Hey, there! Log in / Register

When gassing up, don't leave your key in the ignition if you go into the mini-mart

Car thief

Burlington Police report a guy is going around local gas stations stealing cars whose owners have left the keys in during trips to the stations' convenience stores.

He's struck seven times since Dec. 13, police say, adding:

Revere PD was involved in a pursuit with one of these stolen vehicles and the occupant bailed out of the vehicle and continued to flee on foot. They were unable to locate him.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

Even when it's COLD (like today) there is no reason to leave your car running while you go into a store. It's a waste of gas, pollutes the air and gives losers like this guy an irresistible temptation.

up
Voting closed 0

Violates me too!

up
Voting closed 0

Honestly, who leaves their keys in their car?!

up
Voting closed 0

Same people who don't feel the need to lock the door to their home.

up
Voting closed 1

People in the country, Vermont, Northern Maine, Nantucket et al.

up
Voting closed 0

The criminal is the person who took the car... ...even if I do think you're kind of an asshole for letting your car idle, but hey, whatever, it's your gas expenditure.

up
Voting closed 0

And wastes natural resources. And it's not a fashion choice.

up
Voting closed 0

but I don't even leave the keys in the ignition while I'm standing right there pumping gas.

up
Voting closed 0

Common sense.

up
Voting closed 0

The Dunkin Donuts on Baker and Spring Streets in West Roxbury always has at least one car idling while the occupant gets coffee. I guess they figure no one is going to take their car in that part of town? Or they REALLY need their car to be warm so they can get an iced coffee?

up
Voting closed 0

This dope did it once, by accident. I got back and was surprised my car was still there.

up
Voting closed 0

I'm walking to Roslindale Square from Forest Hills tonight. Right when I'm getting to Cibao Market (by Archdale, but closer to Forest Hills) some woman pulls her Lexus SUV over and gets out of it, leaving it empty with the engine running. Maybe there's some kind of safety device I don't know about, but who is in the habit of doing such in, and I don't think I'm being off by saying this, the worst part of Roslindale?

up
Voting closed 0

It doesn't say anywhere the cars were left running, which typically people don't do while fueling up anyway. It just said the keys were in the car.

up
Voting closed 0

First sentence of the link:

On December 17, 2013 at around 1830 hours, a gentleman pulled into the gas station to get gas, then went inside the convenience store leaving his vehicle running with the keys in it.

up
Voting closed 0

Yea but that's in the actual article. I'm referring to the article, there's a huge difference, which is what I'm trying to get at

up
Voting closed 0

Maybe this guy is just getting tired of waiting for people who park at the pump and spend ten minutes shopping while others are lining up for gas. I see this almost every time I get gas and would have a hard time feeling sympathy if the same happened to them, leaving their keys in their car for such a long time. I can't even remember the last time I had any reason to go inside a gas station mini mart.

up
Voting closed 0

I know that I had the "do not leave the car running with the keys in it ever" meme pounded into my head from early on in my driving instruction, partly because insurance wouldn't cover it if I did and the vehicle was stolen or if it somehow rolled away.

Is that true in Massachusetts?

up
Voting closed 0

Theft falls under comprehensive.

As far as I can tell, it's between you and your insurance company as to whether they put a disclaimer that defeating your anti-theft systems counts against your claim or not. If they don't have that stated in your policy, then they have to cover it even if you helped the thief out. However, they do almost all have the right to deny your claim if you lie, so you have to tell them that you left it running if they ask (and they will ask). They might still have to pay out the claim if they don't have a disclaimer against it, but they can also then drop your policy or jack your premiums through the roof because you are too high a risk.

up
Voting closed 0

It's possible for cars to be running unattended with the doors locked, either with a remote starter, or by locking the doors from the outside with a second key.

up
Voting closed 0