Another attempted car jacking. Lock your doors!!

CM21

Driving home up the n81 tonight just past the embankment when I see something on the road. Was getting dark at this stage so couldnt make it out until quite close. It was a dustbin so drove around it. About three or four hundred metres up the road I see a man walking on my side of the road going in the same direction i am. All of a sudden he jumps out waving a stick and shouting. I slam on the brakes just stopping in time and he shouts at me and my friend to get out of the car.:eek: I was shouting at him to get out of the way and beeping the horn, all the time terrified that someone would come around the corner and hit us from behind. Luckily he didnt try open the doors because i didnt think of locking them. He either didnt plan what he was going to do when i stopped or was afraid when he saw two men in the car. I took off as quickly as i could on other side of the road with him still shouting. My friend reported it straight away so hopefully he was picked up before he caused an accident.

partyatmygaff

was driving home on the n81 myself today at around 11:10pm leaving blessington ended up in tallaght at 11:30pm
when and what part of the n81 was that guy there?

CM21

It was just after 10pm between the embankment and crooksling. The bin left on the road was just after the place that sells the jcbs.

HungryJoey

That's terrible.

That's exactly why so many cars now lock them selves once you start driving, leaves you much safer at the end of the day, even if someone attempts to get into your car atleast they can't get in. Our leon locks by itsself but when I get into the 306 I often forget to lock the CL.

Something similar happened to me when I was over in the UK a few years ago, which the car didn't have auto locks but we got the doors locked just a split second before someone tried to open the door (A drunk, straight out of the pub) He would have got in too if it wasn't locked in time. Scarey stuff!

It's horrible to think that if an old woman or someone going down that road at the wrong time with their doors open .. something terrible could happen.

Seperate

HungryJoey wrote: »

That's terrible.

That's exactly why so many cars now lock them selves once you start driving, leaves you much safer at the end of the day, even if someone attempts to get into your car atleast they can't get in. Our leon locks by itsself but when I get into the 306 I often forget to lock the CL.

Something similar happened to me when I was over in the UK a few years ago, which the car didn't have auto locks but we got the doors locked just a split second before someone tried to open the door (A drunk, straight out of the pub) He would have got in too if it wasn't locked in time. Scarey stuff!

It's horrible to think that if an old woman or someone going down that road at the wrong time with their doors open .. something terrible could happen.

Most cars can be programmed to do that. Lock when over 10MPH. Easily enabled through the likes of VAGCOM.

ronbyrne2005

We aint in south africa . I have never heard of violent carjackings in Ireland with exception of one woman who had her car taken off her in East Wall in Dublin by two Eastern European druggies a few years ago. The guy in story above was likely drunk or mentally unstable and not a carjacker.

Climate Expert

Unless somebody has a gun pointed towards your head you are a bit of a softcock if somebody car jacks you. All you have to do is drive away.

Alanstrainor

Climate Expert wrote: »

Unless somebody has a gun pointed towards your head you are a bit of a softcock if somebody car jacks you. All you have to do is drive away.

I suppose i can understand people stopping in shock and not reacting to what's going on, but there is no doubt in my mind what i'd do, i'm not saying i'd be out to run someone over, but the second someone waves a knife or shows that kind of aggression, all bets are off.

yknaa

CM21 wrote: »

It was just after 10pm between the embankment and crooksling. The bin left on the road was just after the place that sells the jcbs.

Was walking home along there meself around that time. I was hobblin' along with my stick and tried to flag down a car after creasing myself by stumblin over a bin. The 2 lads in the car just shouted abuse at me and drove on
I was late for work the next morning and my job as JCB rep is now in some doubt.:)

_feedback_

CM21 wrote: »

Driving home up the n81 tonight just past the embankment when I see something on the road. Was getting dark at this stage so couldnt make it out until quite close. It was a dustbin so drove around it. About three or four hundred metres up the road I see a man walking on my side of the road going in the same direction i am. All of a sudden he jumps out waving a stick and shouting. I slam on the brakes just stopping in time and he shouts at me and my friend to get out of the car.:eek: I was shouting at him to get out of the way and beeping the horn, all the time terrified that someone would come around the corner and hit us from behind. Luckily he didnt try open the doors because i didnt think of locking them. He either didnt plan what he was going to do when i stopped or was afraid when he saw two men in the car. I took off as quickly as i could on other side of the road with him still shouting. My friend reported it straight away so hopefully he was picked up before he caused an accident.

