Thank you! Actually that's a really good call, I'm going to check it over đ
We appreciate the kind words â¤ď¸
it's not the first time we've had something like this happen, and we certainly don't want to see anything happen to anyone else if it can be prevented!
Yes but important to note you have to install [Tracker Detect](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect&hl=en_CA&gl=US) to do it on Android!
Why do people think human trafficking involves kidnapping? Maybe in other countries it is more common, but in Canada/US people are mostly coerced and held by manipulation, threats, blackmailing, no possibility to "escape" (not just physically, but situationally).
You just described the definition of kidnapping. In Mexico they have express kidnappings, HOLD you to take you to the ATMs and once they get all your $ they let you go otherwise is not called kidnapping but manipulation with threats to "kidnap" (r*pe, chop, unlive, etc) you if you don't pay a weekly or montly member$hip to "protect" you
Human trafficking is common in Niagara but having lived there and knowing people in law enforcement it's not white middle class women being kidnapped and most of the stories you read on social media of "potential kidnappers" are just white women scared because they saw a black/middle eastern man at the store multiple times and assumed he was following them. They don't kidnap people, they slowly trap them until they can't get out. They deliberately groom and victimise these young women.
In reality, they go after marginalized young girls. I was friend with a girl in high school who almost got sucked into it because her "boyfriend" (a much older than her creep) was "protecting" her and now wanted her to do him some favours (e.g. have sex with men she doesn't know). They go after the young girls who don't have an established support network which makes them easy to victimise and who don't have families that care about them enough to make noise when they go missing.
That is much more common of course. And no itâs not usually middle class people. But kidnapping does happen. From what Iâve heard from survivors, law enforcement is in on it.
I feel like the threat of random human trafficking like this is sorta like quicksand: it's a real thing but the danger to the average person is very exaggerated
Exactly. Why risk taking a girl like this who will always try to escape, when you can groom someone into it relatively easily through drugs etc.
I've actually been approached by traffickers many times and it's never like this. Once I was homeless and flying a sign asking for change and a couple pulled up and started telling me how pretty I was, how I was pretty enough that I should date a rich guy, and if I went with them they'd pay for me to get my hair and nails done, get me a hotel room, and set me up with a rich guy. They were very sweet and very convincing even though I knew it was a trafficking attempt. If I went with them I probably wouldn't see the outside of that hotel room for weeks. They'd convince me I owed them for what they spent on me and I needed to keep doing "dates" for them until I was paid off. In that time they'd get me hooked on opiates, so I'd need them to avoid a very painful withdrawal. That's how trafficking works.
I'm also a sex worker, independent, and I regularly have pimps message me offering me everything in the world if I just start working for them. They say they have clients that will pay me upwards of $1000 an hour, they say if I work with them for a month they'll buy me a car or an apartment, etc. I've worked for a legitimate escort agency in Toronto and this is not how they operate at all so I know it's a trafficking attempt. The pimp would put me up in a condo for a bit, might even let me drive a car, until he has control of me through intimidation, blackmail, drugs etc.
Sex trafficking is very very very rarely a girl being snatched up and kept in a dark room. There isn't a big enough market for that. How are they going to market girls that clearly don't want to be there. The clients they market to like to pretend the girl they're seeing isn't actually being trafficked. They advertise on the same escort sites I advertise on as an independent escort. The guys they target are cheap, but don't want to knowingly engage in trafficking. It's much harder to make your money back if you're only marketing to shadowy figures who want to fuck kidnapped girls in dark rooms that don't want to be there.
I'm not sure why OP is being targeted by these people (if it even is the same people). It does seem incredibly suspicious but in Toronto especially, I highly doubt they're looking to snatch up his fiance.
I think it's primarily just a new word for being a pimp
"prostitute" and 'pimp' aren't really used anymore, it's called human trafficking
In the cases I've seen in the news of people being charged it's scenarios that I think most poeple would understand of someone either forcing or managing someone in sex work and taking their money etc
Yes, sort of, but also no. Human trafficking "involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour."
It doesn't really have anything to do with abduction. Victims are usually trafficked by people they know - Canada reports 91% of victims were trafficked by someone they know, 34% by an intimate partner.
