[amitbjha]

Till now i have controlled my anger but you never know when patience goes off.Video camera cannot be installed outside the car as it is open area and the guy can also be suspicious.Even people can destroy that camera too.
What i am looking for just a small camera which i can hang near roof and which can captutre all the 6-8 hours of data using the normal cell battery.

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

If you do not know for sure who it is then none of us SHOULD venture a guess either. If you have the money for a camera this certainly is one way to catch the man in the act. If you have this kind of money then you also have money to become really close friends with the police. I hope you understand that last sentence. You might be surprised how helpful the police can be in a situation like this. Your relative the lawyer should be able to help you liason with the police.

Suggest you really stay cool and level headed and first find out who it is and then coolly deal with him decisively and with finality. There is an old saying that goes, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." Nail the son of a b*tch but do it with no disruption to your life than taking out the trash.

[Mission_Safari]

The video camera idea looks good but the problem is the culprit might notice it (during installation) if you plan to install it outside. And if you do it inside clarity of the video will be a question. So i suggest you pay the security guard to have a special watch over your car and try to catch the culprit red-handed.

[phamilyman]

also please figure out:
cost of camera versus cost of painting.

Installing a hidden camera in public parking unobtrusively is tough.

[motorheadinc]

Get a Cam dude.

This way you will have evidence and can also claim for the amount you had to spend on the car.

Check Techenclave.

I am putting a post there on your behalf.

Will get back with a solution soon.

Cheers.

OT: there are certain cameras with motion sensors which begin recording as soon as something moves around.
Seen that on discovery channel though I am not sure how much they cost...

Mods note: No need to paste a full post as quote here.

[condor]

Have you checked this thread :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...vandalism.html ?


Would try a video-cam.

1. Get a cheap re-paint done, to make it look like you have got it repainted. Now the car is ready for catching the culprit red-handed.
2. Install a small video cam with sufficient recording capability.
3. Hook it up to run off an external battery.
4. Place the camera on the seat - between the back-rest & the head-rest. Preferably passenger seat.
5. Throw a jacket/shawl (from the back-side) over the head-rest to camouflage the rear part of the cam & it's wiring to the battery unit.
6. You could leave this jacket in place a few times, without the cam, before you keep the cam.

When you do keep the cam in, would suggest you park the car in a way that the car is facing away from the light. This way, when the culprit comes over to your car and stands near the bonnet, the light will fall on the culprit's body. Your pictures will be clearer this way. Best if you can get it right the first time itself.

Alternate option is to camouflage the cam into a speaker like housing.

motorheadinc : OT: there are certain cameras with motion sensors which begin recording as soon as something moves around.

Doubt this will work in this case, unless the cam is placed outside the car. Or atleast the sensor being placed outside the car, but the cam inside. If the sensor part is inside the car, then it will not be able to detect movement that's happening outside.

DirtyDan : ...but do it with no more disruption to your life than taking out the trash.

Well said, Dan - that really sums it up.

All the best !

[anujmishra]

Don't your car have theft intrusion protection system with sound? If it is not standard fitment of the car, then go get one. It is one of the cheapest solution.

In my building, there is a Suzuki Swift. Whenever anybody accidentally touch that car it start making very loud noise. He has to rush down immediately to stop the noise.

In this way either you can tell your watchman or make yourself ready to go down everytime the sound will come from your car.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Somebody I know had a similar problem (actually worse than scratches: some major dents). The car was parked in the street.

They had an idea when the damaging was happening and got someone to sit in the car. Some idiot boy (actually genuinely a little sick in the head after an accident, but not enough to be forgiven) was getting drunk on his house terrace and throwing bottles down.

So it doesn't have to be a camera, although photographic evidence would be nice.

[ajmat]

YOu need proof.

We had a situation in my building where a strong willed old lady who was at war with a family, accused their son of scratching their car with strange arc like scratches. It was getting to a boiling point when I looked around and realised the scratches came from the watchmans metal chair which he placed near the car and rocked himslef to sleep. The rivets rubbed and created the scratches. Both parties were summoned and shown the damage and cause.

Since then, there has been peace.

