Hypothetical: You find someone breaking into your car

[Dave_The_BMXER]

I was having a conversation with some friends about this at the Subaru BBQ yesterday. Here is the hypothetical.

It's the middle of the night you wake up to a noise look out your window and you see theives rolling your car out of your driveway. There is 4 of them and one of you.

What do you do?

-Run out with a bat/weapon and smash their faces in
-Call the police
-Make as much noise as possible to wake up the neighborhood?
-All of the above

I will share my opinion later I just want to see if others think the same.

[S.F.W.]

In theory, I would go out with a weapon..in actuality, not likely. I would turn on all the lights, make a bunch of noise, and perhaps head out to the vicinity to try and scare them off.

[mazdabetty]

hahaha I'd make some REALLY creepy noises and watch them freak out....

On that note, I might let them actually steal the car and then call the police... a friend of mine had her car almost broken into, they busted the lock really badly but couldn't get it open and gave up. Insurance said they wouldn't cover the damages because the car wasn't actually stolen???? wtf... I thought comprehensive woulda taken care of something like that. Apparently not.

[SSmoked]

are they stealing the car or taking whats in it?
if there stealing it i would go out and tell them to keep the car so i can collect insurance on it.
if there breaking into it, id just see what vheical there driving and call the cops with there vehical description.

[klym]

I would probably call the police and then head outside to try and scare em off... and if they don't have a gun or like 5 people, I'd give em a good beating

[Nextmod]

if they are already rolling out when I am looking out the window lol you wont have time to chase them down with a weapon. but ya i would just call the police, it wont be hard to fine my car lol

[MistaChin]

First i'd wrap my baseball bat in barbed wire and then bust some fools!!!!

Then call the cops and say they fell...

[She_Prime]

I'd probably just call the police and hope for the best- I'm a chicken shit!

[YesMazda]

lol, i would take my keys and turn on the panic button, then right after i'd call the cops. :)

this reminds me of transformers 1 xD

[b.rabbit]

Try to take a clear picture of the suspects in action..then call the cops.

Or..honk my horn by locking the doors again.

[dentinger]

4 - 1 is not a very good ratio, especially if they have weapons on them. so the baseball option is out, unless im really sneaky about it.

i'd call the cops, yell at them from my front porch, with the lights on, and if they still continue to steal my car, i'd borrow my parents car and follow them.

[SilentJay]

Dispense some indiscriminate street justice.



j/k - i'd probably put as much attention on them as possible (lights, horn, yelling, etc), while calling the cops.

[MAZDA Kitten]

I'd let my German Sheppard take care of them... wait I need to get one first :P

But I'd call the cops

[MPS]

if there steeling the red car i would just trow them my keys and say enjoy and make sure they don't find the car so i can get paid =)

[MAZDA Kitten]

^^ lolllll

[JashiK]

Yeah i'd tell them to take their time and to make sure it's GONE.

[Sales 101]

This happened to me a couple years ago. My dog wakes me up woofing at the window. Gone golfing that day and left my clubs in my old civic hatch.
See kids smash back window. Grab phone call cops. Go downstairs and throw on front porch light open the door and yell WTF. Dog shep\husky bolts out the door. Clubs are dropped and man those guys ran fast. My dog friendly as heck but if you run its a game to her.

Cops came brought a couple cars stayed in area couple hours and caught them several block away that night.

[towelsnap]

In my case, beating them with a bat ya seems like a smart thing to do at the time... than getting charged with assualt .. no thanks.

I'd make a citizens arrest (take them down hard but not hard enough to get charged) make sure I catch them and find them committing the offence and don't loose view so the f*#*ers get charged.

[JashiK]

i dunno if you'd be able to hold down 4 guys though... you're gonna have to use force to keep all 4 of 'em down till the cops get there

[narcolepticus]

it's happened to me a few years back .. i'm a small, quiet guy but i can hold my own so i fear no-one .. i just simply ran out an acted like a complete psycho.. didn't matter if they had weapons, they didn't want a psycho bast*rd bashing their heads with an aluminum baseball bat.. then i turned the dog loose, laughing as they ran. That's what i would do again if it were to happen

[JashiK]

it's happened to me a few years back .. i'm a small, quiet guy but i can hold my own so i fear no-one .. i just simply ran out an acted like a complete psycho.. didn't matter if they had weapons, they didn't want a psycho bast*rd bashing their heads with an aluminum baseball bat.. then i turned the dog loose, laughing as they ran. That's what i would do again if it were to happen

it's all gravy that you fear no one... but one day acting like a complete psycho to a real psycho isn't going to hold much when the actual psycho holding a gun decides to pull the trigger on you.

[omalak]

Id go out with a baseball bat, smack them in the head first.. if a blow to the head isnt possible.. i would hit their kneews so they fall.. and then bash their lungs.. until they beg for mercy

I woould then call the police, go bring a knife from my kitchen and make sure i get his prints all over it..

Then i will tell the police i was defending myself from the theif :)

[narcolepticus]

it's all gravy that you fear no one... but one day acting like a complete psycho to a real psycho isn't going to hold much when the actual psycho holding a gun decides to pull the trigger on you.

Ok that’s valid .. if the person IS clearly psycho, has no regard for his or her own life and IS waving a real gun in my face .. but still, why would I care if my property is being vandalized or stolen? Is it not my right to protect what’s mine by any means?

Just because I fear no-one doesn’t mean there isn’t some level of fear, you gotta catch me first and better do some real damage before that kicks in. I don’t/won’t go down easy, especially if I am protecting what’s mine..

[JashiK]

Ok that’s valid .. if the person IS clearly psycho, has no regard for his or her own life and IS waving a real gun in my face .. but still, why would I care if my property is being vandalized or stolen? Is it not my right to protect what’s mine by any means?

