Think I was followed in my RS6
Discussion
Killboy said:
LeighW said:
Then once inside, they plug into the OBD port, program their own key and they're away in minutes.
First thing I did was replace the ODB port with a fake, and wire the real one elsewhere. Loads of kits to do it. The fake even has power - so the device connecting just errors.Killboy said:
First thing I did was replace the ODB port with a fake, and wire the real one elsewhere. Loads of kits to do it. The fake even has power - so the device connecting just errors.
It would be a shame if the polarity were reversed on the fake so that the device connecting turned into an expensive smoke machine.RonnieHotdogs said:
The level of scumbaggery in Small Heath has nothing to do with ethnicity. Trust me, I worked there for four long, painful years.
People of any skin colour / ethnicity would quite happily drive at you / shout abuse at you at any time.
A girl who worked at the same place as me once parked her Fiat 500 on a clear, open road outside work as there were lorries manoeuvring around outside the neighbouring business (which I swear was also a chop shop due to the number of crashed cars always parked outside) and she would've been late for work. Went back for it 15 mins later and it had been nicked. This was 9am on a weekday in broad daylight.
Absolute and total dive, you honestly couldn't pay me to go back through Small Heath. I've been threatened whilst minding my own business too many times just trying to get some lunch at Asda or KFC ... and myself and other friends have had people get out of cars to have a go at us because we couldn't move our cars in the standard stationary traffic while they were trying to drive on the wrong side of the road.
Sounds just like Leeds to be fair.People of any skin colour / ethnicity would quite happily drive at you / shout abuse at you at any time.
A girl who worked at the same place as me once parked her Fiat 500 on a clear, open road outside work as there were lorries manoeuvring around outside the neighbouring business (which I swear was also a chop shop due to the number of crashed cars always parked outside) and she would've been late for work. Went back for it 15 mins later and it had been nicked. This was 9am on a weekday in broad daylight.
Absolute and total dive, you honestly couldn't pay me to go back through Small Heath. I've been threatened whilst minding my own business too many times just trying to get some lunch at Asda or KFC ... and myself and other friends have had people get out of cars to have a go at us because we couldn't move our cars in the standard stationary traffic while they were trying to drive on the wrong side of the road.
EmilA said:
RonnieHotdogs said:
The level of scumbaggery in Small Heath has nothing to do with ethnicity. Trust me, I worked there for four long, painful years.
People of any skin colour / ethnicity would quite happily drive at you / shout abuse at you at any time.
A girl who worked at the same place as me once parked her Fiat 500 on a clear, open road outside work as there were lorries manoeuvring around outside the neighbouring business (which I swear was also a chop shop due to the number of crashed cars always parked outside) and she would've been late for work. Went back for it 15 mins later and it had been nicked. This was 9am on a weekday in broad daylight.
Absolute and total dive, you honestly couldn't pay me to go back through Small Heath. I've been threatened whilst minding my own business too many times just trying to get some lunch at Asda or KFC ... and myself and other friends have had people get out of cars to have a go at us because we couldn't move our cars in the standard stationary traffic while they were trying to drive on the wrong side of the road.
Ah yes I agree with you, but everything you said can and more than likely does happen in other cities around the country. My driving instructor was based in Small Heath. I learnt to drive there, in my view I can now drive anywhere ha.People of any skin colour / ethnicity would quite happily drive at you / shout abuse at you at any time.
A girl who worked at the same place as me once parked her Fiat 500 on a clear, open road outside work as there were lorries manoeuvring around outside the neighbouring business (which I swear was also a chop shop due to the number of crashed cars always parked outside) and she would've been late for work. Went back for it 15 mins later and it had been nicked. This was 9am on a weekday in broad daylight.
Absolute and total dive, you honestly couldn't pay me to go back through Small Heath. I've been threatened whilst minding my own business too many times just trying to get some lunch at Asda or KFC ... and myself and other friends have had people get out of cars to have a go at us because we couldn't move our cars in the standard stationary traffic while they were trying to drive on the wrong side of the road.
Many years ago I had an Impreza Turbo and used to park it for work across Birmingham all the time in public car parks. I had a gearbox lock fitted. Pull up put it in reverse and secure the lock in the passengers footwell. It took seconds to lock/unlock and wasn’t going anywhere without a low loader. We need more of this simple mechanical tech nowadays.
White-Noise said:
Been following this thread with interest.
My car is keyless I keep it in a pouch, will test that, its a gti so not top of the shopping list, and part of my rarionale for it over an R. My gf has a macan gts which she was quite concerned about as the neighbours had cars stolen off their drive a couple of years ago. Hers is not keyless, I'm definitely not showing her this thread!
But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway? I wonder about the situation and precautions taken and how they still get the car away? I acknowledge keyless is different
new wave of criminals... alarms & cctv do not put them off. They cut exhauts off in broad daylight.My car is keyless I keep it in a pouch, will test that, its a gti so not top of the shopping list, and part of my rarionale for it over an R. My gf has a macan gts which she was quite concerned about as the neighbours had cars stolen off their drive a couple of years ago. Hers is not keyless, I'm definitely not showing her this thread!
But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway? I wonder about the situation and precautions taken and how they still get the car away? I acknowledge keyless is different
As one of those "ethnic types" myself, I used to get very, very fired up about racism but nowadays I realise it works in my favour.
I tend to go by a nickname, which doesn't quite match up with my name. It's similar to "hi, this is Dickie" when my name's "Richard".
Basically, nobody thinks I own my cars, I'm just a driver, a cousin, a family member, etc.
Works for me. I don't plan on changing that mentality, the mysterious not-Richard has done me well so I'll happily buy him a few beers over the Easter weekend. Coincidentally, I'll be enjoying some beers over the Easter weekend!
I daily an S4 Avant. I know it's quite high on crime lists, but mine's bright red and is parked behind another car and in full view of some cameras. Does that stop anybody coming to nick it? Of course not, if they want it, they'll come get it. However, does that mean my S4 is of less interest than the black RS4 down the road that's just parked on the street? I'd like to think so. I've said this to my neighbours before, whilst I get along with them, when it comes to security, I want to make my house less appealing to burgle than theirs. A few cameras here and there, a silent alarm, cars parked behind noisy ones etc.
I tend to go by a nickname, which doesn't quite match up with my name. It's similar to "hi, this is Dickie" when my name's "Richard".
Basically, nobody thinks I own my cars, I'm just a driver, a cousin, a family member, etc.
Works for me. I don't plan on changing that mentality, the mysterious not-Richard has done me well so I'll happily buy him a few beers over the Easter weekend. Coincidentally, I'll be enjoying some beers over the Easter weekend!
I daily an S4 Avant. I know it's quite high on crime lists, but mine's bright red and is parked behind another car and in full view of some cameras. Does that stop anybody coming to nick it? Of course not, if they want it, they'll come get it. However, does that mean my S4 is of less interest than the black RS4 down the road that's just parked on the street? I'd like to think so. I've said this to my neighbours before, whilst I get along with them, when it comes to security, I want to make my house less appealing to burgle than theirs. A few cameras here and there, a silent alarm, cars parked behind noisy ones etc.
Second Best said:
when it comes to security, I want to make my house less appealing to burgle than theirs. A few cameras here and there, a silent alarm, cars parked behind noisy ones etc.
A case of keeping one step behind the Jonesesthat’s info I prob would not have shared with them, if they decided it makes sense to do same could be an interesting street!
Second Best said:
when it comes to security, I want to make my house less appealing to burgle than theirs. A few cameras here and there, a silent alarm, cars parked behind noisy ones etc.
Why the silent alarm though? If the whole point is deterrent... . I mean all alarms are silent - until they go off. I have an alarm system on my house and live box on the outside that all can see. I didn't use to use it but I've started recently it's only a button on a keyfob to arm. My view is if anyone gets in the house when I'm in bed it'll wake me up properly and hopefully scare them off as well. ETA I forgot to put it on last night
said:
Why the silent alarm though? If the whole point is deterrent. I mean all alarms are silent - until they go off. I have an alarm system on my house and live box on the outside that all can see. I didn't use to use it but I've started recently it's only a button on a keyfob to arm. My view is if anyone gets in the house when I'm in bed it'll wake me up properly and hopefully scare them off as well.
