Followed home by car load of guys - what is best to do?
Discussion
I own an RS6 Avant in a discrete Dark Blue and normally doesn't get noticed. However, I was followed last night by 4 guys in an Escort.
I was about a mile from home the Escort was coming the other way, I noticed the passenger pointing at my car. Looked in my mirrors and they did a u-turn and were behind me. So I drove straight past my house and took a left, they followed. So I went on for about 1/2 mile and in busy traffic dived down a road (right hand turn across oncoming traffic) without signaling so they had no chance of getting across.
Looked in mirror and they had to carry on but all four were looking at me. So I went down the road, waiting a couple of minutes then came back out. As I approached the junction they drove across the junction in the opposite direction, but didn't seem me (I think). So I hung back and waited a little longer. So they had done one u-turn, a sudden left and then another u-turn, so I am not imagining this.
Made my way home without incident. Unfortunately my wife was with me and this has really shocked her. She never thought owning an RS6 could bring with it this sort of problem. We parked the car on the drive and block it in with her car. My wife suggested taking the keys to bed with us, but I said just leave them in the kitchen I'd prefer they'd just take the car and leave us alone. One sleepless night later, car is still there, but this isn't what ownership is meant to be about.
What is best to do in the situation? My wife was suggesting I drove to the nearest Police station, but I guess that would put them off following, but I guess nothing could be done. Got the registration mark, but I guess that might only be useful if the car goes.
What do you BiB suggest?
>> Edited by rs666 on Monday 22 May 08:47
>> Edited by rs666 on Monday 22 May 08:50
I was about a mile from home the Escort was coming the other way, I noticed the passenger pointing at my car. Looked in my mirrors and they did a u-turn and were behind me. So I drove straight past my house and took a left, they followed. So I went on for about 1/2 mile and in busy traffic dived down a road (right hand turn across oncoming traffic) without signaling so they had no chance of getting across.
Looked in mirror and they had to carry on but all four were looking at me. So I went down the road, waiting a couple of minutes then came back out. As I approached the junction they drove across the junction in the opposite direction, but didn't seem me (I think). So I hung back and waited a little longer. So they had done one u-turn, a sudden left and then another u-turn, so I am not imagining this.
Made my way home without incident. Unfortunately my wife was with me and this has really shocked her. She never thought owning an RS6 could bring with it this sort of problem. We parked the car on the drive and block it in with her car. My wife suggested taking the keys to bed with us, but I said just leave them in the kitchen I'd prefer they'd just take the car and leave us alone. One sleepless night later, car is still there, but this isn't what ownership is meant to be about.
What is best to do in the situation? My wife was suggesting I drove to the nearest Police station, but I guess that would put them off following, but I guess nothing could be done. Got the registration mark, but I guess that might only be useful if the car goes.
What do you BiB suggest?
>> Edited by rs666 on Monday 22 May 08:47
>> Edited by rs666 on Monday 22 May 08:50
Report incident to the police and give them the reg. no.,at least if anything does happen it is then on record.Chances are they were following you 'just for a laugh' or maybe because they liked the car?You will probably never know the answer but you must consider all possibilities,not just the grim ones.Hope it was just a flash in the pan,good luck.
deltafox said:
If the keys are left unsecured the insurance company wont pay out either, so dont leave em lying about........put em in the kennel with the rottweiler.
Unsecured as in inside a locked house? I can see the point about not leaving them within coathanger reach of the letterbox but as long as they need to force entry to get to them then the keys are secured.
Yours is the sort of car highwaymen, cutpurses and other ne'erdowells 
like to use as getaway vehicles. If you haven't already informed the Police, do so if you did get the reg number. I would also suggest keeping your car in a garage if you have one, and keep your keys where they can be easily taken if someone breaks in for them - unless you want some large hairy aggressive men stomping around you and your wife in your bedroom at 3a.m., pointing shotguns up your nose!
In the end it's only a car, no point in risking a beating, or worse.
I would also suggest you remove the RS6 badges - it's a Q-car already, why not make it more so?
like to use as getaway vehicles. If you haven't already informed the Police, do so if you did get the reg number. I would also suggest keeping your car in a garage if you have one, and keep your keys where they can be easily taken if someone breaks in for them - unless you want some large hairy aggressive men stomping around you and your wife in your bedroom at 3a.m., pointing shotguns up your nose! In the end it's only a car, no point in risking a beating, or worse.
I would also suggest you remove the RS6 badges - it's a Q-car already, why not make it more so?
I'm not a police officer but I can offer you this advice, head for a large roundabout and drive around it at least twice, feign missing a exit and see if they still follow, this will also let them know you are onto them, if they follow you round, and round then, you will know. (Only try this if it is safe to do so). I got this idea from a factual SAS survival show aired on BBC a year or so ago, about body guarding and close protection, they would drive around a roundabout a number of times if they thought someone was following them.
Matt
Matt
Frik said:
Maybe they were bored car nuts and were following you to "see what it could do".
Yes I can imagine people might think that, but being there it wasn't. They looked too old for that. They looked very serious and one was on his mobile as soon as they got behind me. Just didn't look like baiting for a play. I do get that from time to time and have obliged, it just wasnt' that
My advice would be, drive around town until the same lads spot you again, slowly drive homw making sure they can follow you, park in your drive and leave the car unlocked, watch it closely through the cutains until the thieves decend on it, run out of your house with ten of your biggest mates and give them a good wooping, TWOCERS.
