Last night I took my (young adult) kid into San Francisco for dinner.
I drove his car (2017 VW Golf wagon). Any time I go into the city I know not to leave even a charger cable visible in the car and I moved a thermos and beach chair into the trunk before we left.
Driving through the city I mentioned "A lot of people say SF is full of tents and human feces. Look, there's none of that anywhere" (true on our route).
Parked at the curb in a residential street and went to the restaurant. While being seated I said "did I lock the car? ... I must have, no way I would forget to."
I should've gone to check, but it was a three block walk and we were seated. I thought no big deal.
After dinner walking to the car we came around the corner, I beeped the key fob, saw the lights flash on our car, but the drivers door was wide open.
Everything after this, happened really really fast.
I was at the driver's side of the car face to face with a guy who looked kinda like Joe Burrow. He was standing by the open door, holding the entire contents of the glove box and center console.
I said, loudly, "Hey this is our car! that's our stuff!"
He immediately put everything on the roof of the car and stepped back.
"I'm sorry man. I'm sorry. Okay...I'm sorry. Just trying to get by."
I said "Not us. Not tonight. it's my kid's car, man. There's nothing."
Dude walked off briskly.
That was it, over as fast as it happened.
Basically it was a $4 pair of liquor store sunglasses and a stack of old car repair receipts and expired registration slips and old UC Santa Cruz parking passes.
Now, we'd all like to think we're a bunch of badasses on here. And I've played out robbery or mugging scenarios in my head plenty of times, imagining me the hero. I'm 6'2" 240 Lbs, bald (no goatee) but I've been told I have a mean resting face.
I'm no badass. But I've been told I have an "Imposing look"
I checked that my kid was OK. He said yeah. I apologized for not locking the car.
Probably the most tame car robbery incident I could imagine, and I am glad.
I'm a bonehead for forgetting to lock the car. And more so for not going back to check.
I'm lucky we walked up when we did but he really would not have stolen anything of value. But I don't want anybody having anything with my name and address on it.
Just glad I didn't try to tackle the guy or escalate it. And lucky he didn't have a knife or other weapon. Dude looked like he was late for his shift at Chipotle. No hoodie, not tweaker face. Didn't even seem on drugs.
Just saying, it didn't go as I would have imagined but I'm glad it didn't, especially with my son there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TinyEvel:
I'm a bonehead for forgetting to lock the car. And more so for not going back to check.
Nope. Smart move.
If there's nothing of value in there don't make someone break in to find out. I have a 30 year old car so not may people are trying to find out what's inside anyway.
And these situations escalate quickly. Choices made in a few seconds can change your life permanently. And remember - the guy breaking into your car is also making life choices in seconds. There's a good chance his decision making isn't as moral or fundamentally solid as yours. You really do have more to lose than that guy. It's not an even or rational competition. [Reply]
I have a similar story that I can tell better in person, but here goes...
Back in 1999, I went into a grocery store in the south end of St. Joe with my sister in law.
It's about 7pm, at dusk... not dark yet but getting there. I walk out the front door of the grocery store and look over at my parked car in the lot. I notice the dome light on and the passenger door open with some legs hanging out.
My reaction:
I drop the bags in each hand and start running to my car. As I get a bit closer, I shout "hey get the fuck out of my car". The person inside hears me, perks up and gets out of the vehicle. He starts to run to the next lot isle to this old brown truck. Instead of thinking... my adrenaline took over and I chased right after him.
As he opened the door to his truck, I did a Liu Kang style jump kick to his back and kicked him into his truck. He is leaning over his center console, so I grab by his shirt with my left hand at his neck, and jab him in the face with my right hand 3 times.
He did not worry too much about fighting back, as he really just wanted to get the fuck out of there. So while I am punching him, he is turning his key trying to start his truck.
About on the 4th punch to the face or so, his truck starts... and he has his foot on the gas pedal.... he slams it in drive. At this point I get in one last good shot to his jaw as I bail out of the truck.
The force of my punch in combo with him slamming the truck into drive jumps the truck right into the parking lot light post (with the big round cement base). At this point he steers hard right, scraping the side of his truck down the drivers side while he tries to speed off. He makes it down to the main street with the mufflers dragging in the rear, causing sparks down the road.
Meanwhile I'm shouting "Fuck you, you fucking thief" or something similar.
I walk back to my sister in law and about 5 people standing at the store front, look down at my arm and I was bleeding pretty badly. I'm not sure how it happened but I still have a 3" scar to this day. The little old lady (had to have been 85-90 years old) looks up at me and says.... "damn, I wouldn't fuck with you". It was freaking hilarious.
Ended up I caught the thief before he actually took anything...
So he ended up with nothing, a broken truck, and a fucked up face.
I was fearless at 18 years old, but yeah now days.... I'd go about that situation much smarter, as I would have probably been dead. [Reply]
I was working at Food4Less in St. Joe on the Belt/Frederick.
As I was checking out a customer, there is a grumbling a few lanes down by a co-worker so I turn back to see what is happening. Apparently some guy just rushed right through the lane with an entire shopping cart full of groceries. As this happened, all of the employees/managers just stood there watching him, letting him walk right out the front door.
Without thinking, I was like "fuck that" gonna get myself a promotion.
I ran outside, snuck up behind the guy who stole the cart of groceries, knocked him over... grabbed the cart and ran it back inside.
Co-workers thought I was a badass....
Management chewed my fucking ass for doing something that their insurance would have been liable for if I were to get hurt.
