Anti-theft Safety and Security tips?

[markjay]

Sad story indeed.

There is a scientific angle to this.

We humans are not rational.

If a motorist is stopped by police, breathalysed, and caught with excessive alcohol in his / her blood, he / she will get a ban and a fine.

If a motorist drives with excessive alcohol in his / her blood, then crashes killing other road users, he / she will go to prison.

Why the discrepancy in punishment? In either case the actions, mindset, and intentions of the offender were the same.

Lenient punishments for drink driving that did not end in a crash simply reward luck... and harsh punishments for those who did crash penalises bad luck.

But luck is the only thing that saves a drunk driver from killing someone.

 

[StMarks]

........ or to retaliate.....

Not true.
The law is quite clear on that afaiaa.: You may use reasonable force to defend yourself.
Using force for retaliation would render you liable for prosecution.

FYI there is an angle that you could try to mitigate with, that I can quote from the CPS guidelines on the subject.:
"If there has been an attack so that self defence is reasonably necessary, it will be recognised that a person defending himself cannot weigh to a nicety the exact measure of his defensive action. If the jury thought that that in a moment of unexpected anguish a person attacked had only done what he honestly and instinctively thought necessary, that would be the most potent evidence that only reasonable defensive action had been taken ..."

On a related issue, I wonder how many people are aware that Tony Martin has never yet returned home since his release from prison.?
Apparently he's said that he would be too frightened that the same thing would happen again.
Instead he has been sleeping in his car etc.. for years.

 

[TheFoX]

Not true.
The law is quite clear on that afaiaa.: You may use reasonable force to defend yourself.
Using force for retaliation would render you liable for prosecution.

Yes, the law is very clear, but human emotion isn't subject to law. If someone holds a knife to the throat of a loved one, threatening to cut their throat, how do you react?

Is there a manual on Human Emotion, or do we react as we see fit at the moment?

The simple fact is that many on this forum would have reacted the same way if someone had held a knife to the throat of someone they loved. To retaliate is to be human. How many would say, 'Never mind, your throat didn't get cut. Just forget about it.'?

The fact is any one of us can see RED, and lash out, especially if we feel threatened or have had the piss taken out of us. The law doesn't cater for emotion. If someone held a knife to the throat of a family member, I would want to kill them. Simple as that.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Yes, the law is very clear, but human emotion isn't subject to law. If someone holds a knife to the throat of a loved one, threatening to cut their throat, how do you react?

Really slowly and carefully.

 

[StMarks]

Fwiw I wasn't trying to argue Mr Fox, I just felt it was appropriate to clarify the legal situation as it seemed to me that the post of yours that I quoted suggested that using force in retaliation would be permissible.

,,,,,, how do you react.....

Well, seeing as you ask mate...:

..Is there a manual on Human Emotion, or do we react as we see fit at the moment?...

Obviously there is no such thing as a "manual" on how to properly control Human emoticons, however correctly nurtured it is something that we are programmed to learn from those in our environment as we grow.

,,,,,,to retaliate is to be human.......

Once more I suggest that may be flawed.: Most animals will blindly retaliate if attacked, or their young are threatened. However only Humans are developed enough to conceive the possible ramifications of their actions, and adjust their conduct accordingly..?
The Homo Erectus who tried to fight off the Sabre Tooth Tiger savaging his family died out over a million years ago. We are all descended from the one who instead left to look for a long stick, and returned with the first spear.

,,,,,,,, If someone held a knife to the throat of a family member, I would want to kill them....

Fwiw if a member of my family were threatened, I would be examining the circumstances that lead to it, & looking towards judicial castigation. Naturally if the situation were a physical attack, then (if possible) I would expect to use reasonable force to defend them.

,,,,,, The fact is any one of us can see RED, and lash out.

Some of us are more predisposed to the old red mist. Many years ago, when I was a serving grunt, one of the precluding characteristics for selection to our sector was any tendency to allow their emotions to take over.

,,,,,, or have had the piss taken out of us.....

I must most strenuously assure you I'm NOT taking the piss out of you..

