Think Co-Worker Let Air Out of One of my Tires 4

[casseopeia]

I don’t really want to get into a great deal of detail, but I am fairly certain, say 91%, that a coworker let the air out of one of my tires yesterday. Tire was fine, not even low when I left home and drove to work. Went to my car in the afternoon to run an errand to find the front passenger tire completely flat. Not just really low. Hanging off the rim flat. So I jacked the car up, put on the spare and took the tire to a tire shop (not a chain outlet either) two blocks up the street. I know the tire guys well and one of the tow services they use is owned by a good friend.

So I asked them to really check the tire carefully for damage from road debris, and to check the valve for damage. It was a fairly new tire with about 10,000 miles on it. The tire guys found nothing, so they filled it up with air, tested it for a slow leak and put it back on my car. The guy who checked it out had the same thought, that the air was deliberately let out.

I’ve since driven about 60-70 miles without loss of any air. I also have not parked next to this coworker's car.

So do I send out an email to everyone in the office to caution them about ‘malicious mischief’ in the parking garage without naming anyone? Or do I try to reproduce the parking situation I believe prompted the tire flattening to see if it recurs? Confront the guy about my suspicion?



"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[msquared48]

Banana in the tailpipe?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Banana in the tailpipe?

I think Ron said it better with repiping the gas line quote ;-)

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

jmw ... I don't believe you have to be a Pub patron to be able to view the threads, but you do to reply.

 

[msquared48]

OK... gasline in the tailpipe.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[casseopeia]

Hg, You bring up a good point. I’m betting he was hoping to send a message to me, with just enough clues to let me know that it was him. I would guess he’s also hoping I would get angry, show a bit of weakness and be severely inconvenienced, maybe even try to get back at him. So what to do with a self-righteous narcissist? Sending him a message would just fuel his inflated ego.

I decided best to not send an email out. I’m certainly not going to HR with my flimsy suspicions. I managed to get my tire changed by myself, loosing only about 45 minutes to an hour of work time and $28 cash. No big deal. But now I’m watching his a$$. I’ll find street parking rather than park next to his car.

I’m also hoping the person who has to park next to him is any number of other co-workers who learned to drive in the Middle East. He has no idea how lucky he is that I was the one backing in next to his car!

jmw, the exterior of my car is fine, no damage other than one parking lot ding. Keying my car would have been far more serious offense.



"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[msquared48]

Still not acknowledging the obvious, huh?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[tickle]

1. Meat/fish in his air conditionining intake (from Top Gear)
2. buy/borrow a jalopy and park really close to him. by really close I mean touching.
3. A nice dent from a door opening - could happen at any shopping centre car park

In one work car park, the spaces were just a little narrow. One guy parked his car over hanging the line, and another guy parked his van so close you could hardly get a fag paper between the two. That one taught a lot of people a lesson.

 

[ajack1]

I am at a total loss to understand how you can be 91% certain it was someone who you have had no interaction with and whose only “crime” seems to be that he keeps his car very neat and tidy?

To go down the route of criminal damage that some suggest on here is just plain crazy on such flimsy evidence, although evidence is not the right word.

 

[SomptingGuy]

How about some really gunky grease on your valve caps. You'll know it's there be he won't.

- Steve

 

[jmw]

Interesting suggestions folks, but who will go to jail?

I knew a guy with an imported (US) sports car who kept losing the chrome trims to "collectors" until he had some very small very sharp spikes added.... he'd check each morning for blood trails.

I'm pretty sure that anyone trying to steal his chrome would complain to the police and have him arrested but I didn't know him long enough to find out if that ever happened.

Simple rule of law in the UK, though shalt not harm any criminal; the Criminal has more rights.

How refreshing, in the US, to be able to shoot intruders with impunity, here you have to make them tea and I think there is some law that says it is unfair to hide your valuables from them.

We keep a close eye out on our neighbours because of a local gang of socially challenged young persons.
They have any number of ASBOs (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) against them and they regularly appear in court to be given tea and biscuits by the JPs/Magistrates.
Our CSO (Community Support Office - a euphemisms for a cop who makes sure the criminals are safe) said it was very important not to upset them and if we did want to do something we should be sure to be able to individually identify them and what each had said and done.
I said fine, we'll video them next time. "Oh no" he said, "you can't do that, it's intrusive, you'd need to post up CCTV warning signs".

My wife favours extreme vigilante action but I wasn't too sure if she was after the gang or the CSO.... I had to distract her while he made his escape.

But I'm interested, to what extent can you wreak havoc on anyone messing with your wheels in a car park in the US?

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

jmw,

Legally, we're not allowed to harm the perp, either, and it often appears as if the criminals have more rights than the law-abiding citizens. That said, you still often read/hear of people trying to float in that gray area of intentional harm and plausible deniability. In most areas, you can shoot a criminal breaking into your home (castle rule) if you feel bodily harm is imminent, but it would be wise to make sure he doesn't survive the attack to later sue... if he limps out of the doorway, you'll be in for a battle. A few years back Florida passed a law that said you can shoot someone who you feel intends to cause you bodily harm, even if not at home (say they're trying to car jack you at a gas station), which caused all manner of commotion in the gun-free community saying it would cause skyrocketing murder rates on the street and vigilanteism... no such thing ever happened (as the reasonable people expected), and life continues on as normal there.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[looslib]

To add to tickle's list:
stuff a potato up his tail pipe and then put a 3/8" hole through it. The car will sound normal and run...until the heat causes the potato to swell and the hole shrinks. Then the exhaust gas pressure will take its natural action.

