History Main / VehicularKidnapping

%%* ''Film/ChildrenOfMen''. Due to the widespread apathy of a society facing the extinction of humanity, when Theo is kidnapped off the street in broad daylight by masked gunmen working for the radical Fishes, people don't even stop to look. <--- What vehicle is used?

* In the ''Series/HereComeTheBrides'' episode "The Crimpers," the titular kidnappers abduct Jeremy in a horse-drawn wagon. Joshua sees them loading Jeremy into the wagon and tries to fight them, but they knock him out and place him in the wagon next to Jeremy.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' when Will Smith decides to move back to Philadelphia. In order to preserve the show, NBC sends two execs to throw Will into a van and take him back to Bel Air.

* Used several times on ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger''.

* ''Film/ChildrenOfMen''. Due to the widespread apathy of a society facing the extinction of humanity, when Theo is kidnapped off the street in broad daylight by masked gunmen working for the radical Fishes, people don't even stop to look.

* On ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', political "[[TheFixer fixer]]" [[spoiler: [[TheConsigliere Doug Stamper]]]] is assigned the task of cleaning up the Rachael Posner loose end. He resolves the issue by kidnapping her in a van, [[spoiler: driving her out into the middle of nowhere, and murdering her.]]

Common among HumanTraffickers. Compare and contrast VanInBlack for suspicious vans in general, SpiesInAVan for when the viewpoint is that of the police surveillance or espionage team inside the van, or PunkInTheTrunk for less spacious kidnapping accommodations. May sometimes occur when dealing with a CreepyStalkerVan, though that typically involves a very different kind of kidnapper (usually a lone [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]] or SerialKiller) who generally prefers to take their victims quietly and drag them back to the van after the fact, or else [[StrangerDanger lure in kids with candy]].

* ''Literature/ByAnyOtherName'': Katya's kidnappers used to drive up and down the lane in a white car with a rear spoiler about ten times a day. Katie noticed it, but Holly didn't think much about it, until one night when the drivers stopped at Katya's house and abducted her. [[spoiler:Months later, one of the kidnappers and some other goons grab Katie from her special school in a work van and use her as bait to trap Holly.]]

This doesn't have to be a van, but not many other vehicles combine the same degree of interior space and outward anonymity. The number of goons can also vary, though it's difficult for one person to do this when they also have to drive the van. While the victim is usually right out on the sidewalk, sometimes the kidnappers will enter or break into a building to grab their targets. A common variant is for kidnappers to ambush their target right by the exit of a building, possibly holding them at gunpoint or shocking them with StaticStunGuns, then briskly escorting them to a van waiting just outside, thus limiting their exposure.

This doesn't have to be a van, but not many other vehicles combine the same degree of interior space and outward anonymity. The number of goons can also vary, though it's difficult for one person to do this when they also have to drive the van. While the victim is usually right out on the sidewalk, sometimes the kidnappers will enter or break into a building to grab their targets. A common variant is for kidnappers to ambush their target right by the exit of a building, possibly holding them at gunpoint or shocking them with StunGuns, then briskly escorting them to a van waiting just outside, thus limiting their exposure.