 

[TheFoX]

Thankfully we live in a society where crime is a minority element, and we also live in a society where we can laugh at ourselves and each other without trying to kill each other, or ourselves.

Also, humour plays a big part of our survival.

I can probably say that because we live in a crime free society (serial killers are in the minority, unlike the US where they breed them by the thousands), when we do suffer crime, we are outraged, as if someone dare take the piss.

Thankfully, in my 50 odd years, I've only been a victim of crime or have been a witness several times.

When I was at school, a Sixth Former was beaten to within inches of his life by a thug right in front of me. That was a traumatic experience.

Obviously I had a few scrapes when I served in the army, but nothing to write home about.

More recently, though, after a white van took the wing mirror of my Merc off, two lads did threaten violence against my person, but I have a hunch they were waiting for me to strike them so that they could claim assault.

We can all stand back and assess the situation, but there must be a point in everyone's life when instinct takes over and we do something that we later regret. Ask Gordon Brown about his outburst against the granny he called a bigot.

To err is human, and I've erred quite a lot, more so as I've got older.

 

[219]

Just read this - Luxury cars drivers targeted in nationwide epidemic | UK | News | Daily Express

Worrying times. Even an ordinary A class hijacked. And a lot of us here have, or are getting, more expensive, desirable cars.

Any tips or wisdom, common-sense or obscure, to share?

They still can't spell G Wagen

 

[219]

The biggest threat to any biker is a car. After years of riding bikes, nearly all the accidents or incidents I have had have been because of a car driver NOT paying attention. Remember the 'Think BIKE!' campaign?

So, when I said to use his G-Wagon, he could have easily taken out a biker or two. It's not hard. Thousands of bikers each year end up in hospital at the hands of car drivers who probably aren't as athletic or dynamic as Carroll.

It is G Wagen

 

[Tigger]

Buy yourself one of these Mercedes USB keys...

Throw it at the would be hijacker keeping the real key safe in your pocket...

Run like hell! :bannana:

 

[TheFoX]

It is G Wagen

It's called 'auto-correct' and it is a bloody pain in the backside sometimes.

 

[StMarks]

The biggest threat to any biker is a car. After years of riding bikes, nearly all the accidents or incidents I have had have been because of a car driver NOT paying attention......

IMHO the numbers of inconsiderate and/or incompetent road users is increasing exponentially. The roads are indeed becoming ever more dangerous.
However..
I have been riding motorcycles on the road for over 40 years ( & unlike many "more overly cautious types"

, still do). Over that period I have adopted a riding strategy that has kept me alive (thus far, anyway).: I ride with the presumption that EVERY other road user is out to get me, one way or another. Obviously over the decades I have been involved in a number of accidents, but can honestly say that (aside from one crash, back in the late 70's) I have not succumbed to the unwitting attempts of other road users whilst motorcycling. I can respectively identify every crash I have had as being down to my own shortcomings.

P.S. The tone of my recent posts seem to be somewhat directly confrontational towards you Mr Fox. Please accept my assurance that this is purely coincidental, and that I am not trolling you. Fwiw I generally find your posts highly informative & estimable, and am somewhat disconcerted by this recent divergence of opinions.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Thankfully we live in a society where crime is a minority element, and we also live in a society where we can laugh at ourselves and each other without trying to kill each other, or ourselves.

Also, humour plays a big part of our survival.

I can probably say that because we live in a crime free society (serial killers are in the minority, unlike the US where they breed them by the thousands), when we do suffer crime, we are outraged, as if someone dare take the piss.

Thankfully, in my 50 odd years, I've only been a victim of crime or have been a witness several times.

When I was at school, a Sixth Former was beaten to within inches of his life by a thug right in front of me. That was a traumatic experience.

Obviously I had a few scrapes when I served in the army, but nothing to write home about.

More recently, though, after a white van took the wing mirror of my Merc off, two lads did threaten violence against my person, but I have a hunch they were waiting for me to strike them so that they could claim assault.

We can all stand back and assess the situation, but there must be a point in everyone's life when instinct takes over and we do something that we later regret. Ask Gordon Brown about his outburst against the granny he called a bigot.

