Leaving car running may get you in trouble

Submitted by Dave Shaffer on Wed, 01/31/2007 - 1:02pm.

Minneapolis police are warning drivers not to leave cars running on the street as the temperature goes down. If a running, unattended car gets stolen, the city may issue the owner a ticket, police said in e-mailed bulletins.

"We are seeing an increase in vehicle thefts due to the cold weather," wrote 5th Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Sarah Sexton Mahmud. "People are leaving their vehicles running, with the keys in them, to warm them up on cold mornings. While this is a perfectly understandable response to frigid temperatures and ice cold car seats, you may pay a price for this. The fact is that auto theft jumps dramatically in Minneapolis as the temperature drops!"

Crime Prevention Specialist Tom Thompson says in one of his regular e-mails sent to subscribers in the 5th Precinct: "Vehicles are not allowed to be left running, or with the key in the ignition, on city streets/alleys while unattended. If your vehicle is stolen with the keys in it/running while left parked on the street/alley you WILL receive a citation for Open Ignition. You may also have problems with your insurance company claim, please check with your company for their policies on this."

He adds: "This is not meant to re-victimize the victim, but rather to prevent victimization in the first place. We want to prevent the opportunistic auto thief from having easy access to your car. Leaving your car running on the street allows opportunistic criminals the chance to commit a crime. The MPD wants to take the opportunity for crime away, so these types of criminals will not come to our neighborhoods."

This is the Minneapolis City Ordinance for Open Ignition.

“478.160. Duty to lock ignition, remove key. Every person parking a passenger automobile on a public street or alley in the city shall lock the ignition, remove the key, and take the same with him. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 411.190)”

I hope the police are making the insurance companies feel safe..

Submitted by nyknicks3 on Sat, 02/03/2007 - 9:26pm.

What a stupid law. It's my car, and I will warm it up all morning if that's what I want to do. This is another example of how our country is run by the interests of insurance companies. The seat belt law is the same way. Why would the police care if I choose not to buckle my seat belt? The insurance companies love to collect money, but they hate to pay out. What a bunch of crap.

» login to post comments

Good letter

Submitted by aarchie446 on Sun, 02/04/2007 - 1:00am.

The Dysfunctional Minnesota legislature purposely sets "trip wires" To catch joe citizen for their friends in the insurance industry, The 25.00 seat belt fine is a lie, they tack on a 72.00 surcharge and 7,00 for librarys the fine is 109.00 a big money maker The .08BAC scam brought in 40,000 Minnesotans to pay risk insurance for 5 years after MADD and the court convicts them, the jurisdictions and ambulance chasers get their cut, the common citizen is now the enemy of law and needs to pay, because meth and criminals in general do not create revenue.

The common citizens days are numbered to recieve representative government, When 50 million is spent buying favorable legislation by lobbyists at our state house, common sense says you want justice that fits you, hire a lobbyist. Our legislature is dysfunctional and hires out to the highest bidder.

» login to post comments

When your car gets stolen,

Submitted by B (not verified) on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 7:53am.

When your car gets stolen, it costs everyone money. And when you leave it running for no reason all morning, just because you want to, it only adds to further pollute the environment and cost everyone more money. Finally, when you don't wear your seatbelt, are ejected from your car and require serious medical attention, I think that you will be singing a different tune as your friends the other taxpayers again help to pay the costs. Unfortunate perhaps, but true, your actions do not only affect you, they affect a large number of people around you especially when things go wrong.

While I don't necessarily agree with the law, it does make sense and in reality you won't have a problem warming your car up all morning for no reason as long as id doesn't get stolen

» login to post comments

Vehicle Warm Ups and Personal Responsibility

Submitted by CommonSense (not verified) on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 1:40pm.

No one is saying you can't warm up your car - you just can't leave it unattended. You can let your car warm up all you want as long as you are in it, or shoveling snow around it like I was this morning. No one is saying you can't have an automatic car starter either -they do cost money, but it's the safest way to let your car warm up without the risk of theft, as the key is not in the ignition.

What I can't understand is why ANYONE would want to risk losing their car. For most folks I know, their car is their second biggest expenditure - and yet you don't want to take care of it? And I also don't understand why you would want to help make crime happen in your neighborhood.

If I left a $100 bill in plain sight on my front steps and then complained about someone taking it, would you feel sorry for me? I doubt it - I would be the idiot who left a $100 on my front steps.

Personally, I hope you are not my neighbor, because your lack of concern for your own property is going to create crime in our neighborhood, reducing the perception of safety in our community, and with it all of our property values, as well as increase all of our insurance rates along with your own.

How would you feel if someone stole your car and then hurt someone else with it? Wouldn't it bother you that you could have prevented it?

Your car is your responsibility - but you have an obligation to the rest of society to drive it carefully, insure it in case you do hurt someone, and make a reasonable effort to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. This is not about insurance companies - this is about thinking of someone other than yourself.

» login to post comments