# Was this a carjacking attempt? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345 "2024-10-01T17:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/21 "2024-10-01T20:53:16Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > It could have been someone who does auto headlight polishing. If the plastic cover is fogged over, he may have the stuff to polish it clear again Yep, I have seen people roam parking lots looking to do this. Not likely a carjacking. Almost legit. > [@running\_coach](#): > > It was specified that the headlight was “broken”, not fogged. Was it broken? > [@doreen](#): > > Maybe not even that - I’ve had people try to pull [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDseISWC7C4&ab_channel=Arizona%E2%80%99sFamily%283TV%2FCBS5%29) on me , offering to fix dents cheap. There are probably people who actually do the work, but I wouldn’t trust that. Yeah, that is more scam than legit. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/22 "2024-10-01T21:14:31Z")
Fixing a non-broken headlight doesn’t sound like a business proposition, scam or legit. I think the car jacking is more likely. It wouldn’t hurt to call the non-emergency police number to make a report. They can probably tell you what it was, and it’s helpful in case this guy is doing it to a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/23 "2024-10-01T21:21:58Z")
Back when I drove my previous car, a Mazda 3 with two big dents (courtesy of my wife’s inability to drive when sleep-deprived), I’d frequently get stopped as I walked through the parking lot, by people asking if I wanted them to fix the dents. Never got a criminal vibe, more like shade-tree mechanics. I’d also find collision repair flyers on my windshield. So there are in fact legit (well, legit in the sense of “not carjackers”) folks who solicit repair work in parking lots. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/24 "2024-10-01T22:09:25Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I’d frequently get stopped as I walked through the parking lot, by people asking if I wanted them to fix the dents. Never got a criminal vibe, more like shade-tree mechanics. I’d also find collision repair flyers on my windshield. So there are in fact legit (well, legit in the sense of “not carjackers”) folks who solicit repair work in parking lots. Same. Driving a car with “mobile dent repair” signs on the side. The OP’s scenario? Impending crime of some sort. Maybe as minor as a the guy giving a hard-luck story then asking for a donation _a la_ homeless dudes. But more likely something less voluntary on the OP’s part if the plan had run to fruition. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/25 "2024-10-01T23:07:38Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > It wouldn’t hurt to call the non-emergency police number to make a report. They can probably tell you what it was, and it’s helpful in case this guy is doing it to a lot of people. Done. Good suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/26 "2024-10-02T16:28:20Z")
I can imagine someone trying to jack my car, only to have them complaining about it being a manual transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345/27 "2024-10-05T17:08:40Z")
This has “wallet inspector” written all over it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-a-carjacking-attempt/1008345.md?page=1)