Sabotage

[Ako Si Jamie]

Some waste of oxygen has been letting the tyres down on the van causing me to have a blowout on the motorway. Fortunately I wasn't going too fast at the time as I was turning off towards the services.

I only realised today it was being sabotaged as it was the third time it happened, all on different tyres. The van isn't mine so this might not be directed at me but to the owner.

But I got a gut feeling it's my next door neighbour . She moved in about a year ago and has this annoying habit of parking about two feet from my bumper whenever I park in front of her place , like to say, you're parking in my space.

[Englishman2010]

You're a lucky man Jamie, it could have been a lot worse. It's a truly wicked thing to sabotage anyone's property, but when it's something that could easily cause serious injury or death it can't go unpunished.
Clearly without proof there's not much you can do as she isn't going to admit to it, and taking the law into your own hands, although probably very tempting isn't the answer either. I guess reporting it to the Police isn't an option, as without proof there's not a lot they can do either.
The only thing I can recommend is to set up a small and cheap CCTV system either on your van or property to see if you can catch the culprit in the act.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Yeah I was thinking of CCTV. Either that or kipping in the van

[Dedworth]

How about a baseball bat and ski mask in addition to the CCTV .

Seriously though a wicked thing to do, I suppose you'll have to check the pressures for a while

[Ako Si Jamie]

I will

[KeithD]

Put dog poo through her letterbox

[Ako Si Jamie]

Have to get proof first before plotting revenge

[Pete/London]

Hi Jamie, not a good thing to have problems with neighbours.
What you could try is letting her tyres down and see if she comes knocking at your door first, if she gets verbal then that should confirm its her.
Another method is to go into a plumbers shop and buy some black gas grease and smear it on the tyre valve caps. It takes days to wash the stuff off you hands, trick is to try and check her hands

[Terpe]

......Another method is to go into a plumbers shop and buy some black gas grease and smear it on the tyre valve caps. It takes days to wash the stuff off you hands, trick is to try and check her hands

I like this

[KeithD]

Take your wheels off at night and put then in your house

[Englishman2010]

Take your wheels off at night and put then in your house

That must be something you learned in Liverpool

[KeithD]

That must be something you learned in Liverpool

.... especially when ManU fans were in the area

[Arthur Little]

I only realised today it was being sabotaged as it was the third time it happened, all on different tyres. The van isn't mine so this might not be directed at me but to the owner.

Looks as though it's someone with a grudge, right enough. But whoever it might be, this person is gambling with your life - not to mention that of anyone else likely to be driving the van - is either totally irresponsible or plumb loco ... and needs to be stopped in his/her tracks before there's a serious "accident"! Until then, take the precaution of having your tyre pressures checked regularly.

[Ako Si Jamie]

The tyres were OK this morning but then again I deliberately parked a few car lengths further up and not in 'her space' to see what would happen.

Pete - Not a bad idea but the problem is I very rarely see her.

[KeithD]

Just buy one of those cheap realistic cameras off Ebay and point it at your van.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Don't get me started on buying cheap crappy stuff on Ebay

Unless it's something like a book or a branded item, I'm wary about buying it.

[stevewool]

i get that too from my neighbour, they think that its there space , not the tyre let down stuff, just parking up your bumper stuff, best bet is park there if you can stand it and if not move your car, silly things like this does cause lots of trouble, but i would let the police know about this, never know a friendly knock on the naighbours doors about someone letting down tyres might get her or them to stop

[Ako Si Jamie]

We share a pathway so I park outside the gate but I suppose it's slightly more over on her side but at the end of the day, I've been living there for nearly 9 years and have always parked there where she's only been there a year.

She doesn't realise that I'm friendly with her landladies who she rents from. They use to live there themselves for awhile and I've got their number so if I really wanted to I could stir up something and get her kicked out but like I said I don't know for sure it's her yet. She's actually an extremely quiet neighbour and I never hear any noise from her but the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

I'm not going to call the cops, I'll find out if it's her my own way and if it is, there are plenty of ways of getting her back.

[johncar54]

Sorry if I have missed it, but have you tried chatting with your neighbour? Maybe there is a misunderstanding, which can be resolved.

If that does not work try telling the neighbour, in a friendly/confidential way, that you have installed a CCTV to catch 'the person responsible' That should discourage her.

[Ako Si Jamie]

John - she's the type of person who doesn't answer her door to anyone and anyway I don't feel like being friendly to someone who caused me to have a blowout.

Incidentally I parked in 'her space' this morning after I went out. Her car wasn't there but when she came back she parked behind me in a normal way for the first time ever and not up my bumper.

[stevewool]

you see i bet she read this and understands now

[Ako Si Jamie]

I was thinking that myself Steve.

[johncar54]

......................... I don't feel like being friendly to someone who caused me to have a blowout.

As an outsider here, it would seem that you believe she was responsible, you you don't know for certain.

Whilst I guess we don't all do it, one should at least visually check tyres before you drive, especially as high speed (50+). Police drivers check tyre pressures, with a gauge, when they take over a car for their shift. Also when a tyre is slowly deflating (the biggest cause of blow outs) the tyre vibrates (this causes the over heating which in turn causes the blow-out) one thus gets an, albeit subtle, a warning.

I would have thought that as you 'suspect' someone is tampering with your tyres you should take extra care, to protect your life and that of other (innocent) road users.

[Ako Si Jamie]

As an outsider here, it would seem that you believe she was responsible, you you don't know for certain.

Whilst I guess we don't all do it, one should at least visually check tyres before you drive, especially as high speed (50+). Police drivers check tyre pressures, with a gauge, when they take over a car for their shift. Also when a tyre is slowly deflating (the biggest cause of blow outs) the tyre vibrates (this causes the over heating which in turn causes the blow-out) one thus gets an, albeit subtle, a warning.

I would have thought that as you 'suspect' someone is tampering with your tyres you should take extra care, to protect your life and that of other (innocent) road users.

Since it happened I've been checking the tyres about three times before I set off & after driving a few miles before going on the motorway and you're right I'm not certain it's her. It's a gut feeling and that's why I'm not doing anything yet until I'm sure.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Got a text from someone who admitted to letting my tyres down. Don't know him that well but have gone out for a few drinks with him on occasions.

Seemed an OK kind of guy. Thought he was joking at first but someone who knows him well said he does these kind of things and he suspected it was him to start with. The bloke needs to get a life. He's already annoyed a couple of other people this week by causing trouble.

What a !!!......... and to think, this nob trained as a solicitor!

[jimeve]

What a !!!......... and to think, this nob trained as a solicitor!

maybe he's looking for a client. waiting for an accident to happen.