Video: Maddening Car Alarm Gets What's Coming To It

When somebody emails saying they have a great video of a car alarm going off, there's a tendency not to believe this person. How entertaining could something so maddening possibly be? Well, this one's actually pretty good. An area man who insists on being referred to by his stage name davidjr.com tells us this "SUPER loud" car alarm in his neighborhood was blaring all night long. He and his neighbors tried to cope with it in various ways, and here is their story:

Our favorite part is probably (spoiler!) where he says "someone tried to silence the vehicle with a mattress. I go back to my apartment, put headphones on, and watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trailers over and over again." We emailed davidjr.com back to ask whether he thinks someone broke into the vehicle in an act of desperate rage (à la Tim Robbins in Noise). We haven't heard back yet, but davidjr.com is probably ~~sound asleep~~ down for routine site maintenance.

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

By John Del Signore in News on September 28, 2011 6:19 PM

Comments [rss]

Andrew

Has an alarm actually ever helped anyone in a city? If you hear an alarm going off, how do you know that is your car and not someone elses?

marco_esquandolas

The cops were unsure how much pepper spray to use to turn the alarm off, so instead they just left.

RANDYIZZUMs

Excellent!

JacksBack72

'Car-Alarm' technology has well advanced since it's first appearance on the automotive circa 1896!!

TODAY- the car manufacturers should include an optional alarm-setting APP that ONLY NOTIFIES the car owner by sending a signal to his/her cell phone!! And further, as part of that APP- the car owner should be able to shut-down the car's ignition system, disabling it with a push of a few buttons!! Now how about that?!

Unkle_Bob

I watched the video with no audio and just watching the lights flash was enough to drive me crazy...

fixilator

Let the air out of the tires, remove the plates, report it, and it will be towed.

Gwinny

True, but not immediately. They don't tow vehicles in the middle of the night.

We had a similar problem on our block recently... fortunately the driver came home after a few hours and turned the alarm off. Why turn them on in the first place?? No one gives a crap about these alarms -- they certainly don't dissuade people from stealing cars.

joehark

Actually, a car alarm is a car thief's best friend.

Find a car you want. Pump it's fender to set off the alarm. Walk a safe distance away, just in range of the sound. If no one comes to shut off the alarm after 5/10 minutes, break in, steal the car.

You get the car. The neighbors will not call the police because they will be thrilled to see it leave.

Gwinny

Excellent points!

JeanneNYC

Having suffered through similar episodes, I have zero sympathy for the owner of that car. It's ridiculous that one inconsiderate person can disrupt the entire neighborhood. I'd like to see car alarms outlawed. If not, some very stiff fines for malfunctioning alarms.

Zachary Matthews

the eggs were on the window when i walked by at 2 am, the mattress was on it at 3 (unwrapped mattress in the city=bedbugs!), when i saw it sunday morning about 11 the window had been broken out... it was pretty annoying and non stop, 5 seconds between alarm cycles.