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Train burglaries in LA

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Re: Train burglaries in LA

#91

Post by Ansil849 »

Doxin wrote: post #74
Ansil849 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the thieves just lurk around the area, waiting for trains to come to a pause, and then break open the containers, I guess the containers are not very secure? And there's minimal patrols? It just seems like extraordinary 'easy pickings'.

Turns out it's pretty tricky to make a padlock secure against bolt cutters. Of course improving the security of the lock would soon lead to thieves cutting off the locking bars on the container instead.

It doesn't have to be the lock that's secured. What about a hinge mechanism which takes a programmable amount of time to open the container door? If it takes 10 minutes for the door to open, the lock doesn't matter as much, since the thieves have a very limited amount of time before the trains start moving again, apparently.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#92

Post by rdtsc »

idontwantthis wrote: post #32
rdtsc wrote: post #3

Wonder how organized that looting is. Is just individuals over many months or years, or a large gang over a few weeks time. On the one hand it’s shocking to see it in LA in US. On the other I am surprised it’s not happening more often. In large cities, some of my acquaintances had to get PO boxes as their packages kept getting stolen. But why bother wasting time going house to house, when you can hit a whole train ca…

I wonder if it's organized or just like kids in a candy store. There's so much to steal, I wonder if there's need for conflict or management.

I can see that, yeah. I imagine them, after all the adrenaline dies down, sitting around the fire, swapping stories and bartering —- “two epi pens for that golf club?”. Some staring into the distance, wondering about their life choices after ending up with four identical waffle makers.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#93

Post by INTPenis »

mngnt wrote: post #36

I would expect this kind of pictures from a third world country... How come no one is incentivized to fix this - protect the trains, prevent this loss of property? Who pays for the stolen goods? I presume it would be the retailers, is it just a drop in the ocean for them? In some more dystopian movies there were trains crossing vast areas of postapocalyptic hellscape protected by soldiers with machine guns and flamet…

I think protecting the train line is just one small aspect of this, what sticks out to me is how desperate people are. They're robbing trains in downtown L.A. now. You can see the skyscrapers.

That's the real dystopia here. Not that they need more armed guards.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#94

Post by bestnameever »

vecinu wrote: post #76
mngnt wrote: post #36

I would expect this kind of pictures from a third world country... How come no one is incentivized to fix this - protect the trains, prevent this loss of property? Who pays for the stolen goods? I presume it would be the retailers, is it just a drop in the ocean for them? In some more dystopian movies there were trains crossing vast areas of postapocalyptic hellscape protected by soldiers with machine guns and flamet…

It's so hard to have this discussion with people that live in California but a lot of the scenes in SF and LA are literally out of developing, corrupt countries. I think people just don't want to admit how bad it has gotten because then they have to face their fears and take some action to change their future. Homelessness, crime, theft, lack of security, mentally ill people in droves on the street, "do not go areas"…

I live in California and people admit all the time how bad it has gotten.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#95

Post by bryans »

imgabe wrote: post #77

Amazon has already started doing their own shipping. Maybe they'll hire their own mercenaries to guard the shipments too. Eventually they'll replace the government. United States of Amazon. We won't even have to change all our monogrammed stuff.

It will all be Brawndo soon. Prophet Judge foretold it.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#96

Post by bilekas »

zorpner wrote: post #81
unityByFreedom wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it'd be more about the direct costs and benefits to the business. ... which are tied to lowering crime.

Do you think that shortages reduce revenue for logistics operations with fixed movement volumes?

I would assume they have some liability - Maybe resulting in rising insurance costs etc. It has to be in their interest to protect their freighters.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#97

Post by sterlind »

imgabe wrote: post #77

Amazon has already started doing their own shipping. Maybe they'll hire their own mercenaries to guard the shipments too. Eventually they'll replace the government. United States of Amazon. We won't even have to change all our monogrammed stuff.

Snow Crash is looking more and more likely.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#98

Post by Ansil849 »

esyir wrote: post #85
Ansil849 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Average time needed to get into a container (X) needs to be > average time train pauses (Y). This seems like it should be a solvable problem. For example, just thinking out loud, what about some sort of container door hinge mechanism which takes five minutes (or an adjustable amount of time) to open the door?

Screw it. This notion that we should only punish violent crime, and all other crime should be ignored needs to go. Look at this chain of logic presented above. >> Additionally, mail theft laws which include prison as a consequence should be extended to package thefts if they don't already cover them. >But it is a nonviolent crime. It seems like finding some way to prevent the thefts is better. The implied conclusion…

> unilaterally and directly harm other people.

Which is precisely what "punishment" does. Try being less vindictive and more understanding about the root circumstances that lead someone to perform an act of desperation.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#99

Post by bambax »

mngnt wrote: post #36

I would expect this kind of pictures from a third world country... How come no one is incentivized to fix this - protect the trains, prevent this loss of property? Who pays for the stolen goods? I presume it would be the retailers, is it just a drop in the ocean for them? In some more dystopian movies there were trains crossing vast areas of postapocalyptic hellscape protected by soldiers with machine guns and flamet…

> I would expect this kind of pictures from a third world country...

By many measures, the US are a third world country. Here's an article from 2014 https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/six-ways...

The problem with "winner takes all" culture is that "losers" still have to eat, and you can't jail or shoot them all. Hence, this.

Re: Train burglaries in LA

#100

Post by paganel »

That's one of the main reasons why driverless lorries will never be a thing. Unless you accompany each one of them by a weaponised mini-drone, Robocop-style, that is.
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