hold up in a cab, another scenario

N

Norman Bates

New member
As Brian killing tangos rightly stated it on another thread, this is about considering new options, points of view.

This particular scenario is fairly common in Buenos Aires. I'm going to describe it in 2 different variants.

It does sometimes happen in this city (Buenos Aires, Argentina), that when you grab a cab you just set yourself up to be mugged.
Our cabs are all medium cars, 4 dorrs and no partition between the driver and the passenger. Normally you sit in the back, opposite the driver and you find that the co-pilot seat is all the way forward so you can sit more comfortably in the back. This also gives the driver/or passenger a better access to the other occupant's seat

The trap: If you're about to get mugged, you'll soon find out that you can't open your door from the inside. It's not that the handles are removed but there's a device for children that prevents the door from been opened normally. You just trapped yourself.

Now there are a couple of variants to the hold up, basically the driver just does not take you using your regular route with some stupid argument and then suddenly, at a red light 2 or 3 BG get into the cab. One to each side of you and another at the front seat. Your adventure begins. You're about to visit your ATM, maybe a Mall and eventually even your home before being taken and dropped off at a lonely place far away from your original destination.

Variant B is that you might notice that your cab is being followed by a "support"car or cab before all the SHTF. This actually happened to a friend of mine. My friend threw himself at the cabbie and grabbed him by the hair and also strangled him and forced the cab to stop in front of a cop. The cabbie did not complained to the cop but chose to make a fast getaway while my friend talked to the cop and right afterwards the support car slowly passed by. My firend got a lot of murderous looks but that was the end of it. There's nothing the police can/will do about this MO. They hardly ever catch the muggers in the act. This last also happened to someone i know. The cab run out of gas and a police car stopped to check it. Now the mugged guy is even more worried since the robbers were arrested but now have access to the police file and perfectly knows were the victim lives.

OK, now i'd love some opinions, tactics, you name it. BTW, this is also the most scary moment in my every day life, when i take a cab to drive my 4 year old kid to school every morning. More scarrier since i'm with my boy. In fact , i'm writing this because this morning the cab had too many rearlooking mirrors and all the inside locks were removed.

NB
 
Tough one.

Can't bail out effectively with a four year even if the doors weren't locked.

Are either out numbered in the cab or followed by a car full of goblins.

May not want to assault driver before accomplices arrive as he is operating a moving vehicle and will crash it into something if incapacititated.

Are there prohibitions against citizens carring guns and knives in BA?

Perhaps this is a good time for a garotte? Once you realize what is going on and before the accomplices arrive you could slip garotte around the drivers throat and use it to convince him to drive you where You want to go. Driver is still aware and can keep eyes on road but is no longer in control of the situation.

I will be looking forward to see what the other members suggest.
 
Yeah, it's a tough one but let's disregard the child for a moment.
Basically with a child on board your chances are almost nonexistant and being armed makes it even worse.

Driver will probably not crash the car, it's what they use as a working tool and since they're unlikely to go to jail or stay in jail if detained... As a matter of fact, they do RENT the cabs to do their job. Here, cab companies are not organised as such. One owner might have a few licensed cars and either hire cabbies or the cabbies will rent and work the cars for the day, now so do the thieves. The cab "company" is basically a radio dispatch service that the cabbies also pay a monthly fee to subscribe to.

The garrote/knife options i have considered but not for long until i get some of your opinions. Against a posible gun it becomes a paper/stone/scissors kind of very unpleasant game if you loose.

My best guess is that you have to be very alert and spring the trap early while you're still against just one foe. But, what or how to do it and how do you get out of the car (disengage and retreat) if you're probably holding the driver at gun point?. I just don't want to say too much since i'm interested in everyone's opinion and don't want to lead you.

Pleased to know you like the scenario, unfortunately these are definitely not theoretical but practical ones.

NB
 
I would try finding 1 driver that I could trust and ask for him only when I called for the cab. Get to know your drivers. If you are forced to get a cab with an unknown driver, check the door to make sure the child lock isn't activated before getting in.
An ounce of prevention and all of that. It's better not to get into the middle of an ambush than trying to figure out how to get out of it!
 
While car windshields are very tough, the side widows are easily broken with a hard object such as a center punch tool used in wood and metal working.

A center punch would be easy to carry, and would be real handy if you have to make a hasty exit from a locked cab.
 
Could you just sit in the co-pilot's seat, with your left leg on the transmission bump? You have access to the steering wheel, and some access to the brake and gas pedal, in case things turn ugly. A better idea is to get a driver you know and trust.
 
