Yet another school shooting.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Family Murder / Suicide bingo square

Nothing all that special about this story... but to me, it's an illustration of how weak the argument is (from gun rights supporters) that "people who want to kill someone will figure out how to do it, if they don't have a gun they'll just use a knife or a bat or something..."

No way. If you're capable of considering this situation (though i don't recommend it) I just don't buy that this guy who, let's say, just had a domestic violence situation get out of hand and got overcome with panic... I just don't buy that (a) the same thing would have surely happened to the wife without a gun handy, or (b) the kids would be up next if he had just pushed her onto the stone fireplace or something. That fucker wouldn't have gone fishing for a baseball bat to finish the kids, I just don't buy it.

I don't know what percentage of gun deaths would have been avoided if there just weren't a gun lying around (or being carried) at that time/place... but it's definitely not 100%. It's just a lazy ass argument against big government.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Who doesn't lock their car as a normal part of their day? Sure, when I was a kid living in small town Iowa in the 60's and 70's we didn't, nor did we lock the house even if we left town. I don't think my parents locked the house or car after us kids moved out and they past in the early 90's. I moved away in '79 and locked both the car and house from day one.

You would be surprised how many people not only don't lock their cars, but leave the key fob in it.

[Ksyrup]

Our neighbors, who we love dearly, are a bit weird about things like this. The wife is a bit of a ditz to begin with, but they leave their garage open all day long whether anyone is there or not. On the eve night of Mack's HS graduation, a group of thieves stopped off the parkway in our neighborhood and ransacked a couple dozen cars. They weren't looking to steal the cars, just quick scores from what they could find inside.

My daughter Caitlin had driven in for the occasion and unloaded a bunch of stuff out of her car. She left the passenger side door unlocked in the commotion, and they got in and stole a bunch of change. Our neighbor, unfortunately, got the worst of it. She left the keys and her purse in an SUV parked outside the garage and it was stolen. They found it about 2 weeks later after it had been joyrided to near-death. They said they found all sorts of substances throughout and a bunch of damage.

Someone else in the neighborhood apparently left their car/truck unlocked and had a friggin gun stolen out of the glove compartment. Brilliant!

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Who doesn't lock their car as a normal part of their day? Sure, when I was a kid living in small town Iowa in the 60's and 70's we didn't, nor did we lock the house even if we left town. I don't think my parents locked the house or car after us kids moved out and they past in the early 90's. I moved away in '79 and locked both the car and house from day one.

Like Lathum said, it is not as uncommon as you might think. I knew a guy who would never lock his car door. His rational was he preferred to just pay for the replacement of whatever was in the car than to pay for the replacement of what was in the car and a broken window and/or a damaged lock. Outside of that I would say the goal for most Americans is to live in a town/neighborhood where you don't have to lock the car and house doors. For many, if they have to start locking their doors, the neighborhood has gone to crap and it is time to move to a better place.

I think this is a common debate around crime/crime prevention. It's the "People should not be committing crimes" crowd vs. the "People need to take all the security precautions and deserve what they get if they don't" crowd.

[dubb93]

I only lock my car when I travel out of town and even then only if I'm in a major city like Indianapolis or Cincinnati. I also don't keep weapons unattended in my car though.

[Ksyrup]

I do not lock my car when it is parked in our garage (open or not). When I pull my wife's car out to mow the lawn, I lock it in the driveway. I couldn't imagine not locking the car or house doors 24/7. It doesn't even have anything to do with a safe neighborhood or not - crime is everywhere, and it only takes one person. Like I mentioned above, our neighborhood got hit by a band of travelling thieves. It's just avoiding unnecessary risks.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Outside of that I would say the goal for most Americans is to live in a town/neighborhood where you don't have to lock the car and house doors. For many, if they have to start locking their doors, the neighborhood has gone to crap and it is time to move to a better place.

.

Sadly this place doesn't exist. By all metrics my town should be that. Median income well over six figures, home values over 600K, great schools, active police force, etc...and we still get criminals from surrounding areas stealing cars, catalytic converters, etc...

