Carjacking Etiquette

[clintpup]

Hmm, I don't ever except to get carjacked but if a guy approached my car with a gat and demanded to have the car I'm pretty sure I would let him have it. Let's face it, I'm not rolling in a Bentley.The reason I mention this is because it happened to a female I know who was driving through Gary. Lucky for her, the guy was strung out on some drug and there was a cop right behind her! What would you guys do in a similar situation, assuming of course that the perp was not high out of his mind and that there were no cops around.

[Wraith]

He pulled a weapon?

MotherBleepingF***** is gone.

[clintpup]

Yeah, supposedly he tapped it against her window.

[Nnobby45]

What would I do? One doesn't know until faced with a situtation, but I might be inclined to draw, plug my right ear with my left hand (deaf in left ear, anyway) and shoot with my right. My windows are semi tinted, so I'd probably be able to seem him better than he's see me. Driving quickly away would be wise if the option was available.

[Jayb]

Another reason to practice situational awareness in traffic. If you stop at a light and you can see the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you, you stand a better chance of not being stuck bait for a carjacker. Several LEO friends of mine say that most carjackings don't occur in moderate to heavy traffic, 'cause the perp can't get away easily either.

[XavierBreath]

Every situation is different, so there are no rules to this stuff. Except one. Your goal is to survive, not win. If you can survive by driving away, that is preferable to risking your life in a gun fight. Run over them if you have to. Scrape them off your car with a lamp post if you have to. When you approach intersections, have an escape route in mind. If you must use your weapon, then be ready, but if you are in a 3000 pound object that can remove you from danger, the gun isn't the best choice.

[UT_Air_Assault]

I'd have to agree that my last choice would be to shoot. I'd rather mow the guy over wth my truck, but if that fails..............That's why I've practiced drawing my weapon from under my seat.
But I have to say that there really isn't any physical objects in this world that I'd think are worth more than someone's life. Hell, I want them to steal my truck, so I don't have to fill it up anymore

[mete]

A 3000 lb vehicle is a much better weapon than a gun. Awareness is key.Sometimes the carjackers work in pairs ,one in front and one behind, so always leave enough room in front of you to pull out .

[pointfiveoh]

One step further about awareness. If you see a red light up the road, slow down and try to hit it rolling, no chance to get jacked. However if you do have to stop, it's good advice to stop where you can see the car's tires in front of you. It gives you room to escape, and in the more likely chance that you get rear ended, you are less likely to be pushed into the car in front of you and bust up both sides.

[The Colin]

I can attest to the effectiveness of a Ford Ranger vs. Bad Guy.

I was in a parking garage at night in a not so nice part of town. About 2AM (i was leaving the bar, thus I was unarmed) and walking across the garage toward my truck when i noticed a parked car about 100 yards across the garage. I was walking to my truck when i saw 2 guys get out of the back of the car, with another 2 guys sitting in the front seat. I quickened my pace and had my keys in my hand, and then a second later I started a full sprint.

I pulled the door closed on my truck and hit the lock just as the thinner and more physically fit of the two reached my door, knife in hand. As he wrestled with the door handle trying to get it open i started the truck threw it in gear and hit the gas. To my dismay the car didn’t move an inch. I'm trying to reverse and get out of there as this kid (15 maybe 17 tops) has a knife in one hand and is pounding on my window with the other. in what was a second or so but seemed like forever i looked in my rear view mirror to see the 2nd guy (much fatter) standing behind my truck revolver in hand. I popped my Parking Break and hit the gas. Truck guns in reverse and i hit the guy holding the gun. Threw it into gear and got out of that parking garage as fast as i could. As soon as i hit the street i was on the cell with the police.

I didn’t see it until the next day but the chain necklace he was wearing scratched the hell out of my tail gate as he fell.

My lesson learned - a pickup truck is good for defending yourself, but it sure isn’t very concealable (I have an XD subcompact for that).

[TallPine]

A convict being transported escaped in Helena a while back, and tried to carjack a couple sitting in a pickup in a parking lot. The husband saw him coming (sort of suspicious of a guy in an orange suit and handcuffs ) and pulled the keys and told his wife to get out. He steps out and tells him to take the truck. Convict jumps in and tries to drive away without keys and in handcuffs.

The cops caught him a couple minutes later.

Thanks to the man's quick thinking the convict was not able to get away in a vehicle.

[Relayer]

I've thought about this more than once, also.

