Follow home robberies from Normandie.

[jfk]

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Most people would never notice they're being followed. Especially at night when you can't distinguish one pair of headlights from another in the rearview.

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I'm not sure you're giving "most people" enough credit.

To get to Venice a driver has to get off the freeway and spend a decent amount of times on surface streets. Even the busiest of these, Venice Blvd. eventually becomes two lanes. The felons would've had to do some fairly conspicuous freeway driving to stay within following distance for the 20 miles or so from the Normandie to a random exit to Venice. The ride to Encino would be even longer.

Assuming the criminals didn't know where the victim lived, they'd have to stay very close for the entire ride. I suspect that many people, probably most, would tend to notice the same car in very close proximity for that length of a trip.

I have sympathy for the victims but a small degree of awareness could've prevented this.

[sternroolz]

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Most people would never notice they're being followed. Especially at night when you can't distinguish one pair of headlights from another in the rearview.

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Assuming the criminals didn't know where the victim lived, they'd have to stay very close for the entire ride. I suspect that many people, probably most, would tend to notice the same car in very close proximity for that length of a trip.

I have sympathy for the victims but a small degree of awareness could've prevented this.

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Most people are not all that bright and a whole bunch of people are blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

I pose this question to you: How does one get carjacked?

Consider that most carjackings occur at night with few or no witnesses. Taking that into consideration, one must understand that a person driving a car has to be totally oblivious to thier surroundings not to notice someone approaching their car, usually trying to talk to them. I have had this happen twice....where a stranger late at night starts yelling at me when I am stopped at a red light and begins to approach my car. In both instances I looked both was at the light and proceeded through the red light after noticing the street was free of traffic.

Basically, there is no effin way I am letting some wierd guy in a shady part of town late at night get anywhere near me. Likewise, I am not partial to people following me at night and I always pay attention to what is going on around me when I drive, like any decent driver should.

So yeah, the guys being followed 10-20 miles home probably could have prevented being victims of a crime. Most likely they are the types who do not pay attention to anything other than what is going on in their own little sphere of life.

[PokerSlut]

I also try to be aware of my surroundings at all times, ESPECIALLY after I leave a casino. It takes almost no effort for someone to sit around watching the cashier and notice when someone walks up and cashes out a few grand, then follow that person out of the casino. Also, there have been enough incidents of people getting robbed in the parking lots here in LA that I always valet park, even though I drive a beater. When I drive home from the casino, it doesn't matter how long I've been playing. I always make sure nobody is following me home.

[Rick Nebiolo]

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[Basically, there is no effin way I am letting some wierd guy in a shady part of town late at night get anywhere near me. Likewise, I am not partial to people following me at night and I always pay attention to what is going on around me when I drive, like any decent driver should.

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Good point. And be careful when stopped at a light you don't go so close to the car in front of you that you get boxed in and can't quickly drive around.

~ Rick

[malo]

Does anyone ever ask the casino cashier to hold significant cash winnings, and return a day or so later to pick up the money?

Thought I had read that LA casinos do offer safety deposit boxes (for a fee), and a casino cage should be able to hold the money for 24-48 hours if asked to do so. Especially for a woman planning to drive home by herself after winning a nice sum of money.

[shag]

If you play a lot open up a player's account or get a box. You can get a box at the bike for a 100 dollar deposit no fee at all. If you don't play a lot just be careful and be aware. When I exit the freeway I look for a car behind me.. If he's still behind me a couple miles after the freeway I will circle the block a few times... I have never had someone make the same turn as me off sunset but if someone did I would just keep driving and if i was being followed call the cops... If you are aware it is completely avoidable... Although I just got a box a few weeks ago so It doesn't even make a difference... I'm not leaving with more than 500 bucks.