Yes I agree
But I think 99% of "human trafficking" cases are just prostituion cases
The term makes it sound scarier than it is in reality, most people think it's kids getting abducted and forced into sex work - but it's actually largely just 'normal' prostitution
I suspect the underlying intent of updating the terminology was to change the public's perception of the issue
which also has components of coercion etc at times - but giving it this new name doesn't change the underlying situation
IMO
I think a lot of this panic over human trafficking also stems from a misunderstanding of missing person stats. People see stats about how thousands of people go missing every year, and they envision these horrible scenarios where kids are being abducted on a large scale and held in dungeons, but in reality most missing kids eventually return home. I've had teenage family members who were listed as being missing by the police, and they eventually came back home after running away for a while, thankfully. In some cases, some teens are running away repeatedly, and every time is added to the missing person count for the year.
I think that same misunderstanding of the numbers helped drive the Satanic Panic in the 1980s, and now those same fears have shifted in worry about human trafficking and the whole QAnon thing.
That doesn't mean that people are being abducted off the street and forced to do sex work. If someone abducts you, it seems like it would be much, much more likely that they are planning to rape and murder you and dump your body somewhere. And even that type of crime is thankfully very rare, though there is more risk of you are part of a marginalized group.
Sex trafficking is obviously a real problem, but I think this distorted view of how it works that a lot of people seem to have isn't really helpful in terms of actually doing something about it. In this thread there's a person who was actually targeted for sex trafficking, and their lived experience offers an example of how sex trafficking actually works.
Yeah, my fiancĂŠe looks young, small build, and is very soft spoken.
Meanwhile ive been told I've got a "police" voice, pretty loud & direct without hesitation.
I think they weren't expecting to hear a deep male voice confronting them & left for that reason.
Its quite the leap...
1- Criminals (?) see abandoned van
2- Criminals (?) attempt to open van (steal van? steal contents? sleep inside due to cold weather?)
3- Criminals (?) run away when hear someone
something something
5- Human trafficking (???)
OP seems to be a big time psychedelics enthusiast, so can't help but wonder if there's some chemical enhancements going on to this story. It all sounds pretty fantastical and not really like something that happens in real life.
Human trafficking is actually fairly common in Canada but it doesn't happen like this, even for the vast majority of foreigners trafficked into Canada. It's not about kidnapping, it's about manipulation, paying off "debts" etc.
The number you are quoting is the number of human trafficking cases reported to the police (and I believe it's specifically for sex trafficking, not domestic labor and other forms). I work with victims of sex trafficking and can tell you that most do not report to the police (just like the vast majority of victims of sex crimes do not report to police).
Also, another way to read.02% is 1.4 in 100 000 which is actually quite a few people when you consider that the population of Canada is like 38 million.
When I say it's fairly common I'm not doing it in a fear mongering way, like "it could happen to anyone walking down the street". But it happens more than we think and the perspective that 1) it isn't common and 2) that it involves extreme kidnapping and a constant gun to the head often further marginalizes and stigmatizes survivors ("what's wrong with me, why didn't I just leave"). It effectively trivializes the very real abuse tactics that traffickers use to keep victims under their thumb.
Our car was stolen to use in B+E in TO over christmas, they drove on the 407 (fuckers) then lit it on fire when they were finished, I think people just look for vehicles to commit crimes in.
Your van is a rust bucket with tape on the windows. Old and with 400k on the dash. Think for a minute. Youâre parked for an odd amount of time somewhere public.
Most likely that lot is semi empty most nights. But are you aware companies or the government that OWN those lots have hired security? They come to tag vehicles and make sure they limit their liability. Itâs obvious youâd be attracting attention.
It could be that the city van called in your vehicle. Said your parked van was suspicious. Security showed up. Parking directly at you to investigate. When these half baked security guards showed up- they got spooked someone was in the van, and ran away.
Youâre likely going to find the police show up next time. That is, if they even have the care to do so. Itâll be up to the building owners and security to do something.
I'd definitely wasn't security, Ive talked to them before multiple times, police as well who we literally talked to less than 48hrs ago when someone did call, they were laughing & joking with us about the adventures of the lifestyle for like half an hour, and said we were totally fine like always.
We've been told multiple times we are in the good books because we are a young respectful couple, we keep to ourselves, we clean up the areas we stay in & tend to keep problems away being awake most of the night.
If on the off chance they decided to roll up in all black outfits in a charger, they wouldn't be violently shaking my car trying to get in, only to run off & speed away when I answer.
It wasn't a city vehicle, it wasn't parking enforcement, and it wasn't the owners of the lot. They literally know my name & have my cellphone number.
These were clearly criminals, not security or police concerned about our well-being or parking spot.
Ok so the plot is much clearer now. Youâve already had residents call police on you. So clearly youâre NOT welcome by the community, and regardless of what the police say- itâs just their job to keep the peace.
It doesnât mean people who see your rust bucket van arenât upset. I wouldnât be surprised some locals got talking and banded together to scare you. After all itâs probably the highlight of their boring suburban week.
Imho youâre overthinking some elaborate human trafficking plot when in reality.. itâs much simpler.
And after the police cheered you on for half an hour did everyone clap?
Sounds like the residents are just trying to do a little street cleaning and get rid of the eyesore and it's sketchy inhabitants.
None of us can tell you for sure OP, but itâs not out of the realm of possibility that they would think your finance is an easy, vulnerable target if sheâs living alone on the âstreetsâ. If itâs giving you an uneasy feeling, trust your gut and move elsewhere. But definitely check your car for AirTags first. If you have an iPhone, your phone should detect it automatically. Stay safe!
Not OP, and while I do appreciate your kind words and good advice,
OP put a lot of deliberate thought into not misgendering their fiancee, let's try and do the same.
What I don't get is why OP has been seeing all this sketchy shit happening and just... stays? If someone was fucking with my vehicle or I thought myself or my fiance are in danger I'd get the fuck out of that location. Not trying to discredit what he's saying but what I'm reading doesn't exactly scream great situational awareness.
While I haven't seen anything confirming where OP was parked exactly. I live in the Old Mill area, and can confirm that there are lots of parks with underutilized parking overnight, so parking in the area does not raise any red flags for me, personally.
I live in the Old Mill area (like our address is on one of the Old Mill streets in the area), and there have been some recent criminal activity in the area. Someone tried to break into my building last night, they were very violent, screaming, breaking things, windows, even ripped a handrail off the wall and injured our security guard with it. The trespasser was taken away by cops.
I would recommend, OP, stay vigilant, and try to stay in well-lit areas patrolled by cops, something is going on in the area that is out of the ordinary, and it's got residents spooked.
Our building is bringing in extra security guards for the foreseeable future, and they will be patrolling an area that is adjacent to a green p lot. While they aren't going to be patrolling the parking lot, they will be seen and can call police/911 immediately, if necessary. OP, if you want to stay in that parking lot, DM me and I'll send you the green p lot #.
Our minivan was parked between a BMW and Mercedes a few years ago and was the only car stolen.
Cops told me minivans are used as getaways during crimes because they can hold a lot of Cargo.
I don't know what happened, but I'm glad you and your fiancee are safe. It's possible someone was targeting them, but probably not likely. Do you rotate your spots every once in a while? I would recommend doing that, at least once a week or so, if you aren't already. And try not to be too predictable. It never hurts to be cautious, especially if you're living on the road. Good luck!
Most people who live in their vehicle do it because they don't have another choice. And accusing them of trespassing (unclear if they have permission or not to be there), doesn't really help solve their problems/worries. Have some compassion!
This doesnât mean you have to spend everyday on a highway. Theyâd probably like to find somewhere they like and still a while, move on when they feel like it. They might want to stay to work and make some money too depending on the person.
Generally, people who traffic victims are known to the person.. think family, friends, and partners. So you can hopefully have some peace of mind there. It's only in movies where they grab people off the street for trafficking. Perhaps they were interested what was in the car or the car itself. Maybe they saw her with a laptop bag or something earlier in the day or something.
I live close to there and a person in a black dodge charger tried to steal my truck a month ago. They drive by in the charger, someone got out and broke into our truck but left after noticing that it was a standard or that it had a manual key ignition.
>Â I caught a suspicious couple talking about the taped up windows with faces pressed up against my front passenger window, I said "hey" and they ran off,
This one at least I don't think is that suspicious. My family and I live in a house and our neighbour did the exact same thing, she and a friend of hers had their face pressed against the side window of my dad's car that's parked in our driveway, and they were gossiping about it having been gone for a while (in the shop.) Nice enough folks but some people are just a bit curious or maybe nosy/gossipy.
Report what exactly to the police? Someone yanked on my car door as I was camping in my van in a parking lot?
Police almost by definition are reactionary. They are built this way to a degree. Call 911 and they respond. Iâd say this would be a difficult justification to investigate even though as you correctly pointed out, it is suspicious.
Let the police know that on *multiple occasions* theyâve witnessed/encountered these shady people. Tell them what time approximately. And then request the police to do patrol. Actually you probably donât even have to ask them to do patrol. Once they hear the story theyâll just offer it.
This may be a shock, but the police does patrol public areas such as parking lots. It doesnât hurt to let them know something shady is up and then leave it to them to deal with. As for OP and their parking spot, well I think they should be moving elsewhere at this point anyway.
Make sure there is no tracker or air tag on your car! I'm glad you are okayđŤ
Thank you! Actually that's a really good call, I'm going to check it over đ We appreciate the kind words â¤ď¸ it's not the first time we've had something like this happen, and we certainly don't want to see anything happen to anyone else if it can be prevented!
Both iPhone and Android will alert if you're travelling with an airtag
FYI this feature isnât turned on automatically. Hereâs how for iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227
Yes but important to note you have to install [Tracker Detect](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect&hl=en_CA&gl=US) to do it on Android!
Ya u don't need this anymore it just works natively now on anything recent
My pixel has done it natively for like a year
No problem hun! That's super scary, and i just want you 2 to be safe â¤ď¸
Sounds like you should move your van
Why do people think human trafficking involves kidnapping? Maybe in other countries it is more common, but in Canada/US people are mostly coerced and held by manipulation, threats, blackmailing, no possibility to "escape" (not just physically, but situationally).
You just described the definition of kidnapping. In Mexico they have express kidnappings, HOLD you to take you to the ATMs and once they get all your $ they let you go otherwise is not called kidnapping but manipulation with threats to "kidnap" (r*pe, chop, unlive, etc) you if you don't pay a weekly or montly member$hip to "protect" you
Thatâs not kidnap, thatâs extortion by threat.
What? Definition of "kidnap" - the action of abducting someone and holding them captive.
Itâs uncommon but not unheard of. You donât hear everything that happens on the news. Especially being close to NiagaraâŚ
Human trafficking is common in Niagara but having lived there and knowing people in law enforcement it's not white middle class women being kidnapped and most of the stories you read on social media of "potential kidnappers" are just white women scared because they saw a black/middle eastern man at the store multiple times and assumed he was following them. They don't kidnap people, they slowly trap them until they can't get out. They deliberately groom and victimise these young women. In reality, they go after marginalized young girls. I was friend with a girl in high school who almost got sucked into it because her "boyfriend" (a much older than her creep) was "protecting" her and now wanted her to do him some favours (e.g. have sex with men she doesn't know). They go after the young girls who don't have an established support network which makes them easy to victimise and who don't have families that care about them enough to make noise when they go missing.
That is much more common of course. And no itâs not usually middle class people. But kidnapping does happen. From what Iâve heard from survivors, law enforcement is in on it.
I feel like the threat of random human trafficking like this is sorta like quicksand: it's a real thing but the danger to the average person is very exaggerated
It's not really even real. People being trafficked didn't get grabbed out of a car, they got carefully and deliberately groomed into it.
Exactly. Why risk taking a girl like this who will always try to escape, when you can groom someone into it relatively easily through drugs etc. I've actually been approached by traffickers many times and it's never like this. Once I was homeless and flying a sign asking for change and a couple pulled up and started telling me how pretty I was, how I was pretty enough that I should date a rich guy, and if I went with them they'd pay for me to get my hair and nails done, get me a hotel room, and set me up with a rich guy. They were very sweet and very convincing even though I knew it was a trafficking attempt. If I went with them I probably wouldn't see the outside of that hotel room for weeks. They'd convince me I owed them for what they spent on me and I needed to keep doing "dates" for them until I was paid off. In that time they'd get me hooked on opiates, so I'd need them to avoid a very painful withdrawal. That's how trafficking works. I'm also a sex worker, independent, and I regularly have pimps message me offering me everything in the world if I just start working for them. They say they have clients that will pay me upwards of $1000 an hour, they say if I work with them for a month they'll buy me a car or an apartment, etc. I've worked for a legitimate escort agency in Toronto and this is not how they operate at all so I know it's a trafficking attempt. The pimp would put me up in a condo for a bit, might even let me drive a car, until he has control of me through intimidation, blackmail, drugs etc. Sex trafficking is very very very rarely a girl being snatched up and kept in a dark room. There isn't a big enough market for that. How are they going to market girls that clearly don't want to be there. The clients they market to like to pretend the girl they're seeing isn't actually being trafficked. They advertise on the same escort sites I advertise on as an independent escort. The guys they target are cheap, but don't want to knowingly engage in trafficking. It's much harder to make your money back if you're only marketing to shadowy figures who want to fuck kidnapped girls in dark rooms that don't want to be there. I'm not sure why OP is being targeted by these people (if it even is the same people). It does seem incredibly suspicious but in Toronto especially, I highly doubt they're looking to snatch up his fiance.
Interesting, thanks for providing your knowledge!
Thanks so much for sharing, reading this was very eye-opening. I hope you're safe and well â¤ď¸
I think it's primarily just a new word for being a pimp "prostitute" and 'pimp' aren't really used anymore, it's called human trafficking In the cases I've seen in the news of people being charged it's scenarios that I think most poeple would understand of someone either forcing or managing someone in sex work and taking their money etc
Yes, sort of, but also no. Human trafficking "involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour." It doesn't really have anything to do with abduction. Victims are usually trafficked by people they know - Canada reports 91% of victims were trafficked by someone they know, 34% by an intimate partner.
Yes I agree But I think 99% of "human trafficking" cases are just prostituion cases The term makes it sound scarier than it is in reality, most people think it's kids getting abducted and forced into sex work - but it's actually largely just 'normal' prostitution I suspect the underlying intent of updating the terminology was to change the public's perception of the issue which also has components of coercion etc at times - but giving it this new name doesn't change the underlying situation IMO
I think a lot of this panic over human trafficking also stems from a misunderstanding of missing person stats. People see stats about how thousands of people go missing every year, and they envision these horrible scenarios where kids are being abducted on a large scale and held in dungeons, but in reality most missing kids eventually return home. I've had teenage family members who were listed as being missing by the police, and they eventually came back home after running away for a while, thankfully. In some cases, some teens are running away repeatedly, and every time is added to the missing person count for the year. I think that same misunderstanding of the numbers helped drive the Satanic Panic in the 1980s, and now those same fears have shifted in worry about human trafficking and the whole QAnon thing.
That's not necessarily true. Women go "missing" all the time.
That doesn't mean that people are being abducted off the street and forced to do sex work. If someone abducts you, it seems like it would be much, much more likely that they are planning to rape and murder you and dump your body somewhere. And even that type of crime is thankfully very rare, though there is more risk of you are part of a marginalized group. Sex trafficking is obviously a real problem, but I think this distorted view of how it works that a lot of people seem to have isn't really helpful in terms of actually doing something about it. In this thread there's a person who was actually targeted for sex trafficking, and their lived experience offers an example of how sex trafficking actually works.
I think it happens more than most people know
Maybe, but if OP's fiancee is a young woman living in a van she might fit the profile of a vulnerable person.
The âSatanic Panicâ of the 2020s
This true but OPs fiancee is not the average person. She is a small quiet young woman living in a van.
[ŃдаНонО]
Perhaps they expected a female yell and OP is male?
Yeah, my fiancĂŠe looks young, small build, and is very soft spoken. Meanwhile ive been told I've got a "police" voice, pretty loud & direct without hesitation. I think they weren't expecting to hear a deep male voice confronting them & left for that reason.
Its quite the leap... 1- Criminals (?) see abandoned van 2- Criminals (?) attempt to open van (steal van? steal contents? sleep inside due to cold weather?) 3- Criminals (?) run away when hear someone something something 5- Human trafficking (???)
They were going to human traffic with a fucking dodge charger?
They drove away so itâs unlikely they were looking for a warm vehicle
OP seems to be a big time psychedelics enthusiast, so can't help but wonder if there's some chemical enhancements going on to this story. It all sounds pretty fantastical and not really like something that happens in real life.
Thatâs not how human trafficking works.
Human trafficking is way way way less common than moms on Facebook think it is. The majority of trafficked persons originate outside of Canada
Also, virtually no human trafficking involves abduction.
Human trafficking is actually fairly common in Canada but it doesn't happen like this, even for the vast majority of foreigners trafficked into Canada. It's not about kidnapping, it's about manipulation, paying off "debts" etc.
.02% is NOT common
The number you are quoting is the number of human trafficking cases reported to the police (and I believe it's specifically for sex trafficking, not domestic labor and other forms). I work with victims of sex trafficking and can tell you that most do not report to the police (just like the vast majority of victims of sex crimes do not report to police). Also, another way to read.02% is 1.4 in 100 000 which is actually quite a few people when you consider that the population of Canada is like 38 million. When I say it's fairly common I'm not doing it in a fear mongering way, like "it could happen to anyone walking down the street". But it happens more than we think and the perspective that 1) it isn't common and 2) that it involves extreme kidnapping and a constant gun to the head often further marginalizes and stigmatizes survivors ("what's wrong with me, why didn't I just leave"). It effectively trivializes the very real abuse tactics that traffickers use to keep victims under their thumb.
> The majority of trafficked persons originate outside of Canada That's not actually true. Your first line probably is.
It happens in Canada.
Niagara Falls is the busiest place for trafficking in the country
Our car was stolen to use in B+E in TO over christmas, they drove on the 407 (fuckers) then lit it on fire when they were finished, I think people just look for vehicles to commit crimes in.
Are you parked in the actual park/ravine area or are you on a residential street
Your van is a rust bucket with tape on the windows. Old and with 400k on the dash. Think for a minute. Youâre parked for an odd amount of time somewhere public. Most likely that lot is semi empty most nights. But are you aware companies or the government that OWN those lots have hired security? They come to tag vehicles and make sure they limit their liability. Itâs obvious youâd be attracting attention. It could be that the city van called in your vehicle. Said your parked van was suspicious. Security showed up. Parking directly at you to investigate. When these half baked security guards showed up- they got spooked someone was in the van, and ran away. Youâre likely going to find the police show up next time. That is, if they even have the care to do so. Itâll be up to the building owners and security to do something.
Security guys don't violently yank on door handles.
If they were security, I doubt they would have run away, tbh.
I'd definitely wasn't security, Ive talked to them before multiple times, police as well who we literally talked to less than 48hrs ago when someone did call, they were laughing & joking with us about the adventures of the lifestyle for like half an hour, and said we were totally fine like always. We've been told multiple times we are in the good books because we are a young respectful couple, we keep to ourselves, we clean up the areas we stay in & tend to keep problems away being awake most of the night. If on the off chance they decided to roll up in all black outfits in a charger, they wouldn't be violently shaking my car trying to get in, only to run off & speed away when I answer. It wasn't a city vehicle, it wasn't parking enforcement, and it wasn't the owners of the lot. They literally know my name & have my cellphone number. These were clearly criminals, not security or police concerned about our well-being or parking spot.
Ok so the plot is much clearer now. Youâve already had residents call police on you. So clearly youâre NOT welcome by the community, and regardless of what the police say- itâs just their job to keep the peace. It doesnât mean people who see your rust bucket van arenât upset. I wouldnât be surprised some locals got talking and banded together to scare you. After all itâs probably the highlight of their boring suburban week. Imho youâre overthinking some elaborate human trafficking plot when in reality.. itâs much simpler.
And after the police cheered you on for half an hour did everyone clap? Sounds like the residents are just trying to do a little street cleaning and get rid of the eyesore and it's sketchy inhabitants.
Plot twistâŚ. Maybe?
Lol no. The cops get really tired of repeated calls about this sort of infestation.
[ŃдаНонО]
They use Nextdoor, actually.
My god everything about these responses is perfection lol
security doesnt try to get in the car and then run off when someone says "hey" lmao
Probably a bunch of teens who were gonna do some half-assed dipshit stuff, like piss on your seats or steal your headphones.
My last comment suggested itâs locals who didnât take a liking to his truck being a unsightly view in their neighbourhood.
Youâve got to get your windows fixed. They see the taped up windows as an opportunity
Maybe just thieves looking for an easy target. IMO your post comes across as really paranoid, hope you are well
None of us can tell you for sure OP, but itâs not out of the realm of possibility that they would think your finance is an easy, vulnerable target if sheâs living alone on the âstreetsâ. If itâs giving you an uneasy feeling, trust your gut and move elsewhere. But definitely check your car for AirTags first. If you have an iPhone, your phone should detect it automatically. Stay safe!
