What Is ‘Sliding’? New Gas Station Theft Trend Targets Unlocked Cars

I've said many times that along with revolutionary strides in technology come revolutionary strides in ripping us off. Does even a week go by that we don't see a story about some new smartphone or Internet scam? It's wearying.

But let's not get too distracted by high-tech chicanery that we forget that nefariousness can still happen using old-fashioned methods. Very old-fashioned methods, like simply talking to someone. I'll explain.

New Theft Trend Called 'Sliding'

Let's set up a scenario. You're in Music City, you're out of gas, and you pull up to a pump. You're minding your own business, filling up the Honda, and, yes, your back is turned away from your front seat.

How many of you lock your car when you get gas? I confess that I don't, and probably because I'm right next to my car and just don't think about it. Well, Nashvillians do have something to think about after several incidents since early January in which victims, mostly female, have had perpetrators enter their unlocked vehicles while they were standing at the pump. They're easy targets because most women put their purses on the passenger seat, making it very easy for someone to come along, snatch the purse, and keep moving.

It's called "sliding," presumably because the thief can slide in, hunker down, and not be seen. That's even scarier.

Not that we need to be told (we shouldn't have to be reminded, actually), but it's always best to be aware of your surroundings in situations like that. And yes, LOCK. YOUR. DOORS.