Anyone heard of this coming over the pond yet?
'sliders' - thieves at petrol stations
- Thread starter sludgeguts
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'sliders' - thieves at petrol stations
someone i know had a simular done to them, a little differently, wait for a busy junction, wait for a woman with computer handbag on chair, open door take it walk off, drivers stuck in traffic and unable to do anything
Put all bags on the floor, or in the boot. If uncertain about the area, lock the doors. They can break a window, but usually only to get stuff off a seat, the floor is too far away.
Keep a 2 metre gap in front when stopping in a queue. If someone goes for a door, turn the car towards them and hit them with the car. Or use the space to escape away from them, if possible.
Keep a 2 metre gap in front when stopping in a queue. If someone goes for a door, turn the car towards them and hit them with the car. Or use the space to escape away from them, if possible.
the problem in the US is that there cars are so big there fueling at the back of the car where the front of the car is in a different county
looks like most of the cars targeted at 4x4 or people carrier type vehicles so the person fueling can't see what's going on, on the other side of the car
looks like most of the cars targeted at 4x4 or people carrier type vehicles so the person fueling can't see what's going on, on the other side of the car
Yes, lock the car when you're in or out if it.
Dom
Dom
This is exactly what I thought, all corners of my Panda are 2ft from me when I'm refuelling, plus without central locking most of the time I have either a passenger in the car whilst refuelling or my passenger door is locked so this trick wouldn't work all that well...
As has already been said, it's already happening, and has been for several years. A female member of the Coronation Street cast stopped at the lights at the end of the M602 and while she was waiting some ne'er do well opened the door of her car and made off with her handbag. This was well over 10 years ago, possibly even as long ago as 15.
At the time I was still a full time driving instructor and told all my pupils about the risk and told all the females to put their bags out of sight or on the floor. As for this video, Sainsbury's petrol station on Regent Road, effectively an extension to the M602, was a favourite place not only for bag thefts from cars but of the cars themselves. Most of those being stolen were Japanese as they were virtually the only cars that had an internal fuel flap release. Effectively, pull the lever, get out to fill up and leave the keys in the ignition. Lose your bag or lose your car.
Portland Bill's advice about leaving space in queues is good advice as it gives the victim an escape route and if you leave enough room you may be able to drive out of the situation. This doesn't just apply to women, especially if you have a desirable enough car, in our case, an Abarth would be enough. Remember T & T - Tyres & Tarmac. If you can see the bottom of the tyres of the car in front, plus a little road space then you should be able to drive out. If you are really threatened then you could always drive at your assailant, although obviously if you hit him it will be you being interviewed by the Cops for assault or even attempted murder. But, there is a very good chance the case will be judged as NFA, or No Further Action.
Without wishing to be too melodramatic, you could lose your car or laptop. But potentially you could lose a lot more than that. It's a decision that would have to be made very quickly and running someone over is not a decision to be taken lightly, although if push comes to shove, it may have to be taken anyway.
However, as prevention is very definitely better than cure, following simple steps could easily be the answer.
1: Keep your distance in queues of traffic.
2: Put handbags and laptops in the boot, keep small valuables in the glovebox
3: Lock your doors.
4: Use your mirrors when stationary to help see a potential threat.
5: When parked remove portable satnavs + any marks from the screen.
Goodnight everybody, and remember, don't have nightmares
At the time I was still a full time driving instructor and told all my pupils about the risk and told all the females to put their bags out of sight or on the floor. As for this video, Sainsbury's petrol station on Regent Road, effectively an extension to the M602, was a favourite place not only for bag thefts from cars but of the cars themselves. Most of those being stolen were Japanese as they were virtually the only cars that had an internal fuel flap release. Effectively, pull the lever, get out to fill up and leave the keys in the ignition. Lose your bag or lose your car.
