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Why would someone put a shoe behind my car's front wheel?

Hi!!

I went to sainsburys alone tonight around 8:45pm, but whilst i was shopping, it got significantly darker outside as it was sunset. I parked where i always do, near the back of the car park but not in a secluded area. My space did coincide with the end of a long bush with space behind it blocked by the bush.

I finished my shopping and got back to my car. I unlocked it, put my bags in the back seat driver side, went to get into the drivers seat and noticed someone had placed a large mens shoe perfectly behind my front wheel. I immediately kicked it out from under the wheel, got in my car, locked the door immediately and drove straight out without pausing to put my music on or anything except my seatbelt feeling very weirded out.

I just thought it was really strange. My dad said it was probably a prank but wtf? Who would find a car driving over a shoe funny unless you’re 5 years old?

Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on it because it's such a weird thing to do, it definitely was not there when i pulled into the space so idk why it was there!?
(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1

I saw a video I think it was of a trick people were doing, putting a plastic bottle in a car wheel so when you move it pops and you get out of the car hopefully in a rush leaving the keys in the ignition and someone comes and steals your car. Could be the same thing with you thinking you ran over something and getting out to check.

Reply 2

Original post
by MattR_0
I saw a video I think it was of a trick people were doing, putting a plastic bottle in a car wheel so when you move it pops and you get out of the car hopefully in a rush leaving the keys in the ignition and someone comes and steals your car. Could be the same thing with you thinking you ran over something and getting out to check.

I had the exact same thought, especially considering there was a space behind the bush where someone could have been easily waiting right by my car door but still out of sight! I'm really glad i noticed it and left without anything happening, hopefully it was maybe just some kids messing around or something but it still doesn't sit completely right with me!! I'll definitely be more aware of this in the future if i do ever feel like i've ran over something after pulling out of a parking space!!

Reply 3

Was the handbrake applied? It may have been gently moving out of the space

Reply 4

I wouldn't sweat it but as the other guy said, could have been part of a ploy so do watch out

Reply 5

Could of been there when you parked, just drive over it and you didn’t notice it when you got out?

Reply 6

Original post
by Megaman101
Could of been there when you parked, just drive over it and you didn’t notice it when you got out?

The thing is, i'm not amazing at parking so i always go for the easiest spots. I always choose this one because i can drive straight into it and forward bay without having to turn the wheel and it is clear of most other cars that park closer to the store. I also had a clear view of the spot from driving in forwards. If I had reversed in then it would definitely have been possible, but i drove in forwards. The shoe was also perfectly behind my wheel not on its side or anything and right in the middle of the wheel. Luckily i do have a dashcam and will check it tomorrow! At least it can confirm whether the shoe was there or not when i pulled in for sure even if it doesn't record when the car is off sadly :frown:

Reply 7

Original post
by Laurenloops
The thing is, i'm not amazing at parking so i always go for the easiest spots. I always choose this one because i can drive straight into it and forward bay without having to turn the wheel and it is clear of most other cars that park closer to the store. I also had a clear view of the spot from driving in forwards. If I had reversed in then it would definitely have been possible, but i drove in forwards. The shoe was also perfectly behind my wheel not on its side or anything and right in the middle of the wheel. Luckily i do have a dashcam and will check it tomorrow! At least it can confirm whether the shoe was there or not when i pulled in for sure even if it doesn't record when the car is off sadly :frown:


Oh ok, as least you got in your car locked the door and went if quick which was the right thing to do

Reply 8

Original post
by TheDE
Was the handbrake applied? It may have been gently moving out of the space

The handbrake was definitely applied, but this is a potential explanation that I had never thought of!! I have a dashcam which i will check tomorrow which should be able to confirm if my car was much further from the bush before i got out of it and when i got back into it. My car was definitely not coming out of the space or anything significant like that though so someone would have had to have been paying close attention to it if this is the case! I think i was in the store for only about 20 minutes but the dashcam will confirm that as well. I doubt it picked anything weird up because i never saw anything suspicious other than the shoe going in or out of the sainsburys and it doesn't record when the car is off, but at least it will confirm for sure whether the shoe was there when i parked or not as someone else suggested!!

Reply 9

Original post
by FRS500
I wouldn't sweat it but as the other guy said, could have been part of a ploy so do watch out

Yea, i really hope it was just some dumb kids messing around and hiding their friends shoe or something, but the positioning of the car to the bush, the fact it was dark and the fact i was alone makes it seem much more shady! I've been targeted by a scammer before when I worked on the checkouts at my old job, obviously that was a very different scenario though and luckily i had heard of the scam before so it didn't work!! Will definitely be extra vigilant in car parks from now on!!

Reply 10

Small but boring update. I looked at the dash cam footage (front and back) and the shoe was 100% not there or anywhere in sight when i drove in. When I drove off after seeing the shoe, i had a good 10 seconds of the bush being recorded (although it was dark and the further i get from it, the blurrier the image becomes) and i can't see anyone come out from behind it which makes me feel much better! I was thinking about the actual shoe and realised it was completely black (material and sole, better for blending in with tyres?) and looked brand new, i didn't see any kind of wear on it at all BUT i also didn't get that good a look at it so there may well have been dirt on the bottom. It was also unbranded with no logos on it (cheap to get run over by a car?). There was absolutely nothing else in the space or car park in view of the dash cam that would suggest i was being a target of theft, my mum said maybe someone was after my bag and not my car, like if i had put my handbag down when looking at the shoe? But i didn't stop to look and it and i was wearing a mini backpack anyway which didn't leave me until i was in the car. I think considering the dash cam footage, it was most probably just someone being stupid and my car was picked by chance. I think the position of the bush and the type of shoe are just really weird coincidences, but even so it's still suspicious and i'm going to be extra careful if i go there again!!
Like has been said, it could have just been kids or something

Reply 12

Original post
by Laurenloops
Small but boring update. I looked at the dash cam footage (front and back) and the shoe was 100% not there or anywhere in sight when i drove in. When I drove off after seeing the shoe, i had a good 10 seconds of the bush being recorded (although it was dark and the further i get from it, the blurrier the image becomes) and i can't see anyone come out from behind it which makes me feel much better! I was thinking about the actual shoe and realised it was completely black (material and sole, better for blending in with tyres?) and looked brand new, i didn't see any kind of wear on it at all BUT i also didn't get that good a look at it so there may well have been dirt on the bottom. It was also unbranded with no logos on it (cheap to get run over by a car?). There was absolutely nothing else in the space or car park in view of the dash cam that would suggest i was being a target of theft, my mum said maybe someone was after my bag and not my car, like if i had put my handbag down when looking at the shoe? But i didn't stop to look and it and i was wearing a mini backpack anyway which didn't leave me until i was in the car. I think considering the dash cam footage, it was most probably just someone being stupid and my car was picked by chance. I think the position of the bush and the type of shoe are just really weird coincidences, but even so it's still suspicious and i'm going to be extra careful if i go there again!!

Worth enabling parking mode on your dashcam; you'd have been able to see who put it there if you had!

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