Car Stolen - towed away

katy123

MY neighbor had his ford ST stolen last night.....it was towed away and abandoned as the thiefs couldn't crack the immobilizer on the next street....they just dumped it there.

My question is, how are cars towed away? Is it by lifting the front or back wheels....if front, then I'm never going to reverse park......(any links would be great)...i'm not sure what are commonly used in UK. Do they need a straight line to tow a car away? I can park it at between a wall and another car if this is the case.

Or it could be a city centre type where they lift the whole car (4 wheels off the ground)!!!!!..

Many thanks.

Spicy_McHaggis

If you put you handbrake on (and it's not on the front wheels) why worry about reverse parking?

EdGasket

I've no idea but I know someone with a Mercedes on his driveway that just disappeared overnight; he didn't hear a thing.

rs65

OP, what do you drive?

AdrianC

The handbrake on most cars is on the rear wheels. If the car's FWD, then leaving it in gear effectively locks those wheels, too. But that doesn't prevent it being towed - any or all wheels can be jacked up and a dolly put underneath.


Two or four of those, and the car can be pushed by hand along flat ground with very little noise, even straight sideways, or just winched onto the back of a recovery truck. Then, of course, there's the option of a crane.

Yes, some of those are a bit unsubtle for a residential area in the middle of the night. But, with big enough brass cojones and suitable dayglo jackets and livery on the wagon, and you could nick almost anything without an eyebrow being raised, and probably even be brought a cuppa by sympathetic neighbours whilst you did it.

forgotmyname

Because people do not leave cars in gear when parked these days?

TadleyBaggie

forgotmyname wrote: »

Because people do not leave cars in gear when parked these days?

I always do.

bluesnake

Are you sure they did not somehow open the door, then put it in neutral, take off the hand break and push it (down hill?) to a less conspicuous place, rather than towed away to the next street?

notanewuser

katy123 wrote: »

MY neighbor had his ford ST stolen last night.....it was towed away and abandoned as the thiefs couldn't crack the immobilizer on the next street....they just dumped it there.

My question is, how are cars towed away? Is it by lifting the front or back wheels....if front, then I'm never going to reverse park......(any links would be great)...i'm not sure what are commonly used in UK. Do they need a straight line to tow a car away? I can park it at between a wall and another car if this is the case.

Or it could be a city centre type where they lift the whole car (4 wheels off the ground)!!!!!..

Many thanks.

Focus ST? They're being stripped/stolen to order.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/film-fans-car-taken-apart-8527157?ICID=FB-Wales-main

AdrianC

notanewuser wrote: »

Focus ST? They're being stripped/stolen to order.

Umm, the link is referring to a Fiesta.

notanewuser

AdrianC wrote: »

Umm, the link is referring to a Fiesta.

Sorry, meant to say fiesta. The OP didn't say which.

But the ST styling is being pinched either way.