Police in Massachusetts look for unlocked vehicles and lock them:
http://autos.sympatico.ca/auto-news/9972/left-your-car-open-police-lock-it-for-you
I’d be PISSED. I leave my Jeep doors unlocked because a) there’s nothing worth stealing in it and b) I’d rather if some a-hole wants to break in they simply open the door rather than break a window. I never, ever leave my keys, purse or anything of value in the vehicle.
Your thoughts?
I think it’s nicer than leaving a ticket; I’ve read somewhere on the boards that some municipalities do that.
Personally, I lock my car doors reflexively, but then again I park on a major road in a big city next to a park full of all kinds of people. It would never occur to me to not lock my doors. And leaving your keys inside just seems insane to me.
Not that my car’s really worth stealing; Old Toyota Tercels are not in high demand.
My first car was a '67 Beetle convertible. I left my car unlocked because if someone wanted to steal something, I’d rather they open the door than slash the roof. Now I leave it open out of habit - I’ve never had anything stolen. And it’s a 1998 Mercury station wagon with almost 200K miles - who would want it?
StG
What “law” would you be violating?
I leave my car unlocked. No radio, it’s a 2000 Kia, and the locks have an annoying tendency to freeze when it’s cold. It’s been ransacked three times this year despite not having anything in it, and the last time the fuckers broke my glove compartment (which will suck if I get pulled over and need to get my registration out)… I’d hate to have seen how much damage they’d have done to the door or window if they’d been frustrated by the locks.
An ex-roommate has two cars. One was an almost new Accord that cost him something like 15k. The other was a beater Corolla that he bought for fifty bucks. Guess which one got stolen?
At a guess, one that was created by that municipality’s legislation that says you may not leave your car unlocked while unattended.
My father’s truck (complete with scratches, dents, and 170,000 miles) has broken locks that cannot be unlocked without heroic efforts. He doesn’t lock his car. This would ruin his day.
ETA: Also, my car can’t be locked from the outside without a key. The driver’s side lock on the inside won’t move from the unlocked position while the door is open. It makes it nearly impossible to lock your keys in the key, and it’s a feature I like. Are cops just opening doors, flipping the switch, and shutting the door? Or are they actually using keys to do this?
I had an old Jeep Wrangler with a canvas top, and I used to leave it unlocked for the same reason. If you’re going to pry out my radio or something, at least don’t cut through my roof or plastic window to do it.
One night while the Jeep was parked out in front of my my house, someone did break in and steal my crappy radio - and cut through the plastic window even though the door was unlocked.. Bastard!
My friend used to have a beater and he would leave it unlocked. Back when I lived in downtown St Paul, he visited one evening and on his way back to his car around midnight, he discovered a homeless man sleeping in it. He woke him up and the guy responded “come on in”. Not the response he was looking for, the man was asked to kindly leave the vehicle.
I leave mine unlocked, since I have had one broken into by way of breaking a window. Even with all the doors locked, it’s easy to get into, since one window is off the track and can just be lowered from the outside. Nothing valuable in it except some pennies and nickels in the console. I lock my husband’s truck if I drive it. God knows what’s in it.
So no, I wouldn’t be too put out if someone came along and locked up. A little nonplussed, though.
Huh. I’ve had my car broken into three times. All three times, the doors were unlocked. Once it was my fault, twice somebody else’s. My conclusion is many thieves would simply move onward to another easy target instead of drawing attention by smashing a window.N
And what happens if the officer finds something while locking your doors? If they open your door and get hit in the face with some fresh pot smoke, does that give them reasonable cause to search the vehicle? If they see a bag with a white powdery substance in the door handle where it would only be visible to someone in the car could the owner get a ticket since the cop was allowed to access that part of the car? What if the cop, as part of his job of locking the doors, got hurt on something sharp like a razor blade or box cutter that the owner had laying out? Is that the owners responsibility? Do I now need to make sure the interior of my car is safe to someone unfamiliar with it in case I forget to lock it? If the cop breaks something in the process, is the city responsible for fixing it?
If it’s a law to leave your car unlocked then just write a ticket and move on. This seems to be opening a can of worms, but maybe I’m over thinking it.
is it visually obvious from the outside of the car that it is unlocked? Or do the thin blue liners go around fingering doors of every parked car in the neighborhood?
I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I remember reading about someone getting a ticket for it. I’m not having any luck finding it though; maybe it wasn’t on these boards or I’m just unlucky with the search terms I’m trying.
If you were to report something as stolen on your insurance but were known to have left your car door unlocked, would that mean that you aren’t covered for the theft (assuming you have this coverage on your insurance in the first place)? That’s not really a law, but it is a potential consequence, depending on the situation.
I never leave my truck unlocked and out of sight. And I have even locked it at certain gas stations. I just don’t wish to make it that easy for people to jump in and look around, especially at night. Too many things can happen. People can make a home in your vehicle. They can defecate in it or pull out some wires for spite. Way not slash the seats too? If an unlocked vehicle is next to mine, miscreants are going there.
Along the same lines, in Minneapolis it is illegal to leave your car running and unattended. Every winter some ding-dong gets their car stolen because they left it running while running into the store for a gallon of milk.
This is so Minnesota.
Anyway, unlocked car doors don’t stop asshats from smashing your windows. Thieves are not considerate enough to canvas the scene in order to steal from you in the kindliest way possible. They’re just gonna smash your window, rummage through your glove box, then take the pennies from beneath your floor mats.
If the vehicle is unlocked because there is nothing to steal from it anyway means your own duty of care to your possessions could be called into question by your insurance company.
Good point. We know the Office is Always Right. 