Car thievery paranoia?

Rench · Post by **Rench** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:54 am

Just got back from vacation, getting ready to clean up my new car, when I notice a flatbed hauler pull up to the curb across from my house. Now, I'm in suburbia hell, 3 blocks off the main drag and around the bend on a side street, so this guy was either invited to the area or seriously lost.

He double-takes on my car a few times, and I'm just about to open the screen door when he pulls out his cell and I hear him say "yeah, I found something you'd be interested in"

WTF?!?

I throw on a t shirt, go down to the garage and open the overhead door, and he says (on the phone again) "I'll call you right back."

He moves along, but circles the block twice more while I'm cleaning out the trunk.

His truck was labeled up with one of the better known salvage yards in the area. Did I just catch a bad few lines of a normal conversation? Should I be booby trapping my car? Do I need medications to get by in a civilized society!?!?

-Rench

Pintgudge · Post by **Pintgudge** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:21 am

Call the cops & tell them.

Maybe it won't help, but it might.

Set up documentation before the fact.

Bigshankhank · Post by **Bigshankhank** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:15 am

Trust your gut instinct man. The local softball field my wife and I play at has been a haven for auto break-ins, last time I drove my truck up there I lost the lock on my passenger side door as well as my GPS.
Let the authorities know there's a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood. Be careful with booby traps, you're as likely to trip them as a thief.

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:34 am

I'd call the yard. Perhaps it's just a collection of innocent yet extremely unfortunate statements and actions for a tow truck driver (in which case they'd probably stick a boot up his ass for acting like a sketch-ball), but my guess would be not. If they know what he's up to, they'll be all over him for being so indiscreet, and if not, they'll be all over him for doing it in the first place. Either way, he won't be coming to get your car. The third possibility is that some third party has painted a truck to look like one of theirs and is freelancing with it, in which case the yard will have quite an interest in getting that truck off the street ASAP.

If the outcome of the call to the yard was anything short of overwhelmingly reassuring and completely satisfactory, I'd call the cops too.

Post by **DerGolgo** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:44 am

A respectable towing operation (or maskerade of such) as cover for car thieves it very, very plausible. I'd call the fuzz.

SSCAM · Post by **SSCAM** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:55 am

Just leave the windows down and the keys in the ignition. Don't forget to sign the title and leave it in the glove box. Nothing is going to happen.

No seriously, I would call the towing company at a minimum.

Pattio · Post by **Pattio** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:21 am

If this really is what it looks like... I predict that the life of the outlaw will end badly for Cletus, based on his apparent level of craft. Ah, boss, you want I should, ah, eel-stay this ar-cay? Yeah, I predict Cletus gets whacked before the end of the first season...

Vespalina · Post by **Vespalina** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:28 pm

Yeah, I would call the cops right away - as well as the Towing/Salvage company.
If nothing else, you have created a record if anything happens in the future - or if you find other cars mysteriously vanishing from your neighborhood.

piccini9 · Post by **piccini9** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:16 pm

"...paranoia is just reality on a finer scale..."

thack · Post by **thack** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:14 pm

or you could buy a ghillie suit and lie on the roof all night and wait for him to come. that might be fun.

but yeah, call the cops.

motorpsycho67 · Post by **motorpsycho67** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:42 am

thack wrote:or you could buy a ghillie suit and lie on the roof all night and wait for him to come. that might be fun.

That gets my vote.

Seriously though, call the fuzz.

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:12 am

You should have just run out there and dragged him out of his truck and beat his ass, just in case. You could send a nice sorry card if it turns out he was talking to his gramma about something he saw at the quilting store.

GOSTAZ · Post by **GOSTAZ** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:40 am

Tag number, description of the driver. Call the Popo... Any of your neighbors cool? Talk to them about it. You might have heard something completely out of context, or you might have heard a fuckknuckle setting up a pinch.

Unless he is on your property, taking your shit? Don't fuck with tow truck drivers. They are usually strapped if they are doing the devil's work. Don't get shot over your neighbor's car.

stiles · Post by **stiles** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:07 pm

I would definitely call the cops and definitely NOT call the tow company. If they are indeed stealing cars, you would tip their hand. If the cops find your call interesting, they may set up surveillance and look for ol' Johnny Lightfingers there.

Chop shops and salvage yards go together like PB&J, and around here, over 50% of the cars stolen are taken with tow trucks from crooked operations. LoJack is your friend. Other tracking options:

http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/realt ... ystem.html

http://www.zoombak.com/products/auto/

Call the cops ASAP, voice your concerns, and see what they have to say. In the meantime, you can park the new car in the garage or park it in with another car.

flounder · Post by **flounder** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:55 pm

DerGolgo wrote:A respectable towing operation (or maskerade of such) as cover for car thieves it very, very plausible. I'd call the fuzz.

Case in point:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/inde ... felon.html

Couldnt find the link but the bitch here just got sent up for 13 months....dont know about the fuckturd boyfriend......

Call the pd.....

rc26 · Post by **rc26** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:54 am

You got a look at the truck, license plate number etc. Who's to say any of that isn't stolen? Call the cops...

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Car thievery paranoia?

Car thievery paranoia?