Grand Theft Auto: A2
“Ann Arbor Police believes they will catch the people who are stealing cars in the city and leaving them in the Fourth and Washington parking structure downtown,” says the News. “[A]ll the cars had been stolen in various areas in the city after their owners either left the keys in them and unlocked or had left the cars running and unattended.” And they want to catch the criminals? What about an education campaign telling car owners not to leave their keys in the car? We can probably guess that these aren’t student cars.
At least these thieves keep the cars in the community, unlike some of those non-locally-based criminals who abandon them in Detroit. Support your local car thieves!
Those aren’t “thieves”, those are joyriders. With a conscience.
posted by Michael McC. on December 27th, 2005 at 3:08 pm e“Education Campaign?” I just say we go up to the assholes with a bat that says ‘LOCK YOUR CAR’ and hit them in the soft mush they call a head. Come on, the only person I knew that did this crap was a half-retarded half-senile video store owner who lived in the middle of nowhere.
posted by Donkey McGrew on December 27th, 2005 at 3:33 pm euh … mcgrew? did you forget to take your meds today?
posted by peter honeyman on December 27th, 2005 at 4:16 pm eThe AA Police area bunch of frustrated paramiitary wanna-bes. I have no faith in them doing any real “Police work”. All they’re good for is busting Frat parties and handing out “5 mile over” speeding tickets.
In Chicago, however, you meet the best Police Officers who are seasoned professionals and quick to engage in friendly banter at a red light or help out people in “real” situations. I tought I’d never say this, but I actually miss the “real” Cops of Chicago.
posted by Arborite on December 27th, 2005 at 5:02 pm eIf this keeps up, perhaps the city will have to build an additional downtown garage just to house stolen vehicles.
posted by DanIzzo on December 28th, 2005 at 9:30 am eThe only people I know who don’t lock their cars drive such run-down ones that there’s a good chance if it’s locked, it won’t open again. And the fact that the insurance is probably double what it’s worth.
These idiots, though… somehow I doubt that’s the case.
I wonder if the owner has to pay the parking fee for that structure? That’d be insult upon awesome injury.
posted by Jen on December 28th, 2005 at 9:42 am e“I tought I’d never say this, but I actually miss the “real†Cops of Chicago.”
Yeah, the convenience they offer of being able to pay a speeding ticket right there instead of “going through the trouble of paying it downtown” is awesome.
posted by js on December 28th, 2005 at 2:21 pm eAwfully good of the thieves to leave the cars where they won’t get snow or, horror of horrors, crow excrement on the roof overnight. Very Ann Arborly considerate of them.
posted by Boston Fan in Michigan on December 28th, 2005 at 3:21 pm ethis case is going to break wide open when one of the thiefs gets out of a stolen car and starts skateboarding down the sidewalk.
posted by Real Big on December 28th, 2005 at 11:00 pm eand perhaps even one of the thieves.
posted by Real Big on December 28th, 2005 at 11:01 pm ehey real big that’s real small of you to attack the spelling errors in the comment by … uh …
oops
never mind
posted by peter honeyman on December 29th, 2005 at 1:24 am ei mean really small.
posted by peter honeyman on December 29th, 2005 at 1:24 am eSome kids attempted to steal my car, which was parked on top of the structure at Liberty Square. They broke a window, got in, thought they had the key (actually, the key in the glove com’t was to a different car), let the parking break go, rolled a few feet… and then gave up. Unfortunately for them, someone in the Campus Inn saw the whole thing, so by the time they made their way on bikes out of the structure, the police were waiting for them.
posted by Anna on December 29th, 2005 at 6:48 am eI used to have an old 78 superbeetle convertible when I lived in Boston…ignition was broken so I had to start it using a screwdriver jammed into the steering column. I always left it unlocked because I was afraid someone would tear through the top to get in, but I would take out the rotor from inside the distributor anytime I wasn’t using it. A bit cumbersome, but it never got ripped off. Old VWs are good that way.
posted by OFWinsurgent on December 29th, 2005 at 7:54 am eI had a 1968 Plymouth Sport Saillite. I lost the only set of keys shortly after I acquired it. Thereafter it was hotwired.