Report it mate. An intelligence report should go on at your local nick at the very least. You never know, it might jog someones memory of another incident involving the same lads. As for the keys, SECURE THEM!
You MUST secure the keys or hide them somewhere. They won't search around the house looking for them if they're not in the usual places (hanging in full view by front door, in jacket pocket hanging over chair, in ash tray on kitchen window
) I reported a new BMW 1 series nicked the other day. The guy couldn't have cared less, "Well it's a company car so i don't care" etc. I pointed out to him that the car was almost certainly now being used to ferry various criminals around to steal other peoples cars, uninsured and with a disqual driver behind the wheel. The car would undoubtedly be involved in various fail to stop accidents and could well end up ploughing into someone and killing them, such as his missus and new born baby. I think he understood then.....
I've had this happen before.
* DO NOT GO HOME (or to work)! This lures potential bad guys to your place of residence - very unwise! Even if it seems the bad guys have lost you, avoid going home until much later. Unless you have counter-surveillance training, it is pretty easy to follow you discreetly. Going to a police station and reporting the incident is a good idea.
* If you have a mobile phone with a hands-free set, get on the emergency number and inform the police.
* Drive to the nearest police station. If you can't find parking on the street, drive into the police car park itself, even if there is signage to say it's for police vehicles only. Once the officers have knowledge of your situation, I'm sure they will understand.
* If partner is with you, have them note the registration plate and description of car and occupants. If you are alone, learn to read number plates in a mirror, and memorise the plate of the pursuing car. However, only do this if it doesn't significantly distract from your driving.
Obviously, keep calm and think tactically. Maximise your options and minimise any opportunities for the bad guys. Be alert for diversionary tactics used by some criminals. Do not confront mounted criminals on foot (my father was almost run over doing this).
>> Edited by Jungles on Monday 22 May 16:08
* DO NOT GO HOME (or to work)! This lures potential bad guys to your place of residence - very unwise! Even if it seems the bad guys have lost you, avoid going home until much later. Unless you have counter-surveillance training, it is pretty easy to follow you discreetly. Going to a police station and reporting the incident is a good idea.
* If you have a mobile phone with a hands-free set, get on the emergency number and inform the police.
* Drive to the nearest police station. If you can't find parking on the street, drive into the police car park itself, even if there is signage to say it's for police vehicles only. Once the officers have knowledge of your situation, I'm sure they will understand.
* If partner is with you, have them note the registration plate and description of car and occupants. If you are alone, learn to read number plates in a mirror, and memorise the plate of the pursuing car. However, only do this if it doesn't significantly distract from your driving.
Obviously, keep calm and think tactically. Maximise your options and minimise any opportunities for the bad guys. Be alert for diversionary tactics used by some criminals. Do not confront mounted criminals on foot (my father was almost run over doing this).
>> Edited by Jungles on Monday 22 May 16:08
mojocvh said:
With all due respect
You MUST secure the keys or hide them somewhere. They won't search around the house looking for them if they're not in the usual places
This has GOT to be some of the worse advice you could give.....
IMO of course
MoJo.
Fair enough Mojo, you're entitled to that opinion. I just hope you or your loved ones are never wiped out by some scrote racing away from a house after stealing a car where he could just help himself to the keys. I think it's very good advice, having been to countless break-ins where the person still has their car because they hid the keys.
1) Quality alarm system with Anti-Hijack. Even if they get the keys the car will come to a controlled stop next time they get to a junction.
2) If you HONESTLY feel threatend whilst driving, pick up the mobile and dial 999. Don't worry about the hands-free nonsense. Inform the operator you are heading for the nearest cop-shop, or if you don't know the area ask them for directions.
3) Obtain a cheap, but swingable steering lock. This is not for securing the car
2) If you HONESTLY feel threatend whilst driving, pick up the mobile and dial 999. Don't worry about the hands-free nonsense. Inform the operator you are heading for the nearest cop-shop, or if you don't know the area ask them for directions.
3) Obtain a cheap, but swingable steering lock. This is not for securing the car
My spare set are locked away and the other set is always on my person or in a draw where I am. It is unsettling to be followed but the advice given above seems pretty sound.
A week or two after picking up my Impreza I had a group of missing links follow me in an old fiesta xr2, I saw them coming the other way, they screeched round in a driveway and drove right up behind me. I'm pretty sure that they either wanted a look at the car or were trying to illicit a race I ignored them, then made a few random turns until they lost interest.
On the subject of car jacking, what does an eyeful of antifreeze feel like?
>> Edited by MilnerR on Monday 22 May 16:24
A week or two after picking up my Impreza I had a group of missing links follow me in an old fiesta xr2, I saw them coming the other way, they screeched round in a driveway and drove right up behind me. I'm pretty sure that they either wanted a look at the car or were trying to illicit a race
I ignored them, then made a few random turns until they lost interest. On the subject of car jacking, what does an eyeful of antifreeze feel like?
>> Edited by MilnerR on Monday 22 May 16:24
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff