freedomatlast
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2013
- Messages
- 1,189
As the supply of new cars and trucks starts to improve, and discounts off of MSRP are becoming more common again, many of us who delayed buying a vehicle are now starting to look again. As I get older, I find myself thinking about safety more and more. And I'm not talking about collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring, lane assist, etc. I'm talking about taking trips across the country and flying under the radar, not standing out in any way.
A few years ago, our older, retired neighbors came back from a trip from the northeast through the mid-west, and they visited many of the national parks and tourist attractions along the way. All in all, a great trip for them. However, one day, they happened to notice the same lifted pickup truck at various times throughout the day. They stopped at a restaurant at the end of the day, and when they came back out, there it was again. They left to head back to the hotel and didn't see anyone following them, so they had no concerns. That night, about 2:00 AM, they woke up to the low rumble of an engine, looked out and there was the same truck again. It parked and two occupants got out, walked by their luxury brand SUV, looked inside it with flashlights and tried to gain access to several hotel room doors nearby, including theirs. He had his pistol out and ready, and fortunately, didn't need to use it. Finally, another vehicle turned into the parking lot and the two men and truck left. They never saw the truck again for the rest of the trip. They commented when they got back, they think they were targeted because they were older, and driving an expensive, late model, luxury brand SUV.
[mod edit]
There seems to be more insanity in the world everyday, and anymore, I would rather blend in with the crowd than stand out, especially when in unfamiliar territory. When choosing a new vehicle, we chose the highest trim level of the base brand rather than buying basically the same vehicle with the luxury brand emblem. (Think Toyota vs. Lexus, Honda vs. Acura, Chevrolet vs. Cadillac, etc).
So I was wondering, does anyone else here attempt to blend into the crowd more as they get older, trying to avoid unwanted attention from the seemingly growing portion of the population with serious hostility and mental issues?
A few years ago, our older, retired neighbors came back from a trip from the northeast through the mid-west, and they visited many of the national parks and tourist attractions along the way. All in all, a great trip for them. However, one day, they happened to notice the same lifted pickup truck at various times throughout the day. They stopped at a restaurant at the end of the day, and when they came back out, there it was again. They left to head back to the hotel and didn't see anyone following them, so they had no concerns. That night, about 2:00 AM, they woke up to the low rumble of an engine, looked out and there was the same truck again. It parked and two occupants got out, walked by their luxury brand SUV, looked inside it with flashlights and tried to gain access to several hotel room doors nearby, including theirs. He had his pistol out and ready, and fortunately, didn't need to use it. Finally, another vehicle turned into the parking lot and the two men and truck left. They never saw the truck again for the rest of the trip. They commented when they got back, they think they were targeted because they were older, and driving an expensive, late model, luxury brand SUV.
[mod edit]
There seems to be more insanity in the world everyday, and anymore, I would rather blend in with the crowd than stand out, especially when in unfamiliar territory. When choosing a new vehicle, we chose the highest trim level of the base brand rather than buying basically the same vehicle with the luxury brand emblem. (Think Toyota vs. Lexus, Honda vs. Acura, Chevrolet vs. Cadillac, etc).
So I was wondering, does anyone else here attempt to blend into the crowd more as they get older, trying to avoid unwanted attention from the seemingly growing portion of the population with serious hostility and mental issues?
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