Automotive Vandalism

[NSXType-R]

This morning I found out someone ripped off the right side rear view mirror of the Accord, it currently dangles off the body.

How should I deal with this?

There's always been an issue with vandalism with that car- someone always dents in the rear fender, but never damaging the car to this extent.

It doesn't seem important enough to call the police about, but it really pisses me off.

[thebrochureman]

^^^ Shame, it happened to my grandad about a year ago, somone in his street kicked all the cars in the streets wing mirrors off, they contacted the police but they can't realy do anything about it unless you have a good idea who did it. I hate it when people do thing like that, there's no need for it.

[ScionDriver]

I've never understood vandalism, but especially automotive vandalism. My friend's dad used to own a Porsche and he was a real enthusiast, racing, etc. Not just some rich guy who wanted a status symbol or whatever. Anyway, it used to get keyed from time to time. It just makes no sense. Just because some guy got a car he really wanted and you can't own that car, you need to wreck it?

As for your situation, it's tough, the police probably wouldn't be able to catch the culprit but it might be worth filing a report so maybe they can step up patrols and be aware that there are problems in your area.

[TVR IS KING]

Yeah that's just it. People are jealous that someone cares enough about cars to devote enough time/work to having a nice car. It's usually not about showing off how you're richer than everyone else...and if it is, so what? No one keys expensive houses, or boats, or racehorses. People just seem to get jealous over cars.
But you can never catch them. They dent your car, or scratch it or whatever, and they run away. By the time you find the (very expensive) damage, you've got no chance of catching them. I hate the idea of leaving my car in public, subject to the whims of whoever is passing by.

[VOGUE_MAN]

There are few things that make me more angry then this happening. Cars cost money and are a constant expense, and if you care about your car (as do most people on this forum I assume) what happens to it is important to you and it's not merely a form of transport. However, when minimal stuff like this happens it sucks even worse because you've just go to accept it because chances are any pursuit of this issue will just be wasting more of your time and money.

[NSXType-R]

The issue with police is that I live on a semi-private street, so they don't even patrol in the area. What I'm left with the is the board that regulates the area, and they're not really transparent.

I'm really just left to my own.

And it's not the problem about spare parts- there's a donor car at my father's shop. It's the point that spares shouldn't be spent on repairing stupid stuff like this, like VOGUE_MAN and TVR IS KING mentioned- it's time and money wasted.

[Commodore GS/E]

Well, a least you don't have the same vandalism problems as we have in Berlin and Hamburg...

[henk4]

well, I was about to start a thread with the same title, but with a different content. Anyway, several times, my mirrors have been "removed" ,which becomes even more costly when these are elctrically operated. Never a culprit was found.

I had another example of automotive vandalism. This seemingly nice Ferrari is a rebodied original 250 PF Coupe, trying to mimick a 250TDF. It is even more painful as the owner had an original TDF which he sold of. For this mistake a perfectly honest 250 PF Coupe had to die.

[ScionDriver]

The issue with police is that I live on a semi-private street, so they don't even patrol in the area. What I'm left with the is the board that regulates the area, and they're not really transparent.

I'm really just left to my own.

And it's not the problem about spare parts- there's a donor car at my father's shop. It's the point that spares shouldn't be spent on repairing stupid stuff like this, like VOGUE_MAN and TVR IS KING mentioned- it's time and money wasted.

Well try the police anyway, otherwise you might consider investing in some kind of surveillance camera so you'll have actual video evidence for police, which might help lead to an arrest. Especially if you take it to local media outlets.

[FastDriver]

i would call your car insurance. I had a stone hit my windshield and crack it while i was driving and they replaced the windshield for free.

[Badsight]

a local car dealer had an old pontiac trans am (smpkey & the bandit paint) on his sale yard for about year. suddenly he gets it sold & the guy was going to pick it up on the weekend (sold sign was added on a friday)

gets down to the yard saturday morning & someone had keyed it all over, doors hood boot & roof

yeah they were shit cars but some local had obviously been eyeing it up & got insane jealous when the sold sign was spotted

[Rockefella]

Repair mirror with duct tape.
Put sign on window that says, "Don't break this again or I kill your family"
Place video camera pointed towards damaged wing-mirror and record for several days
Catch perpetrator performing repeated act of vandalism on video -- research his name and address
Proceed to kill his family. Or just present evidence to police, your call.

[NSXType-R]

Man, I wish I didn't need to post in this thread but the car I drive to school, the 1995 TL, got scraped by something, just below the driver side rear view mirror. The rear view mirror is fine, but there's a pretty deep dent and a bit of the paint is gouged. I'm guessing it's either just the edge of a low snow plow, but probably more likely a couple kids in the neighborhood who have ATVs. I saw a couple of them trying to do wheelies. No sorry note, no offer to pay up.

I'm pretty pissed.

[jcp123]

I'd still say file a report. If you file with the insurance, they might wanna see it.

[Clivey]

This thread has hit a nerve with me. In June '09, my C4 was vandalised by some degenerate just after I'd spend hours washing & polishing it. - They used a blade all down one side (necessitating the respray of the whole side of the car), the bootlid (requiring a new panel), rear bumper and even started slashing my tyres (which I didn't realise until after I drove home - it was dark when I went back to my car and the tyre was still inflated). Total cost in the thousands and I had to go through insurance. I was 20 at the time and the cost of my excess, plus the subsequent increased premiums really hurt...

...which is what I would like to do to the maggot that caused the damage. To be honest, I think the punishment should involve a metal bedframe, a truck battery, a few gallons of brine and the offender's sexual organs.

Too bad we're a "caring, sharing" society. :rolleyes:

[Ferrer]

This past weekend someone who parked alongside us on the right side decided to open the door into our brand new Merc. So now it has a very nice dent in the passanger door...

Of course no note with the contact details...

[Clivey]

This past weekend someone who parked alongside us on the right side decided to open the door into our brand new Merc. So now it has a very nice dent in the passanger door...

Of course no note with the contact details...

Hey; long time, no speak. It's not nice to hear about damage caused by careless idiots...but you have a new Merc?

[Ferrer]

Hey; long time, no speak. It's not nice to hear about damage caused by careless idiots...but you have a new Merc?
It was a car from the family which I took because I needed it due to lack of seats on my own car...