Lock your doors, or you might get a ticket.

[Georgebobbilly]

A new law in Upper Moreland PA is being discussed that will have cops checking cars and ticketing them if it's unlocked.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39625859

I can't really believe this is even being discussed, what happened to punishing criminals not citizens. On the list of things I see wrong with this law:

what if your car won't lock, or is at a point where if you lock it, it takes a locksmith to unlock.
Jeeps, specifically the ones without doors
​

Thoughts?

 

[Morcheeba]

Hahah this doesn't surprise me at all in fact.

And people are going to defend it because it may cut costs by lessening the chances of theft.

This is slotted in the same category as seat belts imo. As an adult, you should be able to make the choice whether it's worth the loss. /shrugs

If your car doors don't lock, they'll slap you with a fine and force your hand in spending on repairs. Yeah... got to love all the little angles they'll hit citizens with. Of course it could be another avenue in which to make money off people, you know, in case the taxes aren't enough. You don't want to raise taxes.. so they'll figure out another way.

lol I'm so cynical, can you blame me ;p

 

[Lucki]

Hahah this doesn't surprise me at all in fact.

And people are going to defend it because it may cut costs by lessening the chances of theft.

This is slotted in the same category as seat belts imo. As an adult, you should be able to make the choice whether it's worth the loss. /shrugs

If your car doors don't lock, they'll slap you with a fine and force your hand in spending on repairs. Yeah... got to love all the little angles they'll hit citizens with. Of course it could be another avenue in which to make money off people, you know, in case the taxes aren't enough. You don't want to raise taxes.. so they'll figure out another way.

lol I'm so cynical, can you blame me ;p

Preventative measures. Same thing can be said of preventative medicine. It costs less to be tested for cancer and catch it early, than waiting until you develop symptoms and have to undergo costly chemo. Depending on the fine amount, it may cost less to pay that than fix the broken window/steering column/insurance hike/stolen property. Not to mention the man-hours/tax dollars wasted in finding the car/property and prosecuting the criminal(s).

rofl - here in charleston, the cops make random passes through parking lots, putting notes on cars with items that are readily viewable from outside that "might entice a break-in".

how fucking stupid is that? placing a laundry-list of stealable goods on the car.

Not very stupid, IMO. If it's readily available, it would take a criminal less time to look in actually see what's stealable, than read a list.

At least they aren't ticketing them, AMIRITE?!?

 

[Georgebobbilly]

Not very stupid, IMO. If it's readily available, it would take a criminal less time to look in actually see what's stealable, than read a list.

At least they aren't ticketing them, AMIRITE?!?

Except there's now a big flag that thieves can see from a distance away signaling them that "Hey this car has a list of theft worthy items" Instead of someone having to be sneaky and walk up to every car individually and look in them which could draw the attention of people.

 

[Morcheeba]

Preventative measures. Same thing can be said of preventative medicine. It costs less to be tested for cancer and catch it early, than waiting until you develop symptoms and have to undergo costly chemo. Depending on the fine amount, it may cost less to pay that than fix the broken window/steering column/insurance hike/stolen property. Not to mention the man-hours/tax dollars wasted in finding the car/property and prosecuting the criminal(s).

lol I knew this was coming, I even knew the alternate angle. But I think adults should have certain freedoms with their property, and if it makes the local PD have to do what they signed up for, /shrugs

 

[Zyndara]

I think there are MUCH bigger things for the police to be worried about. Like events happening in any number of the other threads in this forum.

Car theft costs money and all but seriously, if a thief wants into your car badly enough, it isn't going to make a difference whether it's locked or not. Same thing with your house. Isn't that what you have insurance for (as so many people recently loved to say)? I mean, it's common sense to lock your stuff if you can for obvious reasons, but if stupidity was a crime, there would be a hell of a lot more people in jail.

 

[Lucki]

Except there's now a big flag that thieves can see from a distance away signaling them that "Hey this car has a list of theft worthy items" Instead of someone having to be sneaky and walk up to every car individually and look in them which could draw the attention of people.

So these things look different than parking tickets? I'd be willing to bet they look identical to parking tickets, but I haven't seen what they look like so I don't know for sure.

 

[Lucki]

lol I knew this was coming, I even knew the alternate angle. But I think adults should have certain freedoms with their property, and if it makes the local PD have to do what they signed up for, /shrugs

I think there are MUCH bigger things for the police to be worried about. Like events happening in any number of the other threads in this forum.

What Zyn said.

