Issue: How Has Carjacking Affected You?

Venvel Barber, Mother

I’m usually armed now--with Mace. I drive with two kids and an invalid mother. I try not to think about (carjacking), but I have to. I’ll take precautions whenever I can, take the Hyundai instead of the Cadillac. You just have to really be careful.

Larthur Stokes, Bookstore employee

I’ve been a lot more alert. Just the other night, I took precautions and it almost happened to me. You have to be more aware at night. I wouldn’t go as far as driving through red lights, but I would just drive away if someone rear-ended me; even though my car would be damaged, it’s not worth the risk of stopping. There are a lot of desperate, violent people out there.

Craig Sasser, Businessman

It hasn’t affected me personally one way or the other. I’m always aware, though, of people who’ve been carjacked on the news. You have to make sure you don’t get boxed in traffic to the point where you can’t move. You’ve always got to have that moving room. But carjacking seems so random there isn’t much you can do to prevent it. Most of these guys are thugs, not sophisticated thieves. I make sure nowadays my wife has the car with the electric door locks.

Marcia Wilson, Los Angeles resident

I look out a little bit more. I make sure to keep my purse on the floor, not the passenger seat. I have “The Club,” so I figure I can use that for something like a weapon. I don’t worry about it too much. But if it’s 2 or 3 a.m., I’ll take the freeway, not the streets, if I can. I’ll stop at red lights for a second, then go ahead if no one’s coming.