You drive up to the full service car wash, step out of your car, hand the attendant your keys and probably receive a claim ticket in return.  You watch as the attendant slides behind the wheel, drives your car into the facility and then steps out after lining the tires up just so on the automatic belt, which will take your car right on through the scrubbing and sudsing process, coming out all shiny at the other end, where you’ll probably present your ticket to claim your car. 

Sounds simple enough, right?  In fact, hundreds of thousands of women do it every day without giving it as much as a second thought.  But what happens when things go terribly wrong?  When someone actually steals your car – or attempts to steal it – and right under your nose at the car wash?

If you don’t think something like this could happen to you. think again. In fact, this very thing happened to someone I know not that long ago, and as scary as it was, she found herself physically wrestling the thief for the keys.  Lucky for her, she won.  The police were called, but by the time they arrived, the guy who attempted to steal her new car took off on foot – never to be seen again. 

When something like this happens to someone we know, it hits home and raises questions concerning how safe full service car washes really are.  While we know not to go into self service car wash facilities alone at night, and while we’re probably adamant about only frequenting those located in areas we’re familiar with, safety in a full service car wash is probably not something we think about.  Generally, a full service car wash offers a lot of light, there seems to always be other people milling about and a flurry of activity happening, so we probably never question what could possibly go wrong.  Sadly, as my friend discovered, things happen when we least expect it.

So what can we do to protect ourselves?   Below are 8 tips to consider the next time you find yourself taking your car in for a much needed bath:

1. Never leave your purse in the car – including the trunk.  In the event your car is stolen, by having your purse at hand, you’ll have your identification and insurance cards readily available to give to police. 

2. Carry pepper spray in your purse and don’t be afraid to use it {another reason not to leave your purse in the trunk}.

3. If you have a cell phone that allows you to take photos and someone is attempting to steal your car, try to get a full face photo or a full body shot.  Another good thing to do is to take a picture of your license plate and keep it in your phone or at least memorize the license plate number if you don’t know it already.

4. Be sure to make eye contact with as many attendants as possible to establish your presence in the facility.  This also gives attendants a chance to recognize you as the rightful owner of the vehicle. If claim tickets are offered in exchange for your keys, again make eye contact with the person giving you the ticket.  If that person seems distracted, attempt to greet them or ask them a question to get their attention, again establishing your presence.

5. Look for video cameras both inside and outside of the facility and remember where they are.

6. If someone is attempting to steal your vehicle, it’s time to get loud – yell, scream, cause a scene.

7. Ask a friend to go with you.  If someone attempts to steal your car, one of you can get a detailed description of the thief and keep an eye on the situation, while the other one calls the police.

8. Don’t try to wrestle the thief or get into a physical altercation.   The thief may have a weapon; you could get hurt, or worse – even killed. It’s best to leave police work to the police.  Your car simply isn’t worth losing your life over.

Can you think of any other ways you can protect yourself in this situation?

Tags: Advice, Automobile Safety, General // Add Comment »