They send kids under 18 because they know nothing will happen. Even for the people over 18 they are out the next day if caught.

[GrantDawg]

I get not locking a car if you have nothing valuable in it. It is more expensive to replace a window than losing a few bucks in change. But when you have a gun in a car? I personally won't even consider a locked car secure enough for gun storage. It is way too easy to break into a car, locked or not.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Sadly this place doesn't exist. By all metrics my town should be that. Median income well over six figures, home values over 600K, great schools, active police force, etc...and we still get criminals from surrounding areas stealing cars, catalytic converters, etc...

None of this matters when your population/density is high. If you want this you need to move somewhere Midwestern and very rural. You would just have to do some research to make sure you aren’t moving to a meth hot spot. My county has an app that lets you track arrests almost in real time. On a busy day we may lock up 3 people in the entire county and almost all of that is DUIs or meth. Some weeks it’s 2 or 3 in a week. There is almost no theft and if there is a violent crime it’s generally very violent and not random (a murder case every 5 or so years.)

We also don’t have an interstate or a department store in the county and if you live more than a mile outside of the county seat you aren’t getting internet any faster than 5/1 so YMMV on if it’s the lifestyle for you.

[Ghost Econ]

We only really lock our doors before bed... because sometimes at night the ice weasels come.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

You would be surprised how many people not only don't lock their cars, but leave the key fob in it.

But I'd wager that has far less to do with people "feeling safe" and more to do with people simply being a combination of dense & naive.

[Lathum]

The line we had when I worked for Progressive was We insure stupidity.

[flere-imsaho]

I don't lock my car because it has a manual transmission and no one can drive those these days.

(Just kidding, I lock my car.)

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Like Lathum said, it is not as uncommon as you might think. I knew a guy who would never lock his car door. His rational was he preferred to just pay for the replacement of whatever was in the car than to pay for the replacement of what was in the car and a broken window and/or a damaged lock. Outside of that I would say the goal for most Americans is to live in a town/neighborhood where you don't have to lock the car and house doors. For many, if they have to start locking their doors, the neighborhood has gone to crap and it is time to move to a better place.

I think this is a common debate around crime/crime prevention. It's the "People should not be committing crimes" crowd vs. the "People need to take all the security precautions and deserve what they get if they don't" crowd.

I am very surprised at the answers here that many don't lock their cars. I can't think of anyone I've gone anywhere with that did not lock the car when we got out, and I do live in that "small town". Like dubb93's example we don't log many arrests either, but there are stories of "did you hear someone got into Joe's house or car and ... "(Joe is the guy that tells you "I never lock my car/house). There is no arrest but there was a crime. Is it a big risk to not lock up in my town? No, I could probably go that route every day and never have a problem, but why when locking up takes as much effort as putting on a seatbelt to drive? It's ingrained and something that is done without thought.

If you're right and many don't lock their car I'd argue that helps me since I do. I'd think most thieve first step is to try the door handle to see if the car is locked. If it is they simply try the next car, ie the path of least resistance. I'd say my second point of defense, that means my windows don't get broke, is nothing of value is ever visible in my car by just looking through a window. If a thief is breaking my window they are doing so blindly hoping they find something of value. Again I don't see this as likely when there are many other cars available that offer a better target. So thank you to those that leave the door unlocked and valuables where they can be seen.

The only thing I've ever had stolen from my car was a battery. 1967 Malibu, no hood release inside those old cars, just the lever behind the grill. I was parked at the bowling alley for league night.
Lighted parking lot, but kind of dim back in the 80's. They had to have just walked up to the car, opened the hood and removed it. That was in my small town. You tell the cops, they log it, and beings it's a small town and we all know each other they tell you the obvious, "you're probably SOL unless we get lucky".

[Atocep]

When I had my Jeep I got to the point where I often didn't bother locking my doors. There was nothing of value kept there and after getting multiple windows broken in my previous car to steal some change and a phone charger I just decided it wasn't worth it. Nothing was ever stolen from the Jeep.

Now that I have a newer vehicle and I share it with my wife I'm back to locking my doors.