CleanSump
Site Donor 2022
Well lit parking lot of busy store, busy intersection surrounded by well lit businesses with patrons coming and going in a decent neighborhood.
A guy who appears to be strung out pops from behind an SUV and points gun. Demands keys.
Hand over keys and call Police. Call wife and tell her I'm fine, her toy is gone.
Officers are nice. Detectives from newly formed carjacking squad come. They are nice, take report, have me wait a bit to see if they can catch the thief quickly.
After a while telling me sea stories about their time at Okinawa and MCAS Yuma, they decide to take me home.
I notify insurance.
Things to note:
No telling where or when it could happen. Never been accosted before in my life.
Don't argue with a meth'd-up guy with a pistol.
Police Officers in my county are nice guys.
Insurance people are polite, but ask questions like you're pulling a fraud on them. (have to give permission to pull phone records, insurance claims, search for court records against you, pull credit report, bank records, etc.) Not a problem for me as there is nothing there, but it's so obvious that SOP is to look for fraud. Insurance also wants receipt from store showing time, photos of car for existing damage, any service records from shops to prove condition and mileage, snapshot of phone call to 911 and wife. Geeze.
Get rental car.
Wait- for either Police to say they found it and insurance co to go retrieve it or for Insurance co to decide "X" days have passed and they will make a determination of value and pay.
I wanted the car, not to go looking for another one. But, Police tell me it is probably being sold for parts from a cheesy shop after 2 days.
Thankful that staying calm and complying led to no personal injury. Sometimes what seems like bad luck actually makes you appreciate how lucky and protected you are. Car can be replaced, and most important, no one got hurt.
A guy who appears to be strung out pops from behind an SUV and points gun. Demands keys.
Hand over keys and call Police. Call wife and tell her I'm fine, her toy is gone.
Officers are nice. Detectives from newly formed carjacking squad come. They are nice, take report, have me wait a bit to see if they can catch the thief quickly.
After a while telling me sea stories about their time at Okinawa and MCAS Yuma, they decide to take me home.
I notify insurance.
Things to note:
No telling where or when it could happen. Never been accosted before in my life.
Don't argue with a meth'd-up guy with a pistol.
Police Officers in my county are nice guys.
Insurance people are polite, but ask questions like you're pulling a fraud on them. (have to give permission to pull phone records, insurance claims, search for court records against you, pull credit report, bank records, etc.) Not a problem for me as there is nothing there, but it's so obvious that SOP is to look for fraud. Insurance also wants receipt from store showing time, photos of car for existing damage, any service records from shops to prove condition and mileage, snapshot of phone call to 911 and wife. Geeze.
Get rental car.
Wait- for either Police to say they found it and insurance co to go retrieve it or for Insurance co to decide "X" days have passed and they will make a determination of value and pay.
I wanted the car, not to go looking for another one. But, Police tell me it is probably being sold for parts from a cheesy shop after 2 days.
Thankful that staying calm and complying led to no personal injury. Sometimes what seems like bad luck actually makes you appreciate how lucky and protected you are. Car can be replaced, and most important, no one got hurt.