Portland Bill's advice about leaving space in queues is good advice as it gives the victim an escape route and if you leave enough room you may be able to drive out of the situation. This doesn't just apply to women, especially if you have a desirable enough car, in our case, an Abarth would be enough. Remember T & T - Tyres & Tarmac. If you can see the bottom of the tyres of the car in front, plus a little road space then you should be able to drive out. If you are really threatened then you could always drive at your assailant, although obviously if you hit him it will be you being interviewed by the Cops for assault or even attempted murder. But, there is a very good chance the case will be judged as NFA, or No Further Action.
Without wishing to be too melodramatic, you could lose your car or laptop. But potentially you could lose a lot more than that. It's a decision that would have to be made very quickly and running someone over is not a decision to be taken lightly, although if push comes to shove, it may have to be taken anyway.
However, as prevention is very definitely better than cure, following simple steps could easily be the answer.
1: Keep your distance in queues of traffic.
2: Put handbags and laptops in the boot, keep small valuables in the glovebox
3: Lock your doors.
4: Use your mirrors when stationary to help see a potential threat.
5: When parked remove portable satnavs + any marks from the screen.
Goodnight everybody, and remember, don't have nightmares
just to add, some cars can be programmed to only open the drivers side door, on unlock. dunno how standard this is but ford focus 06 ztec can be
Many new vehicles have this feature. The Fords can be programmed as one push, driver's door only, two prods, all unlocked. Personally I hate having to ask twice to get into my own car, but I appreciate it is useful for others.
The current Corsa has this feature, but bizarrely only opens the filler flap when the whole car in unlocked.
OP
OP
I've always locked my car when getting fuel, just habit really (unless there is a passenger).
When I was learning to drive (granted it was only horse & cartrs back then), my instructor always told me "tyres and tarmac" when sitting in traffic - the theory being that if you could see the rear tyres of the vehicle ahead, plus a bit of tarmac, then you would have enough room to swing out?
When I was learning to drive (granted it was only horse & cartrs back then), my instructor always told me "tyres and tarmac" when sitting in traffic - the theory being that if you could see the rear tyres of the vehicle ahead, plus a bit of tarmac, then you would have enough room to swing out?
Good point. If my memory serves me correctly, on the Ford you pressed and held both lock & unlock buttons together which would allow you to swap between one door or all doors unlock.
Slightly off-topic, nothing new there then, but Ford really are the car maker I wish FIAT would team up with. From Fiesta to Mondeo with a couple of people carriers along the way, they handle and ride as well as anything else on the market bar BMW & Jaguar, and they're not really competitors.
They also have really useful equipment such as the aforementioned locking facility and one of the best ever options to have on a car sold in the northern hemisphere.....namely the Quickclear heated front screen, also available on the new Panda, but nowhere else unless you count anything that used to be part of the Ford empire
That's correct, as on the current Fiesta.
I'd have to disagree with you with regard to the Fiesta. Its ride is jiggly and the handling is marred by the over light and over sensitive steering. Lots are supplied on Hankook tyres, which whilst the don't let go, always give a vague feeling that they are about to. On Continentals they are a different car, more precise and feel secure. I've often wondered which model the press have tested to give it so much praise.
The latest model, with the Aston Martin lookalike front, has had the steering and suspension sharpened. It is a little better, but still very jiggly. It feels like the wheels and body are not always attached, or necessarily going in the same direction. After spending all day in it, I feel like a well shaken jelly.
My Panda is of course rougher, but only hits each bump once. And the current Corsa rides so much better, although inside feels older and is less flashy. But it just gets on and does the job well, and comfortably.
The Fiesta windscreen de-ices very quickly and is a wonderful magic trick. The downside is all the vertical wires in it, like looking through a fine grille. I see them all the time, but they are very noticeable when the sun shines across them (low sun, winter and evenings) and at night when every oncoming car shows the lines. I'm quite happy to scrape the screen, I'd prefer a clear screen, that I can see through. Drove a Skoda Yeti recently, very difficult to see the heater wires. Probably much more expensive, but obviously possible.
My latest car also has auto wipers. These are a bit random at times, mostly working ok, but occasionally going bananas with a little drizzle, or leaving it until you are nearly blind before wiping. A bit more money needed perhaps for more consistency? Manual adjustable delay is great, please can I have it back.
It also has climate control. Working in secret. The Panda lights up the LEDs to tell me which way it is directing the air, and tells me how fast the fan is running. The Ford keeps all this a secret. It also gets confused when the temperature changes, taking up to a day to recover. We had a hot day after several colder ones. It continued to cook me all day, until the sun went down, then the cold air arrived to freeze me. The next day was colder again and it took nearly all day to realise and give me warm air. Demanding a higher or lower temperature does little to prompt it.
Auto headlamps. I don't like these anyway, so won't use them, but having tried to test mine, they do not come on until almost dark. Certainly not on a dull day like today in heavy rain. A colleague's "identical" model turns his on with just a single cloud across the sun.
I'm hoping Ford may be learning something from Fiat with the Ka, rather than the other way around.
Thank you for listening, I feel better now, time for a lie down.
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We have had a couple of incidents in a local town where somebody has laid in the road pretending to be injured and when the good Samaritan stops somebody leaps out from hiding opens the passenger door and grabs whatever is on the passenger seat.
It's a hard call to make to drive around somebody and ignore somebody who could be seriously ill or injured - these vermin are just praying on people's good nature and willingness to help.
Interesting about the Fords, daughter has just bought a new Ka and the sales guy was adamant it had no sort of auto/drive away locking at all so she does it manually using the inside lever, I've never checked if when she opens the drivers door it leaves the passenger door locked.
It's a hard call to make to drive around somebody and ignore somebody who could be seriously ill or injured - these vermin are just praying on people's good nature and willingness to help.
Interesting about the Fords, daughter has just bought a new Ka and the sales guy was adamant it had no sort of auto/drive away locking at all so she does it manually using the inside lever, I've never checked if when she opens the drivers door it leaves the passenger door locked.
I lock my car all the time, even when driving about. People have tried opening the door when sat in traffic more than once. My alfa locks itself as soon as you go over 10mph, think most modern cars do now, surprised a brand new ka doesn't tbh.
@ portland_bill (saves space not quoting you)
When I first went to the AA Driving School, I was undergoing a change from the dull Corsas of BSM (1.2 & 1.4L) and dropped straight into one of the last of their Rover 114 SLi models. Having previously endured earlier Metro 1.0/1.3 cars I was never impressed although the later versions with the 1.1 & 1.4 K-Series engines were a quantum leap forward in terms of performance, handling, refinement and trim, I have to say I was disappointed when the 114 SLi turned up on my doorstep. But, very quickly I realised the engine was willing, the 'box accurate and the whole car refined. But, it was the handling that really struck me. It really was a car you could steer on the throttle.
There's a slip road that takes you from the M60 onto the A5103 towards Manchester that bends slightly left followed by a long sweeping right hander which is followed by a slightly tighter left hand bend. You could enter this pretty much at 60 and if it ran wide, simply ease off the gas and as it tightened its line just go back on the gas. Simples.
This was followed a few weeks later by a new Fiesta 1.25 Ghia with a cracking motor and higher levels of roadholding than the Rover. The only area the Fiesta was inferior was in its turn-in which was first rate in the 114.
As for heated front screens, I never had a problem with it, nor did Mrs. Beard nor the pupils. I only really noticed the element was if I actually looked for it. If you're looking at the road you shouldn't be able to see it; a bit like taking a picture through a chain link fence. If you focus on the object 100 yards away the fence won't really be visible.
I always found the ride on the Ford to be perfectly adequate, but then we are talking about the fish faced models of more than a decade ago. The first one I used had 165 tyres on steel rims, but later ones had 175s on alloys which were better but they went a bit too far when they put 185s on them which dulled the steering and made the car prone to tramlining.
The Focus was another step forward. I thought it was excellent in all respects and if I was offered that or a 3-Series BMW I would have struggled to choose the German car.
My last Fiesta was a 57 plate TDCi that we had at work which had quite good handling but was otherwise pretty unimpressive. Nonetheless, most of the Cops I know felt a lot more comfortable driving those diesel Fiestas at high speed than they do in the Hyundais that have replaced them.
When I first went to the AA Driving School, I was undergoing a change from the dull Corsas of BSM (1.2 & 1.4L) and dropped straight into one of the last of their Rover 114 SLi models. Having previously endured earlier Metro 1.0/1.3 cars I was never impressed although the later versions with the 1.1 & 1.4 K-Series engines were a quantum leap forward in terms of performance, handling, refinement and trim, I have to say I was disappointed when the 114 SLi turned up on my doorstep. But, very quickly I realised the engine was willing, the 'box accurate and the whole car refined. But, it was the handling that really struck me. It really was a car you could steer on the throttle.
There's a slip road that takes you from the M60 onto the A5103 towards Manchester that bends slightly left followed by a long sweeping right hander which is followed by a slightly tighter left hand bend. You could enter this pretty much at 60 and if it ran wide, simply ease off the gas and as it tightened its line just go back on the gas. Simples.
This was followed a few weeks later by a new Fiesta 1.25 Ghia with a cracking motor and higher levels of roadholding than the Rover. The only area the Fiesta was inferior was in its turn-in which was first rate in the 114.
As for heated front screens, I never had a problem with it, nor did Mrs. Beard nor the pupils. I only really noticed the element was if I actually looked for it. If you're looking at the road you shouldn't be able to see it; a bit like taking a picture through a chain link fence. If you focus on the object 100 yards away the fence won't really be visible.
I always found the ride on the Ford to be perfectly adequate, but then we are talking about the fish faced models of more than a decade ago. The first one I used had 165 tyres on steel rims, but later ones had 175s on alloys which were better but they went a bit too far when they put 185s on them which dulled the steering and made the car prone to tramlining.
The Focus was another step forward. I thought it was excellent in all respects and if I was offered that or a 3-Series BMW I would have struggled to choose the German car.
My last Fiesta was a 57 plate TDCi that we had at work which had quite good handling but was otherwise pretty unimpressive. Nonetheless, most of the Cops I know felt a lot more comfortable driving those diesel Fiestas at high speed than they do in the Hyundais that have replaced them.
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Well its quiet simple
A - Shut your windows
B - Lock your doors
My tutor was once telling me there is a gangs london for there "iniciation" to the gang
They have to jump into a car while a single woman fills up - when she drives off - they jump up - and make her drive - rape her and leave her for dead.... (NICE)
Either way - Lock and shut and really you should be fine
Ziggy
A - Shut your windows
B - Lock your doors
My tutor was once telling me there is a gangs london for there "iniciation" to the gang
They have to jump into a car while a single woman fills up - when she drives off - they jump up - and make her drive - rape her and leave her for dead.... (NICE
)Either way - Lock and shut and really you should be fine
Ziggy
It may have happened once, or even twice, but I would say that's an urban myth.Well its quiet simple
A - Shut your windows
B - Lock your doors
My tutor was once telling me there is a gangs london for there "iniciation" to the gang
They have to jump into a car while a single woman fills up - when she drives off - they jump up - and make her drive - rape her and leave her for dead.... (NICE
Either way - Lock and shut and really you should be fine
Ziggy
A couple of years ago, Mrs. B came home and told me that they'd been warned at work that a gang initiation was to drive along at night without any lights on and as soon as someone flashed their lights at the car the new gang member was to follow them and shoot them. Needless to say half the armed cops in the country latched onto any car without lights.
Last week she came home and told me....."You have to be careful as there's a new gang initiation ceremony where they have to drive round without lights on and then as soon as someone flashed at.........." well I think you can work out the rest of it.
Recently someone on facebook said that she was on her way to work and when driving through a country area she passed a child seat at the side of the road. Although she didn't stop she reported it to the Police when she could use her phone. She was told it was a good job she hadn't stopped as this was a gang initiation ceremony and............
The disturbing thing about this one is that I know the woman in question and she is, generally speaking, a totally level-headed and sensible person.
