Am I missing something? Warming up the car outside while keeping it locked...

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by Rhino

I am thinking about the person who do not have remote start. Who starts the engine and locks the door with a physical key.

Couldn't someone open the window with a brick, get in, and drive away?
<snip>

Yes. They could also hit you with the brick on your way to the car.

Tom

[Rhino]

Originally Posted by qbee42

Yes. They could also hit you with the brick on your way to the car.

Tom

Tom,

You are, of course, correct but it is unlikely.

The guy/gal can just hit you with a brick although that is generally not the preferred way to rob. Criminals prefer overwhelming advantages - like a knife, a bat, or a gun. There are very few "brick" criminals because the outcome is far from certain.

Moreover, the population of people who would commit a non-violent crime is a lot bigger than the population of people who would commit a violent (assault) crime. Therefore, the two probability are not equal. The probably of a brick through a window is much higher than a brick towards a person.

And, if an assault were to occur, there would be the risk that the victim can identify the perpetrator. Therefore, assaulting someone is inherently risky and will cause the police to come looking for the criminal. You may have to kill the victim. A property crime is generally given lower priority by the police vs. assault or murder.

A brick can be easily procured in many neighborhoods either through urban decay or as part of a well manicured front lawn (as part of landscaping). And, if one were to commit grand theft auto, a brick is highly advisable since it would hardly prolong the sentence. As long as you are stealing a 20K car, breaking a $500 window does not really elevate the severity of the punishment.

I was only trying to address the original poster's concern about locking up the car while warming up. Obviously, he/she is concerned with crime and he/she thinks there are criminals lurking about. If crime is not a concern, just warm up the car without locking it.

[Snowbell]

Originally Posted by Rhino

I was only trying to address the original poster's concern about locking up the car while warming up. Obviously, he/she is concerned with crime and he/she thinks there are criminals lurking about. If crime is not a concern, just warm up the car without locking it.

Rhino,

To tell you the truth, I'm not overly concerned with crime where I live, although I do live on a street now with a lot of traffic. I grew up never having to lock my car or my house. ...but times have changed over the years. Now, I keep the car locked 99% of the time. While the Prius is parked in a driveway at home (no garage), the driveway is short in length and I guess I'm now more consciously cautious. I don't expect anyone to throw a brick at the car and steal it, but keeping it locked while it's running and defrosting does give me a little better sense of security than just leaving it unlocked. ...And if it disappears one morning at least I can tell the insurance company that the car was locked in the driveway.

As for a remote start, I don't really have a need for one. It's easy enough for me to go outside, start the car, and come back a few minutes later.

...but thank you for your concern.

p.s. I'm a she. (not a he) ;0)