Something that really makes me mad!

[Teddy da Bear 11]

Once before....my wife drove home from work and said her car was driving "funny".

So I would not let her drive it the next day until I looked at it.

The car had just been into the Ford garage for a recall notice on front springs.

The next day I jacked the car up and prepared to remove the tire and look at the job they did. When I went to take off the lug nuts I noticed that 3 of the 4 were loose!

:wtf:

I tightened them all up and took it for a road test... Car drove fine.

I let the Ford garage know exactly what I thought of their "job" on my wife's car.

She is very precious to me and sloppy work like this is not tolerated.

Just yesterday my wife drove home from work and again complained of the car.

I looked at it again and here was the same situation! This time the tire was so loose it had snapped off one of the studs. I checked with my mechanic and the Ford garage and they told me....lug nuts do not loosen by themselves.

My only conclusion was the same as theirs. Someone was trying to hurt my wife! Because the car had crummy tires and ordinary rims.....they were not trying to steal them.

This sort of thing happened years ago at this plant. The men did not like women working there and made it a living hell for those that did.

We took it to security at the plant and they said the same thing. This is not uncommon there.

I am beside myself as to why someone would want to hurt my wife or worse get her killed if the tire should come off at the wrong place and time. My wife has had no problems with anyone there. This is strickly a criminal act of tampering because (we and security believe) she is a woman.

These jack-ass men better be praying I never find them..........enough said.

[jerrell 1]

:hide: These men are :imstupid: , and i agree with you, it is a damn shame you can't find out who those sobs are, just reading your post pizzes me off,

if something like that happened to my family and i found out who it was i would pay them a visit with a baseball bat, and do a little batting practice, my pap always told me "don't get mad, use your head and get even" , what kind of plant does she work at, do they not have roving patrols? i see you said they have security .

[Teddy da Bear 11]

They have cameras and everything! My wife would always park in the same place and in the same direction. One side of the car cannot be viewed with the cameras.

Therefor that is the side the vandals have attacked.. Plus I am not sure security takes this stuff as seriously as it should. I have since asked my wife to go in earlier and park right in front of the guard shack.

It is a military plant.

[linen beige 14]

TDB. Forget being helped by the plant security. There is the remote possibility that a member of security is the one doing it. Contact the police department that has jurisdiction there and plant management. Management would probably appreciate a heads up about anything that could potentially get them sued big time. If nothing gets done from that approach the local media would love to turn it into an expose'. I know of no police department in the nation that likes negative publicity. Keep a running log of all actions regarding these incidents, if the bad guy(s) are caught it will bury them in court. A log will also impress the police AND reinforce the fact that you are serious about catching the culprits.

Most importantly, as tempting as it may be to do something such as wiring a large capacitor so it discharges through the bad guy when he touches the wheel (can you spell BZZZZZZZZT!), play by the rules. You cannot protect your wife if you are locked up.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,337]

Mike,

Do you keep the car in your garage? The reason why I asked is to be sure that some neighborhood punk isn't doing it. If the car is parked in the drive way, then it's fair game to punks like that. You can check the lug nuts then BEFORE she leaves the house.

Second thing, is to have her checked the lug nuts before she leaves home from work. The main thing in my mind is her safety. Jim is right, if there is tampering being done, regardless of where, let the police handle it. Your and your wife's job is to be sure she doesn't drive an unsafe car.

[Teddy da Bear 11]

Yes the car does sit outside here at home. And I already thought of that.

But the car did not act up until she was on her way home from work at

both times. And due to the facts that there were no tracks in the snow

here to indicate anyone came onto the property and I have security cameras

here at the house (with nightvision), I have to conclude it happened at the

plant.

Yes I told my wife to check the lugs everytime she leaves work. And if the

car ever drives or acts funny......park it.....I will come and get it.

The only retaliation I would do/think of is to set up a deep cycle battery and VCR in the trunk with a power inverter and run one of my security cameras from inside the car pointed down toward the tire area. I am going to think about really doing that.

[Butch 194]

Teddy you better get off your duff and report it to the police.

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I am nor sitting on my Duff!

I am handling it....just because I don't handle it the way you see it does not make it wrong.

I have taken a lot of issues to the police and it is a waste of time without proof.

They have told me that dozens of times.

[bitten 133]

TdB

I agree to contact the police just to make sure that it is on record.

Your idea of a camera in the car sounds like a good idea, Proof is where its at.

The idea of a baseball bat is all so very tempting, but take it from a guy that spent two days in jail this summer for grabbing hold of my neice's boyfriend for kicking her teeth out while she was pregnant with his child. I let go of him before I hurt him and still got two days. Think of how long I would have got if I would have done what I wanted to.

There are stupid and mean people out there and would hate to see a good person get cought up in there childish actions.

I pray that this situation is resolved before someone gets hurt.

P.J.

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I would not physically harm anyone (unless there was no other way)... You might be confusing me with someone elses statements. But I would definately haul their sorry butts to the police station.....likely on their butts....

I came here more or less to just rant on this subject....

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,337]

Mike,

I don't think no one here means anything negative about you, they're just showing concern for your wife's safety. At least that's what I'm reading into it.

[Brrly1 1,146]

Hey Teddy Just kind of kick back for a moment and think about this. All these guys here at the square are trying to help you. I think I would be contacting management and the police department. Just like one of the guys suggested, the bookeeping or records of all of this would defintely be a good thing. No body is saying anything bad about you sitting on your Duff. Just think about this. We are on your side. Besides that your wife is very valuable to you and too us also because she keeps you happy,and without a Happy Teddy Da Bear everyone would be unhappy. Keep Us Posted on this. Burly

[perry 82]

hope you can get to the bottom of this and catch them guys,girls,kids, whoever .

meeting you and your wife in person, you'all are very nice. i dont see why any one would want to harm your wife.