Ounce of prevention....

Use a camera to take a picture of the license plate, then the drivers face as you hand it off to the wife (I'm assuming here). As you drive off, tell him about how a friend told you about this great idea he had to take a picture of the license plate number and drivers face because of the rash of taxi robberies. And how, even as you speak, the pictures are being e-mailed to a (lawyer, friend in America, wherever) and that if, just suppose for arguments sake, anything bad were to happen to you, it's going straight to the cops.

:D

Now, if he's honest, he won't care. But, if he was in the mood to take you for a ride, well......the last thing any criminal wants is to be recognized or attention drawn to them. So he'd very likely take you straight to where you want to go without the little detour he had planned for ya.

The camera doesn't even have to actually have film (though highly recommended), but IT must have a flash that's used. This "proves" to him that a picture was taken.

As for the doors, a center punch is good, but trying to climb out a window takes more time than it takes for the BGs to run around to the other side and beat you silly.

Either have a little something wedged in to hold the door open enough that it won't engage the lock and hold it closed by hand, or maybe a strap that reaches across to hold both doors closed so no one from outside can open the door.

Whatever you do, it must be something that the BGs aren't expecting. The shock of you rolling out when they think you helplessly trapped will make them pause for a moment. A moments hesitation is all you need to change the balance of power.

Conversly, a pocket dragon,

pocketdragon.GIF


will very quickly make clear that your not a person to be trifled with.

flame.GIF


The ether starting fluid is too much for the confines of a car, but a travel sized can of underarm deoderant spray (aluminum) will spit out a 2' flame and fit in the coat pocket. Cost, less than $5 for the whole thing.

You see BGs approaching, you yank the igniter, blast a flame in front of his face (forces him back into his seat), grab him by the hair, and make it clear to the driver that, no matter what happens to you afterwards, HE (the driver) isn't going to have a face left if they get in the car.

Hard to argue with a guy with flamethrower to your face. :)

Guarantee you'll be driving away in a New York second!

Can of wasp spray and a zippo does the same thing. Stuff the spray nozzle up the drivers nose and tell him he's getting a snout full of it, same effect.

Since you have a child with you, you must deliberately remove him from your mind as a factor when considering what to do in a situation like this. Because the highest priority is to get away unharmed, and any hesitation on your part could get you or your child killed.

Be as a bolt of lightning descending from a clear sky; sudden, unexpected, and violent.
 
Sorry to report but yesterday, the husband of a well known TV anchorwoman was mugged in a similar scenario as the very common one i presented to you guys.

This has a different and sadder ending since the victim was stabbed several times and thrown out of the cab to die shortly afterwards. This has been in most local newspapers and news programs since it happened. It's shocking since normally this kind of muggings rarely go beyond a terrible scare and a some personal property stolen or a few hundred bucks lost to these MFs.

Sometimes the victims are the cabbies themselves.

I pay the utmost attention to your suggestions but haven't found yet something that i can really use.
Thanks for keep trying and keep it up. I'm reading what you have to say.

NB.

Mom says Hi!
 
Maybe the driver just didn't like the anchorwoman and got at her through her husband. It happens to celebrities sometimes.

But, if this starts happening more often, it's showing an escalation of the violence they're willing to use.

Thus, you'll need to escalate to deadly force yourself. It'd be very likely that, if they kill you, they'd kill your child, or worse, sell him/her into prostitution/slavery. If you don't think that happens, you're fooling yourself.

Prevention and overwhelming force are the only things that'll stop this.

BTW, why don't you buy a car/motorcycle and save yourself all the worry? The problem is as simple as you make it.
 
to nbk2000 and the others that may have the same wrong impression,

I did not want you guys to think that my country is an absolute total mess, your banana republic worst nightmare or something like that. It´s definitely NOT Nick Nolte´s "Under Fire" or "Salvador". Even without the military rulling, this is still a lot like Woody Allen´s "Bananas".

This is just a different jungle with different traps and no-no´s. I still feel much safer here at night walking the streets than i would in D.C. for example. People do not go "postal" and serial killers are more than unusual and i´ d say it´s a different kind of violence we experience.

Another big difference is like a in lot of other cultures, our "personal space" is much more reduced than what you consider yours. That, in a sudden and unexpected attact, works pretty much against any possible defense.

Also nbk2000, why bother? i´ll just drop a willie pete inside the cab on my way out, right?

NB
 
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