Posted on 04/10/2019 7:31:07 PM PDT by End Times Sentinel
So,
I live in the city. And every couple of months, Id get a slow leak in one of my tires. I figured that was normal as I work in an area with a highly unusual amount of metal shavings on the pavement.
Well, last week, I had another slow leak, so I went to the tire store:
Hey! Mr. Hawthorne! because if they had a frequent customer program, Id have a full set of NASCAR tires. The co-owner takes a look at it and says Youve already got 3 patches and two nails in there. I can put another couple of patches on it, but you really shouldnt have more than three.
Now, I dont advertise my Conservatism, but in a deep blue precinct, folks just seem to know. (I also happen to be a member of a profession that liberals despise and illegals hate. Ive been seen in semi or full uniform at times).
So, Im not moving, out of the question. Any suggestions on how to catch the offender on this caper? Again, to help visualise, row homes, one next to the other, on street parking. (The local gendarmes are sympathetic)
FReepers are the greatest resource on earth for this stuff, thanks in advance, and any humor will be welcome.
Thank you
Lorex makes great 4K camera systems for the house. You just plug in the wires and plug the NVR into the wall and into your router. Call tech support and they will have you accessing it through your phone or the internet in minutes, and there is no monthly charge.
There are also little dashcams that can mount in the car and record while you are gone. I’m not sure how 4 of them would work with your car battery instead of just one - you might want to get a second battery for them, but they would do the trick.
Is it always the same tire or on the same side?
“And not one of my co-workers, I’m a SUPER nice guy and liked by all. “
As manager of 28 professionals, I worked hard to get them recognition and raises in an environment where the Israeli management was almost universally hated. I had a file on each and any time they solved a problem or wrote a memo, I made a note in their file. I turned in reviews with sometimes five typed pages of accomplishments and the raises flowed so frequently to my department the management made it impossible to add any comments to the reviews. I was SUPER nice to make up for the abrasive Israeli management style. (I am not Israeli.)
Imagine my shock when my political fortunes were reversed through political assassination so unique to Israel that I wrote a paper on it for my MBA. Suddenly, those people I had helped in their career, including getting better jobs in other departments, turned on me like a pack of dogs. I could not believe how these friendly, helpful, wonderful people I believed I had a great relationship with turned on me the moment I was out of favor. The funny thing is, take me out of their lives, and across the board they would not have done as well. The lesson here is, you have no idea what your coworkers really think. Their view of you may not be what you believe it is.
As for tires...you are looking for somebody you know who is passive aggressive. Look for this in his/her relationships with others. It may be subtle. Say, he leaves a coffee ring on their wooden desk and doesn’t wipe it off.
As for the car, go to a professional car alarm company. Describe your problem and spend a few hundred. You will catch your culprit. When you know who it is, go to the police and ask for their input on how to handle it. You might be surprised. They may refer for prosecution.
A cheap Amazon “spy” camera should do the trick.
Don’t be too quick to believe vandalism. Driving my cAR in and out of my truck yard I get a hell of a lot of nails and screws in the tires. More thsn once Ive spotted the offending object as I walked toward the car. I bought a kit and I patch them on the spot and get on with life.
Cameras. I have several. One of the simplest is a common trail cam of which some are reasonably priced. The idea is to hide the cam and have it focused on the car.
We also have expensive security cams that send images to the cloud so they can be reviewed remotely. Another advantage to these is if discovered the bad guys cannot destroy the pictures just took of them.
Then there are small surveillance cams that can be put almost anyplace without detection.
I experienced a similar phenomenon.
What is the location on the car of the tires that go flat? Most nail flats are found in rear tires. If the flats are in front tires, it’s likely sabotage. If they’re in rear tires, it’s more likely from nails lying in the road. (It’s difficult for a nail lying in the road to cause a flat. Usually nails are rolled over by the front tires, and kicked into the air, and must land in such a way to cause the flat in the rear. In addition, most flats are caused in rainy weather, since the water lubricates the nail, making it easier to penetrate the rubber.)
“...row homes, one next to the other, on street parking.”
Do you have a window looking down on the street? Maybe put a camera there, pointing down at the car. Adjust camera depending on nightly parking space?
“FWIW- no response, and the first rhetorical victory in 26 years of marriage. “
You think your wife might be doing it?
I’ve experienced these “run flat” when I was in an automotive shop. Although you can run them flat briefly if something happens, they may not be repairable when you stop. And they are PRICEY & heavy. Generally don’t get a spare if cars are equipped with run flats. I personally would hesitate to recommend them.
I remember the old Goodyear Double Eagles, they weighed a ton or more.
There are a few different types currently.
https://www.edmunds.com/driving-tips/run-flat-tires-a-primer.html
A camera that can use a car battery for power, run & record for at least 8 hours, hooked up to a separate car battery in the trunk, with the camera mounted inside the car in some inconspicuous way.
Some “dash cams” should be able to do this, even turning on and off based on motion detection. The separate battery in the trunk is just an insurance policy on it working for an eight hour stretch. An eight hour time frame gives you a chance to check the system & refresh the battery at least once at the beginning of the day and once before bedtime.
https://www.eyewitnessdashcams.com/which-dash-cam-records-when-your-car-is-off/
“My father in law has a couple, they seem kind of bulky to stick on the underside of the car, are there smaller ones?”
Most I have seen are fairly large to conceal under the car.
In one of the other posts, you said sometimes you have to park in front of another house, Could that person be taking offense and setting out nails?
I have heard of that exact syndrome, including when a new tyre repair started up, and there was a rash of punctures all around the local streets.
Did you ever catch the culprit?
Thanks for asking.
No, I think it’s just where I drive and park.
Folks pointed out that if it was deliberate, they’d just slash the tires.
So far, no flats, hope it continues, but it probably won’t.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.