That's madness ... excuse my ignorance, but is this a stretch of main road? Seems like a really stupid place to attempt it.

Funnily enough, there was a Police, Camera, Action special on car theft last night. As somebody mentioned, South Africa is the worst spot. A manufacturer has installed a safety feature to prevent car-jacking. A button on the dash starts a fireball just underneath the drivers door.. burning the bejaysus out of whoever is trying to get you out of the car!

fletch

yknaa wrote: »

Was walking home along there meself around that time. I was hobblin' along with my stick and tried to flag down a car after creasing myself by stumblin over a bin. The 2 lads in the car just shouted abuse at me and drove on
I was late for work the next morning and my job as JCB rep is now in some doubt.:)

lol

cjt156

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

We aint in south africa . I have never heard of violent carjackings in Ireland with exception of one woman who had her car taken off her in East Wall in Dublin by two Eastern European druggies a few years ago. The guy in story above was likely drunk or mentally unstable and not a carjacker.

There was also the case where a gang went on a cross-border spree a couple of years back. Several cars were forceably taken, drivers injured; suspects later arrested at a halting site*.


*
Not suggesting for one second, of course, that any member of any subsection of society would ever be involved in such activity, or may smell like burning sticks.

Ay Cee

yknaa wrote: »

Was walking home along there meself around that time. I was hobblin' along with my stick and tried to flag down a car after creasing myself by stumblin over a bin. The 2 lads in the car just shouted abuse at me and drove on
I was late for work the next morning and my job as JCB rep is now in some doubt.:)

BRILLIANT!!!

egan007

Er....this sounds like a mad farmer not a car jacking......

Wertz

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

We aint in south africa . I have never heard of violent carjackings in Ireland with exception of one woman who had her car taken off her in East Wall in Dublin by two Eastern European druggies a few years ago. The guy in story above was likely drunk or mentally unstable and not a carjacker.

You're wrong.
Carjackings are a regular occurence along the border and around the country...they just don't get much media attention unless there's other crimes tied in with it.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/car-hijack-gang-is-preying-on-women-motorists-90849.html

That was back in late '06 and was only newsworthy because the gang was at it for weeks. Yes they were knackers too as someone alluded to above, enough of the PC nonsense.

[edit] A few months on, another bunch of scum on a carjacking spree managed to kill a man and badly injure another in the same area:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gardai-quiz--eight-about-carjacking-murder-1240098.html

Meanwhile just last night on the Dundalk/Castleblayney rd a woman had her black BMW (no model/year given on news :rolleyes: ) taken forcibly after a silver hatchback pulled in on front of her near the border. Only on radio news, nothing online yet.
About 2-3 months back ([edit]turns out it was Jan) a local businessman had his X5 rammed in the small hours of the morning near Castlebellingham and the rammers then got out, pulled him from the SUV and drove off...
http://www.emigrant.ie/article.asp?iCategoryID=177&iArticleID=73221 <-Story in brief about 3/4's down that page.

Every so often on the local news here you'll hear of some bunch of ne'erdowells from west Dublin coming down here to rob sleeping villages....more often than not they'll carjack some poor unfortunate after the car they nicked in Dublin runs out of fuel...
I personally know of 2 different people who have been pulled from their cars at knife point in local estates and had the car taken and either wrecked or burned.

Carjacking is real, it happens...people letting their guard down is one of the reasons these f*ckers can manage to pull it off. Lock your doors, espcially if you're of the female persuasion...