The problem with the "run over 'em" answer would seem to me to be that the BG is most likely standing right next to your driver-side window with a gun pointing at your head (no, I have not been in a carjacking, but this would be the scenario I would expect). Not exactly in the best position for you to run over, too close for you to get much of a shove to hit him hard by opening the door forcefully into him. Ideally, you could just ignore him and drive away, but that seems like your putting your well-being completely in his hands. If you floor it and pull away, he may very well decide to empty a 12 round mag at you from just a few of feet away. I don't much like the odds of surviving in that situation.

The specifics circumstances may change this, but your best answer may well be to pretend to act confused, but to seem to "go along" and try to covertly pull your weapon while you're having to put you hands down to unlock, open door, etc...

Of course, you can always comply completely, and hope that this particular scumbag isn't in the mood to off you for his amusement. Tough choices.

I pray that none of us ever has to face this situation, and heaven help you, if you do.

[USP45usp]

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...hlight=carjack

My reply is in there

Wayne

[Unique 5.7]

I agree with XB. Armed or not, I would do the safest thing and just hit the gas.
It is a similar situation to a known kidnap attempt. The safest thing to do there when a gun is pointed right at you is to run/drive away.

[S.E.R.T.SGT]

These are the type of situations that it really is beneficial to run the "What-Ifs" through your mind. Although it might not ever happen, it never hurts to have at least a plan, just in case. Of course every situation is different, and Mr. Murphy always rears his ugly head, but it never hurts to run these scenarios over. On the other hand, I am not quite sure I agree with the comment a "3000lb vehicle is a better weapon than a gun"...it depends on the entirety of the situation. I can think of situations in which I would rather have a gun available than a car, and vice-versa. That's kind of like saying I'd always rather have an M60 than a pistol because it's just bigger...In the end, the situation itself will dictate how one reacts, and as mentioned, the object is to make it back home alive.

[Dwight55]

Clint, . . . another poster made a very good post about the vehicle not being worth a person's life, . . . yours or the bg's.

Dude has the drop on me, . . . wants my vehicle, . . . that's cool, . . . probably won't get far cause it rarely has more than 1/2 tank of gas. Sides that, . . . any one of the 4 possible vehicles have over 100k miles and really ain't show & tell vehicles.

On the other hand, . . . if my young grandchild, nephew/niece is strapped in the seat in the back, . . . bg will only drive away over my dead body.

Just gotta weigh the need for the shooting. One ain't worth it, . . . the other ain't possible for me not to.

May God bless,
Dwight

[stephen426]

If by chance the BG gets the jump on you, meaning he has a gun pointed at you, give it up. You can always call 911 later. Unless you are really that much of a quick draw McGraw, you have no chance of drawing and firing before he gets a shot off. As much as I love my car, I would not risk it.

As for punching the gas, there is no guarantee that he will not shoot at you. I hope that is not the case but it is still risky. If the BG really has the jump on me, meaning he has a gun already pointed at me, I will get out of the car and look for a chance to shoot after (assuming he lets anyone else in the car to exit first).

One thing I would do is turn off the car and then exit. If the BG doesn't know how to start it, he will get stuck. I have an M3 with the SMG transmission. You have to put the selector lever in neutral and have the brake depressed to start it up. You also have to turn the key back past position 1 if you turn it off before restarting. While he is trying to figure it out, I should have more than ample opportunity to make him reconsider. I really would hate to have to bloody up my car though!

Situational awareness is key! I also agree with not boxing yourself in. I hope you guys are never in this situation. Be safe!

[SBrocker8]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the bad guy's life isn't worth my vehicle. If the dude only has a knife, I'd say floor it. But if he has a firearm trained on me, he can have it.

Wait, hold on ONE SEC, this is another reason I'm in NH, VERY small likelihood of this ever happening!

[benzo1355]

The only problem I could see with just letting him have it is what if he decides to pop you after you get out of the car. I doubt this would happen but you get some messed up crackhead and who knows. Also what if you have a wife or girlfriend or even worse kids in the car. Or like others have mentioned in posts like this before, "if your car is gone so is your livelyhood". If you can't get to work you cant make money or your insurence might pay then jack up your premium. I just dont think I could be compassionate toward anyone trying to screw me over like that. Becasue what if instead of me in that car it would have been a pretty 18 year old female. You think that perp would think twice to take her with him? Maybe so maybe not, but I wouldnt want to give him the chance to do it next week. America is not in all that bad of shape we just need to do some perp cleaning.

[mill hunky]

never been carjacked. my wife knows when i`m not w/ her to keep a distance at stop lights so to be able to drive out if there is a problem. the new trick in charolette, nc is to follow the person home from the store and when the garage door is opened , run in and take your vehicle, money, or rape the women. rich

[Para Bellum]

we discussed that in a thread here at lentgh about 4-6weeks ago....wait a second
...there you go:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=161320