If this is OT then feel free to bump me, but I just got home from work after finding my vandalized Mini crying in the parking lot outside my office. She had a smashed sun roof and - AAAAAHHHHHHHHH I'm sooooooo ANGRY!!!! I had to post something and vent. Mini Roadside assistance was nice - and a tow truck is taking her to the dealership in Milwaukee. Hopefully I'll get good news tomorrow. (Hopefully it doesn't rain tonight!- The truck driver said he'd put plastic over the gaping wound when he dropped it off)

The weird thing is - nothing stolen, stereo still intact - cd's, change in the cup holder, small amplifier under the seat- doors still locked.... Why? Why would someone do this. I hate feeling helpless like this. GRRRRRR!

 

It sucks but people can't stand anyone else to have anything nice

 

Oh no! I'm so sorry about the vandalism, StJamesG8! Was the sunroof the only part damaged? Keep us posted on what happens at the dealership. Best wishes for a speedy repair.

 

Get me an address and I'll get some piano wire...

 

As far as I could see, it was just the sunroof- lots of glass shards all over the interior. The hole was small, but you know how that safety glass shatters, everytime you touch the car, more pieces crumble over the interior! I couldn't tell what exactly broke the glass, there were a couple of good sized rocks near the car, but, who knows maybe one of them was the culprit. Hopefully, in the daylight, there won't be any body damage, scratches, dents, etc. I'll let you know what happens....

(I wanted to take her in for starting rough on cold mornings, but not for this!!)

 

This is one reason why i hate driving a car with fresh paint.

A friend of mine had his 84 Toyota pickup literally restored to brand new, a month later someone keyed up the amazing paint job just for the hell of it.

People suck :(

Sorry about your top.

 

ahhh that sucks, I agree that people cant stand anyone else to have anything nice, sorry to hear about your car

 

Ouch, that sucks. Someone just stole my bike tonight and I'm super pissed. I've got a large emotional attachment to it, not to mention it wasn't exactly cheap.

 

Wow, now I'm going to have to be uber careful where I park I know I'm going to be up in Kenosha a few times in the coming weeks.

Hopeflly it'll all be fixed up for you shortly.

 

Let's not jump to conclusions here. Maybe it was a meteorite!

Okay so I like to not automatically assume the worst in people You have to admit it is much more wondrous and even romantic to imagine a rock sailing through the universe for perhaps billions of years through places you can never hope to visit, only to burn off 99% of its mass in our atmosphere and smite your sunroof in a final blaze of glory (and alter your life in ways that you cannot hope to fully understand), than to try to picture in your mind the low-life who could have done such a thing.

 

Dang - you beat me to the meteorite post....

Sorry about your sunroof. Mean people suck. Count me in on the piano wire party. She'll be good as new soon.

 

there have been numerous news stories of commercial airlines off loading "fluids" that turn to ice ***** on the way down and making it to peoples living rooms having gone through the roof and upper floors! The only clue would be a puddle of "fluid" inside the car somewhere. Just a thought..........Sorry you had to go through it anyway.

 

Bummer!! I can't stand mean people. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that A)Your MINI is healed quickly and back motoring soon, and B)Perps kharma will catch up to him/her quickly.

Annette

 

Yuck! I'd hope for the meterorite! - Does sound like an act of nature - nothing was stolen, and I'm assuming you are friendly with you neighbors....

You'll have to let us know what the dealer says

 

do you have big birds in Kenosha?

sorry to hear...

 

I know that feeling you have...angry and upset and no where to direct it. You'll feel better once it's fixed.

And why didn't the fabulous security system go off in a MINI with such an injury?

 

The alarm is what I read "Mini crying" to mean by the OP. While it could have been an attempted break-in, it seems strange they'd go through the sunroof (would only make sense if they wanted to drive around in a stolen car in winter without looking obvious from missing windows).

Lots of strange things fall from the sky: I've found bullets in my garden before--they landed gently on the soil, without deformation and pointy side up so must have been fired near vertically. OTOH Mythbusters hypothesized that the known deaths from falling bullets must have been caused by firing at a shallow angle to retain a ballistic trajectory, and such a fired bullet would instead bury itself deep in the dirt... or perhaps go through a sunroof.

If you do find a bullet then it was probably not intentional but just some yahoo firing into the air. Unless someone is out to get you...

 

Good grief! How horrific! I was wondering if any other cars were vandalized in your area? I remember a case where some teens were using that a means of getting in with the "cool" people. The more expensive the car....the cooler you are. Isn't that sick.

I hope that never happens to you again. My deepest sympathy
PB

 

That really stinks - and I know how frustrated you must feel since there is very little you can do to find the person(s) responsible. Bottom line though - you'll get your buggy back soon and you'll be back on the road. Hang in there

 

In which case there'd be a hole all the way through the car!

It would be interesting to know if other cars were vandalized in a similar fashion. We had a situation here with a few teenidiots driving along, and smashing out the rear windows on minivans and SUV's along the streets with a baseball bat. They got caught, and I think are doing (or did) some time.

 

my heart goes out to a fellow wisconsin mini'r

p.s. get well soon.

 

There is a very slight chance that it was not vandalism, but a fault of the glass panel itself. In rare cases the tempered glass panel might have so much internal stress from manufacturing that it just lets go, usually just from having heat from the sun bearing on it. The same happens to side and back glass windows. The glass is tempered, meaning it is made very strong and uniform, but has the benefit of breaking into crumbs rather than huge slivers when struck. This is a safety feature (and why it's caled 'safety glass'). The problem with safety glass is, the slightest chip or crack can cause the whole panel to burst into crumbs. If there was an irregularity when the panel is made, it can weaken the panel to the point of eventual failure. Some people have found that the sunroof will break if tinting is applied and the car is left in hot weather.

It's worth pointing out to the dealer that it might not have been an intentional act, but the panel just failed. Thankfully there was no other damage. Good luck in getting it resolved soon, and all those glass shards removed!

 

Depending on where you were parked, it could also have been a rock thrown up from a car passing by on a nearby road. I had a windshield broken by a rock thrown up from a mower once.

(Plus, I had to quote a guy who has a Rush lyric in his sig.)

 

...race back to the farm, and dream with my uncle by the fireside! (sorry...now I have the whole Red Barchetta song in my head!)

 

I think it all sucks! Meteorites, Mean People and crappy glass...