Wednesday, August 2, 2017

"Atlanta carjacking suspect asked victim to help start car"

Via Drudge:  It happened just after seven in the morning last Tuesday when a woman was approached by a man who, police say, asked if she had any change.

When she said no and went to get in her car he pulled a pistol, robbing the reluctant victim of her belongings.

"The suspect then demands her personal items such as her car keys and everything else. The female then throws some of her personal items into her car and she walks away," said Detective Benjamin King with the Atlanta Police Department.

She didn't get far because, police say, the robber had a problem starting her push-to-start car.

"The suspect then calls her back to the car by brandishing the gun and asks her how to start her own vehicle. She gave instructions through the window on how to start the car and then he drove off," said Detective King.

(More of the story and Security Video at the link)

12 comments:

ndspinelli said...

I rented a car in Italy several years ago and the rental agent had to show me how to start it. I rented a car in Canada last week. It was a VW Jetta. It was a push button start. My new Toyota has that but I couldn't find the button in the VW. The agent said they just got the VW's and many people need help finding the button.

When I was working full time I would always rent cars to do surveillance. The rental agents @ the airport knew I wanted bland colored cars..NO RED CARS. I would constantly have to learn how to start, how to turn on the lights, wipers, etc. However, one of the most maddening problems was how to open the motherfucking gas door to fill up the tank.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I have a friend who has a two year old VW Passat. The start button is by the trans shift handle. I think he said his car keys have to be near the car for the button to work.

The Dude said...

I drive a stick shift - no carjacker can operate a manual transmission.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

My safeguard against carjackers is having a car that needs to be hand cranked.

ndspinelli said...

Sixty, You're right. However, car jackers in Europe know how to drive manual transmissions. The vast majority of cars in Europe are still manual. You pay double on a rental if you want automatic transmission. I drove a manual on the hills between Naples and Sorrento in an epic Holiday traffic jam. I really wished I sprung for the auto at that time.

ndspinelli said...

I learned to drive on a manual in hilly, New England. That helped me in Italy. I didn't get auto until I got a cell phone and couldn't shift and talk. I was on my cell a lot when I had my own biz.

Donny Genaro said...

I once had a '49 Dodge pickup that was nearly theft proof. It had a starter plunger on the floor that you depressed with your foot. Not only did it have a 4 speed it had to be double clutched to shift it. Eric's comment reminded me that it also had a crank though you would want to know how to use it. Lots of old farmers injured or broke their arm doing it the wrong way.

ampersand said...

I rented a car in Europe in 1980. Couldn't start it, went back to the office, the rep came back and showed me how to operate a manual choke. Gosh darned newfangled gizmos!

BTW a carjacker is just as likely to shoot you if he can't handle a stick.

The Dude said...

Well, I didn't mention my first line of defense against carjacking, but let's just say if anyone does try to steal either of my vehicles the aftermath will make the news.

My '52 Chevy panel truck had the floor mounted starter button and a manual choke. Life was simple in those days.

Leland said...

I used to have a Honda S2000. It had a stick shift, required a key in the ignition, and had a push button start which wouldn't work unless the clutch was depressed.

Chip Ahoy said...

I was driving in "O" because Jiva told me to.

I said, "That's overdrive."

He said, "No. That's regular drive."

I sid, "No, "D" is regular drive. O is beyond that for highways."

He said, "No. "O" is all about town. You should always use "O".

Back and forth we went. And I'm all, "Look, I got a dad and two brothers who poop more mechanics than you'll ever know. And I picked up that mechanical poop all over the yard and some mechanical poop molecules were absorbed by osmosis. I know whereof I speak when it comes to these automobile gears."

And Jiva held his ground. He got all geary-y and all forcefully mechanical. And all this was unlike his customary Hari Krishna self. Quite out of character. So I drove around town for like 8 more years in "O".

Luckily I don't drive very much.

The mechanics who change the oil and keep track of mileage all go, "What?"

Then a few weeks ago another genuine mechanically minded friend was in the truck and I told him all that. He said, "No, drive it in 'D'" so I did. And I could actually feel the improvement on acceleration. Whereas I could not feel anything before.

After all that time driving in the wrong gear.

My dad would kick my ass.

Then I said, "Actually, I don't even know how to change the tire. I don't know where the spare is. I think it's underneath. And if I had to change it I'd have to read the little book first."

He said, "Sometimes, you know, you're really a dope."

I said. "This is supposed to be a 4-wheeler but I haven't a clue how to engage that and I don't even know what that means much less what it's for."

He just shook his head in dismay and laughed cynically. He said, "This is a sweet little truck you got here. These buttons right here are your 4-wheel drive."

I go, "Oh."

They're for snow and for things such as rough mountain driving. They lock your 4 wheels together."

But I honestly still have no idea why that would be useful. Even recalling getting out of a jeep and manually doing something with hubs to lock in the wheels together. To go driving all around the back of Ajax. I don't know what that did. I don't know why that was supposed to be fun.

Offroad driving is for weirdo adventurers. We didn't even take any pictures.

I still don't get the whole picture.

My two brothers just laugh. This gives them a chance to ridicule me and reign supreme over me.

But I did teach a black dude how to drive a stick shift. That bit I get very well.

And my Audi was a push button start. Actually, jury rigged for it. That thing was ace. And a girlfriend's Studebaker was also push button start. The button was a radio button right on the dash.

Trooper York said...

You never need a key to start the subway. Just sayn'