Shattered rear window -- did someone hit it or is it greenhouse effect?

Question

I am a high school teacher, and today when I returned to my car, my back window was completely shattered into a million little pieces. It is still intact; glass hasn't fallen anywhere, but it is shattered completely and uniformly.

There is no dent in the glass, no pieces missing, no tear in it -- no apparent point of impact -- just totally shattered and still staying in place.

The rest of the car is fine and there is no apparent sign of vandalism, attempt to break in, etc.

There were lots of cops at the school today and I don't have any enemies that I know of. It's a crappy Hyundai, so I don't think anyone would attack it out of jealousy.

This morning, it was rather cool, then this afternoon it warmed up significantly. I did not crack a window. It was also very humid. The car sat from 8:30a to 4:30p; this is in Texas.

I think it's greenhouse effect; my husband thinks someone did it to my car on purpose. Which is more likely? Has anyone experienced this?

Answer 1

I don't know about the million little pieces.  

Maybe someone put cold water onto the glass while it was hot out?  It'll crack glass.

Answer 2

It was hit with something but not hard enough to break it out They hold together well unless there hit at just the right angle or real hard. There made to just that

Answer 3

WOW THATS DISRUBING

WELL IT COULD BE A GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

ASND IT CAN ALSO BE AN ANGRLY STUDENT....HMMM I GUESS DONT FAIL ANYONE.....WELL IM SORRY THAT HAPPENED.....EVEN IF THE CAR IS CRAPPY STILL PEOPLE ARE CRUEL, HERE I USED TO HAVE A 2002 DODGE INTREPID AND ITS NOT A FENCY SMASHNCY CAR AND YET IT GOT STOLEN AND THE ENGINE WAS BURNED OUT....WELL IM SORRY ABOUT YOUR CAR PROBLEM I DONT KNOW WHAT ASKING ON YAHOO IS GONNA HELP BUT IM SORRY ABOUT YOUR MISBEHAVE...I WISH YOU THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK.

LAO Maybe someone put cold water onto the glass while it was hot out? It'll crack glass.

Answer 4

Since there aren't any cars that are manufactured to be air tight a change in air pressure is out of the question and tempered glass can withstand much more heat than "GLOBAL WARMING" is currently producing, it was most likely vandalism. If a kid at your schrool got a hold of those emergency auto glass breakers (in case you are locked in your car and need to get out quickly) they shatter auto glass without a noticeable point of impact.

What will GLOBAL WARMING get blamed for next??

Answer 5

Please, why would you have too use that term, I can already hear people saying "Look, now their blaming glass breaking on CO2". My girlfriends side window broke at the end of winter. It was snowing just days before and then the temperature went to nearly 60. I blamed it on the cooling/heating effect like you suspect also. There was just as much glass outside as in, which suggested to me a downward directed trauma either from an icicle or shattering and falling according to gravity. Everyone else said it was kids, but that doesn't seem likely when two Disney DVD's, very noticeable on the passenger seat, and all of her cash and change in the center console were undisturbed. So it definitely is possible. Glass can be weakened in ways you would never see.