OT: Curious if I was targeted (scam) at a Leaf game?

[Punch Drunk Loov]

I have a Viofo A119S V2 which is pretty good, it can be had around $100, it has a GPS feed for speed/location which you can turn off but with my cars noise level I like the ability to prove that I wasn't speeding. You can also use it in parking mode where if it detects your car getting bumped it will turn on. Mine is hardwired into the car as well so the cabling is tucked up and invisible. The Blackvue DR-650 2 channel (one front camera, one rear) is great but it is over $500.

This is a sample video from my camera

Nice looks good. Does it lower your car insurance?

 

[Tweek]

Nice looks good. Does it lower your car insurance?

Unfortunately not, but like the winter tire discount who knows if it could come one day. It could be a lifesaver in a he said/she said collision, not to mention capturing random stuff / bad drivers on your commute is entertaining.

 

[Polaris1010]

 

[A4T1L6]

nah that was me and my buddies seshing w some super lemon haze sorry bro

 

[nsleaf]

I'm more curious about the group hanging around the empty parking lot exit at 11:00 PM. I mean, who does that? Why?

 

[ITM]

You all sound quite paranoid

For people who have never experienced violence or witnessed it in scenarios similar to the OP's description, it may sound paranoid. The distinction between reasonable caution and garden variety paranoia however is what is reasonable and unreasonable suspicion. A parking lot, at night in a busy metropolitan area is a common enough location for crime to be committed. Taking various precautions (in whatever form i.e. traveling in groups, using your camera phone, etc...) to mitigate the likelihood of being a victim seems like the reasonable thing to do.

I haven't read anyone suggesting body armour while grocery shopping, but a healthy does of situational awareness in public, is generally a good rule to live by.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

If I'm her I'm not saying sweet f all about the dash cam. I'm calling the cops. Sure , hang around till they get here "injured" guy and "witness". Cops come, show them the video, bums get arrested = less scams.

 

[Muston Atthews]

For people who have never experienced violence or witnessed it in scenarios similar to the OP's description, it may sound paranoid. The distinction between reasonable caution and garden variety paranoia however is what is reasonable and unreasonable suspicion. A parking lot, at night in a busy metropolitan area is a common enough location for crime to be committed. Taking various precautions (in whatever form i.e. traveling in groups, using your camera phone, etc...) to mitigate the likelihood of being a victim seems like the reasonable thing to do.

I haven't read anyone suggesting body armour while grocery shopping, but a healthy does of situational awareness in public, is generally a good rule to live by.

Sure. Reminiscing about a 5 minute encounter a year ago is bordering on paranoia. It’s always good to be aware of your surroundings, it’s always good to be able to defend yourself and there’s always going to be shitty people trying to get one over on you.

If you’re that worried about it then you should avoid parking lots/parks/anywhere but your own home

 

[Alerion]

If I'm her I'm not saying sweet f all about the dash cam. I'm calling the cops. Sure , hang around till they get here "injured" guy and "witness". Cops come, show them the video, bums get arrested = less scams.

Yeah, if you mention your dashcam the scammers may become violent, take off, or try and destroy the evidence. It's better to play along and let the cops show up, and then provide the real story.

 

[Muston Atthews]

I'm more curious about the group hanging around the empty parking lot exit at 11:00 PM. I mean, who does that? Why?

It’s downtown Toronto... people hang out everywhere at all times of the night. Especially drunk people after a Leafs game.

 

[nsleaf]

It’s downtown Toronto... people hang out everywhere at all times of the night. Especially drunk people after a Leafs game.

OK but an empty parking lot is odd.

 

[Mr Hockey]

OK but an empty parking lot is odd.

you're not from Toronto?

 

[nsleaf]

you're not from Toronto?

No. I think Poster was correct to be suspicious.

 

[GBLeaf]

I work for the police in the UK and this is a real regular occurrence sadly.

It's more than likely an attempt at an insurance scam, whereby the occupants claim you were at fault and all suddenly end up with whiplash (or whipcash as it's also known).

I don't know the highway code in North America, but here, if you hit the rear of someone else's vehicle, you're pretty much always at fault in the eyes of the insurance companies. Even if the other person reverses in to you, the insurance companies log it as you hitting the other vehicle. It's a joke to be honest.

If no damage was caused, then you got real lucky and those jerks will have left disappointed. But it is big business. Some groups in the UK have been caught doing similar things many, many times and making tens of thousands of pounds from it.

If (when) they eventually get caught, they can often serve some time as a result.

