When do you leave your car?

[bwhite421]

We have all seen these scenes in movies where the highways are jammed with cars. Characters come accross a road that is blocked with abandoned cars and have to find a way around. I am wondering if you are one of those people in your car when something goes down, when do you abandon your vehicle and walk?

You don't know if it is a traffic jam, or a SHTF scenario breaking out. So how long do you wait? Time is a precious resource in a SHTF scenario, but you obviously don't want to abandon your car with your BOB everytime traffic stops up. So do you wait for information to come over the radio? How many people do you call before you leave? What if radio and phones quit working? I'm sure everyone will have a different breaking point, but I am currious what those points are for the survival minded people on this forum? I work 30 miles from my home, and this has always been a concern for me, as it is a LONG walk home if something goes down when I am driving and have to hoof it home.

[TacAir]

Welcome to the board, swing by the intro section and - well, introduce yourself.

IF you work 30 miles from home I would suggest keeping a bicycle at work or a folding bike in the car. Even a single speed Dahon will allow you to get home in about 4 hours or less.

If you abandon your car and it is not a 'permanent' ' situation, how much will the damage and towing fees cost?

[ThePhuckStopsHere]

Have alternate routes pre planned , they may be longer than your straight shot , but if it's clogged then odds are you will fair better . Keep a BOB in your car and good walking shoes or hiking boots . If you have to ditch the car get it off the main road and something as simple as pulling the plug wires and deflating the tires and pulling out the battery and stashing it in the bushes nearby will almost guarantee it being there later.
Plus a little subterfuge will go a long way , leave the gas door open , gas cap hanging and a paper sign on window that says out of gas , went to get some . Simple things will deter the everyday scavenger , if it's too much work to get , odds are they will move on to a easier target .

[DarkAxel]

When do I leave the BOV?

1. When the BOV is broke down and I don't have time to fix it.
2. If caught in a massive traffic jam of evacuees that isn't going anywhere and I need to GTFO right the fuck now.
3. When I run out of fuel and have no way of refueling.

That about covers it.

[LowKey]

When do I leave the BOV?

1. When the BOV is broke down and I don't have time to fix it.
2. If caught in a massive traffic jam of evacuees that isn't going anywhere and I need to GTFO right the fuck now.
3. When I run out of fuel and have no way of refueling.

That about covers it.

^ This.

I'll add-

Steer your vehicle over the shoulder and completely off the road, preferably far off the road.
If/when the emergency is over your vehicle is probably going to need assistance before you can drive it away (fuel, battery, ect.) under the best of circumstances, so possibly needing a tow truck/winch/tow strap to get your vehicle back on pavement isn't really that much more work. You'll have made it just that much easier for any efforts to completely clear the road surface and reduced the chance of your vehicle being damaged by others trying to force their way through the packed cars. If there should be a fire in the pack of cars on the road surface your's wont be in it.

When you leave it you have 2 options- to lock your car or leave it unlocked.
In either case you should consider everything you leave in the car and the car itself as lost for good.
About the only difference I can see is that unlocked it may not have the windows broken if you do recover it, but of course if your insurance company is aware that you left the car unlocked they may not pay on any claim you file.
Leaving a key in the ignition might not be a bad idea if you think the car is "lost for good", rather than a situation where you honestly believe you'll be back for it in a week or 2 at maximum. With your car unattended for that long the only thing it's door and ignition locks will do is cause a thief to damage your car while doing whatever he intends to do, but leaving the key might reduce damages if the car needs to be moved by LE, road services, ect.


If you need to leave your vehicle and walk out of the area, do it quickly, and do it quietly.
Make the decision before other people stuck in the jam start to turn ugly, before fights break out. Once that happens they're also more prone to acts of violence against random strangers....especially random strangers who are carrying things like water, food, and camping equipment that they may not have.
Try to get away from the road where the jam occurred. Look on your map (you do own a map, right?) and find a smaller road that you cn use to walk out.
Get away from the pack of humanity that is going to grow more cranky and irrational by the hour as they're stuck on the road with little food or water. Be long gone over the horizon before they have a chance to turn into a mob.
In a disaster, large unorganized groups of hungry, thirsty, scared, and frustrated people may be hazardous to your health.

[Braxton]

If you abandon your car and it is not a 'permanent' ' situation, how much will the damage and towing fees cost?

Standard tow rates can very wildly from location to location. National averages are as follows.

Police tow, $150 to $200.

Storage fees, $20 to $40 Per calendar day or fraction thereof. ( Get that car back ASAP. This adds Up )

Police Release, $100 to $500. ( Yes $500 bucks just for a paper to let you get your car.)

And if you can not afford to get your car out of impound, It will be sold off at auction in 30 to 90 days depending on state law.

