No, not me, but a close friend of mine.
He had his Buick Grand National in the classified ads for sale, and was set up. A woman called about it and wanted to see it/go for a ride. He met her outside his apartment complex when she called again, and took her for a spin. She said "I want it. take me up the street where I left my car, I'll be back with the money." He started dropping her off at the curb when a man jumped in, pushing a gun into his face and yelling at him to get out. My buddy was scrambling with the seatbelt, trying to look for a way to fight back. He was trying to gather a couple of his things while being pushed out from the passenger side by the man, when a second man appeared outside the driver's side. My buddy said "WTF are you doing? I don't have insurance on this car, take a different one". The first guy started screaming at him to get out, and was getting more and more forceful(while the woman just stood there), and the second guy was now opening up the deiver's door, pulling my friend out and punching him up with the butt of his pistol. My friend is a tough guy(I don't hang out with wussys[;)]) but he knew he couldn't fight back against 2 large armed brothas. My buddy went down, the second guy reached in my buddy's pockets, and took his cell phone and all his keys. Yeah, his apartment keys and the keys to a couple of his other cars! The second guy then pushed him out of the way and jumped in the driver's side while the woman jumped in the passenger side, and peeled out down the street. The first guy ran down the street, most likely to the car that brought the 3 of them there in the first place. My buddy couldn't call the police(the guys had stolen his phone) and couldn't get into his apartment(they had stolen his keys) so he had to run up to the first house yelling for them to call the police. The jackers then realised they had driven in the wrong direction, and turned around, driving right past him again! the guy driving just stared at him with a look my buddy said made him feel like he was about to die. my buddy ducked for cover, and the Grand National sped off with it's new "owners".


The police, when taking his report, asked if he had a phone # for the thugs. Of course my friend's cell-phone has caller ID( as most do now), and he actually had 2 different phone numbers that the woman had used. But of course he doesn't have his phone anymore since they took it. He also had the registration for the car in the glove box, and the pink slip since he was attempting to sell it. The car was uninsured, as of about a week ago, since he had a buyer for it(who backed out).
The worst is that he lost his apartment keys, along with his registration which of course has his address on it!!!
He was getting the locks changed when he called me, and was pretty shook up.


He got his spare keys to one of his other cars, and drove up to my house, and of course I loaned him something to protect himself with.
We talked for a while, and while I can't really think of a way to avoid being jacked, he'll for sure be more careful in the future, as will I.

This is about the 5th time one of my close friends has been CarJacked, and he's lucky to be alive(2 of my other friends weren't so lucky).


BE CAREFUL OUT THERE GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

-TREETOP.

Must be nice to live in sunny California.

California Dreamin...

Glad he wasn't hurt!

All cell phone calls are stored on a data base, I just saw this the other night on TV. The police should be able to recover the numbers with alittle investigation.

Thanks for the heads up.
Nasty world we live in, lucky for noncalifornians this never can happen to them.[;)]
The important thing is he is alive and mad. You can tell him I`m mad as hell too. Low lifes have no place in society. I really believe the victims of violent crime should be able to deliver justice to the perps.
If they dont catch them, which is probably the case, they will mess up somewhere.
Just another example of the white man keeping the black man down.[:)]

Yes, the information is there, but if you have already reported the phone to the company as stolen, they will not even release the information to you.  They don't even want to talk to the police either without a friggin subpoena!  That's the way it is in Texas at least, and since almost any carrier is actually national, their policies are the same.  I have run into this problem with Sprint, GTE, Houston Cellular (now Cinguelar), and Primeco.  Always pisses me off because they tell the customer to report it as stolen immediately, and then refuse to assist any further.  

If anyone is ever the victim of a crime where your cell phone's information might be useful, don't report it stolen immediately.  Your police report will document the time of the theft, and that should be enough to cover any numbers that the crooks call.  Also, if you give them enough time to use the phone, they'll  probably make calls which could also prove useful.  If you are forced to wait for a subpoena to reach the company, you can expect the information back in at least 1 week, probably more.  By that time the information is virtually useless.

Just FYI


Saleen

Oh how I miss my Kali, let me count the ways;

Smog
Crime
Traffic
Taxes
Liberals
Gun Bans...

When I sold my last car 3 illegal aliens came to buy it.  Nice enough guys, were just trying to get to work 3 miles from home as dishwashers at Tony Romas.

