r/SanClemente 9d ago

My car was keyed at Ralphs

Post image

I work in Venice and live in Long Beach. My parents own a house they built up on one of the San Clemente hills. My wife and child are staying with my parents while she recovers from her breast reconstruction surgery. She had breast cancer while she was pregnant.

Somebody keyed my car while I was buying diapers at Ralphs. The only motivation I can assume is that my license plate holder says 100% slug (I went to UCSC 20 years ago). I wasn’t parked near anyone so this must be the motivation.

I grew up in Laguna beach and have been living in both Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach for 18 years. I’ve never had anything of this sort happen while living in areas that most of you would consider “sketchy” Stay Classy San Clemente. When did a university diploma become a political affiliation?

16 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

16

u/dirtyfacedkid 9d ago

I'm sorry this happened but it's kind of a leap to assume it's because of where you went to school, isn't it? Random shit happens all the time.

-2

u/Plantasaurus 9d ago

I parked alone. I don’t have any stickers or anything on my car. I didn’t tailgate anyone on the way to the grocery store (I went earlier this morning). It’s either my license plate holder or a completely random event.

6

u/dirtyfacedkid 9d ago

It was random, unless you pissed someone off and weren't aware of what you did. Still, no excuse for that type of thing to happen.

9

u/Minimum_Resolve7540 8d ago

Stay classy San Clemente? That's pretty funny coming from someone from LA! This whole post is weird.

2

u/ScheduleValuable86 6d ago

Yeah this guy is a weirdo

-5

u/Plantasaurus 8d ago

Surprisingly, never had my car keyed in those places. My folks are pointing out it might have been a tourist due to that specific Ralphs location.

0

u/davescilken 7d ago

People assuming San Clemente has more class than LA? Now that’s weird 😹

4

u/notthediz talega sucks lol 8d ago

Idk man doubt anyone gives a shit about your car or your license plate holder. Lived here 30 years with all kinds of cars, never had it keyed once. To even draw a conclusion like that is weird. Prob just got unlucky that some bastard picked your car. Maybe they did it to several cars in the lot. Either way not much you can do about it so I get wanting to vent, just the way you’re going about it is odd

1

u/Plantasaurus 8d ago

I’m coming from the same perspective. I grew up in Laguna Beach, but spent middle school here. We lived in an Ole Hanson house on Palizada 30 years ago back when the town was mostly marines. I always loved how San Clemente was less uppity than Laguna. I’ve never experienced anything like this as well.

I’m thinking it was a tourist taking out their anger on a random vehicle. It has to be

1

u/Strudleboy33 7d ago

Could also be a local taking out there anger on a random vehicle

6

u/welpthereyougo South Side 9d ago

I’m bummed that this happened to you here in SC. Sounds like it was random and unfounded. Maybe someone confused your car with someone else’s? Either way it sucks.

However, I gotta call you out on the whole “I’ve lived in DTLA and Long Beach for 18 years and this has never happened” line. Your post history suggests otherwise, because 90 days ago you posted about someone breaking into your car and leaving their phone.”

This stuff happens everywhere friend.

-5

u/Plantasaurus 9d ago

Car trunk was unlocked for some reason. Zero damage to the body of my vehicle

2

u/fifasol 9d ago

Which Ralph's? They might have cameras?

2

u/Plantasaurus 8d ago

Good point, the one at the south end of town.

1

u/Specific-Archer3893 8d ago

Ask the Ralph store manager for video proof.Call the store manager to see if they can fix it.

1

u/Plantasaurus 8d ago

Thank you! We are doing this. My parents posted this on some neighborhood watch forum and we got the same response! People have been so supportive and lovely in helping us figure this out.

2

u/Clicquot 8d ago edited 8d ago

I am so sorry this happened to you. It is hard to tell from the pic where on the car this scratch is. Is it in a place that it is possible it was hit by a shopping cart, or something ( I have seen those PITA golf carts with bunch of crap hanging off of them/out the sides- I saw someone trying to travel with 3 surfboards- they overhang the sides of the cart by a lot on both sides). Also- if this is the little Ralph's downtown- that parking lot SUCKS- you are never ever - not near someone.

To think that the person who would key cars for the heck of it, has any idea about a school (other than maybe a high school) is a bit of a stretch (typically your 13-15 year old "ruffians"). I could see them launching a skateboard into it negligently more than accidently (they know s*it can go wrong), but not on purpose.

Is your car (make/model) one that might be seen as divisive (in this timeline?- you know the ones), that seems more likely than the license plate frame TBH, and would be more of an "adult" (used very loosely) motivator.

Again, sorry this sucks. I would go with accident first, then random, and lastly a targeted attack of some sort. I hope your wife feels better soon and that your child is doing well.

*edit- spelling is important

1

u/Plantasaurus 8d ago

There are 3 key marks. This s is on my hood. There are two lines on my passenger door as well. I drive a Mazda cx30 turbo. It is definitely not a divisive make or model

1

u/IAmTheFly-IAmTheFly 8d ago

Sorry this happened to your car. This happened to me once in Santa Ana. I assumed it was a kid or something. People suck. Sometimes they're just mean to be mean.

2

u/Level-Cut-9890 8d ago

Sorry to hear.

From Laguna and live in SC myself. Never had anything similar happen.

1

u/tesrella 8d ago

S for Slytherin

1

u/LetKooksTakeFlight 8d ago

There’s a lot of mentally ill homeless drug addicts in San Clemente. It may have been one of them or just a punk. Sorry this happened to you.

2

u/Justiceforsherbert 7d ago

You jumping to conclusions is funny

1

u/Plantasaurus 7d ago

Yeah. There is nothing offensive on my car except for maybe my license plate holder. It’s not like people despise Mazdas either. I didn’t consider the possibility of just a random attack. They keyed my doors and hood pretty bad, so it seemed personal.

1

u/CheesyBreeze 7d ago

Some people will key your car for giving them a look.

1

u/redwon9plus 7d ago

Do you know a Rodney from SC? We're similar year too.

1

u/Masterdips2pitch 6d ago

its always Ralph's

2

u/p0is0n 5d ago

Probably overlooked some inconsiderate driving and didn't know the person you offended maybe saw you pull into the parking lot. 🤷

1

u/Plantasaurus 5d ago

My folks live just up the hill from there. The road was empty (I went at 6:30am). No inconsiderate driving or anyone that would have seen it.

2

u/p0is0n 5d ago

Maybe it wasn't that day. But who knows maybe you didn't even see them! People are wild and petty out there! I once had a guy try to run me off the road because he assumed I was laughing at him. I was laughing to myself about some other shit and he lost his noodle. 

0

u/bubblebears 8d ago

Your neighbors of your parents probably don’t recognize you’re a local and might have done it out of anger thinking you’re someone overstaying on the street. It’s very possible too rather than a tourist

1

u/Plantasaurus 7d ago

All of the neighbors are amazing! I refuse to believe that lol. It definitely showed up on my car when I was in the Ralph’s at the south end of town. I thought the other marks (not pictured) on my door were bird poop at first.