Think about that before you leave your car and take off on foot.

[uncleben03]

Never! A man never leaves his Jeep!

[jimdawg]

I will never leave my BOV. I live in an area where I can jump across open fields and other properties to get where I need to go. Might have to cross a creek or two but the durango can handle everything I have around here.

[TXwaterdog]

I will never leave my BOV. I live in an area where I can jump across open fields and other properties to get where I need to go. Might have to cross a creek or two but the durango can handle everything I have around here.

DarkAxel wrote:
When do I leave the BOV?

1. When the BOV is broke down and I don't have time to fix it.
2. If caught in a massive traffic jam of evacuees that isn't going anywhere and I need to GTFO right the fuck now.
3. When I run out of fuel and have no way of refueling.

That about covers it.

Agreed, never. Always have alternate routes planned. The only time to abandon a vehicle in PAW/ SHTF is when that vehicle is no longer doing the job (unfixable, unmovable, not working as shelter)... That vehicle is your shelter protect it with your life in PAW/ SHTF. Even if it's not moving it still might protect you against assailants by just locking the doors, etc. There's nothing wrong with sheltering in place right there on the side of the road if there is no real threat. You'll have to judge your surroundings and determine if going out on foot is more hazardous than locking your doors and spray painting your windows black.

In all the movies you always see a sea of abandoned vehicles on the major highways going out of the city. That sea of Cars is perhaps a bad place to be.. or it could be the best place as everyone else runs away on foot from lets say Zombies chasing them. If you simply shelter in place you might be able to ride-out the first wave. If your hoofing it along with all the other refugies then there's a chance the person next to you is infected... quarantine yourself and shelter in place.. zombies will go after the easy meals first. Just like a lion attacks a wounded Giselle, an animalistic zombie will go after the family next to you abandoning the car and running into open field next to the highway.

[LowKey]

If you abandon your car and it is not a 'permanent' ' situation, how much will the damage and towing fees cost?

Standard tow rates can very wildly from location to location. National averages are as follows.

Police tow, $150 to $200.

Storage fees, $20 to $40 Per calendar day or fraction thereof. ( Get that car back ASAP. This adds Up )

Police Release, $100 to $500. ( Yes $500 bucks just for a paper to let you get your car.)

And if you can not afford to get your car out of impound, It will be sold off at auction in 30 to 90 days depending on state law.

Think about that before you leave your car and take off on foot.

I'm pretty sure that what you've described above gets waived during mass evacuations.
Does anyone know if they impounded cars left on the side of the road during Katrina?
Were the fees levied and cars auctioned after 30/90 days?

In any case, I'm reasonably certain your insurance claim will go through if your claim reads, "Ran out of gas while evacuating. Parked car at <address/location>. Car now missing, reported stolen."

[Tohrture]

If you abandon your car and it is not a 'permanent' ' situation, how much will the damage and towing fees cost?

Standard tow rates can very wildly from location to location. National averages are as follows.

Police tow, $150 to $200.

Storage fees, $20 to $40 Per calendar day or fraction thereof. ( Get that car back ASAP. This adds Up )

Police Release, $100 to $500. ( Yes $500 bucks just for a paper to let you get your car.)

And if you can not afford to get your car out of impound, It will be sold off at auction in 30 to 90 days depending on state law.

Think about that before you leave your car and take off on foot.

I'm pretty sure that what you've described above gets waived during mass evacuations.
Does anyone know if they impounded cars left on the side of the road during Katrina?
Were the fees levied and cars auctioned after 30/90 days?

In any case, I'm reasonably certain your insurance claim will go through if your claim reads, "Ran out of gas while evacuating. Parked car at <address/location>. Car now missing, reported stolen."

I doubt it. The Government is always going to get what they feel is owed to them. It kind of falls under the realm of "Crisis Capitalism". The gov't creates a problem, then, offers a solution for it. At a price. Basically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_theory

And I will give you a perfect "for instance". At my divorce hearing over 12 years ago,In the courthouse, my purse (with all my money) was stolen off the xray scanner in front of 4 armed officers (who did nothing). No money means I can't pay the parking meter. Guess what? I got a parking ticket. When I sent the ticket back in with an explanation as to what happened and an appeal to the courts to have the price of the ticket waived, they DENIED it. I had to pay the ticket anyway. Don't abandon your car unless absolutely necessary, but don't expect the govt to waive fees just because its a disaster. Go back and get your car as soon as possible or write it off as a total loss.

If you really want to know the answer to that question, which is a good one, ask your insurance company. They should be able to tell you.

[LowKey]

If you abandon your car and it is not a 'permanent' ' situation, how much will the damage and towing fees cost?

