Did you see the Jag in the photos? Totaled after bouncing off a few other vehicles. The driver is going to be walking, bussing, rentalcar=ing anyway. So are the drivers who’s cars were just sitting there getting sideswiped.
Your car being stolen doesn’t entitle you to a brand-new car, so yes, your insurance company is going to pro-rate it. Same way a car battery is prorated if it fails. And at the current rate of a car stolen every 44 seconds (33% stolen after being left with the engine running, 20% more left unlocked)*, the insurance companies worked that stupidity factor into our premiums long ago.
According to Broward Sheriff’s detective Michael Grimm**, 75% of cars stolen by juvies are ditched when the tank hits empty (and, more than likely, near where they live). Juvie boys make up 40% of car thefts and most are joyriding, not driving to chop-shops. I’m not saying let people steal cars at their pleasure. It’s the city’s job to ‘protect and serve’ and police are one arm. I’m offering, why not utilize other resources that are already there, to take some burden off the police, a resource already towing and already less threatening than a cruiser pulling in behind some stupid kid who, dollar to donut is going to go cray-cray.
* http://www.rmiia.org/auto/auto_theft/statistics.asp
** http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-03-01/news/8901120000_1_auto-theft-car-last-week-teen-age-boys
I specifically said intrinsic value and never did I imply that you are entitled to receive a new car. You missed my entire point of the police are there to serve and protect in addition to enforcing the law. EVERY FRIGGIN ONE OF THEM. Break them and suffer the consequences, period.
He broke the law, he got caught in the act and then tried to ram his way through the police who he knew were trying to stop him. He ef’ed up on so many levels and Darwin’s rule took effect. What happened behind the house he was corralled at is still to be vetted. Did he attack the lone officer there with him and try to disarm the officer? We just don’t know that with any authority at all.
As for repop drivers to be the collection agency for wayward thieve’s bounty, they have enough troubles with people who are not disposed to violence and already carry for protection from those who do. In your example, just how many of them will have their livelihoods halted while a shooting investigation takes place?
How many will need to pay insurance rates that would make what anesthesiologists pay look like chickenfeed?
Just how will that affect what it costs us, the tax payers, again to support that kind of bottom line to take away a job already in the basic charge of our police?
When it is your vehicle that gets stolen and then you will sing a different song.
“. . .some stupid kid who, dollar to donut is going to go cray-cray”
Or we can let Darwin take its course.
;-)