Subject: New Car Jacking Scheme

This is a direct lift from an e-mail received by one of our staffers under the heading, "Read, then forward this email - BE AWARE and BE SAFE." (We occasionally do use information that comes to us directly from viewers, but at TN, we usually get the material from the US Census, from NASA and JPL press releases, and other official sources.) However, this looks like good advice, and it was a situation that had never occurred to any of us. So in that spirit, we pass it on.

Imagine: You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine and shift into REVERSE. Habit! You look into the rear-view window to back out of your parking space and you notice a piece of paper, some sort of advertisement stuck to your rear window. So, you shift into PARK, unlock your doors and jump out of your vehicle to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view... when you reach the back of your car, that is when the car-jackers jump out of nowhere ... jump into your car and take off -- your engine was running, your purse was in the car, and may or may not mow you down as they speed off in your car.

So if you see a sheet of paper on your rear window, just drive away and remove the paper later. You'll never know if you thwarted a car-jacker, but at least you'll be in possession of your car while you wonder.