For all you know, it could be a car or monkey or might have happened somewhere else

[snaronikar]

Agree with Condor's suggestion. Further to this, just cover the car with the cover as anybody comes to scratch the car will have to remove the car cover and does his bit. By this time, the camera can capture the image of the culprit very clearly. This guy will anyways be in a hurry and by doing this, you can be assured that you will get that extra few seconds to capture his image. OR

Cover the car with the car cover and give some money to watchman and ask him to watch the car closely for a couple of days and if the guy is scratching the car ask him to catch the culprit or raise the alarm so that others can chase and catch him ?(if required).

[diabloo]

A camera would cost money and anyway somebody has to monitor it. I would suggest a night vigil - sit in the car or nearby place and catch the culprit red-handed, vintage Victorian style

Inspiration:

(Holmes) "The least sound would be fatal to our plans."

(Dr Watson) I nodded to show that I had heard.

"We must sit without light. He would see it through the ventilator."
I nodded again.

"Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your pistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the bed, and you in that chair."

I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.

Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness.

How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear a sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness. From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one and two and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.

Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Someone in the next room had lit a dark-lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible — a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull.

"You see it, Watson?" he yelled. "You see it?"

-The Adventure of the Speckled Band

[gunbir]

I have always known people who don't own cars to do such things. My guess, the electrician, driver.

I detect you haven't actually been in a police station to register an FIR, true? If the culprit happens to be your neighbor, sounds like he may be better connected locally than you.

The nice way? buy a wifi camera, power it off your car battery and monitor on your PC. Even with proof you may have nothing but the satisfaction of knowing who it is.

The fun way? Go out and scratch a couple of other cars too. Then it becomes the society's problem.

[revved_up]

Originally Posted by gunbir

The fun way? Go out and scratch a couple of other cars too. Then it becomes the society's problem.

Woo.. I dont see any fun in it, just imagine what happens if he himself gets caught red handed while doing this fun thing!!!

Get a camera, get some evidence and then take the next step... thats the only option you have. Unless you can somehow get the car monitored during the time you suspect this act happening.

[straight6]

Originally Posted by ajmat

For all you know, it could be a car or monkey or might have happened somewhere else

But on the hood? I doubt.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by amitbjha

1. Go to the police name all the three.But i dont have any proof.
I don't have any body in police.

As a common man, dont go to Police. They will just extract money and your problem wont be solved.

Originally Posted by amitbjha

2. Throw my neighbour out from society with my influence.

Are you safe after that ? I mean that they are not good people, so they can go to any extent to damage you apart from the car. I am sure you will not be able to fall down to their level here.

Originally Posted by amitbjha

3. Send a court notice to the neighbour asking them to pay me the damage.One of my relative is a lawyer.

I am not a lawyer, but if you dont have proof that the neighbor is culprit, then this is a bit risky.

Originally Posted by amitbjha

4. Install a video camera in my car itself and catch the culprit.Any idea on such spy cameras which can be operated with battery (Not car battery ) and record 8 hours of continous recording.

This is the most sensible option. This will also give you sufficient proof to nail the culprit.


5)
This is insane, absolutely insane.
You go ahead and damage three to four cars and make dents and scratches. AS soon as the issue becomes a big one, someone will come up with solutions like "lets have some watchman " , etc and as soon as the idea comes up, use your influence and implement it.

I was successful when I did this. In my society, people are jealous of us as we have a large house, space for parrallely parking two car and one row of 2 wheelers plus we have garden. Almost all other society members asked anyone visiting their place to park their vehicles in front of our gate. One day, I told my friend to come with 8-10 friends on different bikes and made them park in front of others gates. I remain unknown about the situation as planned. When someone argued, all 10 of them verbally abused him. Then I came out and asked the guys to leave we are friends. Problem solved.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by GTO

That sucks. Maintaining a high end car in India can get on your nerves sometimes, despite the efforts you put in.

Can you have BMW look at this? Benz has specialist techniques to repair only the damaged area (vis a vis painting the entire body panel). I got it done on my silver C180 once and couldn't tell the difference. Not even at closer look. I am sure BMW is equally competent at fine-touching the affected parts.

I did send the car to the service station and they said it would definatly require some repainting.

Don't think I am ready for the yet, trying to make my self belive it's just the "new car syndrome" although its been over 8 months now.

Any idea how much you paid for that on your C?