Standard tow rates can very wildly from location to location. National averages are as follows.

Police tow, $150 to $200.

Storage fees, $20 to $40 Per calendar day or fraction thereof. ( Get that car back ASAP. This adds Up )

Police Release, $100 to $500. ( Yes $500 bucks just for a paper to let you get your car.)

And if you can not afford to get your car out of impound, It will be sold off at auction in 30 to 90 days depending on state law.

Think about that before you leave your car and take off on foot.

I'm pretty sure that what you've described above gets waived during mass evacuations.
Does anyone know if they impounded cars left on the side of the road during Katrina?
Were the fees levied and cars auctioned after 30/90 days?

In any case, I'm reasonably certain your insurance claim will go through if your claim reads, "Ran out of gas while evacuating. Parked car at <address/location>. Car now missing, reported stolen."

I doubt it. The Government is always going to get what they feel is owed to them. It kind of falls under the realm of "Crisis Capitalism". The gov't creates a problem, then, offers a solution for it. At a price. Basically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_theory

And I will give you a perfect "for instance". At my divorce hearing over 12 years ago,In the courthouse, my purse (with all my money) was stolen off the xray scanner in front of 4 armed officers (who did nothing). No money means I can't pay the parking meter. Guess what? I got a parking ticket. When I sent the ticket back in with an explanation as to what happened and an appeal to the courts to have the price of the ticket waived, they DENIED it. I had to pay the ticket anyway. Don't abandon your car unless absolutely necessary, but don't expect the govt to waive fees just because its a disaster. Go back and get your car as soon as possible or write it off as a total loss.

If you really want to know the answer to that question, which is a good one, ask your insurance company. They should be able to tell you.

Actually I'm waiting for any of our members from the NOLA area to chime in on th subject, they'll know if cars abandoned/stuck during the evacuation racked up excessive fees.
A stolen purse is bit different from "Mass Mandatory Disaster Evacuation". If you had been unable to pay the parking meter because a hurricane was sweeping through the area you would probably had a better chance of the judge waiving the fine.

Also, I can't ask my insurance company...I don't have one. My vehicles are all rentals, paid for covered by my employers.

[jimdawg]

I will never leave my BOV. I live in an area where I can jump across open fields and other properties to get where I need to go. Might have to cross a creek or two but the durango can handle everything I have around here.

DarkAxel wrote:
When do I leave the BOV?

1. When the BOV is broke down and I don't have time to fix it.
2. If caught in a massive traffic jam of evacuees that isn't going anywhere and I need to GTFO right the fuck now.
3. When I run out of fuel and have no way of refueling.

That about covers it.

Agreed, never. Always have alternate routes planned. The only time to abandon a vehicle in PAW/ SHTF is when that vehicle is no longer doing the job (unfixable, unmovable, not working as shelter)... That vehicle is your shelter protect it with your life in PAW/ SHTF. Even if it's not moving it still might protect you against assailants by just locking the doors, etc. There's nothing wrong with sheltering in place right there on the side of the road if there is no real threat. You'll have to judge your surroundings and determine if going out on foot is more hazardous than locking your doors and spray painting your windows black.

In all the movies you always see a sea of abandoned vehicles on the major highways going out of the city. That sea of Cars is perhaps a bad place to be.. or it could be the best place as everyone else runs away on foot from lets say Zombies chasing them. If you simply shelter in place you might be able to ride-out the first wave. If your hoofing it along with all the other refugies then there's a chance the person next to you is infected... quarantine yourself and shelter in place.. zombies will go after the easy meals first. Just like a lion attacks a wounded Giselle, an animalistic zombie will go after the family next to you abandoning the car and running into open field next to the highway.

Even when the BOV becomes unfixable or disabled in any way, mine will still be a small fortress. I have been scouring local scrap yards for diamond grates that will stay in my shed til the shtf. Then they will be bolted over all the glass so even if the glass is broken, we won't have to worry about zeds getting in, but the holes in the grating will be just large enough to point a gun barrel out of just in case.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

I will never leave my BOV. I live in an area where I can jump across open fields and other properties to get where I need to go. Might have to cross a creek or two but the durango can handle everything I have around here.

DarkAxel wrote:
When do I leave the BOV?

1. When the BOV is broke down and I don't have time to fix it.
2. If caught in a massive traffic jam of evacuees that isn't going anywhere and I need to GTFO right the fuck now.
3. When I run out of fuel and have no way of refueling.

That about covers it.