Our house has a "ringfence" zone setup for night-time - all the internal PIRs are disabled and the master bedroom window is allowed to open, but all the other door, window and impact sensors are active as well as a panic button. We've never needed it but I'm careful to always switch it on. I do wonder if scrotes would continue trying to gain access and hold me at knifepoint with a (very loud) siren going off.I think I'm pretty safe though - our newest car is a 2011 Alfa 159 estate so no threat there, the other two are, although immaculate, a 2010 SL and a 2005 SLK which are locked away in an alarmed garage. Being a. old and b. two door and c. two seater I don't think they're on the scrote theft/part stripping radar. They'd be a bit of a handful in a chase with the cops too and probably end up upside down in a hedge.
Fast and Spurious said:
Just remember to tell the main dealer when it's in for a service. Or not.
Yes, I forgot to tell the guys servicing my car about the fake, and I got a call from them saying they were going to have to diagnose whats wrong as they could not reset the service record. Bit of a sheepish reply from me 
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
I think Clarkson had it right, when he described Birmingham as having a beautiful town centre, surrounded by a ring of scum.
And he said that about 25 years ago, so I am please to see that nothing has changed.
From what i recall, he described it as being like a bath tub. Empty in the middle with a ring of scum around the outside.And he said that about 25 years ago, so I am please to see that nothing has changed.
White-Noise said:
Been following this thread with interest.
But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway?
I had a house alarm. It went off when they broke my front door lock and took the keys to my Polo GTi.But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway?
I was upstairs in bed at the time. Heard a noise, went downstairs (stark naked) but luckily they'd gone with the car by then.
sunnyb13 said:
White-Noise said:
Been following this thread with interest.
My car is keyless I keep it in a pouch, will test that, its a gti so not top of the shopping list, and part of my rarionale for it over an R. My gf has a macan gts which she was quite concerned about as the neighbours had cars stolen off their drive a couple of years ago. Hers is not keyless, I'm definitely not showing her this thread!
But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway? I wonder about the situation and precautions taken and how they still get the car away? I acknowledge keyless is different
new wave of criminals... alarms & cctv do not put them off. They cut exhauts off in broad daylight.My car is keyless I keep it in a pouch, will test that, its a gti so not top of the shopping list, and part of my rarionale for it over an R. My gf has a macan gts which she was quite concerned about as the neighbours had cars stolen off their drive a couple of years ago. Hers is not keyless, I'm definitely not showing her this thread!
But for those of you that had cars pinched, I wonder about houses with cameras, alarms and non keyless such is her setup... do these people manage to disable the alarm or break in and the alarms going off anyway? I wonder about the situation and precautions taken and how they still get the car away? I acknowledge keyless is different
These guys are looking for the quick and easy, maximum effect. They rock up between about 11pm and 5am, hoods up, facemasks on, big old strip of copper in a bag with a laptop and 15 seconds later they're in your car driving off.
Steering locks, cameras, gates etc. are minor inconveniences to these people if they want it badly enough, with each thing barely adding seconds to their time. By the time you notice (especially if you slept though the night) the car is on a boat being shipped to somewhere like Georgia or being stripped for parts.
The easiest things to do are avoidance all together. Put car out of sight, in a garage etc. but not everyone can do this. So the next step is to get rid of keyless completely (a solution for a problem that never existed).
If you can't avoid, and have to prevent, pull batteries out of the spare keys (people box their main key and forget about these ones sitting in their bedroom), and not only pouch the used key, put then it in a faraday box to stop any signal leak and then on the opposite side of the house from where the car is parked. GPS trackers greatly improve the ability of recovering the vehicle, but even then a few of the "success" stories I've seen from round here is that they got the car back, but it had already had things like headlights, seats, wingmirrors stripped.
theplayingmantis said:
Do people want their car back if its been nicked. I certainly wouldn't - despite having to fit trackers for insurance purposes to a couple of mine. once nicked i would not want it back.
I has a tuned Passat PD130 Sport broken in to near Oxford city center. Despite how much I like the car, it was sold immediately after the repair was completed. It just didn't feel like mine anymore.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff