If you are leaving work one day, or even leaving a store and you find a plastic water or soda bottle between your tire and the wheel well of your car, don't touch it. It may be someone trying to scare you, or just someone being silly, but it maybe a carjacker about to strike, according to Valuable Stories.

The bottle on the tire technique apparently started in South Africa, but now it is making its way around the world thanks to social media.

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Here's how it works, a carjacker will find a car that he's interested in stealing. He will then place a plastic bottle on one of the tires on the passenger side of the car. When the driver gets in and begins to either back away or pull out of the parking spot, the bottle will make a crackling noise.

The carjacker is hoping that you will get out of the car and go to investigate the sound. If you leave your car running, or if you leave the keys inside the car, it will make for a quick getaway for them. I've also seen some stories online where they suggest that someone might use this trick just to steal a purse or other items from inside of your car.

You may think it's silly, and it may never happen in our area, but it is better to be aware of stuff like this than it is to fall victim to it.

My suggestion would be, if you hear something that sounds like you might have ran over a bottle, make sure your doors are locked and back up far enough that you can see what the noise was without getting out of your car. Or, drive a distance away before you get out and check your vehicle.

This video is in Spanish, but it gives you an idea on how the whole thing works.

 

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