Bendihorse

Autolocks rock in fairness, many people complain about them when they get into my car but surely having to pull the door handle twice to open it is much less of an inconvienence than trying to remove an unvited guest from your back seat? Great for people that get caught in traffic too, might just save you from that scummer that opens your door at the lights and runs off with your bag.

Honey-ec

I actually can't get over the amount of people who drive around with their doors unlocked. Said as much in work one day and one of my colleagues rejoined with "But what if you were in an accident and the fire brigade couldn't get you out cause your doors were locked?"

Erm, I think if you're in an accident severe enough to warrant the FB's attendance then a mere locked door isn't going to stop them getting you out of the car.

Not to mention the fact that nearly every model that has central locking also has an auto-unlock in that very event.

CM21

Climate Expert wrote: »

Unless somebody has a gun pointed towards your head you are a bit of a softcock if somebody car jacks you. All you have to do is drive away.

True, he didnt have a chance really. If he had of went for the doors i would have just drove off.

CM21

elviscostello wrote: »

That's madness ... excuse my ignorance, but is this a stretch of main road? Seems like a really stupid place to attempt it.

It is a main road. It was just as well the bin was on the road because if it wasnt i would have been approaching him at 100km/h rather than about 70km/h. My car would have been the same colour as his united shirt.:eek:

CJhaughey

A guy I know was carjacked in Galway, stopped at traffic lights two lads opened the doors one front one back, pulled a blade and made him drive to Tuam.
This guy is no pussycat either,plays rugby and can handle himself.
Once someone pulls a blade, you do what they want.

SuperGrover

"If he had of went for the doors i would have just drove off."

If he had gone for the doors, I would have just driven off.

You're welcome.

Bendihorse

SuperGrover wrote: »

"If he had of went for the doors i would have just drove off."

If he had gone for the doors, I would have just driven off.

You're welcome.

But don't you see, your the sad effort here? :rolleyes:

billius

Bendihorse wrote: »

But don't you see, your the sad effort here? :rolleyes:

But don't you see, you're the sad effort here?

You're welcome.

Bendihorse

Well done, did it take four years of college to learn that? I have no education, therefore i am not worthy...

Guy:Incognito

This is a lot like the other threead about carjacking. The only solid case of car jacking that came from that thread was the one in east wall meantioned above. There was a couple of people saying someone tried the handle on their door but again, I wouldnt automatically put that in the attempted carjacking colum. More likely som echancer scumbag trying to rob a bag or something in a smash and grab.

The OP was litte more than a man shouting at a car. Could well have been a random lunatic/drunk. God knows we have plenty of both knoccking around.


I really dont think we need scaremongering.

Wertz

Stekelly wrote: »

This is a lot like the other threead about carjacking. The only solid case of car jacking that came from that thread was the one in east wall meantioned above. There was a couple of people saying someone tried the handle on their door but again, I wouldnt automatically put that in the attempted carjacking colum. More likely som echancer scumbag trying to rob a bag or something in a smash and grab.

The OP was litte more than a man shouting at a car. Could well have been a random lunatic/drunk. God knows we have plenty of both knoccking around.


I really dont think we need scaremongering.

I take it you didn't read my post above then? Hell I even provided links to the news stories...more fool those who think it doesn't happen...

DonJose

In reality it is very easy to become a victim of a carjacking. Example : Its late at night, you are waiting on a traffic light and a car behind gently bumps into the back of you. Most peoples reactions would be to get out of the car and look for damage. Once you are out of your car you are easy prey. Thats how they did it in the border area a couple of years ago.

Omcd

Stekelly wrote: »

...There was a couple of people saying someone tried the handle on their door but again, I wouldnt automatically put that in the attempted carjacking colum. More likely som echancer scumbag trying to rob a bag or something in a smash and grab...

trying to rob a bag or something - could 'something' be the car by any chance - so, what do you define car jacking as ? In the two incidents where people have tryed to gain entry to my car, no items were on view.