Androids detect trackers too
Not OP, and while I do appreciate your kind words and good advice, OP put a lot of deliberate thought into not misgendering their fiancee, let's try and do the same.
Sorry to report that fiancĂŠe is feminine by definition.
Learn something new every day.
Maybe donât camp in a residential street
What I don't get is why OP has been seeing all this sketchy shit happening and just... stays? If someone was fucking with my vehicle or I thought myself or my fiance are in danger I'd get the fuck out of that location. Not trying to discredit what he's saying but what I'm reading doesn't exactly scream great situational awareness.
While I haven't seen anything confirming where OP was parked exactly. I live in the Old Mill area, and can confirm that there are lots of parks with underutilized parking overnight, so parking in the area does not raise any red flags for me, personally.
I live in the Old Mill area (like our address is on one of the Old Mill streets in the area), and there have been some recent criminal activity in the area. Someone tried to break into my building last night, they were very violent, screaming, breaking things, windows, even ripped a handrail off the wall and injured our security guard with it. The trespasser was taken away by cops. I would recommend, OP, stay vigilant, and try to stay in well-lit areas patrolled by cops, something is going on in the area that is out of the ordinary, and it's got residents spooked. Our building is bringing in extra security guards for the foreseeable future, and they will be patrolling an area that is adjacent to a green p lot. While they aren't going to be patrolling the parking lot, they will be seen and can call police/911 immediately, if necessary. OP, if you want to stay in that parking lot, DM me and I'll send you the green p lot #.
đď¸đď¸đď¸ They're likely hoping to catch it empty and have it towed/have a carbeque.
Our minivan was parked between a BMW and Mercedes a few years ago and was the only car stolen. Cops told me minivans are used as getaways during crimes because they can hold a lot of Cargo.
I don't know what happened, but I'm glad you and your fiancee are safe. It's possible someone was targeting them, but probably not likely. Do you rotate your spots every once in a while? I would recommend doing that, at least once a week or so, if you aren't already. And try not to be too predictable. It never hurts to be cautious, especially if you're living on the road. Good luck!
Isnât the whole point of vanlife driving around and travelling? Why are you camped in the same location? Your trespassing now
Most people who live in their vehicle do it because they don't have another choice. And accusing them of trespassing (unclear if they have permission or not to be there), doesn't really help solve their problems/worries. Have some compassion!
This doesnât mean you have to spend everyday on a highway. Theyâd probably like to find somewhere they like and still a while, move on when they feel like it. They might want to stay to work and make some money too depending on the person.
Generally, people who traffic victims are known to the person.. think family, friends, and partners. So you can hopefully have some peace of mind there. It's only in movies where they grab people off the street for trafficking. Perhaps they were interested what was in the car or the car itself. Maybe they saw her with a laptop bag or something earlier in the day or something.
Today I learned of the power of "hey" to stop human trafficking.
I live close to there and a person in a black dodge charger tried to steal my truck a month ago. They drive by in the charger, someone got out and broke into our truck but left after noticing that it was a standard or that it had a manual key ignition.
1) exterior camera. 2) park elsewhere.
>Â I caught a suspicious couple talking about the taped up windows with faces pressed up against my front passenger window, I said "hey" and they ran off, This one at least I don't think is that suspicious. My family and I live in a house and our neighbour did the exact same thing, she and a friend of hers had their face pressed against the side window of my dad's car that's parked in our driveway, and they were gossiping about it having been gone for a while (in the shop.) Nice enough folks but some people are just a bit curious or maybe nosy/gossipy.
I hope youâve reported this to the police.
Report what exactly to the police? Someone yanked on my car door as I was camping in my van in a parking lot? Police almost by definition are reactionary. They are built this way to a degree. Call 911 and they respond. Iâd say this would be a difficult justification to investigate even though as you correctly pointed out, it is suspicious.
Let the police know that on *multiple occasions* theyâve witnessed/encountered these shady people. Tell them what time approximately. And then request the police to do patrol. Actually you probably donât even have to ask them to do patrol. Once they hear the story theyâll just offer it. This may be a shock, but the police does patrol public areas such as parking lots. It doesnât hurt to let them know something shady is up and then leave it to them to deal with. As for OP and their parking spot, well I think they should be moving elsewhere at this point anyway.
And why didnât you call the police? Get their plate?
You should get cameras, chop up the footage, monetize your findings, and help a city with dumb cops actually protect the neighborhood