bullets through that door as possible."

Fine. Bring on the manslaughter charge. Rehabilitate ME, by God. Not the sewer rat.

A true paranoid ... I mean that in a positive way. I too sleep with the bedroom door closed and locked so I have one more chance to quickly wake up. I would sleep with a loaded gun nearby but I have a small child in the house so it has to be kept locked up.

We also put the small child "safety" latches on the door ... they're up high and keep toddlers from opening a door and wandering off. He's old enought to know better now but when we moved I installed some anyways since it makes the door a little more difficult to force (more noise).

The biggest thing to realize is the true danger if anyone every does force their way into your home when your home. If someone knows your home and is still willing to break in, chances are that is a dangerous or desperate person. I would have no hesitation in shooting or otherwise injuring someone who is breaking into my occupied residence.

I try to balance the paranoid with the concept of living in peace but thend to err on the side of paranoid-safety.

TA, I just saw this. I'm so glad you're ok!

And thanks for the reminder. I live in a small town after many, many years in metropolitan areas, and I have become lax (don't tell my husband!) at "keeping an eye". I want to trust people. And I do. But it's important to be prepared for the few who don't deserve my trust.

Really glad you're ok.

Wow, sounds like a rush.

Everyone saying they would have shot him? does that fly? only in america i guess. In canada, without a good lawyer, there are not too many situations that you could be in that could allow to shoot someone in self defense and not be charged.

why did you have enough time to load a gun (that is supposed to have gun and ammo under seperate lock and key) and defend yourself? the attacker was obviously moving too slow to be a threat. Next time die, then press charges.

Good thinking on your part! As you've already learned, it isn't safe in even smalltown America anymore. I have a CCW permit and NEVER leave the house without my Sig P239 .40 strapped on.

About 6 months ago - just after Thanksgiving I was shopping in Downtown Cleveland and had parked in a parking garage which I believed to be very safe (As safe as any big city parking garage could be) as it was very well lit and attended. After shopping I stopped at a local pub to grab a burger and a beer. When I returned to my car around 9:30 PM the garage was mostly empty as the stores close around 9:00. Just as I was fumbling around with my cell phone I felt the car shake a bit and heard the door handle as it slammed back against the car door (I had locked my door as well!). I looked up to see a male (Skin color irrelevent) with what looked like a pipe threatening to bust my window if I didn't unlock the door - obviously I was about to be carjacked!

What this perp didn't understand was I had the desire and the tools to fight back. I reached inside my jacket and pulled my piece, showing it to him and explaining that if he didn't get lost he was going to receive a hot-lead injection - courtesy of me! His eyes got HUGE and he turned and hauled ass outta there. I drove up (As I was parked in the basement) and as I paid I reported it to the attendent who barely blinked an eye and told me if I wanted I could go to the police station to report it

I learned right then and there exactly WHY I took the time to get my CCW and now I never leave home without it!

Again, thanks for the sentiments friends.

And I do have updates:

Update 1) I couldn't help and feel a bit empty inside when the local "Victim Assistance Program" called first, and left me a message saying that they were real sorry that happened to me, and that they were interested in the effects that the crime had on me.

I wonder if they would have said the same thing on the message machine of an unluckier (or more unprecautionary) person who ended up getting shot or stabbed or beat up all to hell?

At that moment, I could only imagine the feelings of someone who had been through that and their response to that phone call. The emotional damage caused by robbers and criminals to victims, I can see just from this experience alone has got to be far worse than the physical damage in most cases.

And even though I came through that experience physically unscathed, the emotions I have felt since then I would gladly have traded for a punch to the face. At least that's over fast, and hurts for a limited time.

Update 2) The DA's office called me and apparently they busted the slimy bastards. They gave me the name of the defendent and told me to call them, that they wanted more information from me.

And I suppose they will ask me if I want to press charges? Or do you suppose they just want my testimony to aid in conviction for the other robbery they had committed minutes earlier at the mall?

Do I press charges? Right now I'm thinking I'd like to press my fist square into that bastard's cold icy blue eyes I saw through the car glass. And you better believe I'm going to press charges if given the opportunity. Proving it happened though will be rough. I got virtually no evidence unless you call some Thousand Island dressing on my passenger front seat evidence.

The guys at Wendy's said they didn't see it happen. The only thing I have going for me I suppose is that they committed another crime shortly before that? Would it really make sense to press charges and get involved? I dunno. Help?