Here's one fact, if a stranger or crowd of strangers trys to gain uninvited entry to your vehicle, you have no idea at that point what their intention is, other than its probably not good.

But the OPs experience (particulary the fact that the man didn't try to get into the car) does I agree sound a bit like an old gaga farmer who was probably of the opinion that the OPs driving was wild (ie over 20mph) and frightening the bejaysus out of his imaginary herd of cows. Or maybe this fellow was drunk out of his skull and though the OPs car was his auld sheepdog, or maybe he thought he was seeing the bunch of leprehauns he was after trapping in the wheelie bin making off down the road... who knows :rolleyes:

lightening

Wertz wrote: »

Every so often on the local news here you'll hear of some bunch of ne'erdowells from west Dublin coming down here to rob sleeping villages....more often than not they'll carjack some poor unfortunate after the car they nicked in Dublin runs out of fuel..

Where does this happen, what local news do you hear this on?

Just like the last car jacking thread this one has descended in to "I know a guy" and "A mate of mine" stories and assumed attempted carjackings that could have been anything.

Wertz, I read your links, I think its still a pretty rare occurrence, however, I will start locking my car!

Has anyone here actually been carjacked? Has anyone here had someone go in to their bedroom and take the car keys at knife point at boiling kettle?

Wertz

lightening wrote: »

Where does this happen, what local news do you hear this on?

Just like the last car jacking thread this one has descended in to "I know a guy" and "A mate of mine" stories and assumed attempted carjackings that could have been anything.

Wertz, I read your links, I think its still a pretty rare occurrence, however, I will start locking my car!

Has anyone here actually been carjacked? Has anyone here had someone go in to their bedroom and take the car keys at knife point at boiling kettle?

Local news: LMFM's radio news at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 5.30pm. They cover all of Louth, Meath, N Dublin, most of Monaghan and a bit of the North as well.
It takes for it to be something quite serious or a slow news day before it'll make national or Dublin stations . Newspapers often pick up on it a day or so later, but it'd be a footer or brief piece that can easily be skimmed past.

Anecdotal stories are still evidence that it happens...but that comes down to how much you trust the source, which can be pretty tough on the net, in fairness.

It is a relatively rare occurrence, and if I'm being balanced, it seems to happen a fair bit up this direction while maybe less so "down the country"...but it still happens. It's not right to scare people about an issue which may not effect them, but how harmful is it to just make people aware that it can and does hapen from time to time?
I've still no link for that woman who got her beemer 'jacked on monday night...garda appeal for info this monring on mentioned radio show but nothing in hard text.

It takes a spilt second to press your keyfob lock button once you turn over the engine (assuming you have central locking), it costs nothing to be safe and have peace of mind IMO...there are very few advantages to having the doors unlocked. If you drive a newish premium/luxury marque/model then this is even more relevant as those are the cars that are desired by the c*nt's that do this.

As for your last point? Anecdotal again I'm afraid, so take it as you will...have worked for one family in a nearby village that had their house broken into for keys to an SUV...they never heard the burglars, only woke when the jeep started up and tore out the driveway...a detective later attending said that he'd been to cases locally where the threat of the kettle was used to obtain keys, others where kitchen knives or golf clubs were the weapon of choice. I don't see why the gardaí would scaremonger in cases like this, especially after the fact, unless it's some form of consolation, along the lines of "Count yourself lucky they didn't do X,Y or Z"...
Break-ins for keys in the north east is a steady trade and has been for some time...for the most part as mentioned above, it's Dublin skangers out on their crime sprees, coming to areas in the NE that have low or zero garda presence and are barely 40 minutes from Dublin on an empty m'way...

Esel

CJhaughey wrote: »

A guy I know was carjacked in Galway, stopped at traffic lights two lads opened the doors one front one back, pulled a blade and made him drive to Tuam.
This guy is no pussycat either,plays rugby and can handle himself.
Once someone pulls a blade, you do what they want.

<SNIP> uncalled for remark removed<SNIP>