LongScrew

That's about as stupid as saying, "she was dressed too sexy, she was asking for it!".

Hold the person how commits the crime responsible, no matter how easy someone makes it for them to commit the crime!

Kantuckid

iTrader: (1)

You guys are missing some of the message here. I sure don't abide/cater to criminals just because I happened to have "worked with them for a living" BUT when you cut loose a driver that has no insurance and obviously lacks anything close to common sense or responsible behavior ( and is often buzzed,drunk or all the above) I don't want them on the hwy & sharing the road with myself or my family just because a vehicle owner cannot take responsibility for their keys. They are often juveniles that lack a license,etc., as in my previous e.g.. No doubt police "get an attitude on" about stolen cars as they are the ones that get the direct exposure to these idiots driving stolen cars like there's no tomorrow and have to hope they get home to their own families each night.
In my area news this week alone were examples of robberies using stolen cars and several other serious crimes. No, I don't live in an urban area or South Chicago, Detroit or what's thought of as a high crime area. Smart to keep the keys in your possession as leaving them "out there in plain sight" IS catering to criminals, just the opposite of the above statement!
The hwy is a very dangerous place, w/o idiots using my/your keys.
I see folks run red lights with abandon these days, never used to happen and certainly not safe to do so. I suspect some of the same people that have decided that law is OK to break, also have some others they feel don't apply to them?

We are not "catering to criminals" when we leave the keys hanging out there, we are "enabling criminal behavior" and I see a big difference.
I agree to disagree on this one as my take on personal responsibility is obviously quite different than others here. Driving is serious business, don't dish it up to crooks.

Kenn213

Never said it was okay. Just said that's what realistically happens in this world we live in. Don't want your stuff taken, don't leave keys in it...

And yes, if you have a valuable item with very low security, don't be surprised when someone does come along and take it. I wouldn't leave a diamond necklace sitting on a display in an open garage, just like I don't make it easier for people to take my truck by leaving keys in it.

If to you, the convenience of leaving keys in a vehicle is worth the risk you take of it being stolen, then do what you want. For me, I prefer to take some personal responsibility and provide my valuable items some level of security. A quote from Covey comes to mind, "We are free to choose our actions, ... but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions."

Lux194

I'm a police officer. Unfortunately, we no longer live in a time where we can keep our stuff unsecure. Sad, but true. Generally speaking, crime is about opportunity. Vehicle burglary/theft is no different. A lot of times, the POS criminal will walk around and lift door handles until he finds one unlocked and then look for something inside to steal. If he finds the key inside, that's a bonus. Smashed windows are rare, but if you leave something good in plain view that does increase the chance. Again, motivated by opportunity. Like someone else said, stolen cars are used to commit other crimes like drive by shootings, robberies etc... Of course, I can only speak about the area I police, but I cant imagine it's much different in other places. I work in the St. Louis Metropolitan area (Illinois). I'm about 15 miles from Ferguson, Missouri. I'm sure most of you have heard of it by now. BTW, hot wiring cars is pretty much a thing of the past. Ignitions can still be bypassed in older model cars. It's very rare with the technology associated with ignition systems in new cars. Professional car thief, yes. Average street criminal, no. So, IMO, take precautions to keep from being a victim.

Kantuckid

iTrader: (1)

AND, we both failed to mention the reality of higher insurance cost for us all- every time a car gets stolen adds to the actuaries numbers and subtracts from ours!
Then you have a situation like the middle school boy last week (here in KY), great kid, took the keys and on a joy ride with a same age girl-they died in the crash. My SIL, at age 4-5, turned the key on, rolled the car into a creek and the list goes on...
Treat keys just like guns-secure them!!!

Lux194

I'm wondering if someone could perform a test. Lock the Fob inside the truck and try to start it from the outside. This would require leaving the window down, leaning in with a stick of some sort on the brake pedal, and pushing the start button. Will the truck know if something is not right?

My Chevy knows if it was not entered the right way. If I try to unlock the truck by leaning in an open window, the horn honks and the lights flash. It has no alarm system. This is just some sort of built in anti theft system. This would answer the question whether or not someone can break the window, jump in, push the button, and go.