Interesting times - lucky escape for a co-worker.
 

Walking from my car into the building this morning I walked past a colleague's Land Rover. At first thought he had had an accident when I saw that his drivers' side window was smashed.

When I walked closer however I realized it was no accident...

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Turns out it was an attempted car-jacking last night, for which we are quite famous around these parts.

Luck was on his side though as he, having survived the first two shots, managed to keep his car moving. The thugs didn't quite give up and fired another shot as he drove off, which went through the back door but at an angle that saw it safely embedding itself in the lower cushion of the driver's seat.

I hope he takes my advice and buys a lottery ticket this weekend...

He shouldn't bother with the lottery ticket. He's used up all of his luck already.

Wow, and you don't live in Detroit.

It's disgusting that some people have absolutely no regard for someone safety... Just blast away hoping to get the result you want.
And all in the pursuit of easy money.

If this is common I have to ask. What do you see when you look into the future of South Africa?

I remember years and years ago watching some video about a BMW (?) that had a built in flame thrower under the driver door to protect against car jackers. The owner lived in South Africa. Sorry to see not much has changed in the passing years.

And I first thought it was Oakland

There was another one where the driver hits a button and a blade is released from under the car, slicing the attackers.

Where's Oscar Pistorius when you need him?

That's scary, Willem. But I am still coming to have dinner with you next May. I just won't drive - especially at night. ;)

And i have read through all of the official & unofficial driving rules in SA & I will take them to heart.

Ian

Wow. That's a pucker moment.

Treat stop signs as a suggestion.

this

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Don't be too concerned Ian, as a tourist you are very unlikely to be exposed to this sort of nonsense. Like in all places where you are a stranger you just have to be very aware and safety conscious at all times. In our case a bit of additional vigilance is unfortunately required. Just be sure to be in touch before you arrive here so I can give you "the talk"! :)

Glad he got out okay - too bad he didn't get a chance to run 'em down!

There's a lot wrong with the human race. I really wonder if we'll make it as a species sometimes - or just end up destroying ourselves.

Well Willem you live in a challenging place. How many times have you been physically challenged by the locals yourself? Looking at your name you seem to have a Dutch background. How many generations of your family have lived where you are?
Guy

It is quite common, but mostly focused on particular vehicles and particular neighborhoods for very specific reasons:

There is a massive appetite for off-road vehicles, as these get "exported" to north of our borders. Also in the mix is general high-end vehicles (BMW, Mercedes etc.) that are "sanitized" and resold into the market either complete or in parts. Lastly certain brands (many Toyota models) are sought after as they provide a cheap source of spare parts for various industries - notably the local taxi industry.

Another "thing" is that a hijacking often goes with a home invasion in upper middle class or affluent neighborhoods (this is actually what happened to my colleague).

Typically in this case the car is secondary to the matter, as the homeowner is hijacked as he enters his gates, the house then robbed, and if practical the car used as a getaway vehicle. More often than not the hijacking is really only a mechanism to get in, and in many instances the getaway car is brought to site with the robbers. This most often is a previously hijacked large luxury car (Mercedes BMW, Land Rover) as they are fast and robust. These are incidentally also used in cash in transit robberies, as the average big luxury car is very capable of ramming and toppling an armored car without injuring the occupant of the ramming vehicle.

As for the future? We are on a very slippery slope, and man it sucks.

Sadly options are few, so best we grit our teeth and deal with it. I'd lie if I said emigration was not a thought on my mind, but that is damned near impossible these days as most first world countries have (very necessary!) draconian anti-immigration legislation that makes such a move the stuff of dreams!

22M Hispanics will counter that claim. But then again, the US is no longer a first world country.

Scary. Glad he is ok.

Why the "A" scratched into the door?

Willem PM sent....
Guy

Please look into migrating to Australia. Many South Africans have done so recently. I personally know of two families that have recently arrived in Adelaide and are doing well.

If you have certain job "skills" or training it's much easier to get here. For instance occupations like Audiologists and other medical professions are very sought after.
Also... The weather in South Australia is very similar to South Africa. I'm sure you'd love it here.