# Legal liability for injuries from stolen "bait" vehicles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280 "2017-07-14T20:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/41 "2017-07-18T17:08:17Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > It certainly could be staged in the sense that they paid homeless guys $50 to hop on a bike with no brakes, but I doubt that it was staged in the sense that they hired professional stuntmen. Theft or no theft those guys had absolutely no idea what they were in for. Oh yeah, those aren’t professional stunt guys for sure. You can tell because they have absolutely no idea how to take a fall. They really look like homeless people, which makes it more exploitative, at least in my view. I feel bad just giving them a few additional views on their videos. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/42 "2017-07-18T18:51:27Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I’m curious about one thing though. What if you put warning signs claiming your property is booby-trapped with items that deliver deadly force (but don’t actually set up anything) just to dissuade would-be trespassers. Is that somehow illegal? I doubt that it’s illegal, or that if it is somewhere in the US that the law would stand up to a first amendment challenge, it’s definitely not generally illegal in the US. It would cause a significant liability problem though, if someone did get injured they have you on paper admitting to setting up deadly traps on your property and your only defense is ‘well I was lying then but I’m telling the truth now’, which doesn’t usually come off well. I think a homeowners insurance policy might tell you to cut it out (because of the liability) if they found out about it, but it would be hard for them to know about it. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/43 "2017-07-18T19:04:44Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I doubt that it’s illegal, or that if it is somewhere in the US that the law would stand up to a first amendment challenge, it’s definitely not generally illegal in the US. It would cause a significant liability problem though, if someone did get injured they have you on paper admitting to setting up deadly traps on your property and your only defense is ‘well I was lying then but I’m telling the truth now’, which doesn’t usually come off well. I think a homeowners insurance policy might tell you to cut it out (because of the liability) if they found out about it, but it would be hard for them to know about it. Wouldn’t it count as a threat of violence? Could you put up a sign saying “Come near my house and I will shoot you!”? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/44 "2017-07-18T19:17:10Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Wouldn’t it count as a threat of violence? Could you put up a sign saying “Come near my house and I will shoot you!”? Like [these signs?](https://www.google.com/search?q=this+house+protected+by+smith+and+wesson+sign&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj10dzPxZPVAhWoxVQKHSasD4AQ_AUICigB&biw=1100&bih=559) ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/45 "2017-07-18T19:30:33Z")
This would be a local matter so it’ll depend on the state and related municipality. Some places have really strong “stand your ground” laws and other places do not. Either way, you’ll have a fun-time arguing about the intent of your actions that clearly result in injury which is what, malice? Some might consider stealing a piece of property to be a victimless crime as no one was hurt. But, rigging a bike doe catastrophic failure does result in a victim. This would be a very prolonged court case that will be very expensive. I’d rather see a bike with a GPS tracker which would be very easy to implement. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280/46 "2017-07-18T19:53:29Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It is disheartening to see a bicycle so casually stolen. I remember visiting friends houses and parking my bike in the driveway. It was never stolen. That wouldn’t work today. It really depends where you live. If you are in a nice suburb or small town your bike is likely safe. In a big city not so much. Bikes are very popular items for thieves to steal. So much so that many thieves have become very adept and getting through bike locks. There are YouTube videos showing how quickly and easily even robust looking locks can be gotten through (quite surprising). An unlocked bike in a big city will not last long at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-liability-for-injuries-from-stolen-bait-vehicles/791280.md?page=2)