I have no words...

[XCashier]

The parents at the school where I work like to leave the (other children not attending the school - both big and little) in the car with it running. We can't turn off our cartoons now can we?

I am honestly surprised that a car hasn't been stolen before.

At the place my son went to preschool (in Phoenix AZ, circa 2003-2007), I hadn't heard of children being left in the car, but all too often, a mother would leave her purse in the car, usually on the front seat. After dropping off her kids, she'll come back to her car and find a smashed window and no purse, then go to the office and freak out about it. People just cannot be bothered to think anymore, it seems.

[notalwaysright]

I wasn't inclined to mess with stuff too much in the car as a kid, but I have one silly story. I can no idea how old I was, not super young though, and was waiting for my mom. I see a button and push it! After a minute it pops back out again. I inspect it, it has a pretty circular pattern, so I stick my thumb in.

Yeah, it was the cigarette lighter, which I had never seen used before.The little picture meant nothing to me. It wasn't glowing hot, either. Anyway, I had an awesome swirly burn mark for a long time.

[M'oh Less]

Oooh! I have two stories. The first is actually rather embarrassing. I had this old Crown Vic, and my son (who was autistic) and my middle daughter used to like to sit in the front seat and pretend to drive it. I was always with them when they played this game.

We were playing in the yard one afternoon, and I walked across the street to chat with my neighbour. The lock on the drivers side door had apparently broken, and my daughter happily climbed right in and started "driving," though she knew she wasn't supposed to without me. She must have knocked the emergency break, because suddenly the car rolled down the hill, across the road, through my neighbours front yard, stopping just at the rocked in edge. Neighbours Mom and I chased the car down and got it to slow as it was rolling. Daughter was just fine, and thought it was the most fun she'd had ever. I quietly had a heart attack and a stiff drink. She was about 7 at the time.

The second story was a couple of years later. We were living in a trailer park, and one morning a truck appeared on the corner. It was soon clear that it had been abandoned with a small child inside. When I went to walk the kids to the bus stop, I had go around because at that point it was surrounded by three jurisdictions of police, their cameras, techs, etc.

Turns out a Dad in Vegas had gotten himself and the kid (I forget the age now, but young) into the car to head out for the day. He realized he had forgotten his gym bag, so he ran back into the house for it. An enterprising thief saw his chance, not noticing the child, and took off in it. Drove it all the through Henderson and abandoned it in Boulder City when he realized he bit off WAY more than he expected. Thankfully, both the child and truck were fine.

^_^

[laborcat]

My coworker who had the silver SUV said the woman didn't have enough insurance to cover all the damage. Her brand new vehicle was totalled and she had to use her gap insurance to pay the difference. Now she's completely without a vehicle and has to start completely over.

[Ophbalance]

My coworker who had the silver SUV said the woman didn't have enough insurance to cover all the damage. Her brand new vehicle was totalled and she had to use her gap insurance to pay the difference. Now she's completely without a vehicle and has to start completely over.

That's what I was afraid of.

[Lace Neil Singer]

A mate of mine left her four year old son in the car while she ran into the newsagent to pay her paper bill. He locked her out the car. Cuz it was a boiling hot summer's day, and the keys were inside the car, my mate was forced to call the fire brigade to get the car open. Her son was delighted cuz he loves firemen, and my mate nearly died of embarrassment. Now, she takes the keys with her.

[Minflick]

and child?!

[Lace Neil Singer]

and child?!

Not very often, cuz her son has meltdowns sometimes if he's dragged out the car. If she's only going to be in a store for five minutes, it's not worth spending half an hour dragging him out.

[Sparklyturtle]

I learned this when I left my 7-year-old nephew in my car while I was paying for my gas. I could see him the whole time, and I hadn't left the keys in the car, but he took off the parking brake and my car started rolling, fortunately not fast enough to hit anything. I never did it again. Nephew is now 35+.

[An Haddock]

I just remembered one... when I was delivering for a pizza place about 10 years ago the manager had a pretty new VW bug. He parked it on the main street but must have forgotten to put the emergency brake on. A moment after he left the car it started rolling down the street. He chased after it and IIRC it scraped the side of one car but he managed to get inside and stop it before any further damage happened.

It was just a miracle that it was a Sunday and a slow day in town because normally there's a lot of traffic both parked and driving up and down the street all day long.

[ladyjaneinmd]

I get gas at a cash-only place, and you'd be surprised how many women will leave their purse in the car, unlocked and/or windows open, and go pay for their gas. I usually point out that this is the perfect opportunity for someone to run by, grab their purse, and run. They're too clueless. It's a very big deal in this area right now. They're too close for a smash-and-grab, but why bother smashing when the doors are unlocked and the windows are open? Easy pickings!

[siskaren]

I get gas at a cash-only place, and you'd be surprised how many women will leave their purse in the car, unlocked and/or windows open, and go pay for their gas.

Heck, I pay at the pump and I lock the doors while I'm filling up. (I saw a story on the news about thieves opening up passenger doors and stealing purses while the woman is on the other side pumping gas.) And if I have to go in to get a receipt, you better believe I'm taking my purse with me and locking up my car.

[Sparklyturtle]

I lock my car up like a bank vault, even when I'm in it.

[bainsidhe]

My coworker who had the silver SUV said the woman didn't have enough insurance to cover all the damage. Her brand new vehicle was totalled and she had to use her gap insurance to pay the difference. Now she's completely without a vehicle and has to start completely over.

I wonder how this normally works, is it first come, first serve? If so, does that mean she should file a claim immediately? Maybe she'd luck out and at least be reimbursed her deductible?

[Pagan]

This just happened here in January.
http://krqe.com/2016/01/02/missing-3...ter-car-theft/