Hate vandals

JDP

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2007
Messages
98
So Tuesdday night/Wednesday morning sometime some little S***head decided to slash my tires. Since I only have a single car garage I park my truck and the boat on the street. Both are clearly visible from the front window of my house. My wife goes to workout every morning at 5:45 and noticed the damage as she was pulling out. So she comes in and wakes me and tells me that one of the tires on my truck and one on the baot are flat. I go out and check it out. At first i don't see any puncture marks so I get the compressor out nad begin filling the truck tire with air. After about 20 seconds i feel air hitting my arm and look down to see about a 1/2 inch cut in the side wall of the tire. So I go to the boat and start to fill that one to find the hole and sure enough there is the same size slit in just about the same spot on the tire. I call the sheriffs office to report it and they come fill out a report. Most days my truck sits and I drive the wifes car to work since she works from home. But today was one of the rare times that I really need to use my truck because I had to pickup some 8' tables for a family friends church thingy. So after the cops leave I put the spare on and head to work. Call around to every tire place in town to get the best deal on a couple tires. All the places I called said the would have to sell me at least 2 and that I would have to sign a waiver stating that I would not come back to them for any damages caused should I put it in 4wd and mess something up. Everybody wanted over $350 for 2 285/75/16 or I could go down to 265/75/16 and do all 4 for $500. So I decided to go down a size and get all 4 but now I'm afraid to park on the street incase they decide to do it again. After getting the tires on the truck replaced I came home and installed a security camera on the outside of the house but I don't know if that is enough. My neighborhood used to be a really quite place where nothing ever happened.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Hate vandals

it is happening every where, poor and rich communities. the other nite one of the neighbors car disappeared, the next night it reappeared, no damage. they did not even punch the ignition. must have had some master key or a big key ring.
 

crxess

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Messages
559
Re: Hate vandals

I feel for you. My Van was stolen 2 nights ago - still missing.:mad:

Probably a random hit on your vehicles. They like to hit and run. will probably trash another neighborhood on their next outing. We have had nights when up to 80 vehicles had tires slashed, then nothing for several years.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,065
Re: Hate vandals

Kids getting out of school, graduation parties and just general kid crap is going to escalate...... warm nights etc.
 

tx1961whaler

Vice Admiral
Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
5,197
Re: Hate vandals

The new thing around here is the kids throwing gallon cans of latex (lid open) through the windshield of parked cars. Nice. :(
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,752
Re: Hate vandals

Now that you have 4 new tires in the proper size to fit their truck, they will be back in a week or two and steal all 4 from you.

The same thing used to happen to batteries, before the inside hood releases.
They would drive a spike into your battery, or drop a spike across the terminals.
A week or two after you replaced it, they would come back and steal the new battery.
 

dave11

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
1,195
Re: Hate vandals

The new thing around here is the kids throwing gallon cans of latex (lid open) through the windshield of parked cars. Nice. :(

That is a mess that would be hard to clean. That is really nasty.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Hate vandals

My dad used to say, "If they worked that hard doing something productive, it'd probably kill them."

Security cameras. If you go high end, like Geovision, you can set it up so motion in certain parts of the frame will set off a relay, which you can use to do anything from a siren to a silent call. Meanwhile all action is recorded.

I think I'd set it up with a loud PA system putting out "What are you doing!' followed by the sound of gunfire. Bet you'd get a lot of pocket knives and cell phones that way.
 

rjlipscomb

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
582
Re: Hate vandals

I like the security camera and PA system with the "gun fire". Maybe add a big dog barking before the gun fire. :eek: I may do the same thing.

The gun fire reminded me of the outgoing messages we would create for our home phones. We would get phone calls all day/night by people wanting to hear our latest message. Effective.
 

Thajeffski

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
890
Re: Hate vandals

Just make it so you can see who they are and get a bright *** flood light
 

204 Escape

Ensign
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
Messages
909
Re: Hate vandals

I can't believe that you "have" to buy tires in "pairs". My tire shop will sell them individually. :confused:

Vandilism is B.S.
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,392
Re: Hate vandals

Vandalism is a terrible thing to deal with. Luckily it is virtually non existent around here so far. Just hope it stays that way !!!
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Hate vandals

I can't believe that you "have" to buy tires in "pairs". My tire shop will sell them individually. :confused:

Vandilism is B.S.

Mismatched tires on a 4 x 4 causes extreme stress on the drive train. The shop that would sell him 2 tires would put them on diagonally opposed wheels, and insist on rotating tires about every 5000 miles.

On a 2 wheeler, it's no big deal, unless you have a large mismatch on the drive end, ie 2 different sizes.

I never rotate tires, except on the 4x4. That gets rotated every 5000.

hope it helps
John
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Hate vandals

I like the security camera and PA system with the "gun fire". Maybe add a big dog barking before the gun fire. :eek: I may do the same thing.

The gun fire reminded me of the outgoing messages we would create for our home phones. We would get phone calls all day/night by people wanting to hear our latest message. Effective.

I've seen systems you can carry with you. When someone touches your motel doorknob, a mad dog greets them from the other side. Very effective.

John
 

P 0 P E Y E

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
441
Re: Hate vandals

Part of me blames the kids parents for not spending enough time with their kids to give them values and respect for them selves or other people

Part of me blames the kids for lashing out to try and gain some power over their hopeless lives

And part of me realizes that there are a few broken minds out there. Hope we can fix em
 

ShaneCarroll

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
639
Re: Hate vandals

It is always unfortunate to hear of cases like this. I'm sure as a kid we all got into trouble. The worst thing I did was maybe an egg or a few (dozen) all over someone's car that really did something to trigger the action. Now unwarranted vandalism is terrible. My parents would have made sure I couldn't sit down for a month if I got caught doing something like that. I think that's the main problem nowadays, lack of discipline. I'm still fairly young, 25, and I believe my generation was the last one to learn "Yes ma'am, yes sir." I have always used that to anyone older than me. These kids nowadays are like "yeah, whatever." They need some old school parents to turn their attitudes down a few notches.
 

mscher

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
1,424
Re: Hate vandals

Nothing really new.

Never was a tire slasher, but I'm sure glad there is a statute of limitations. :)

These acts are usually caused by teenage "children", whose brains are only about 75% developed, getting caught up in a moment and doing really stupid or dangerous stuff.

Not saying it's right, but it is the way it is.

Fortunately, most of them will grow up and become decent adults.

Last year, kid's stole (completely) our mailbox with 6" wood post and both of our paper boxes.

I tried to act angry, but all I could think was "I guess it's now payback time for me"

Having to buy tires definetely stinks.
 

jakebrake

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2008
Messages
286
Re: Hate vandals

i feel for ya. HAd my salt water equipment stolen from in front of my house saturday in front of my house. Leaned it against the truck, went in to get smething...gone. I was lending it to my church for vacation bible school. if i catch them...i won't be real christian about it. trucks been broken into twice, wife's car once.

wasn't a tire slasher either. will be a knee breaker if i find the little p*&^k.

were the police a lot of help in your situation jdp?
 

xxxflhrci

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
637
Re: Hate vandals

I've enjoyed living in a quiet neighboorhood for 15 years without a hitch until a couple of summers ago. I notice the OL's car had been keyed. I figured it happened at the mall where she works. She didn't car, so I didn't. A few nights later it ended up keyed worse, down to the metal, and needed painted. A little investigation revealed that a half a dozen or so others with the same occupation as I had their cars keyed, too. I put up 4 two bulb motion sensor lights and a security camera. I learned who it was, and learned it was because someone was trying to intiate kids into gangs. A little persistence from the authorities has kept it in check so far.
 
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