But I had the .40cal on just to be sure.  If they tried to jack me, I would have gotten out gladly and when he went to put it into drive, would have made contact on the temple with a 165gr JHP.

IN THE FUTURE, I can only suggest this to my fellow brothers,

when someone shows up to test drive, don't go with them.  Instead ask for THEIR keys and ID.  Write down their name, #, id#, etc., and keep the keys.

If you had done this, the woman would have said, "Uh, I didn't bring ID."  This would have tipped you off.

Sorry about your loss, we have room for you in Texas...

Are there no carjackings in Texas?

Rich, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but there's a good chance (with all the CHL's issued) that a carjacker is likely to be on the receiving end of some hot lead.

It's a bit*h of a world we live in, ain't it?  Thank God and George W we're a shall-issue state!

Bill

Crimes against persons in states with "shall Issue" CCW laws tend to drop markedly after passage of the laws and media reports of dead crooks, killed by CCW holders.  Florida's problem of bad guys robbing rental car customers outside Miami International Airport was because crooks only took four years to figure out that the airlines screened all the rental car drivers for weapons before they flew to Miami.  They are safer targets...Unless you are like me, a CA resident with a FL CCW who carries his handgun in checked baggage and loads up before leaving the Hertz lot.    

For those selling cars via newspaper ads or the like, offer to meet potential buyers in the parking lot of your local police station.  You might even go inside beforehand and tell the desk officer that you are showing your car to a potential buyer unknown to you and ask where to do it to be sure you are on the surveillance video, or ask if you can meet them in the lobby where you most assuredly will be on video.  Crooks will generally pass on the car under those circumstances.

Seem's to me that back in the early 90's when Ann Richards was govoner of Texas you saw more Jacking's in the news. Since George W. passed the ccl, you do not here of this as much in the news.

Question Could Any Of This Been Avoided My Answer Is Possible Yes
Rule 1  No Money No Free Rides Show Me The Money (this Is how I Sold My Harley No Rides No Money, Wreck It Its Sold)
Iam Not Trying To Be Negative just thinking about whats mine!

I guess this just goes to show, criminals will always find a new way to take something that isnt theirs.
It`s a great arguement for ccw. I hope it acts as a deterent to theifs, but sometimes it`s best to let them have a car of yours if they already have the drop on you. Even when they are driving away, they still have a gun and are more than willing to use it. It`s always a judgement call and I`m glad I stopped drinking cause I can only imagine trying to do the right thing and stay out of jail at the same time.
I know there are folks out there with less to lose than me.
BTW I have been on the recieving end of violent crime more than a couple of times. Stabbed once, through the liver and cut a lung.
Proper training prevents piss poor performance.
Nice advice up above, I really never gave this avenue of crime much tought.

Hell even AAA (the auto club) is more street smart than your friend. He violated nearly everyone of their tips for selling a car.

The incidence of car jacking has risen considerably with the advent of various car security systems. Unfortunately your friend found out the hard way. He should consider himself lucky they didn't blow him away.

You should be very careful about selling [b]anything[/b] privately to someone you don't know personally or isn't referred by someone you know. Never let anyone you don't know into your car or home. There are things you can do to help protect yourself. Is it worth the risk though?

As far as a CCW, when you allow someone to put a gun to your head your options are very limited. A CCW is only one "weapon" in your arsenal. Unless you train for it and have a plan in your head you can execute without thinking, I don't think you'll be very successful. You have to be mentally prepared for any situation.

Treetop,
You have 5 friends who were carjacked, 2 of them killed.
Maybe I've led a sheltered life in NYC because I never met a single person who has been carjacked or know of someone who has.
Time to find a new place to live or maybe you should turn yourself in for questioning.

Tree ... DUDE!!! ... " loaned him something to take care of himself with " ..... man I hope that favor dont come back to bite you. If I did that in my state I'd be a responsible party to anything that buddy did with the "loaner". Sorry to here about the grand national and your bud. -- Rooster

BigZ- The 2 friends that were murdered in a carjacking were in a single incident, driver and passenger. Part of the reason I've seen this more often than most might be the types of vehicles my friends and I chose to drive. I used to be in a lowrider car club [url]www.rollerzonly.com[/url] and we were targeted by riff-raff almost constantly. Some people don't want to put the work into building something nice, they just want to take what somebody else put their heart and money into. There's a large market for large stereo systems, expensive wheels, hydraulics, etc. Plus these things tend to attract a certain type of person.

