Someone is Slashing Tires in my Neighborhood

AbsoluteZero

As the title says... someone is slashing tires in my neighborhood, and unfortunately for me they got my car. I have nowhere I can park my car except outside, and I can not afford to continually replace tires if this keeps happening.

What can I do??

MushroomStick

Perhaps a dumb question, but have you called the police and filed a report?

Fantasma

Perhaps you could install Night Vision Cameras and record all the activities to a computer hard disk.

AbsoluteZero

MushroomStick wrote:

Perhaps a dumb question, but have you called the police and filed a report?

I thought about this, but what can they do? I have no evidence, just a slashed tire.

AbsoluteZero

Fantasma wrote:

Perhaps you could install Night Vision Cameras and record all the activities to a computer hard disk.

I live in an apartment complex, and I don't have any way to point cameras at my car from my apartment. Is there some kind of surveillance equipment I could perhaps put inside my vehicle?

Nam

If you live in an apartment complex and park there, talk to your landlord, if this has happened to others in your complex then they aren't providing a proper place to park for their residents and they'll want to be doing that. The last apartment I lived at was pretty sketch, cops would usually drive through doing their rounds. Either way, talk to the landlord or the police. Or both.

They might hire a watchman and that could be enough to spook the dumbshit doing it.

MushroomStick

AbsoluteZero wrote:

MushroomStick wrote:

Perhaps a dumb question, but have you called the police and filed a report?

I thought about this, but what can they do? I have no evidence, just a slashed tire.

If they get several reports about slashed tires in your area, the police will have justification to have more of a presence in your area. Maybe a few patrol cars will be enough to deter the slasher, or hey, maybe they'll even catch the guy. Not calling is the best way to ensure nothing gets done.

AbsoluteZero

MushroomStick wrote:

AbsoluteZero wrote:

MushroomStick wrote:

Perhaps a dumb question, but have you called the police and filed a report?

I thought about this, but what can they do? I have no evidence, just a slashed tire.

If they get several reports about slashed tires in your area, the police will have justification to have more of a presence in your area. Maybe a few patrol cars will be enough to deter the slasher, or hey, maybe they'll even catch the guy. Not calling is the best way to ensure nothing gets done.

Point taken. It turns out I can do the report online even, so really no excuse not to. Doing that now.

Just got off the phone with the apartment manager, thankfully there is a garage available for me but I can't get into the thing until tomorrow at the earliest. Any ideas for protecting my car tonight? I am SO paranoid about this right now.

MushroomStick

Park somewhere else and walk home? Stay at a friend's/relative's place tonight?

Durkhanus

Well, if you're looking to avoid the slashing altogether, you can chance trying to sit in your car all night. Or take off your tires and put your car up on blocks.

Nam

Well you could always just put a note on your car tonight that says "Dear Mr tire slashing dipshit, you're on camera!"

Even if there's nothing there, I'm sure it will fuck his mind.

Edit: OR HER, maybe it's a crazy ex.

Midshipman

You could try deflating all of your tires.

Dr. Frenchenstein

Midshipman wrote:

You could try deflating all of your tires.

I think that's very bad for your tires.

MushroomStick

Did your tires make it through the night?

Midshipman

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote:

Midshipman wrote:

You could try deflating all of your tires.

I think that's very bad for your tires.

Only if you drive around on them or leave them deflated for weeks at a time.

Druhim

Midshipman wrote: »

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote:

Midshipman wrote:

You could try deflating all of your tires.

I think that's very bad for your tires.

Only if you drive around on them or leave them deflated for weeks at a time.

Even if it's not bad for the tires, it's still a terribly impractical and terrible "solution".

Midshipman

Durkhanus wrote:

Well, if you're looking to avoid the slashing altogether, you can chance trying to sit in your car all night. Or take off your tires and put your car up on blocks.

More practical than either of these.

Magic Pink

You should dress as Batman and sit on top of the car all night.

Durkhanus

Not if he doesn't have a compressor.

Midshipman

Durkhanus wrote:

Not if he doesn't have a compressor.

A common bike pump works for car tires, it just takes a bit of elbow grease. It's definitely easier to deflate and pump up 4 tires by hand than to remove and replace four wheels using all manual equipment.

MushroomStick

What's stopping anyone from slashing deflated tires?

IpseDixit

Midshipman wrote:

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote:

Midshipman wrote:

You could try deflating all of your tires.

I think that's very bad for your tires.

Only if you drive around on them or leave them deflated for weeks at a time.

Nope

Assuming you have radial tires allowing the weight of your car to sit on a flat tire overnight is going to bend the steel belts in your tires. If the belt forms a crease it will damage the structural integrity of the tire and will lead to a blow out if you drive on the tire.

Even if the belts don't crease they will still be out of round, which will lead to balancing issues and driveline vibration.

You don't want to take a chance with the tires on your vehicle, they are the second most important part of your vehicle. The most important part being the engine of course.

Karrmer

The OP is a bit confusing - did this happen one time, and you're now afraid there is a serial tire slasher on the loose, or is this actually a recurring thing every evening?

I take these calls a lot and they rarely are more than a one time thing where a bunch of young kids think they're hilarious and slash a few tires or smash some windows.

Figgy

MushroomStick wrote:

What's stopping anyone from slashing deflated tires?

They'll think they're already slashed!

But seriously, if you are afraid it's going to keep happening, the best advice is to just remove your car from the area. If that means parking it elsewhere and walking in, that's what you're going to have to do until this thing blows over.

I'm assuming you're now parking in the aforementioned garage, anyway. Good luck!

AbsoluteZero

I just got word from my landlord that there actually is NOT a garage available. So much for that. On the bright side, my tires did not get slashed again last night. I'm really hoping this doesn't happen again.

Midshipman

IpseDixit wrote:

Nope

Assuming you have radial tires allowing the weight of your car to sit on a flat tire overnight is going to bend the steel belts in your tires. If the belt forms a crease it will damage the structural integrity of the tire and will lead to a blow out if you drive on the tire.

Even if the belts don't crease they will still be out of round, which will lead to balancing issues and driveline vibration.

You don't want to take a chance with the tires on your vehicle, they are the second most important part of your vehicle. The most important part being the engine of course.

You don't rank the braking system ahead of the engine?

Bendery It Like Beckham

Midshipman wrote:

IpseDixit wrote:

Nope

Assuming you have radial tires allowing the weight of your car to sit on a flat tire overnight is going to bend the steel belts in your tires. If the belt forms a crease it will damage the structural integrity of the tire and will lead to a blow out if you drive on the tire.

Even if the belts don't crease they will still be out of round, which will lead to balancing issues and driveline vibration.

You don't want to take a chance with the tires on your vehicle, they are the second most important part of your vehicle. The most important part being the engine of course.

You don't rank the braking system ahead of the engine?

You know what brakes are for Midshipman?

Second Place

hadoken

Call the police, at least let them know.