No keys for the doors either, so I generally left it unlocked, but I went into Detroit, where someone might actually appreciate a rust free B-body, I’d lock the doors. To get back in, I’d leave a collapsable slim jim sitting on top of oneof the passerger side tires.
I’d slim jim away in broad daylight, in front of police offices. If anyone looked to hard, I’d simply say, “I’t mine.” Some variation of “Can’t imagine anyone would want to steal that.” was the typical response.
posted by Alan Gutierrez on December 29th, 2005 at 2:43 pm eJoyriding? Feh. This is obvious a ploy to avoid paying for parking.
Yeah. It was “stolen”. That’s the ticket.
posted by Alan Gutierrez on December 29th, 2005 at 2:47 pm eI am just excited that the cops have something to do besides giving me tickets for parking the wrong direction in front of my own house ($25, ouch)…or maybe that’s parking enforcement, but I swear they lurk, even in the neighborhoods. I’d always assumed the over-enforcement of parking was because there is (supposedly) little crime in this little burg, but my auto insurance policy is higher than it was in Seattle…so I think that must be a myth too.
posted by Transplant on December 29th, 2005 at 4:50 pm eMichigan has no-fault insurance, could that contribute to higher rates?
posted by T on December 29th, 2005 at 7:11 pm eohhhh????
“I tought I’d never say this, but I actually miss the “real†Cops of Chicago.â€
[xnip]
“posted by js on December 28th, 2005 at 2:21 pm ”
you musta missed the 1968 ChiCopRiot for the Democrats!
posted by toasty on January 2nd, 2006 at 11:14 am eMy only experience with the AAPD was when we had a disturbance on our street (a domestic disturbance where a woman was being assaulted and was screaming for help) and we dialed 911. We were also out the front door to see if we could help, along with practically everyone on our small block. Afterwards the cops came by to thank us for calling and to fill us in on what had happened.
It wasn’t a good situation, by any means, but I thought the cops did a good job.
posted by Young OWSider on January 2nd, 2006 at 11:44 am eCar insurance rates are higher or lower in different states and areas mainly because of variations in accident risk and insurance fraud in different areas, as well as the variables insurance companies are allowed to consider in setting rates for individuals.
Michigan has the only true no-fault car insurance system (advocates of the status quo in other states shriek about the awful horrors of a “Michigan-style” no-fault system). But it is neither cheaper nor more expensive than fault systems in similar states.
The difference is that fault states are dumping a lot of money into finding fault: investigations and lawyers and courts and judges and so forth. Michigan puts that same money into paying for damages and compensating those injured in accidents regardless of fault.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on January 2nd, 2006 at 12:43 pm eIn a way, though, it is the no-fault which makes your auto insurance higher here regardless of crime stats. Thanks to 1996’s dubious repealing of part of the original no-fault insurance law, which stated that rates could be determined based upon no more than 20 geographic regions of Michigan and that the highest rated region could be no more than 45% costlier than the lowest rated region, your rates are now being figured for a sampling of our well-to-do town… Meaning your insurance company is probably charging more based upon the fact that there are a lot of newer, more expensive cars in this area which cost a great deal more to repair (crime not being so much a factor until you hit an area like Detroit).
I like the ease and anti-litigiousness of the no-fault system, but I can understand somewhat why one would “shriek about the awful horrors of a “Michigan-style†no-fault system”. Insurance rates climbed higher than the national average once we went no-fault (but we’re now on par with national insurance inflation), and the ‘96 changes took away a reasonable rate limit and opened the door for drawing unlimited rate regions along socioeconomic lines (or maybe that doesn’t matter so much, since this is an industry which can discriminate based on sex and age).
posted by FAA on January 2nd, 2006 at 4:57 pm espam fool.
posted by Michael McC. on May 17th, 2006 at 8:44 am e