Duty To Warn: More Carjacking Escapades

Stolen cars are sometimes simply taken for a joy ride 
and wrecked. Others are taken by pros to chop shops
where they are dismantled. Photo: Public Domain

Is carjacking on the rise because the social order is breaking down? Or is it because people going through hard times are turning to crime? On one level it doesn't really matter which. What you need to know is that you becoming a victim of a carjacking is is not something you want to have to deal with.

I came to Minnesota in 1976 and a few things surprised me regarding winter. First, in those days parking meters in cities had plugs on them so you could plug in your car to make it easier to start when it was thirty below zero. Automobile engines changed in the 1980s so this was no longer the problem it used to be. 

The second thing I noticed is that people frequently left their cars running when they went into the Post Office or did other errands at 30 below. I guess they wanted to keep the heat running in their vehicles. Being from New Jersey I thought it risky, but here it was fairly normal. "Minnesota Nice."

Well, Minnesota Nice is a byword now. I still see cars or trucks running in front of the post office, but I have also heard of cars left running being gone when the owners came out. As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.

Here are some of the carjacking stories from the past few days on my Google Alerts feed. You can read the headlines or you can click on the story which is a hotlink. 

Woman escapes with her life as carjackers open fire on her in Buckhead - FOX 5 Atlanta Carjacking, police pursuit on N.J. Turnpike ends with crash, 4 armed teens arrested - nj.com

Father carjacked, vehicle stolen with child inside from NJ ShopRite… - ABC7 New York

Exclusive: Some Vehicles Carjacked In Philadelphia Exported As Far Away As Africa ... - CBS Philly 

Armed carjacking suspects arrested in Seattle - KIRO 7

Liz Collin goes undercover with carjacking unit for firsthand look at Twin Cities crime - YouTube

617 carjackings in Mnpls last year. 101 in St. Paul, plus more in the surrounding suburbs.

"Teenagers are usually responsible."

Police take person of interest in custody in Towson carjacking - WBAL-TV

1 arrested, 1 sought in SW Atlanta carjacking, police chase

2 attempted carjackings reported in Chatham; delivery driver shot after suspects couldn't drive stick

Seattle woman warns of rising crime following beating, carjacking - KIRO 7

Carjacking led to theft of car that caused downtown Louisville crash; suspect arrested - WAVE 3

Man stabbed during carjacking in NYC - New York Post

Essex County Man Charged with Carjacking | USAO-NJ | Department of Justice NJ man charged in gunpoint carjacking of woman in driveway

CARJACKING SAFETY TIPS HERE (Bottom of Page)

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2022/02/our-national-carjacking-epidemic-and.html

Hood Ornaments

There are probably dozens of reasons people love cars. For many it is simply the memories associated with them. Cars take us places we might not otherwise have been. Occasionally even over a rainbow.

Another reason people, usually guys, like cars is the power they emanate. Guys with muscle cars come to mind here... or the Fast and Furious tuner crowd.

Here at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, it is clear that cars used to be more than vehicles to take you places or extensions of one's machisimo... They exude style. From the lines and curves of the form itself to the embellishments, the vibrant colors and chrome ornamentation, there's really nothing like it in the world, a splendiforous breath taking, dream making wonder.

To me, one of the most fascinating elements on so many of the older cars, is the hood ornament. Many car manufacturers embellished their designs with a symbol which the car wore like a badge right on the front center portion of the hood. Along with the grille, the hood ornament often helped give a car its distinctiveness. Many used it as their primary brand identifier.

When we lived in Mexico, I purchased a hood ornament for my '72 Ford station wagon. It was not a great car in terms of style, but that chrome eagle in flight sure made it feel cool to me.

So for today I just wanted to share with you a couple hood ornaments which I saw yesterday. Feel free to click on each image to enlarge. And just out of curiosity, in what kinds of ways do we ornament our lives today?