[girlieonwheels]

Dear Sugeeta,

I am sorry to hear about what happened. And I am sending a big tight hug to you.

Don't worry about the phone.

I know its easier said than done, but this is an insensitive world. We women need to be stronger both emotionally and physically. I too drive to and from office everyday, and at times I do get late. We can't help it, but people in this world are sadist and waiting to take advantage from women like us.

This incident should make you stronger.
God bless you.

And never help anyone on the road.
I have realized that our families need us more than any stranger on the road. I expect men to take the responsibility of helping others. With all the current events, I don't expect any lady to put herself in danger.

You are right Pallavi, keeping a pepper spray is an intelligent approach.
I too keep a small hand held knife. Everytime I feel scared, my hand also goes towards it. It stays next to my hand break. But I fear some day I will be considering keeping to carry a pistol.

Delhi is getting worse.

You're right guys:
- No talking on the phone.
- Never keep mobile or hand bag on the seat.
- Lock doors as soon as you sit in the car.
- Never roll down your windows in crowded places.
- Be extra alert on the road.
- Keep pepper spray or any kind of weapon within your approach.

- And pray to God things in India improve.

Take care!

[sam003]

Sorry to hear about this, but seems it very common in Delhi. Recently it happened to my friends uncle in Shalimar Bagh area. He was driving his santro at 30km/hr max, all off a sudden one middle age man tried crossing the road and delibrately fell off on road, his uncle has to stop his car. Next moment that man stood and start beating on glass on from left side, he rolled down the glass, but he did it completely. That was the mistake. That guy came inside and saying you hit me, I will take you to police station and forced him to drive. All off a sudden two bikers start driving on both sides and this guy took off knief from his pocket and force his uncle to shell out whatever he has like cash, ring and watch.

So next time, as everyone said, do not dare to help anyone like that.

[Sheel]

I don't think they were targeting you. You happened to be a soft target as per their norms. They will target someone else the other day. Another girl/woman driving alone, panicking and other road users turning a blind-eye. Pathetic.

Take a lesson from this incident & move on. There is nothing much to do really, especially when people were all around watching & even recording this incident on their phones, but save for one, none of them had the heart to help. *hangs head in shame*

The bus driver should have showed some compassion and tried to help (at least he shouldn't have grazed the Car, adding further insult to injury).

I wouldn't have lowered my window come what may and would have continued and stopped at the next naka/check-post.

You did what you could and reasonably well at that time. Time to move on

[ramkya1]

Good thing you are safe, the phone is gone, small price to pay, IMO and a learning for the future.

Just narrated to my wife this story (lone driver), in such a situation she would have panicked and opened the door, you did not. You also wrote about it to make others aware, which is more than most people would do.

We have lived in Delhi and have seen the madness on the roads!! Both of us, me and wife, had carried a pepper spray, never had to use it. A colleague of mine came in a taxi late night from airport, driver and his friend / cleaner / brother / helper / in the car demanded 100 rupees extra, argument erupted, they opened the boot, took out a hockey stick and wacked him on his head and disappeared. 24 stitches!! No amount of police complaint, follow up helped, sometimes you feel so helpless in the jungle Delhi has become.

Thumb rules: Be defensive, Don't take anything for granted.

• Don't stop for accidents in lonely roads.
• Don't use mobiles at signals, be alert, honk if any pedestrian hovers around, let him get pissed off, better him / her than me.
• When you are talking on the phone inside the car, if someone knocks on the door, DO NOT OPEN, this is the usual ploy. I almost got hit with this trick 6 months back. Was driving, call came, I pulled over to talk , guy on a bike knocked on the window was showing an address to check with, finished my call quickly, put my mobile inside my belt clip and opened my window to help this guy, he roared off in his bike!! He realized the mobile was not snachable and bolted, was a close call.
• Do not give money to beggars at signals, make eye contact, stare and say NO clearly, what most people DO NOT do. They would recognize you, they would know you can recognize them, they would not trouble you again, once you give, you're a target every day, no open windows at at cost. They're the spotters of soft targets, they spot what's inside cars and are dangerous. Write your check for charity if you feel guilty.
• A lone person complaining to the police station has NO effect, see if there are other victims, join hands together, even 2/3 are OK, police take notice. My mother's chain was snatched in Ahemdabad, found 2-3 victims family, we made noise, they listen to us now and are investigating, earlier we were treated like bugs!! Even an FIR is difficult if you are alone! Constitutional rights are good in the books.
• Do not give car keys, if possible to the guy who cleans your car. Let them clean outside, if at all once the insides of the car has to be cleaned, watch while it's done and take your keys back. I know of cases where car keys are duplicated. I know it's a pain, might sound alarmist, better be sure than sorry.