My advice is, if you ever feel like it's not right, get as much detail as you can. Names/VRM/Make& Model/Descriptions of drivers/Photos of cars and even if possible, photos of all the occupants. It's not uncommon that all of a sudden, the car was full of their family members too, even when there was only actually two people involved.

Quick one on installing cameras in you cars: Make sure you let your insurance companies know. Often there's a clause that if you're insurance company doesn't know you have it, it can be declared invalid in an insurance claim. Which is just another way of them avoiding making a pay out.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

I'm more curious about the group hanging around the empty parking lot exit at 11:00 PM. I mean, who does that? Why?

You've clearly never been to a Tim Hortons parking lot after dark

 

[Dough72]

as someone with 20 years in law enforcement and bodyguard work I can tell you the correct thing to do in situations like this is always to attack first and ask questions later. I know it sounds drastic but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Now in your particular case, what I like to do, is to play along and get out of the car pretending to look at the damages. But before exiting the vehicle I always make sure to grab whatever I can to use as a weapon. Keys for gouging, ice scraper for bludgeoning, or preferably some discarded fast food wrappers for choking. Then while he is babbling about swapping insurance or notifying the proper authorities, I immediately start choking him with the McDonald's wrapper. And I do not stop until his is unconscious, or flees in terror (my experience is they usually flee in terror). Trust me you don't take chances with things like this I have seen it too many times.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I lived downtown for a long time and there are plenty of scam artists and weirdos but I've never heard of any type of insurance scam, theres just usually way too many people around to try it. This does sound like some type of insurance scam gone wrong though.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

People are questioning why folks are hanging around there at that time of night, but it doesn't seem suspicious to me. I stay at a hotel in the area quite frequently and I tend to see a fair amount of people late at night.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

as someone with 20 years in law enforcement and bodyguard work I can tell you the correct thing to do in situations like this is always to attack first and ask questions later. I know it sounds drastic but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Now in your particular case, what I like to do, is to play along and get out of the car pretending to look at the damages. But before exiting the vehicle I always make sure to grab whatever I can to use as a weapon. Keys for gouging, ice scraper for bludgeoning, or preferably some discarded fast food wrappers for choking. Then while he is babbling about swapping insurance or notifying the proper authorities, I immediately start choking him with the McDonald's wrapper. And I do not stop until his is unconscious, or flees in terror (my experience is they usually flee in terror). Trust me you don't take chances with things like this I have seen it too many times.

Well this sounds like a good way to get an assault charge. Also, hilarious. "Hey look over there!" *chokes the guy with a McDonalds wrapper*. Why not just grab your tire iron and break his knee caps? Or put a plastic bag over his head?

 

[Dough72]

Well this sounds like a good way to get an assault charge. Also, hilarious. "Hey look over there!" *chokes the guy with a McDonalds wrapper*. Why not just grab your tire iron and break his knee caps? Or put a plastic bag over his head?

1)it's an undervalued weapon and 2) judges never convict me because fast food is not considered a deadly weapon by law

 

[qqaz]

Lol “toxic masculinity”. The most likely answer would probably be that the guy wasn’t paying attention and thought he was the last car there so he didn’t even realize when he was backing up. The other guys standing around probably had nothing to do with anything.

If you want to feel safe, don’t leave your house. The world is a scary place. Maybe take some MMA classes and learn how to protect yourself or carry something on you that you can protect yourself with.

So I suggest a dash-cam, and I'm paranoid. But you can suggest MMA classes and a gun?

Drop the "tough guy" garbage. Or, I guess you could go full high-school bully and call me a pu$sy.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

as someone with 20 years in law enforcement and bodyguard work I can tell you the correct thing to do in situations like this is always to attack first and ask questions later. I know it sounds drastic but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Now in your particular case, what I like to do, is to play along and get out of the car pretending to look at the damages. But before exiting the vehicle I always make sure to grab whatever I can to use as a weapon. Keys for gouging, ice scraper for bludgeoning, or preferably some discarded fast food wrappers for choking. Then while he is babbling about swapping insurance or notifying the proper authorities, I immediately start choking him with the McDonald's wrapper. And I do not stop until his is unconscious, or flees in terror (my experience is they usually flee in terror). Trust me you don't take chances with things like this I have seen it too many times.

You forgot about stabbing him in the neck repeatedly with a pen.

 

[Damisoph]

This thread has gone well.

 

[DoobieDubas]

Sounds soft.

 

[BertCorbeau]

We're done.