Diplomat's Driver Leaves Mercedes Idling, Perfect For Car Thief To Crash It

Oh, United Nations diplomats with their fancy cars! We know they are awesome at racking up millions in unpaid parking tickets, but did you know that sometimes their drivers leave $100,000 Mercedes Benz S550 sedans double-parked and idling on streets as they duck into bodegas for snacks?

The Post is amused that chauffeur for the senior UN diplomat from the United Arab Emirates would leave such a vehicle as sitting target on Third Avenue and 19th Street while he ran into a Gramercy Park deli for a $1 cup of tea: "In a New York minute, a thief drove off with the sedan, lost control and crashed it." Driver Ghulan Rehmani said, "I was in there for only a minute, and when I came outside it was gone."

Rehmani, a Queens resident, claims the thief "was trying to make a U-turn and didn’t know how to drive. He made a U-turn, jumped the sidewalk and hit the building.” Heads up, car thieves: Learn how to make U-turns.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 23, 2011 8:59 AM

Comments [rss]

Emmily_Litella

I couldnt figure out why so many car engines are left idling until it dawned on me via some Gothamist comment that people think it sends a ‘be right back’ message to law enforcement that might issue a ticket. This is really dumb, but for the fact that few tickets are issued for violation of the 3 minute idling law. Can’t win.

taracorinne

Yeah, I leave my emergency flashers on but never leave my keys in the car and I still lock it. That is just asking for it. I know it doesn't stop a ticket but it's worth a shot.

pendejito

A $100,000 Mercedes Benz S550 sedan is chump change for them. Not even worth the $1 cup of coffee he got.

Peanut_Butter

Too bad he crashed it. It would have been slick. File this under "spontaneous, yet incompetent criminals".

Peanut_Butter

The Post
is amused that [a] chauffeur for the senior UN diplomat from the United
Arab Emirates would leave such a vehicle as [a] sitting target on Third
Avenue and 19th Street while he ran into a Gramercy Park deli for a $1
cup of tea...