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,439]

Maybe you need to get some of those anti-theft lugnuts that guys use on cars with expensive rims. They come with their own lugnut type key to use when taking them off.

It really sucks to think that someone could do that to someone else. I cant imagine having so little conscience(spelling ) to be able to do something like that and still be able to sleep at night.

Mike........

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I had a some of those years ago Sparky. I think they sell you a set of 4 that only amounts to one per wheel to keep someone from stealing it. They could still loosen the other lugnuts.

Thanks for the kind words Perry! Meeting you was a great thing too! Long time no hear! :hide:

[TJ 171]

Are the wheels aluminum. I check the lug nuts on my car regularly because for some reason the nuts will loosen on aluminum wheels.

[Teddy da Bear 11]

No TJ.....like I said in my first post....ordinary stamped out factory steel rims.

And unless "weatherhandler's" are a prize worth stealing.....I do not think

the tires are worth trying to steal.

[bmuone 15]

Hey Bear as a retired Trooper that sets off my wanta squash the bug out of those fools. I'm with the others on how to handle it. I think you should find a way to make this very public. It may not have been only your wife's car that had these things done. Could be someone else is riding around with a loose lug nut. If that plant is a military plant I'm sure there is a chain of command that would be the place to start......and maybe not at the bottom. Good luck and thank goodness you were able to find and fix the problem.....DT

[Teddy da Bear 11]

It's in the works DT.

Thank God my wife is observant. That lesson comes from a neighbor's bad experience.

My neighbor's wife drove home with a new car engine acting up. She ended up burning up the engine of a new SUV!!! When the husband asked why she did not

pull over and call for help..... she replied "I thought I could make it home".

glad she isn't mine!!!!!

[bdanie7 0]

Just a little off topic,but following the messed up motor thing. I work a dealership now,but a few years back I had my own shop.A guy came in for an estimate and said his wife ran the motor without oil.when he asked her when she checked it,she replied never,BUT, the oil light had been on for about a week and she thought that meant it needed changed.She had planned on getting it done the next weekend to surprise her husband. And show him that she was responsible and taking care of their car.

The locking lug nuts is a good suggestion and you can buy kits with enough lug nuts to replace all of them.

It is a sad shame when you have to got extremes to protect your family,and shell out extra cash,just because some people are a-holes.

The people responsible probably don't even realise that their putting lives at stake and in danger.

hopefully this issue gets resolved for you quickly.

[Jim_M 178]

I really have nothing to add. I was just wondering if they're hiring and how would I go about getting my wife a job there? :hide:

[KyBlue 652]

Hey Teddy... Just a thought... It'd be pricey and a bit of a PITA...but have you thought about putting locking lug Nuts on?? I dont mean one on each wheel... I mean Each Stud gets a Locking Lugnut...

[jerrell 1]

:hide: TDB, i hate to say this but the sad truth is unless you or your wife sees who does this and press charges ,you are out of luck, a camera is a good idea,, but expensive, being a past military person, a strong letter to the base commander will do wonders especially if you could have a lawer draw it up, , and especially if you tell him/her that you will not let this go on...and will contact the local paper and (records are important and mean a lot here) expose the sexual harrassement ... i don't condone that treatment of anyone and will do whatever it takes, even spending time in jail, NO ONE MESSES WITH MY FAMILY AND I MEAN NO BODY.. i am tired of seeing this kind of thing going on and evryone turning a blind eye to it. i am not a bad person ,BUT mess with my family and i can become one, God gave me a family so late in life and i promised to take care of them to the best of my abilithy ,,,,,i will not let anyone hurt my family .....

i know this sounds kind of strong but it's time for us to start taking care of ourselves and our community, if we don't WHO WILL, ,, to all who say get the police involved , i agree, but you know and i know the police can't/won't do a thing , this is a civil matter. Tell the police and spend hundreds of bucks, and you will get a court date and a????????? WHAT???? what happens after the judgement???? the car may really fall apart...... just my two cents, and if i was closer i would go with you, to confront those GUYS , TDB this is one time you have to decide for your family's safety ,

This could be and probably is just a bunch of nuts, You say it's happened twice, i would let the base commander know there will be no third time,,,,,

PS.. just as an after thought, our military has lost so much of the personnel, that almost every base now has civilian contractors as base security, not military personnel, maybe a strong letter to the chief of security would help..

[bk-scouter 93]

Slimy bast@rd$, I hope they get caught VERY soon for your wife's safety, and anyone else they could be doing this to...

Personally, I like your hidden camera idea

-BK

[sorekiwi 761]

TdB, I feel your anguish, this is a serious worry for you and your wife.

I work in an industry where a small mistake on my part can lead to a mechanical failure, and the kid in the car might not come back. It nags in the back of my head, and it doesnt get any easier as the years go by.

In addition to that, my wife is permanently disabled from injuries suffered in a car crash. At the age of 35 she lives in a nursing home full of elderly people, and my 4 year old daughter is growing up not knowing her mother as the healthy energetic fun loving person she once was.

The thought of someone deliberately tampering with the safety of someone elses vehicle is absolutely unforgivable in my book. I'd call it attempted murder, and be talking to the police about it.

Just my (very biased) .02c worth.