Houston Car Salesman Abducted During Test Drive

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 01/05/2016 at 11:06 • Filed to: None

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Two men who went to a Houston-area Dodge dealer for a test drive fought with the salesman and put him in the trunk of the red Dodge Challenger and drove away. The salesman was able to text his boss from the trunk, then free himself using the interior emergency trunk release.

Houston Police Department Lt Larry Crowson said, “He was able to open the trunk using the emergency latch. The two suspects got out, tried to put him in the trunk, he didn’t feel like he wanted to go back in the trunk, got in a fight with them, was able to get the pistol away from one of the suspects and shoot one of the suspects.” ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

The suspects are still at large, and it is unclear if either of them were actually shot by the salesman.

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Rico > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:09

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Pssh if I’m shooting I’m shooting to kill. You’re not going to kidnap me and get away with that, FOH.

450X_FTW > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:13

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worst kidnappers, ever

TheHondaBro > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:16

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Jesus Chrysler, that must’ve been a real Challenge. Hopefully he can Dodge that scenario in the future.

DoYouEvenShift > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:16

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They glow in the dark!

Azrek > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:17

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I’d nominate this for the most Texas/Florida thing that will happen today.

Shane MacGowan's Teeth > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:20

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Good to know the Challenger has a roomy trunk!

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 11:24

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......the door is to your left

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 11:27

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...I’ll Charge my way to the door.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 11:28

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if you get lost, I can give you a Compass

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Rico 01/05/2016 at 11:33

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I’m with you man. Stuff me in a trunk and then let me get your gun? It’ll probably be empty when it’s pulled out of my hands...

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 11:34

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Kidnapper pro tip:

Don’t let him keep his cell phone.

Man, freaking amateur hour over here.

PatBateman > DoYouEvenShift 01/05/2016 at 11:34

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I like that the handle actually shows what most people would describe as a kidnapping escape.

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 11:35

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NO. I refuse to use a Compass. I’m a Renegade adventurer.

Cash Rewards > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 11:39

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I think it really says a lot about the current state of our Town & country that this sort of thing goes on. I’d like to journey to a place without this sort of violence.

TheHondaBro > Cash Rewards 01/05/2016 at 11:40

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It’s just like the song goes: “And I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more!”

E92M3 > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 11:42

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Are you an ex-Patriot?

Rico > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 11:42

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Exactly, who knows to what end they would’ve taken this. I’m not going to wind up dead or at their mercy and hope that they let me go. I get your gun it’s over for you buddy boy.

Tripper > Rico 01/05/2016 at 11:43

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Right! “So it was a good shot. What do you want from me?”

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 11:50

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...i cant do this anymore

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 11:55

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And for God’s sake, don’t let him grab the gun!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Rico 01/05/2016 at 12:01

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Damn right. Only reason I said it’ll “probably” be empty is because it might be smart that once they drop to keep a few rounds ready in case there are more you didn’t know about.

from what I’ve heard in those scenarios, it’s really hard to stop pulling the trigger though and I doubt after being stuffed in a god damn trunk anyone’s going to complain about a few extra rounds in these guys....

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 01/05/2016 at 12:02

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Rule #2, you’re skipping ahead!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 01/05/2016 at 13:06

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Side note, weren’t the powershift transmissions wrecked when they were designed?

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 14:30

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The biggest failing that I’ve heard was the seal on the transmission input shaft. In the first few years of transmission production the seals didn’t seal well, which allowed transmission fluid to leak out when the clutches engaged/disengaged. The fluid pooled at the bottom of the bellhousing, then soaked the clutches, and ruined them. The wife of a college friend has a 2011 Fiesta who’s Powershift had to be rebuilt because of poor seals, and another college friend with an early-2012 Focus also had major problems with slipping clutches.

That’s not the only problem though. There were a few different clutch revisions, supposedly to improve the lining durability, and the TCM’s have a habit of failing. They also shifted like 16 year olds learning how to drive a stick for the first time - poorly timed and slow upshifts, heavily delayed downshifts which lead to rough double-downshifts, and lugging and slipping at low speeds. The transmissions were universally a mess, programming wise, which wasn’t helped by the mechanical faults.

Mine was built late enough in 2012 (end of June - right before the 4th of July end-of-model-year shutdown) that it hasn’t had any leaking issues. Ford also recently released a software update TSB that cleans up the software enough that it finally shifts like a decent automatic, with few bad habits. It’s not a VW DSG, but it’s pretty fast and smooth, and hesitates far less downshifting. If I could have bought a Focus with a 6 speed - the 5 speed is way too buzzy on the highway - I would have, but the Powershift has worked pretty well for me.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 01/05/2016 at 14:58

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Sounds like you’re one of the lucky ones. A previous coworker had the “low power mode” keep kicking in because of the TCM. Where it basically drops your car to only being able to go 5 mph.

Not a fun event while driving on a 70 mph highway. I may not like the guy, but I don’t wish THAT on him.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 15:21

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I think there’s a ‘service campaign’ for free replacement up to 100k miles or so for the TCM. I’m at 63k and haven’t had any issues thankfully.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 01/05/2016 at 15:24

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*knocks on wood for your sake*

He’s had his replaced twice.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 15:28

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I’m going to kiss that car when I drive it home today.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 01/05/2016 at 15:29

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whatever it likes you must do.

Even if you have to go full Wert.

yitznewton > PatBateman 01/05/2016 at 16:02

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I saw that when I looked at the 2016 Camaro last week, and chuckled. Who knew it was legit?!

Escape mechanisms are good, though. I got stuck in the elevator in our apartment building in 1984 or so, when I was about 3... the damn alarm button was too high for me to reach, so all I could do was pound on the door and wait until my mom figured out I was missing.

yitznewton > Azrek 01/05/2016 at 16:04

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My comment was going to be, “C’mon Florida, are you going to take that from Texas?!”

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 16:16

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Are we absolutely positive this didn’t actually happen in Florida and the story didn't just get screwed up by the media?

ttyymmnn > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/05/2016 at 16:18

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Well, they’re really not all that far apart. Even closer if you measure from Pensacola. Maybe it’s the influence of the Gulf of Mexico.

Cash Rewards > TheHondaBro 01/05/2016 at 18:23

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I bet the salesman didn’t 4c this happening when he won’t up that morning!

Been bothering me all day, I knew there was more to work with there