Self-preservation is the first law, let the rest go to hell.


--Ramky
======

[bluevolt]

Same incident happened with one of my father's colleague at the outer ring road (Wazirabad stretch). His phone (Blackberry) was placed on dashboard and easily stolen by two guys. This is new type of technique used by these goons now days in Delhi/NCR region. Not only they can steal your valuables/jewellery they can also run away with the car itself.

I always ask my father/brother/family members/friends to lock there cars as soon as they crank the engine. And women are soft targets for sure.

It's not about new friends colony etc, it's about the wrong elements roaming at the city's red lights. I don't know why some red lights (the important ones) don't have cops on duty!

I also recommend all to use sun films (within legal prescribed limits). Even using 50% visibility films is way better than driving a car with clear windows. Anyone can see what you are wearing (jewellery), what you are carrying (mobiles/laptops/bags) and who you are (privacy) when you drive a car with 100% clear windows!

Few red lights where such type of incidents can happen (Hazardous)

-> Jail Road Red light (Near Sector 18, Rohini)
-> Wazirabad stretch red light (where the construction of signature bridge is going on)
-> Peeragarhi Chowk red light.
-> Madhuban Chowk/Rithala Chowk red light.

Take car and drive safe!

[Sugeeta]

I believe the bus operators also had some role to play, especially, the one behind my car. He aggravated the panic situation by honking continuously and then grazing my car and speeding away.

I think most of you are right when you propose carrying a can of pepper spray, some sharp object etc. However, I doubt I would have been in a position to use these things as I was completely taken by surprise.

These folks do not target any specific gender, but someone who seems to be a "soft target" in comparison to the others. They seem to survey the cars at stop lights from a vantage point (in this case from the bus ahead of me), target the most susceptible one and attack.

Incidentally, I had my laptop in the rear seat which remained untouched, though these guys tried opening all doors.

In hindsight, it was solely the fact that the car was locked from inside that I got away with minimum loss. Had I not lowered the window even a little, I would have still had my phone with me.

I am genuinely thankful to be safe at the end of it all.

My colleagues have highlighted other incidents in the vicinity which are equally shocking. One of my facebook friends has mentioned that this particular gang is called the "thak thak" gang.

That said, this weekend, my shopping list reads something like :

1. Pen knife
2. Pepper Spray
3. Flashlight
4. Fire Estinguisher
5. Hammer

The last three are mainly for for use in case of a fire.

[vineethvazhayil]

My wife used to drive regularly in Bangalore before we got married. I sent her a link to this thread and she is shocked to say the least. I know for one thing that she used to throw her hand bag on the passenger seat and mobile phone on the dash while driving. Being in Bangalore she could easily live without AC for several months and hence drivng with the windows rolled down was also common. I don't think she will ever do that again though. I guess all this holds true for men also, you could be distracted and before you even know something might be stolen. I have a habit of keeping my stuff below the dash in front of the passenger seat to hide things from public view, and also someone cannot put hands in through the door and pick something up from that low down. Just a little tip that can help.

[dkaile]

So sorry to hear your shocking experience. Had we been in the US, We would have traced your phone in a jiffy with this android software known as 'Plan B' - https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...out.labs.planb but I think sadly it may not work in India. But you can give it a try and hope that the thief uses some sort of wifi internet connection for you to enable it's location.

Also Samsung Note should have Mobile Tracker app from Samsung. I presume most of do not register that and realise only after a mishap. The mobile company can easily track your MEID but someone close inside is needed, which most of us cannot afford. The Police, as we know, can only be informed and hope for some miracle that they catch that gang.

I must remind you about the persistence of a Woman who was duped by some auto rickshaw gang at Old Delhi Railway station, and she caught them single handedly with the help of her husband, after some days of persistence - Delhi's braveheart couple hunt down robbers - Times Of India but we all cannot share that enthusiasm due to our daily commitments and that is understandable.

Take care...

[bloodred]

Sugeeta, I'm sorry to hear about this incident but the important thing is you are safe. I can understand the trauma of material loss but from personal experience can vouch that it's short lived and fades away with time.

Wish you many miles of safe driving.

P.S: Though I drive with windows up 100% of time, this incident makes me rethink the value I attach to anti-pinch windows in my Laura. Looks like the traditional power windows of Santro are safer in India.

[.sushilkumar]

Sugeeta Ji

Glad that you are safe. usually these people are drug addicts and can target any One. To give you a example, Me , my wife and My 8 months son than , were robbed at knife point right in front of GIP with thousand people watching & a police man just 100 mtrs away. they took away all her jewellery , mine wedding ring and didn ;t even spared my 8 month old son ;s silver bracelet ( one kids wear in north) it took me 20 days to log a FIR . Till date Nobody knows where they went. Police man, refused to ever wireless the no of bike with the excuse that his arm is broken . nothing can be done in such incidents. Life has to move on and it has for me. material loss can be ful filled and it has been but scar ;s still remain.

Kindly carry a pepper spray in car and without thinking once use it at leisure against such miscreants. There is a thin line between right and wrong but we are living in troubled times specially so when the state is unable to protect it;s honest tax payers , we all have right to self defense.

PS : - A friend and Bhpian deep has pasted this link on FB wall of delhi police. they deleted it within 5 mins . glad at least they are active some where . I suspect if they will lodge a FIR against anybody in this case as this is a usual case for them or they might have received the cut by now.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

I believe the bus operators also had some role to play, especially, the one behind my car. He aggravated the panic situation by honking continuously and then grazing my car and speeding away.

I think most of you are right when you propose carrying a can of pepper spray, some sharp object etc. However, I doubt I would have been in a position to use these things as I was completely taken by surprise.

These folks do not target any specific gender, but someone who seems to be a "soft target" in comparison to the others. They seem to survey the cars at stop lights from a vantage point (in this case from the bus ahead of me), target the most susceptible one and attack.

Incidentally, I had my laptop in the rear seat which remained untouched, though these guys tried opening all doors.

In hindsight, it was solely the fact that the car was locked from inside that I got away with minimum loss. Had I not lowered the window even a little, I would have still had my phone with me.

I am genuinely thankful to be safe at the end of it all.

My colleagues have highlighted other incidents in the vicinity which are equally shocking. One of my facebook friends has mentioned that this particular gang is called the "thak thak" gang.

That said, this weekend, my shopping list reads something like :

1. Pen knife
2. Pepper Spray
3. Flashlight
4. Fire Estinguisher
5. Hammer

The last three are mainly for for use in case of a fire.

A darn pity you had to go through that. Before I continue with my post, here's the link to my post of being robbed in Delhi in the very same way in another location -

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ice-delhi.html

I wish there was a way for people to read more posts like this and be aware of what can go wrong in a panic induced situation. I felt pretty damn annoyed when I read your post, first and foremost because of the fact that it brought back memories of how both my phones got robbed when I was driving. I didn't mention this in my post at all, but the bus behind me started honking as well.

Seems to me like this is a bloody well orchestrated event even including bus drivers. The thing is, I saw the same gang in operation (see incident 2 in my post linked above), and this time there was no bus behind the robbed car. In fact, I was behind the robbed car.

I am going to go ahead and re-post what I said in my theft post. Your unfortunate incident only re-emphasizes the need for more and more people to know about such thefts.

***IMPORTANT***

• Tint your windows to the maximum legal limit as permitted. Even blocking some of your visibility means deterring thieves like this from spotting your precious cargo.
• ALWAYS and ALWAYS keep all four doors locked when driving! Please I can't stress this enough. I always lock my doors, and I always tell drivers to lock all four doors when I'm in the car. Call it paranoia if you want, but I just call it being street-wise.
• Keep your windows up. If you aren't using the AC, roll down your windows just 20%. Not all the way down. ESPECIALLY in crowded areas and traffic jams.
• Do not keep valuables in plain view. Do not keep valuables on the dash board. If you want, keep your phone, wallet, etc. in provided compartments. If you want to keep anything outside, keep it near the gear stick. Not in visible range!!
• If someone tries to suddenly get your attention from BEHIND you, or from a strange angle, do NOT take your attention away from your front. Remember, when you didn't see/feel the accident happen, it probably didn't happen.

Also I must now congratulate you for surviving this incident bravely. Rest assured now every time when you drive, you will be extra alert, you will teach your family, friends, and relatives to keep the doors locked, and you will be be much much wiser

The note is a great device no doubt, but think of the 30 odd thousand that you spent on the phone as a crash course in street crime awareness. I lost about 25 k in my theft, it hurt for a bit afterwords, but not anymore.