Just because I fear no-one doesn’t mean there isn’t some level of fear, you gotta catch me first and better do some real damage before that kicks in. I don’t/won’t go down easy, especially if I am protecting what’s mine..

Fully understand what you're talking about, but I feel there is a difference between risking your own life for your property i.e. your vehicle or risking your life for one of your own children. I'd say risking your life for your car isn't exactly worth it even it were a lambo and for the later I would put my life out on the line.
I guess what I'm saying is we would all like to be heros, but you just never know who's packing a gun now and personally don't see risking your life for your car a fair trade off. I'm not saying that everyone packs a gun, so everyone has to be chicken shit, but I'd probably choose a different battle to fight and call the cops. Mind you if this question was asked 10 years ago I would have said I'd run out and beat the shit out of the 4 guys.
But this is just my own opinion...

Just wondering... if the 4 guys trying to steal the car were to fall and crack their heads on your property can't they sue you?
I remember hearing some stories about people robbing a house and they slipped on something and the owner of the house got sued?

[dentinger]

I remember hearing some stories about people robbing a house and they slipped on something and the owner of the house got sued?

chances are, it was in the states, where you can sue anyone, for anything!

[Dave_The_BMXER]

JashiK and I share the same feelings.

I would love to say that I would go out and bash skulls but as much as I love my car I love my life more. I don't need to get shot, sued, or charged.

[Flagrum_3]

I'm with MPS on this one, only I'd tell them to "MAKE SURE" to loose the keys :)

If them Dumb ****s leave the keys in the car and it's somehow found the insurance will tell you your on your own!!

_3

[jaM3ican]

i keep a 4D MAG light by the front door. I gues this would have fallen under the Baseball bat vote.

[narcolepticus]

JashiK and I share the same feelings.

I would love to say that I would go out and bash skulls but as much as I love my car I love my life more. I don't need to get shot, sued, or charged.

Well, believe me, i love my life more than my car but when you work so hard for something and some a**hat comes along and steals/wrecks the thing that you worked hard for, you'd be willing to go the extra mile to prevent that. What would you do if the same person entered your home? Sure, i don't want to get shot or sued but I am also not going to back down because of those repercussions. That's just me ...

[JashiK]

Well, believe me, i love my life more than my car but when you work so hard for something and some a**hat comes along and steals/wrecks the thing that you worked hard for, you'd be willing to go the extra mile to prevent that. What would you do if the same person entered your home? Sure, i don't want to get shot or sued but I am also not going to back down because of those repercussions. That's just me ...

I share a lot of the same values as you especially if you've worked so hard for it, but once again I'd probably choose a different battle. Mind you... I am typing this out being all calm right now. Who knows how I may react given the situation.
To answer your question about someone breaking into my home is a very different situation than someone attempting to steal my car. If someone is breaking into my home they are compromising my personal safety, so definitely I'd look for my best choice of weapon to defend myself. Someone trying to steal my car isn't compromising my personal safety, but compromising my personal property. Two very different situations in my opinion.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Well, believe me, i love my life more than my car but when you work so hard for something and some a**hat comes along and steals/wrecks the thing that you worked hard for, you'd be willing to go the extra mile to prevent that. What would you do if the same person entered your home? Sure, i don't want to get shot or sued but I am also not going to back down because of those repercussions. That's just me ...

I've had one car stolen and 2 broken into. I share your anger. I still don't think that 4 guys breaking into my car would LET me stop them. I think at most I could stop 2 then get my own skull kicked in.

If someone came into my house 100% different story. My house is where I live, technically my car is just a tool.

[ZeroChalk]

I dunno about you, but I hardly consider four vs myself fair..

simply put I would use my judo chop and make short work of them.

http://lolpolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/bush_judo_chop1.jpg

[WLS ZMZM]

Well... I have to say if they broke into my underground and got through all the doors to get to the bloody car... well then by all means please take it lol they deserved it for all the hard work they did lol.... But if it's outside at the apartment... I'd call the police wait till they get into the car lock it and hit the panic besides by the time I would get downstairs from the 9th floor car would be long gone!!

[McGuyver_3]

If they were gonna steal my car ok take it and ill give them until the morning when i would go to work to report it

[MSMitch]

Assuming they could get onto my driveway, much less into the car without waking up my German shepherd dog, I would take said angrily barking dog outside (along with my Samurai sword & phone dialed to 9-1). They could take their pick, dog, sword or cops. :)

[JashiK]

Assuming they could get onto my driveway, much less into the car without waking up my German shepherd dog, I would take said angrily barking dog outside (along with my Samurai sword & phone dialed to 9-1). They could take their pick, dog, sword or cops. :)

you're missing a 1 in your number. 9-1 ain't gonna get you crap. lol

[WLS ZMZM]

you're missing a 1 in your number. 9-1 ain't gonna get you crap. lol

I think the idea is that all he has to do is dial the last 1 when they make their decision.. sort of like giving a chance

[MSMitch]

I think the idea is that all he has to do is dial the last 1 when they make their decision.. sort of like giving a chance
Good to see someone got it! :)

[WLS ZMZM]

:chuckle

glad to be of assistance lol

[ElegantGremlin]

I don't think I wake up... I'm on the complete other side of the house from my car. And if I did, I would just call the cops.

[JashiK]

blah... I just read it again and yes I got it now. blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[laksman91]

if there steeling the red car i would just trow them my keys and say enjoy and make sure they don't find the car so i can get paid =)

Exactly how I feel. Within the next year and a half I wouldn't mind if anyone steals my car.

[aris]

I honestly don't know what i would do...if i actuly caught the person in progress i would probaly snap...


Back in 96 me and my dad was in toronto and his 2 year old truck was stolen...but it didn't bother me or him...but if we seen the person doing it then it would have beed a different story.