Agreed, never. Always have alternate routes planned. The only time to abandon a vehicle in PAW/ SHTF is when that vehicle is no longer doing the job (unfixable, unmovable, not working as shelter)... That vehicle is your shelter protect it with your life in PAW/ SHTF. Even if it's not moving it still might protect you against assailants by just locking the doors, etc. There's nothing wrong with sheltering in place right there on the side of the road if there is no real threat. You'll have to judge your surroundings and determine if going out on foot is more hazardous than locking your doors and spray painting your windows black.

In all the movies you always see a sea of abandoned vehicles on the major highways going out of the city. That sea of Cars is perhaps a bad place to be.. or it could be the best place as everyone else runs away on foot from lets say Zombies chasing them. If you simply shelter in place you might be able to ride-out the first wave. If your hoofing it along with all the other refugies then there's a chance the person next to you is infected... quarantine yourself and shelter in place.. zombies will go after the easy meals first. Just like a lion attacks a wounded Giselle, an animalistic zombie will go after the family next to you abandoning the car and running into open field next to the highway.

Even when the BOV becomes unfixable or disabled in any way, mine will still be a small fortress. I have been scouring local scrap yards for diamond grates that will stay in my shed til the shtf. Then they will be bolted over all the glass so even if the glass is broken, we won't have to worry about zeds getting in, but the holes in the grating will be just large enough to point a gun barrel out of just in case.

Pics or it didn't happen. at least let us see the basic design....Please?

[jimdawg]

I don't have pics as of yet because I'm still trying to find pieces big enough. I have one metal salvage yard I haven't hit yet but should be able to find what I need there. Here is a YouTube vid of my basic idea. http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... S8KXHBCimo

[bwhite421]

a lot of people recomend staying with your vehicle, but what about getting to your family?

[Grey Mann]

a lot of people recomend staying with your vehicle, but what about getting to your family?

Obviously this is situationally dependent, but are you going to be of much use to your family showing up on foot with all your worldly possessions in a backpack? If you can't evacuate them or bring them some decent supplies, you're more of a hindrance than anything--again, depending on the situation.

[bwhite421]

a lot of people recomend staying with your vehicle, but what about getting to your family?

Obviously this is situationally dependent, but are you going to be of much use to your family showing up on foot with all your worldly possessions in a backpack? If you can't evacuate them or bring them some decent supplies, you're more of a hindrance than anything--again, depending on the situation.

I mean if you were heading home from work, traffic stops, when do you bail your vehicle to get to your home/family? My worldly possessions would be at home, as my bag in my car is just a get home bag. Plus my wife and 3 kids under age 4 would probably need help evacuating from our house to our BOL.

[JustInCase]

Well, I would first listen to the car radio to hopefully get some info as to what the "problem" is. I would also try calling my wife/family/friends to both inform them that I am ok and going to be late as well as to try to get additional info. I will then go from there based on what I have learned. It would have to be a major problem for me to up and leave my vehicle.

If the car has shut down, the radio dosen't work, and neither does my communication devices then I guess I would huff it right then and there, after trying to get my car to the side of the road.

[TXwaterdog]

A lot of people recomend staying with your vehicle, but what about getting to your family?

Honestly, I think getting to your family shouldn't be priority #1. Your safety and assessment of the situation should be priority #1.

Back in 1999 I was in a car accident. The person who pulled out in front of me and caused the accident was on the way to see her mom at the hospital because she had just received a phone call that mom was.. dun dun dun.. in a car accident and just arrived at the ER. So, one person makes a mistake and causes panic. People who are panicked don't make rational decisions. If you're bugging out or on your way home remember that in a situation where you're clinging onto your BOB; everyone around you is a threat to your safety and survival. If you don't make it home alive and safe then your family will have to do without you. If it takes you a day to get home, your wife should be able to handle the kids for 24hours. I personally don't have children so I don't have the same concerns as parents but, I still think that your personal safety should be priority #1. That's why I mentioned using your vehicle as a shelter in the first place. All you can do is be prepared and make confident decisions. Second guessing yourself and not having a plan will get you in a bad spot.

The airlines tell you to put your mask on first then assist the person/people around you. If you don't have that mask on then how are you going to be of any help to anyone else? That's a real plan. Help yourself to help others.

[jimdawg]

Depending on my location and the type of situation will determine where I go. If I'm closer to my gf and her kids then that's where I will be heading first. My house and family are in the sticks so I wouldn't worry as much about them as I would my gf and kids right then and there. Like I have said before. No matter the situation, I have alternate routes to get home, on and off road. Once home and all the family is accounted for, then I would assess the situation further and fortify the home and vehicle to last as long as possible. The nice thing is my semi auto .22 and thousands or rounds and the fact that i can get to the roof from the upstairs windows, I can easily defend the home ans the neighbors, if need be. Nevertheless, the truck will be parked right next to the side door for easy evac of the home.