Since getting to the engine compartment is almost impossible these days, you can still get under a car and put limburger cheese on the exhaust manifold/pipe.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[IRstuff]

Huh, reminds me of running over some bag on a parking lot. turned out to contain some sort of rotten food. it took months of jet washing, etc to get the smell completely out.

not that i'm suggesting that someone do that...

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[jmw]

SomptingGuy,
I believe that is also the considered opinion and the preferred policy of your insurers since live, but damaged victims cost them more than dead victims (probably more so in the US with no NHS).... that is, if they pay up.
But we all know that the standard insurers response to any and all claims is that it is "fair wear and tear" (or a lack of maintenance) and they are not liable.
If insurance companies think maiming a perp is fair wear and tear then who are we, or the courts, to question them?

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[casseopeia]

ajack1, to answer your question, why do I think it’s Mr. Suspect? Here’s my thought process,

This is malicious mischief, something that is done TO someone as a signal or message. It is typically not a random act. It takes too much time and there is too much risk of being caught for there not to be a motivation behind it. And there’s no gain for an anonymous perpetrator.

Who would target me? I really only had a couple of choices. My neighbor with whom I have been having a dispute comes to mind first, but quickly dismissed because,

a) I have been staying or keeping my car at various places since it started in mid April, although occasionally I still park at home.
b) The tire that was flattened is on the side of my car that I can see from my house. Although I don’t think my neighbor is a particularly brilliant criminal, I don’t think she, or anyone helping her, would pick the visible side. They would hide on the driver’s side. And that particular evening, my SO’s motorcycle was parked next to my car. I think this would have been a more enticing target.
c) My tire was fine when I left home. I approach my car from that side and would have seen it. My SO would have seen it.
d) I was granted a TRO against this neighbor last week and have a hearing date later this month. This is NOT her first rodeo in this arena. One violation of the TRO that can be pinned on her would have serious consequences including loosing her son to child protective services and jail. I’m guessing she is not going to risk it.
e) It’s just not her MO. She’s been more prone to throwing jars of strawberry jam and pieces of field stone at me, or at my outdoor deck whenever my landlord and I change a utility connection servicing her apartment from my meter to hers. No changes have occurred recently.

The next most obvious choice is the person parked next to my car, this new coworker. I can imagine his motivation, persnickety about his car and righteous indignation over the proximity of my car to his. And he certainly had opportunity. It’s a very strong coincidence. The flattened tire was on the side of my car next to his. The garage is not that busy and the cars are hidden from view from the sidewalk by the CMU walls. That’s why I had the tire guys really check for damage or some kind of sabotage. I even had them write it on the ticket and told them about the TRO. And these are guys I know. I’ve bought a few of sets of tires from them. I walk by the shop frequently and they know a good friend of mine who owns a towing company. There was no discernible damage to the rim, tire or valve stem. No signs of a slow leak. The guy that checked it was pretty certain the air was deliberately let out.

But I have some remaining doubt because it’s hard for me to imagine myself ever doing such a thing, especially if I just started working somewhere and targeted a coworker in a higher position than myself. I do not intend to really cause any damage back. I am more interested in removing my remaining doubt, not getting revenge by causing damage.

So to that end, this morning when I pulled into the garage, I found Mr Suspect’s car parked in almost the same position as before. So I backed in next to him, setting up the same arrangement. If it happens twice, I’ll be 99.9% certain, 100% if I see him do it.

But I also decided to set up a booby trap. Not having any grease handy, I grabbed a tube of very sticky, pink lip gloss and put that on the valve caps. Grease on your fingers and pants, explainable. Pink lip gloss, a bit tougher for a guy. He'll be wishing he had a box of tissue and wet wipes like I have in my car.



"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[IRstuff]

Of course, if he's really that persnickety, he'd never touch anything on your car with his bare hands. He'd have tissues, or somesuch, for occasions like that.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Cass,

Is it possible this guy is doing it to "some a-hole's car parked too close" to his rather than to you specifically. In other words, would he have done the same thing had someone else parked that close, or is there evidence of some personal vendetta against you specifically?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[patprimmer]

Cas

Before you do anything you need to be sure. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusion.

If you do anything, be very aware of where it may finally lead and if you want to go there.

If I had irrefutable proof, I would confront them and if necessary take it to management. Do not make threats you are not prepared to carry out. The confrontation would bring their character and courage into question, but then I'm a bit of a Kamikaze that way.

In my experience people who do anonymous retaliation lack character and courage and normally quiver and try to slink away when bluntly confronted with proof.

jmw

You have been sent a new invite. You are welcome if you choose to accept it.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[jmw]

Hi Pat, thanks very much.
It was there on the home page and I have immediately accepted with pleasure....too long in the wilderness.
Now all I have to do is ask Cass for the inside dope on Crystal Meth.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[plasgears]

Reminds me of the time I had damage done to my car. I had the habit of unlatching the hood to allow cooldown after a long drive. An SOB pulled my AC compressor clutch. I made nothing of it; acted like nothing happened. I know who it was, and he left the company after a while.

Recently I had a hard door strike that left a deep dent. I had some military stickers on the car.