Car theft costs money and all but seriously, if a thief wants into your car badly enough, it isn't going to make a difference whether it's locked or not. Same thing with your house. Isn't that what you have insurance for (as so many people recently loved to say)? I mean, it's common sense to lock your stuff if you can for obvious reasons, but if stupidity was a crime, there would be a hell of a lot more people in jail.

But at least the streets would be safer!

 

[Lucki]

they look nothing like parking citations.

Picture?

Also:

When the officers came upon an unlocked car, a warning note would be left inside and the door would be locked. If that same car was found unlocked again within the next year, its owner would face a citation with a $25 fine.

The ordinance wouldn't apply to cars in private driveways; officers only will check those parked in public areas. People who report thefts from their unlocked cars would not be cited, no matter how many times they'd been warned or cited in the past.

So it wouldn't really be a beacon for criminals, unless they look in the car anyways

 

[Georgebobbilly]

I thought it was funny how the guy trying to push for the law said if someone leaves there car door unlocked and their neighbor doesn't, that person is attracting thieves the neighborhood. As if leaving your door unlocked shoots a beam of light into the sky signaling all thieves to the location.

 

[Lucki]

I thought it was funny how the guy trying to push for the law said if someone leaves there car door unlocked and their neighbor doesn't, that person is attracting thieves the neighborhood. As if leaving your door unlocked shoots a beam of light into the sky signaling all thieves to the location.

It'll be a standard feature in all upcoming 2012 car models.

 

[Georgebobbilly]

So it wouldn't really be a beacon for criminals, unless they look in the car anyways

The list of items the cops leave is different from the ticket one will get for leaving there car doors unlocked. I am saying the list of items is a beacon for criminals.

The ticket for leaving your car unlocked I'm just saying is stupid. It would be like you being able for being fined if you keep cash in your wallet, since Debit/Credit cards are supposedly safer/more secure.

 

[Lucki]

The list of items the cops leave is different from the ticket one will get for leaving there car doors unlocked. I am saying the list of items is a beacon for criminals.

Are there samples somewhere of what both will(would) look like?

The ticket for leaving your car unlocked I'm just saying is stupid. It would be like you being able for being fined if you keep cash in your wallet, since Debit/Credit cards are supposedly safer/more secure.

No, it isn't. Items stolen from unlocked cars are unattended, your wallet is on your person.

 

[Skaw]

So Thieves only break in to unlocked cars now? Man, they must be getting lazy. I remember when busting windows was a pretty quick, easy and effective way of breaking in to a locked car or even building.

New law: No windows. Good luck driving in a solid box.

 

[Georgebobbilly]

No, it isn't. Items stolen from unlocked cars are unattended, your wallet is on your person.

It doesn't have to be, you could leave your wallet on a counter cause you took it out to pay for something. That scenario has happened to me 5 times, twice I had to get a new wallet, lucky for me I don't carry cash, and the cards all got canceled before any charges were put on them. But just because I take that precaution doesn't mean it should be written into law that everyone should.

 

[Lucki]

I'm giving Lucki a pass on this thread because he's actually had shit stolen out of his car, including a Macbook Pro and his GPS. If I recall properly, the window was smashed out.

However, this law is retarded. I keep my doors unlocked because I'd much rather a thief just open the door and take shit rather than smashing my window.

lol, I can't believe you remembered that. One quick correction, it was an iPod stolen not a MacBook, and although the GPS was in the car, it wasn't stolen (it was wrapped up in a winter hat)

 

[Lucki]

It doesn't have to be, you could leave your wallet on a counter cause you took it out to pay for something. That scenario has happened to me 5 times, twice I had to get a new wallet, lucky for me I don't carry cash, and the cards all got canceled before any charges were put on them. But just because I take that precaution doesn't mean it should be written into law that everyone should.

Unless you left your wallet on the counter and walked away, it is still in your possession.

 

[Georgebobbilly]

Unless you left your wallet on the counter and walked away, it is still in your possession.

I walked away those 5 times, I always set my wallet down on the counter when I'm paying for things.

 

[Morcheeba]

I walked away those 5 times, I always set my wallet down on the counter when I'm paying for things.

You should be charged a fine for negligence with your own property!! damn you bad man lol

Why not implement a small fee for results???? Hey that may further provide incentive for local authorities to find perps ! If they don't you don't pay a fee, if they do, you do.

idk just throwing shit out there

 

[Lucki]

You should be charged a fine for negligence with your own property!! damn you bad man lol

Why not implement a small fee for results???? Hey that may further provide incentive for local authorities to find perps ! If they don't you don't pay a fee, if they do, you do.

idk just throwing shit out there

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