To err is human, and I've erred quite a lot, more so as I've got older.

Wouldn't John Prescott have been a better example?

 

[TheFoX]

P.S. The tone of my recent posts seem to be somewhat directly confrontational towards you Mr Fox. Please accept my assurance that this is purely coincidental, and that I am not trolling you. Fwiw I generally find your posts highly informative & estimable, and am somewhat disconcerted by this recent divergence of opinions.

The real bounty of life is the valued opinions of everyone, and the fact that we, as intelligent people, can respect each other's opinions regardless whether they coincide or contradict our own opinions. After all, I drive a CLS, while someone else might drive an E class, and someone else may drive a C class.

So, to summarise, I don't find offence in yours, or anyone else's, posts. I treat this forum, and the people who frequent it, as a valuable source of information and opinions.

Wouldn't John Prescott have been a better example?

If I had thought about it at the time, yes, but because I didn't think of it, then no. Harold Wilson made me sick. While millions were suffering in poverty, he was worried sick worrying about the millions suffering poverty, while smoking a Romeo & Juliet, and sipping a quality brandy.

(Steptoe and Son)

 

[gr1nch]

Buy yourself one of these Mercedes USB keys...

Throw it at the would be hijacker keeping the real key safe in your pocket...

Run like hell! :bannana:

If hijacked (rather than merely robbed), so with key in, would, unless you had a magician's sleight of hand, be redundant, no? Thumbs up for the creativity though!

So to summarise preventative measures so far I've seen
* when in car
- doors always locked
- don't open the window or door to suspicious people (so includes not getting out for suspicious accidents: bump from behind or breaking hard in front of you - monitor, record and call police, because it is an RTA)
- use a blowup doll! Female Californians were encouraged to do this because of a spate of car-jackings there.
- the crazy "South African BBQ" method (not legal in the UK!)
* when parked and not in car
- keys shielded (so their signal can't be amplified), by foil pouch?
- if at home with loved ones, leave key *out* on the stairs, so less likely thieves won't bother your loved ones (may not prevent that if they believe you to have valuables around)
- park in secure, monitored or, at least, high footfall locations (opposite to the anti-damage option of parking as far from other cars as possible)
- if you must park in a remote thief-likely location, leave the glove box, open car doors unlocked and zero items in the car anywhere (helps prevent window breaking). Maybe even a sign inviting thieves from trying the doors first!
* an after-market delay immobiliser
* starter motor immobiliser
* a tracker. CAT-5 ?
* De-badge. Doesn't work if the car has thief-desirable things like exhausts and brakes, giving it away
* Garaging helps against theft and vandalism (awful stories of this on the forum)

Would be neat if manufacturers used the car's existing cameras and memory (hard drives) as dashboard cams and (b) had a rear-facing cam that also did face or retina recognition. Not you driving your car? Does the Blackjax thing....

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

In Germany I had an MB 560 SEL This had the best anti theft device I have seen. If stolen/jacked....you phoned a number. On speaking to the operator they would activate the system. The next time the car came to a stop the engine would cut out, the alarm would also be activated.
This is as well as the standard MB alarm.

 

[DSM10000]

In Germany I had an MB 560 SEL This had the best anti theft device I have seen. If stolen/jacked....you phoned a number. On speaking to the operator they would activate the system. The next time the car came to a stop the engine would cut out, the alarm would also be activated.
This is as well as the standard MB alarm.

Knowing you John I thought you were going to say that you used to leave Irene in the back giving one of her looks!

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Knowing you John I thought you were going to say that you used to leave Irene in the back giving one of her looks!

Yes indeed David. I tried that...earned me a raised eyebrow, a glance, and a look.
It was safer and cheaper to have the system installed.

 

[gr1nch]

Has anyone found an effective, lightweight way of shielding the car keys from thieves repeater laptops?

A quick search on the interwebz brought the two products to my attention: Fobguard (expensive, but tailored for the job) and these mobile phone blockers, which canny folk are also using for their wireless car keys as described here >
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00QIEX04K/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

Anyone have experience of blocking pouches with KeylessGo?