  Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 966 Registered: 11-2003 |
Am I the only one who has noticed a GREAT increase in the number of cars being targeted by wheel crooks? I've seen more and more cars around the city sitting on cinder blocks than ever before. It has gotten out of hand. I dropped my kids off at school a few weeks back and a minivan had a flat tire and when I came back to pick them up, it was sitting on blocks IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT...which is directly in front of the main entrance. We were all held up for a minute this morning on the Lodge near the Elmhurst exit because a state trooper was making way for a flatbed to scrap and drag a Civic which was missing all four tires. It sucked because the car was being dragged on it's bottom and tearing up the bottom of the car so it could be towed away. I see people who have left their car when it breaks down on the side of the road to get help and when I pass back by it, its on blocks. When I pick the kids up from their great-grand mothers's house in the University district I see the same thing as well as every blue moon in Rosedale Park when I visit dad. Is this surge related to the price of metals going up? It's sad because wheels are expensive as $hit to replace and some are $500 a wheel BEFORE you add on tires. The only thing you can do is keep wheel locks on your car which are $10 and keep insurance on your car as well. I learned years ago that wheel locks won't prevent all attempts, but it will deter or slow down a lot of crooks. many people think that because they have a new SUV or car etc., that they have them or are protected. The dealer charges you like $60 to get them on at the dealership. Don't get caught with your whip on blocks. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 210 Registered: 11-2003 |
What are great city | ||
Bigjeff Member Username: Bigjeff Post Number: 28 Registered: 08-2006 |
I work in the automotive repair industry. As sad as it is to say, it comes in spurts. Like right around Christmas and Easter. Gotta get that set of rims sold to junkyards or squirrely repair shops so i can buy presents and gifts and such. By far, the easiest way to make a hundred bucks or so!!! | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2006 |
I hate to hear stories like this! Why, oh why, have so many eeeediots been born!! These folks are ruthless....... *sighs and shakes head* | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2006 |
A friend of mine had two wheels stolen off of his car on devils night while parked in front of his house between 11pm and 1am at Avery and Grand River. With all of the neighborhood patrols those thieves must be either super brave or super dumb. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 1970 Registered: 06-2004 |
Well, may I say that I was a victim of a 4 wheel theft -- in my driveway. However, Thanksgiving morning I was at my father's condo in Sterling Heights, and as I pulled up the cops were there and a car was on blocks. I spoke with the owner and the cops and relayed my Detroit story. They said that in the last 3 weeks, there had been close to 30 similar crimes in Sterling Heights. This is not a "bad suburb-good city" post, rather just showing that it is becoming a large problem in our region, and warning people to buy wheel locks. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 967 Registered: 11-2003 |
It's crazy, people are getting so bold these days. | ||
Amy_p Member Username: Amy_p Post Number: 730 Registered: 10-2003 |
Livonia tries to keep it real: Neighbor had rims/wheels stolen last week as he slept at 5 & Middlebelt. | ||
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl Post Number: 243 Registered: 12-2004 |
A girl in my apartment complex (gated community in Southfield at Civic Center and Berg) was going to work one morning a few months ago only to find her Pontiac Grand Am on blocks. It's not just 'in Detroit' - this crap happens everywhere. | ||
Rrl Member Username: Rrl Post Number: 695 Registered: 12-2003 |
Wheel theft is not a new phenomenon. While living in Chicago's Lakeview area a few years back, I had the full-size, underbody mounted, spare tire nabbed from my Merc. Mountaineer TWICE. The bastard's simply cut the winch cable that holds it in place and made off with the tire and rim. Needless to say, I now keep the spare inside the vehicle in the back cargo area, no matter where I'm at. Alas, I would assume crooks in the D are getting ever more bold with the limited Police presence. Need more fuzz. | ||
Johnnny5 Member Username: Johnnny5 Post Number: 403 Registered: 06-2005 |
A few years ago the La Fontaine dealership in Highland had the rims and tires stolen from most of the cars on the lot. These were mostly high end Cadillacs and I'd have to guess they were worth 100k or more. Probably a different set of criminals, but they're still scum. The scrap yards are the ones allowing this type of problem to continue. I often see people scraping both building materials and auto parts that are definitely not "Scrap".. These dealers know perfectly well that they are stolen but could care less. Start prosecuting scrap dealers for possession of stolen property and then we'll see a difference. | ||
Fortress_warren Member Username: Fortress_warren Post Number: 282 Registered: 10-2006 |
Rrl, be careful about having the spare in the back. 20 years ago, 19 yo chick was driving her Pinto station wagon in upstate NY. Skidded on some ice and smacked a tree, the spare tire was laying in back, came forward and whacked her in the head. She was in a coma for 10 years, then she got pregnant. Had the kid, went back into the coma. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 796 Registered: 06-2006 |
Today, one of the teachers had their tires/wheels stolen from their car...which was IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT NEXT TO A CLASSROOM!! The Principal called whoever owned the car to the office. It was sitting on blocks in the parking lot. Seems to be lots of that going around. Glad my tires are bald and my rims are mere hubcaps!! | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 968 Registered: 11-2003 |
Damn Fortress.... that's wild | ||
Michmeister Member Username: Michmeister Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2006 |
