FAST food: Hijackers targeting drive thrus, says expert

Crime statistics are a sad state of affairs in South Africa. Now, hijackers targeting drive thrus is a new and bizarre scenario you need to be vigilant against, says Duma Ngcobo, COO of Tracker.

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Speaking with eNCA, Ngcobo said fast food patrons are being taken advantage of, with hijackers targeting drive thrus, reports TopAuto.

HIJACKERS TARGETING DRIVE THRUS

Of course, when it comes to hijackings in South Africa, there’s not a lot that can surprise us. However, it does seem as though hijackers are becoming more opportunistic and widening their scope to catch motorists off guard.

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In Ngcobo’s discussion with eNCA, he highlighted the top three hijacking techniques in the country. Here’s how you can be less vulnerable in these instances:

1. After identifying a car they would like to steal, hijackers will follow a victim home and block them in/near their driveway. Be vigilant of the cars around you at all times. If you suspect you’re being followed, DO NOT go home. Rather proceed to the nearest police station or private security HQ.
2. Never ever stop or react if someone is pointing at your car, suggesting there is something wrong with it and you must stop. Their nefarious plan is once you’ve pulled over, hijackers will spring out from the side of the road.
3. Perhaps the scariest is instances of hijackers impersonating police officers. This is an especially dangerous one because how are you to know you’re being pulled over by a criminal? The only thing you can do here is be hyper-vigilant and if you suspect anything is untoward about the officer pulling you over – particularly if you haven’t transgressed any law – don’t stop and proceed to a police station.

NOT-SO FAST FOOD

And now, Ngcobo warns that Tracker has identified increased cases of hijackers targeting drive thrus. When you think about it, you are vulnerable in the drive-thru lane, waiting for your meal in your car with the engine running.

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God forbid you ever find yourself in a hijacking scenario, Ngcobo says you should avoid an contact with the attackers and simply try to make an escape. “A car is replaceable, a life is not,” concludes Ngcobo.

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