Dizzy Rooster- "..... man I hope that favor dont come back to bite you. "
Yeah, me too. but the sad fact is, he's otherwise unarmed, with at least 2 armed thugs knowing his address, and knowing he's got a few other cars. He's going to purchase something for himself ASAP, but the PRK has a 10-day wait on any firearm. It'd kill me if something happened to him during that time and I hadn't offered him something. It'd be stupider of me not to help out.

Buick GN nice car, my brother owned one. I used to be into the Low Rider seen as well treetop, I had an 86 Nissan slamed my other car was a 91 ford escort with 2 reds compotition pumps, kind of gave up on hydos though when I got my ride locked up in the front end one night, (dump valuve failed to work) and I did not have the tools to dran the line. wound up having to drive it home and snapped a CV bar on the way home! that sucked

Sorry to hear about your friend TREETOP, but man ain't it nice out here in the sticks?

There was an interesting case in Jeffersonville,
Indiana several years ago; A young man was in his Camaro sitting at a red light when a brotha
jumped in the passenger seat (was'nt locked)
and while pointing a pistol at the driver
demanded to be taken across town. Driver was
left handed and had a Glock 17 at his left
side disposal, and proceeded to fire about
a dozen rounds into this bg's left ribcage.
Well he died and after a very short investigation, the good guy walked.
See.....there is justice :)

I bet the story was printed in a very small part of the local paper if even reported at all.
But let a white carjack a black and it is national news!

Lordtrader, since you are a new Texan,that is if your here yet, let me give you a what I think would be a good tip. The first shooting by a CHL carrier here in Texas cost the defendant $24,000 in legal fees but he did get off. Our instructers here do teach that it is costly to shoot someone over stuff. That is what insurance is for. We are allowed to use deadly force to protect self and others from "deadly" injury.We do not have to "retreat" from or homes. Knowing what the "goblins" are up to is the hard part. Also we have a law here in Texas that says something to the fact that you can use deadly force at night to stop a felony" but that law is over 100yrs old . Not what I would want to use in court as my sole "rationl" defense. You will hear all this if you get a good instructer when you apply for your CHL. My friend had a buddy who broke up a carjacking attempt by being able to do a reverse "J" turn and floor it.Lucky for him no one was behind him and lucky for the "goblin" because if there had been, he would have floored the truck and the guy would have a understanding of Ford tuff!

TREETOP, sorry to hear that about your friend, man. At least he's OK. I've lived in LA, and to me, it's GOT to be the biggest shithole this planet has ever seen! It seems like the place has a population ratio of 10% decent folks, and 90% crooks.

I advocate a tactic I have heard mentioned several times. Keep your pistol near the seatbelt reciever buckle and always wear your seat belt. If the attack is a driver's side, gun in the face type, which is most common, put your left hand up high in front of you, in a natural submissive gesture. Perhaps even say, "Let me take my seatbelt off." Obviously, even a piece of shit jacker will see this as a common action/motion that would have to be taken.

Reach down with your right hand to your belt latch/gun. Then, if you feel it is viable, swipe back with your left hand and fire in defense of your life! The swipe accompanied by hauling ass could possibly be an option.

Get your left hand up near your face as quickly as possible so it appears normal and so you are closer to his weapon for the swipe... Of course this is only if you feel like fighting for your property or if you feel the crackhead is gonna shoot you anyway. As far as using deadly force to protect property, it would not be hard to articulate why you feared for your life.

Always sounded viable to me...

Sorry Forkhorn, I cry BS on that one!

The case you refer to, the shooter had been involved in an altercation with the victim, with both swearing at and fingering (giving the bird) to each other.  The victim attacked the shooter by beating him through the shooter's open window.  The shooter testified that he only fired when he feared he would lose consciousness.

If these factors were not present, the cops would not have even arrested him, nor would it have even gone to a grand jury:

1.  Shooter could have driven away.
2.  Shooter did not need to taunt victim.
3.  Shooter should have avioded trouble having been armed.
4.  Victim was NOT armed.
5.  Shooter could have rolled his window up as the victim approached, rather than continuing to shout obsenities.

If a gunman attacks you in your car in Texas, and you shoot him (being a CCW holder), the cops are likely to take you out for a beer afterwards...