Clean Getaway
Clean Getaway Made Easy At Local Carwash
William Bush
A case of car theft seems to have been caused by employee error recently, when workers at a Sea Point carwash gave the keys of a new Audi A3 to an unidentified man without a claim ticket. The man then promptly drove off.
The Atlantic Sun then verified the following information with the Table Bay Harbour Police: A green Audi A3, 2003, was reported stolen from The Washworks at the V&A waterfront on Saturday August 14. Said Captain Keith Blake: "We have investigated the incident. Captain Roy Jackson of the Criminal Investigative Department is handling the matter and is still investigating. So far, no arrests have been made. Beyond that, I can't discuss any other details."
Captain Jackson, beyond admitting the investigation, was also tight-lipped. However, someone close to the investigation that fears reprisal for commenting, agreed to speak to us off the record.
"The victim said he drove his car into the Washworks, got a claim ticket and went upstairs to go shopping at just past 1pm. When the victim returned, just past 3pm, he was told that an employee, had given the keys to a friend of his.
"The employee said the thief provided her with the make, model and plate number of the car and that she took this as proof the thief was a friend of the victim. Then she just gave him the keys. The V&A security cameras show the thief calmly driving away," said the confidential informant.
The Atlantic Sun went to that Washworks, a part of Hannibals Car Wash (Cavendish franchise), to speak to the employee named by the informant. She admitted working that day but wouldn't comment further and didn't want her name mentioned in our report. She, and the manager on duty, seemed much more concerned dealing with an accident that occurred involving a customer and another employee just as we arrived on the scene.
The manger wouldn't comment on the theft investigation and didn't want his name mentioned either. But regarding the accident, he said "People just drive through here at a high rate of speed, squealing their wheels. Our guy was just backing out."
We were then directed to contact Washworks general manager, Val Philippou. Mrs Philippou declined verbal comment saying "Give me your fax number and I'll get back to you." After which, we not only gave Mrs Philippou our fax details, we also provided her with written questions to help facilitate her response. But none came.
In the interim, the Atlantic Sun obtained an exclusive interview with the car-theft victim who was still trying to deal with the sense of violation he felt after the incident.
"It's been extremely inconvenient but I think I'm getting over the anger of it. I think a sense of violation is probably normal at this stage of affairs. It's been exceedingly difficult getting any kind of redress for the theft," he said. And pointed out that, even at press-time, he was still meeting with insurance agents to "answer questions."
The victim wants other citizens to know that this incident could've easily happened to anyone; he feels his car was picked at random. "I don't want to seem melodramatic or make a big deal out of it, but I am extremely disappointed at the ease in which the thief was able to drive off with my car! And then to see a picture (CCTV) of the thief taking my car away... it's just very frustrating," he said. Along with the car, the victim said he also lost clothing, a hi-fi system and some CD's.
The Atlantic Sun has sought comment from Washworks' ownership, management and staff via personal visit, phone and fax. To date, neither Hannibals nor Washworks has responded but are invited to do so for our next edition.
At the end of the day, there should be certain expectations that come with receiving a claim ticket, such as that your possession won't be given away to someone who doesn't have your ticket. It seems this was not the case on a Saturday in Sea Point, when a person drove into a Washworks to have his car cleaned, and instead got completely "cleaned out".
William Bush
A case of car theft seems to have been caused by employee error recently, when workers at a Sea Point carwash gave the keys of a new Audi A3 to an unidentified man without a claim ticket. The man then promptly drove off.
The Atlantic Sun then verified the following information with the Table Bay Harbour Police: A green Audi A3, 2003, was reported stolen from The Washworks at the V&A waterfront on Saturday August 14. Said Captain Keith Blake: "We have investigated the incident. Captain Roy Jackson of the Criminal Investigative Department is handling the matter and is still investigating. So far, no arrests have been made. Beyond that, I can't discuss any other details."
Captain Jackson, beyond admitting the investigation, was also tight-lipped. However, someone close to the investigation that fears reprisal for commenting, agreed to speak to us off the record.
"The victim said he drove his car into the Washworks, got a claim ticket and went upstairs to go shopping at just past 1pm. When the victim returned, just past 3pm, he was told that an employee, had given the keys to a friend of his.
"The employee said the thief provided her with the make, model and plate number of the car and that she took this as proof the thief was a friend of the victim. Then she just gave him the keys. The V&A security cameras show the thief calmly driving away," said the confidential informant.
The Atlantic Sun went to that Washworks, a part of Hannibals Car Wash (Cavendish franchise), to speak to the employee named by the informant. She admitted working that day but wouldn't comment further and didn't want her name mentioned in our report. She, and the manager on duty, seemed much more concerned dealing with an accident that occurred involving a customer and another employee just as we arrived on the scene.
The manger wouldn't comment on the theft investigation and didn't want his name mentioned either. But regarding the accident, he said "People just drive through here at a high rate of speed, squealing their wheels. Our guy was just backing out."
We were then directed to contact Washworks general manager, Val Philippou. Mrs Philippou declined verbal comment saying "Give me your fax number and I'll get back to you." After which, we not only gave Mrs Philippou our fax details, we also provided her with written questions to help facilitate her response. But none came.
In the interim, the Atlantic Sun obtained an exclusive interview with the car-theft victim who was still trying to deal with the sense of violation he felt after the incident.
"It's been extremely inconvenient but I think I'm getting over the anger of it. I think a sense of violation is probably normal at this stage of affairs. It's been exceedingly difficult getting any kind of redress for the theft," he said. And pointed out that, even at press-time, he was still meeting with insurance agents to "answer questions."
The victim wants other citizens to know that this incident could've easily happened to anyone; he feels his car was picked at random. "I don't want to seem melodramatic or make a big deal out of it, but I am extremely disappointed at the ease in which the thief was able to drive off with my car! And then to see a picture (CCTV) of the thief taking my car away... it's just very frustrating," he said. Along with the car, the victim said he also lost clothing, a hi-fi system and some CD's.
The Atlantic Sun has sought comment from Washworks' ownership, management and staff via personal visit, phone and fax. To date, neither Hannibals nor Washworks has responded but are invited to do so for our next edition.
At the end of the day, there should be certain expectations that come with receiving a claim ticket, such as that your possession won't be given away to someone who doesn't have your ticket. It seems this was not the case on a Saturday in Sea Point, when a person drove into a Washworks to have his car cleaned, and instead got completely "cleaned out".
Comments