[ashphil]

Originally Posted by SDP

Thanks Anoop!



I know I am being completely paranoid here, but besides something being stolen, the possibility of something being planted (e.g. some explosives) also exists.

I am totally with you on this. I am equally paranoid too! I always make it a point to get down and open the dicky or have one of the passengers do it so that the "checking|' is supervised.
Regards,
ashphil

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by SDP

If and when I move to a sedan where I don't have a view of the dickey from inside the car, I can't think of any other alternative than getting down, opening the dickey myself, standing there till the inspection is done, and finally closing the dickey myself. Can't rely on those chaps (including our police folks) to close the dickey properly and not flick anything from the dickey.

To add to my previous post, in case it was a genuine cop, you would only be stopped after the point where the barricades were set up. No cop would come checking the line of cars waiting before the barricades.

Also a genuine cop would probably ask you to alight and then open the boot yourself.

A reversing camera could be a great accessory in such cases (sadly it would only engage if you shifted into reverse). Or you could get a secret camera fitted inside the boot (back of the rear seat maybe) to watch against such instances. This way you won't have to get down.

Just a thought.

[khoj]

Don't sully Dilli's reputation it is bad as it is, LOL

I get down and open the boot myself every time & anytime I am entering a parking facility and have something of value in the boot, provided of course that request to open the boot is made. Sometimes someone will honk but then in case of an incidence of loss who would I have to blame but myself.

In Bombay at a lot of malls the security guards want to rummage thru the glove compartment, I find this very irritating. Again I lean over and handle the stuff myself and let them have look at the empty gc to their hearts content. Wonder what they are looking for in there.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

At the risk of massively pissing other people in the queue off, I think it makes sense that someone from the car get down to supervise when the boot is being checked.

PS : Do not try this anywhere in the NCR; somebody will get hurt real bad!

[scopriobharath]

Ah this thread is really an eye opener. Going by scams related to cars in general, The conmen always try to take the upper hand of a situation where the driver remains seated.

Take for example the scam of underfilling after distracting the driver or if the driver remains seated in the car itself.

Boot Check: Driver remains seated and opens the boot using the release button (in most cases).

So the lesson learnt is we MUST get down from the driver's seat and personally supervise activities like fuel filling, boot check etc. At least i will NOT trust anyone. Even if someone in Uniform (Police/pvt Security) asks me to open, I will personally get down and supervise the same.

It is better to be safe than sorry.

[W.A.G.7]

That is some novel way to get an owner to open the car! Trust me, most of the times, we just quickly reach for the boot release lever, without thinking twice. How in the world do these people manage some new trick everytime? A real good thing, that you didn't open the doors or the boot. Now I am glad, my car doesn't have a boot release lever inside

On similar lines, at the Nal Stop signal on Karve road, a similar dishevelled looking man comes up to you and demands you pay him 50-100 rupees. When asked why, he says it is for the "chai-paani". But one look at him you know; he is just a petty thief. This has happened to me twice; twice I was asked by the same man for money. But I refused.

And all the while the cops stand happily a few feet away at the Law college road junction cutting challans and fining people who break the signals.

[bluevolt]

Thanks for sharing this Noopster.

In Delhi/NCR we have one similar kind of scam especially for cars. Some police like guys stop cars and ask if it has registration number stamped on the door windows. If not they ask you anything from 100 rupee per glass to get it stamped.

And they do this on some empty/deserted stretch of inter city roads. But I am sure this happens with the help of local police only. I hope Delhi/NCR BHPians are aware of this.

[samarjitdhar]

There is no end to how much devilish the mind can get in conning people . Seriously this is the first I have heard something like this. Thanks for putting this up. In case even one feels forced to open the trunk, makes much more sense to step out of the car and then open the trunk using the keys such that no quick pilfer job can be committed. Thieves are getting innovative by the day.

[F150]

Very useful post indeed. Will watch out for this from now on. Thank you for the pointer on the valet parking. My manager keeps telling me innovation, innovation. Looks like cons are also innovating.

[dot]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

somebody will get hurt real bad!

The incident has brought lot of stand up comedian, TV, movie related analogies. But we must appreciate noopster's presence of mind.

Originally Posted by F150

My manager keeps telling me innovation, innovation. Looks like cons are also innovating.

Maybe their manager is telling the same thing.

[Speed Pujari]

I was about to start a thread like this.
Last saturday I had some similar experience at Garuda mall. There were two DSLR bags inside my linea's boot, when I got the boot security checked, the security guy cleverly saw the stuffs inside, and closed the boot in such a way that it produces a shutting sound but do not close properly.
While I was leaving the car I saw a slight gap and then closed the boot properly. The noticing happened just by chance.. I thought might be a mistake by the security guy.

When I returned, I saw a maroon etios with boot wide open. For once I thought there might be someone inside the car, but there were none, then I went and closed that boot. That is when something clicked, when I closed the boot I felt that it is damn easy and light to close the etios boot unlike my Linea which is very stiff, how a security cannot close this. Since I was in a rush I could not talk to the security head, but certainly this has to be put forward..
That etios boot was also stuffed just like my car's.. Hope the I closed that boot, things were safe for the owner.

[Firebird]

Thanks Noop for alerting us.

I must admit, you have a real alert mind and surely some sixth sense . Else you have had initiated the thread as a victim.

The issue with Sedans is, you actually cannot see what is being checked. The boot open indicator is the only source to see that the boot is being checked.

Fiesta boot cannot be opened from outside and I have this bad habit of dumping laptop bag, Camera in the boot. I have to be alert or rather change my habit.

[Murugan]

Originally Posted by SDP

...I know I am being completely paranoid here, but besides something being stolen, the possibility of something being planted (e.g. some explosives) also exists.

Same 'risk' applies to valet parking also I guess. We will be able to check the boot and other areas only cursorily even if we try and if some thing is planted...God save us.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by noopster

I should have clarified, this was NOT one of the cops who were manning the checkpost- I would have happily complied with their orders if that were the case (but thanks for the warning- will always do it with my key and having got off the car even in that case). This was about 300 metres or so from the nakabandi, and the guy just hopped off the pavement: what made me suspicious is that he avoided all the cars ahead of me and came straight for mine.

were the others hatchbacks? Because in a hatch, u can still notice (a bit) if he's picking up anything. with a sedan, you can never find out. and if u were at the end of the queue, no one else will notice him picking up anything. fat chance of him succeeding at the head of the queue

thanks for sharing. I've always had fears about this kinda scam myself.

Originally Posted by noopster

I don't have any doubt in my mind that it *was* a scam: the only thing I am wondering is whether it's a one-off some genius thought up or an organised racket. If it's the latter, am really regretting letting that joker off so easy.

Well, for a pune-ite, you could've done it on the return trip as well, no?

[condor]

Originally Posted by honeybee

A reversing camera could be a great accessory in such cases (sadly it would only engage if you shifted into reverse).

How will this help ? the camera is mounted on the bumper. The boot opens above the bumper.

[vb-saan]

Thanks for sharing. The guys who are in for this will surely have their ways to identify outstation cars, and probably could get many unsuspected road users into trouble, especially with the fact that the cops’ uniform is not standard across the states.

Originally Posted by noopster

This was about 300 metres or so from the nakabandi, and the guy just hopped off the pavement: what made me suspicious is that he avoided all the cars ahead of me and came straight for mine.

In some countries, there are groups which target folks who drive specific car brands. For example, I was told that there are groups on Malaysian highways who mainly target continental cars (European) crossing over from here. The thought process is, folks who drive these cars are better-off than those who drive the Protons or Jap/Korean makes.