Another important thing is, please don't feel victimized, or at least try not to feel so. Being a woman was not the sole cause for being targeted (i.e. I'm not). The guy who got robbed in incident 2 in my post in front of me was a fully grown and rather mean looking man too. It's just opportunity that these guys seize. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thanks for sharing your post, and I'm sure more people will be wiser the next time around. Even today, irrespective of where I'm sitting in the car, front, rear, driving, I ALWAYS lock the doors or tell people to lock the doors. Some laugh and ask why, but I don't really care. I make sure it's done.

[Dr.Suraj]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

I take full responsibility for having panicked, but if I am a lone commuter, it does not mean that I am a sitting target for being robbed.

My sincerest condolences go out to you.
& I say this not out of sympathy, but empathy.

I distinctly remember the date.
24th March 2006.

My trusty old Jumbo.
I was driving and my close friend was in the seat next to me.
It was around 5:30 pm.
At a signal - just like you.
(Near Mahim Nature Park, opposite Manohar Joshi College, Dharavi T-junction - for those familiar with Mumbai)
Choc-a-bloc traffic. With the signal jammed.

Suddenly 2 guys - 1 from each side started banging the window.
We both pressed our individual buttons rolled it down.

SAME rant - about having run over their foot 100 meters ago.
They screamt for 15 seconds - while we were wondering - where did we go wrong?
And suddenly they left.
Another 5 seconds later - we realized both our cellphones (Nokia 6600 and Nokia 6330) were gone from our dashboard mat in the CENTRE of the car dashboard.
Imagine - the other guy - left hand side put his hand all the way in - while this guy at the right distracted us.

I jumped out - Signal was still red.
All the cars exactly where they were. Some truck guy behind us pointed in some direction. I ran as much as I could. Could not find anybody!!!

We went to Dharavi police station.
Where the kind inspector duly informed us that his own phone was stolen last week from the police station.
I lost all hope then and there itself.

Yes, they target ANYONE. And nothing is ever safe.
Pity is not a virtue you can afford in cities like Mumbai & Delhi - because it leads to nothing but a sham a scam - your loss. And no one will have any pity or sympathy for you.


I would like to bring to light another modus operandi these days.
(though not related to automobiles)

For people with offices, clinics with significant access.

A random person enters your cabin, with a file and some papers.
Places them strategically on your desk while talking about something.

When you realize that he has no business here, you don't know him and that he does not belong on the premises and he has nothing worthy to offer or you feel something fishy.

You ask him to leave.
He picks up his file and papers which were on your desk and along with that - takes away your cellphone which was lying on that desk on that very spot (they purposely dump the papers in such a way).

Happened to 2 of my friends / relatives / acquaintances.


Another 1 was last month - when someone attempted to flick my phone HTC Desire Z from my left trouser pocket while alighting a crowded train.
They guy managed to get the phone out - I realized - I randomly caught the hand in the crowd - started shouting out "Chor Chor" - he dropped the phone on the floor (of the train) I barely caught it as the train began to move while he escaped in all the commotion. Till date my phone and memory are both dented.

Note From Team-BHP Support-Team: Consecutive posts are strictly NOT permitted on the forum. It will be treated as an attempt at increasing post count. Please use the 'EDIT' option next time 'round. Thanks.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Do not switch off in this kind of a situation, but in normal circumstances, after you switch off, turn the ignition back on again without cranking or just push down the driver side door lock and that would lock all the doors.

@EL,

This is exactly my concern. Its more like, fixing the problem. Unlocking should not happen in the first place.
That should be at the control of the driver/passenger. I get very paranoid about this and and at most signals,
when ever the engine is off, I make sure the doors are locked.

[ashphil]

A very unfortunate incident Sugeeeta.We hope that you are not submitted to this kind of an incident again. However considering the circumstances, I think you have reacted quite well. I think I will definitely pass on the advice given to you on this thread to all the female drivers in my family and friends circle-Keep the window glass up, lock the doors , store all valubles in the footwell away from sight, dont get down from the vehicle in case of an incident ,carry a pepper spray to protect yourself and if it looks like a situation is getting out of hand and no one seems inclined to help take off to the nearest policeman or the nearest police station. Trying times indeed!
regards,
Ashok

[mooza]

If someone knocks on my car window, I will pull out my cell phone and take his picture first. This very act is bound to send the scum scurrying for cover. Besides, I can show the photograph to the cops later, if it is going to be of any help, that is.

@ Sugeeta, sorry about the incident, I think you did very well to collect your wits and come out of this without physical harm