Almost Stolen!

[Thomas Rogers]

Gavin said:

I have never locked my keys in my car to depend on the keypad. That seems the most idiotic thing to do.

I suspect you are in the minority on that view of the usefulness and use of the keypad.



Of course, this is where folks will come out of the woodwork and tell me I am wrong.



TJR

 

[H D]

I do this all the time. Usually I'm in a rural area, umpiring baseball, kayaking, fishing, etc. and can either see my vehicle or am very confident I won't have an issue. I don't think I'd do it in downtown Atlanta, but I'm not judging. I can't say for certain that I wouldn't.



fftopic:I'm unsure what an makes an urban assault rifle. I assume you consider an AR-15 in that class, since its commonly mistaken as a "bad" or "useless" gun. I can assure you, there is no better varmint gun in the world and it is more commonly used as such rather than its urban Hollywood portrayal.



I'm not completely current on gun violence statistics, but last time I researched, the most commonly used gun in violent crimes was a .22 pistol. They're cheap, easy to conceal, readily available, and much more deadly. Your argument implies that gun companies produce .22 pistols with the acknowledgment that a certain percentage will be bought exclusively for violent crime and are therefore at least partially to blame. So, following this "logic", a producer of any item that could ever possibly be used for murder or suicide should therefore share in the blame if they acknowledge that their product could and likely will be used illicitly? Steak knife, chainsaw, floss manufacturers...you're now on notice!



I don't buy that.



I blame the person that pulls the trigger for violent shootings.



It's as if you would "share" the blame with the builder of your home for providing doors or windows that burglars could use to enter your house and steal your stuff. I'm sure you'll find a way to make a distinction, but if you leave your car keys in your house and leave the house with the car parked and it gets stolen, would you share the blame with the thief, yourself, and builder, in that order?



I blame the thief that broke into Kyle's truck for theft. I believe in shared blame, but this just isn't one of those situations.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Well put Hugh.

It's expected and anticipated.

Are you freaking kidding me? Seriously, it is anticipated that if I own an AR-15, I can kill someone and it was anticipated? :smack:



I speed many times. I don't even need a Corvette to speed. My Trac will break past 65 MPH (Maximum legal speed in Ohio) without breaking a sweat. I will tell the officer that is was expected me to do so.





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Hugh,



Maybe an assault rifle is a bad example.



Insteasd, consider a company that makes radar detectors.



Companies that make and sell radar detectors and laser jammers don't advertise or market their products to those that break the law....but make no mistake, they count on lawlessness for their products to sell.



Same is true for the keypad. Ford may not advise its use for locking ones keys in the car, but I can't help but expect they are counting on people using it just in that way in order to satisify a desire and make an appealing product.



My point is that there are companies out there making money on products that they know and count on their consumers to misuse...or to use illicitly.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

Same is true for the keypad. Ford may not advise its use for locking ones keys in the car, but I can't help but expect they are counting on people using it just in that way in order to satisify a desire and make an appealing product.

Why not buy a GM car and call Onstar to unlock it for you.:bwahaha:



Seriously, I prefer having a keypad than not having one. I like the ability to unlock my vehicle without having to dig my keys out of my pocket. I do not ever recall locking my keys in my car to keep from losing them.



I guess common sense should rule here, but it looks like Ford wanted cars to get stolen. :smack:





Tom

 

[gary s]

imo, poor judgement leaving the keys in the car. same as leaving your wallet in as well.

if the keys weren't there, the vehicle would still be parked in the same spot.

that doesn't give the thief a right to steal it, but it could have been prevented.



"The keypad is simply awesome for that. That is one of the greatest features of a Ford vehicle."



you can give ford a little more credit then that :bwahaha:



btw, the keypad was a very nice feature that i miss

 

[H D]

:back2topic: Kyle, is insurance covering the damage to your window?



fftopic:

My point is that there are companies out there making money on products that they know and count on their consumers to misuse...or to use illicitly.

No doubt. Like "tobacco only" water pipes? :bwahaha:



I think the house with keys in it and car in the garage is a more similar situation than radar detectors, though. If the key pads were created with the assumption that people would leave their keys in the locked vehicle and thieves would likely target these vehicles with that expectation, maybe you could argue that Ford knowingly helps thieves steal their vehicles. I still think that is a very long stretch, though.



I still blame the miscreants.

 

[H D]

if the keys weren't there, the vehicle would still be parked in the same spot.

Yeah, but then all of his stuff inside would have been stolen.



There were some fortunate coincidences that allowed for him to have no losses, and leaving the keys was a big part of that.

 

[Tom Schindler]

imo, poor judgement leaving the keys in the car. same as leaving your wallet in as well.

I dated a girl that would leave her purse on the front seat in plain view. When I would tell her that someone would break into her car to take her purse, her response was "There is no money in it". I could not get her to understand that even though there is no money in the purse doesn't mean the theif knows that too.



She wasn't really marriage material.





Tom

 

[gary s]

"There were some fortunate coincidences that allowed for him to have no losses, and leaving the keys was a big part of that."



yes , fortunate coincidence, but very rare

 

[Richard L]

The door keypad was designed to give you access to your vehicle without a key. It's convenient in case you accidently lock your keys in the vehicle and has safety implications if you have a small child or infant locked in the vehicle. It does not prevent anyone from breaking a window to gain access to your vehicle and should not be considered as a security device to allow you to leave your keys in the vehicle.



It is probably a good idea to have a well hidden ignition key in case you loose your keys, but putting them in the console or under the seat is not really hidden since those are places that a thief would look for any hidden valuables. I would thing that the best place to hide a key would be in one of those magnetic key boxes and hidden in the engine compartment. That way, you can used the key pad to enter the vehicle, and then release the hood to get the hidden key. Hiding the key under a fender or under the rocker panels is too common and thieves will often look there for the magnetic key box.



A key hidden under the radiator support, etc is not likely to be found by a typical thief who only intended to burglarize the vehicle.



...Rich