Could a Thief Steal Your Car With a Bottle?

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that over 1 million vehicles were stolen in 2023.

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With a chilling new viral trend, these numbers may only continue to rise as we approach the end of 2024. 

In a video posted on Nov. 23, one man shares what he says is the inside scoop on the trend. TikToker Husky Muscles (@dfjfj22221) turned to his platform to share with users what he believes to be the newest craze in carjacking. Receiving over 267,000 views and 6,448 likes, the video has quickly amassed quite the audience. 

“This is a new trick car thieves are using,” he titles the video. 

Standing in the snow, the TikToker stands beside his car, holding an empty plastic soda bottle. 

“What they will do is they will put a plastic bottle right here,” he says. 

The TikToker then grabs the bottle by the cap and slips it in between the wheel and door of his vehicle on the passenger side.

“So when you start your car and move it even a little bit, you’re gonna hear a loud pop,” the TikToker explains. “And it’s gonna be the bottle exploding.”

He then quickly moves locations and continues to explain.

“Of course, you’re gonna jump out of the car to see what the sound was,” he says. 

The TikToker then explains how this is allegedly when a car thief will utilize your distraction and jump into the driver’s seat of your car. This gives the thief full control of the vehicle, allowing them to drive away “because you panicked and left the keys in the ignition,” he says—exactly what the carjacker had hoped for.

“So be smart,” he begins to conclude. “Whenever you leave your car, take your keys with you at all times.”

Viewers respond

Despite the video’s serious subject matter, viewers took to the comments section with nothing more than some lighthearted jokes. 

“Me going, ‘opps, I guess I hit something,’ and driving off,” one viewer says.

“My music is far too loud for me to hear anything!” another jokes.  

However, one commenter had a great suggestion to avoid the situation.

“Just check your dash for a low air pressure light,” the commenter advises.

They aren’t wrong. Rather than immediately jumping out of your car, it may be best to see if your dashboard lights up, proving if the noise is due to a mechanical issue or not. And if you don’t immediately see a light, it doesn’t hurt to drive even a few hundred feet before getting out and checking the problem.

Now, this isn’t the first time the Daily Dot has been informed about carjacking trends via the internet. Less than a month ago, an exclusive was shared on a few different ways to avoid many carjacking instances.

So what should you do?

Make sure to keep a tracking device in the car, like an AirTag or Tile. While it may not reap many safety benefits, it allows you to always know the location of your car. This is then potentially saving you both hours of hassle and thousands of dollars. 

Another great idea is to have renters insurance on the car rather than just car insurance. This is because, while renter’s insurance may not cover the car itself, it may cover your belongings within it.

@dfjfj22221 #fyp ♬ original sound – huskymuscles

Is this real?

While it is currently unclear how many have fallen victim to this seemingly niche car-stealing technique, it doesn’t mean it’s not real. It may actually date back all the way to before the pandemic.  

Shared via Facebook in 2018, a picture of a similar occurrence amassed over a quarter of a million shares on the social media platform. It seems as if such a technique may stem from a series of urban legends about crime. 

Still, once again, it’s not entirely clear where such a trend originated. According to Thatsnonsense, there’s no verified evidence that this has truly happened to anyone. The website claims this to be another scare tactic publicized by viewer-hungry content creators.

However, that doesn’t mean that was this TikToker’s intention. More importantly, that doesn’t mean that this can’t or won’t happen. It’s always safe to be aware, just in case.

The Daily Dot reached out to Husky Muscles via TikTok for comment.

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