This actually an international problem, but I guess the crooks here in Germany are a little more creative.I work at a BMW dealership, and a few years back we had a case where someone jacked up a new car on the back lot waiting for prepping, removed the entire brake systems including disks and parking brake pads and everything and then put the wheels back on. Imagine the look on the guys face as he tried to drive the car into the prep. bay hall! Luckily nothing happened except a bad case of shaken nerves. Another time I tried to bring in a used 7 series in for a prep inspection and the car wouldn`t budge. This one they jacked up, and stole the hydraulic control unit from the automatic transmission. Very creative indeed!! | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 1126 Registered: 12-2005 |
I just Googled "wheel lock" and found a wheel lock removal kit. Doh! [smacks forehead] (Message edited by Jimaz on December 05, 2006) | ||
1953 Member Username: 1953 Post Number: 1187 Registered: 12-2004 |
Wheel thieves should be dealt with harshly. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 87 Registered: 10-2006 |
Let's raise insurance rates to pay for all this!! | ||
Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 444 Registered: 01-2006 |
Let's have some wheel thieves get shot in the ass by citizens who are thoroughly sick of low-lifes crawling around doing whatever the f*** they feel like doing. | ||
Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 445 Registered: 01-2006 |
But seriously folks... How was the sex with the comatose woman? | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 798 Registered: 06-2006 |
I thought sex with comatose people was frowned upon in hospitals...could just be my warped thinking. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 7399 Registered: 12-2003 |
It woke her UP for a while, didn't it?! (plus, TS Garp's mom was into it. Well, at least ONCE.) Back to the thread...I went out to Royal Oak to work at a client's >$500k condo across the street from Memphis Smoke. They've got parking on their first floor, this is the SECOND time I've seen their gate crashed...although only the first time their 'Low Ceiling' sign was crushed by a high vehicle. Didn't notice anything suspicious when I parked, other than that...but ran down to the car to get some more stuff, right into a well-appointed high-end pickemup truck (disguised as a grotesque passenger vehicle) with NO tires or wheels. Could've been an Escalade or Blackwood...I didn't look closer. Didn't care. There is NO lack of police presence in Royal Oak, especially at this intersection. Please try again for a good explanation how this could happen...it couldn't have been after I parked. I noticed some crumbs of cinder blocks under the disc brakes...but they were nowhere to be found. These folks have some nerve... | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 2093 Registered: 10-2003 |
Wheel thefts are out of control in Rosedale Park. I've seen dozens of them this year. Lots of very nice cars on cinder blocks right in the driveway of the car owners house. Usually the thugs are working at night, but also doing some day time thefts as well. I have wheel locks on both of my cars and have had no trouble with them being stolen or attempted thefts. I'm amazed at how many people in the neighborhood don't know about wheel locks. I've noticed most of my neighbors getting them recently. The post about googling "wheel lock" removal kit is unnerving. I did it and for $40 you've got a high quality tool kit that will let you take off nearly any wheel lock. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1413 Registered: 05-2005 |
there was a lincoln minus its wheels on the shoulder of i75 southbound just north of hamtramck yesterday. somebody must've seen *something* amiss | ||
Aschar76 Member Username: Aschar76 Post Number: 30 Registered: 11-2006 |
Far Westside "D" My neighbor's 300m was found on blocks in the driveway Monday morning.He was told by DPD 3 hours after he called to report it he was the sixth of the morning .All the same make and model thats not random. | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 64 Registered: 11-2006 |
So, where is the chop shop? Who is buying all this stolen stuff? and why can't anyone stop them? | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 7455 Registered: 12-2003 |
Have you seen the aspect ratio of tires on some of these hip rides? My bet is that MOST of these thefts are for tires with lower than 60% ratio of tread width to height...with chrome wheels. That is what was hit in my client's high-end condo in Royal Oak, three floors beneath my butt as I type this. They don't have enough rubber to suffer the pot-holed streets of Detroit, so both tires and rims get totally destroyed. BIG MONEY to replace 'em, too. Easy equation for someone of bad ethics and morals...or strapped to the wall economically. Tight times enable even some good people to make really bad choices. Desperation sucks. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1415 Registered: 05-2005 |
i'm gonna get so much shit for saying this, but all the more reason to buy a semi-obscure foreign car, one that likely has an odd wheel bolt pattern. hell throw a manual tranmission into that combination and you've got car theif kryptonite right there. (Message edited by gravitymachine on December 08, 2006) | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4553 Registered: 11-2003 |
Gravitymachine tels it like it tis. jjaba notices that in many fine neighborhoods in Detroit, the folks have erected fencing systems in side drives. These must work. Locked garages are almost a cure, although jjaba knows thieves bust out garage doors too. jjaba. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 969 Registered: 11-2003 |
My water pump went out today near my sons school which is mentioned above. It was 21 degrees in my car with no heat waiting for a tow truck. I wanted to get out and go inside Brooks Lumbar, but I figured nah, I would come out and my wheels be gone. That's sad man..... and yes this is not a Detroit only issue. People want what they want and they will take it wherever it is. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4555 Registered: 11-2003 |
Vizion, we feel for you. Sadly, yours is a familiar story. Hang in there. jjaba. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 970 Registered: 11-2003 |
I was on Trumbull and 75 behind Tiger stadium on the service drive. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4556 Registered: 11-2003 |
We know exactly where you are. We feel your pain. Disgusting. jjaba, Westsider. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 163 Registered: 05-2006 |
What’s with all this talk of cinder blocks? When thieves stole the wheels of my minivan a few years back they dropped it on the ground. Why waste time with cinder blocks? |
