# Your reaction to cops "helpfully" locking your car door? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133 "2021-09-22T19:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/21 "2021-09-22T21:38:30Z")
I’ll just agree with Grr here and say that I only needed one busted window to become an intentional unlocker. It’s even worse with a convertible and I NEVER lock my Miata. My cars get rummaged through maybe once a year. I put everything back and go about my way. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/22 "2021-09-22T21:39:00Z")
I’ve owned many convertibles, and have left my vehicle unlocked, preferably someone would enter through the unlocked door rather than slicing the top for entry. ETA: in 47 years of driving I’ve never had anyone break into my car ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/23 "2021-09-22T21:51:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How did they even know that the cars were unlocked? Is it standard police procedure to attempt to gain entry to every car they encouner? Isn’t it, in fact, explicitly illegal for them to do that? The first thing I thought of in this thread is Fred and Nobby patrolling the streets of Ankh-Morpork testing the doors of businesses to make sure that they are locked for the night. Now, I won’t exactly use Discworld as a cite for proper and standard police procedure in the US, but it at least establishes that the concept of police checking locks is a known habit. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/24 "2021-09-22T22:01:20Z")
never mind ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/25 "2021-09-22T22:04:31Z")
You’re right, and I recognize my privilege (at least as well as I’m able). I’m white, male, middle-aged, and fairly well-to-do. I can do a lot of things without thinking about it that others would get beaten or tazed or arrested for, if not killed outright. It’s not right, it’s not good. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/26 "2021-09-22T22:07:37Z")
Keep them toeing the line. Keep them honest. Use you white privilege to help those with a knee on their neck. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/27 "2021-09-22T22:32:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How did they even know that the cars were unlocked? Is it standard police procedure to attempt to gain entry to every car they encounter? Isn’t it, in fact, explicitly illegal for them to do that? I was wondering the same thing. They need a warrant to gain access to my personal belongings? Also, keep your flipping flyers off my car, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/28 "2021-09-22T22:47:20Z")
Hell, half the time I leave my keys in my car. I’d be sending the bill for the locksmith to the cops. Keep out of my stuff. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/29 "2021-09-23T00:37:55Z")
Where was your car parked while they were shining lights inside? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/30 "2021-09-23T01:02:03Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Where was your car parked while they were shining lights inside? - Someplace dark, most likely. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/31 "2021-09-23T01:14:23Z")
Lot of people here have obviously never lived anywhere that an unlocked car gets turned into a homeless person’s public restroom if left overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/32 "2021-09-23T02:11:21Z")
I don’t know what’s happening where you all live but in my 20 plus years of experience when your window gets busted in it’s when you pissed someone off. What is very common is someone going through a neighborhood in the middle of the night and tossing the interiors of the cars. Enough people leave their cars unlocked that there is no need to break windows. Messy and noisy. What is becoming more common is going through cars and finding the unlocked ones with the key fobs left in. Those get found trashed in Newark. Or burned up. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/33 "2021-09-23T02:17:06Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > This after having my window busted out only to find the would be thieves didn’t take anything. Worse with a convertible top. Nothing in there more expensive that replacing a cut up top. Hell, I used to leave the windows open! ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/34 "2021-09-23T02:22:12Z")
No, that sounds terrible. Why would you live somewhere like that? ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/35 "2021-09-23T02:34:34Z")
I don’t! But I’ve lived a lot of rough places, there’s a reason I don’t anymore 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/36 "2021-09-23T03:11:36Z")
I’m voting for no. If you find an unlocked car door, you should not assume the owner wanted it locked. This applies to the police as well as everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/37 "2021-09-23T03:18:34Z")
I wasn’t asking you. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/38 "2021-09-23T03:29:03Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Where was your car parked while they were shining lights inside? A parking lot. > [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > Lot of people here have obviously never lived anywhere that an unlocked car gets turned into a homeless person’s public restroom if left overnight. We did have an incident here recently. A man got in his car to drive to work, and he made it a few blocks before he realized a stranger was asleep in his backseat. The stowaway wasn’t homeless, just drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/39 "2021-09-23T03:33:05Z")
I’ve lived in both the 4th ward in Houston and Five points in Denver and while I had my car stolen once I’ve never even heard of people using unlocked cars as latrines. Maybe the gangs don’t put up with that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133/40 "2021-09-23T03:34:06Z")
One doesn’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy in a public space, such as a parking lot. Your car, and you, were also likely on a security cam or three. 😮 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-reaction-to-cops-helpfully-locking-your-car-door/951133.md?page=3)