61–70 of 154 posts
I was surprised by the founder spending time in his letter to users talking positively about other players in the space (RelayRides, GetAround) and why their car sharing models should still work. He didn't have to do this, but it struck me as a nice and unexpected gesture.
The Valley or startup scene is a small world. If his company doesn't work out, he/they can always work for the others.
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What could possibly keep gang member in the gang aside of greed? Why not just move to another side of the country and start a new life?
Perhaps I'm assuming, but it seems you don't know much about the life of the poor. If they could afford to move from the projects where these gangs operate, don't you think they would in a heartbeat? The foot soldier in a gang is not making a lot of money - far from it. But your mom just got laid off, rent needs to be paid and your baby sister needs to be fed. So you do what you have to do. I'm a big believer in pers…
That's me as a teenager 20 years ago as a member of said family.
I never implied that quitting criminal gang is easy. The hardest part though is to overcome greed and change mentality.
Unemployed mom and baby sister would likely to be better off without criminal gang member in the family.
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GPS would be useless for a determined thief, be it by simply jamming the GPS/cell signal or a RF sniffer to locate the (cellphone/whatnot) transmitter in the car and destroy it. From what I see, your social network sanction would be the only feasible option.
You probably meant "expert thief". Somebody who had 10000+ hours of expertise. Somebody who risked to get caught while gaining that expertise. There are not so many real expert thieves. That's why extended security measures do work: less experienced majority of thieves is caught outright, and more experienced minority of thieves is eventually caught due to unforeseen circumstances (unexpected witness, unexpected new…
That's true, but most electronic circuits emit stray radiation, switching or crystal references. Not only that, the hypothetical receiver needed for your stolen signal has a least a local oscillator with a nice and probably almost on clean signal. (I think in UK they used something like this to track people that didn't pay their TV tax, or even SS tracking WWII French resistance, but it might be an urban legend, although feasible, since stray LO frequency can propagate to the antenna and is sometimes used to check correct mixer/filter tuning).
Or even more simple, get a big truck with metal cage for RF shielding and disassemble the car for parts, which is more profitable. They just need to get rid of serial numbers and such.
I agree about the expert thief, but considering that [internet] criminal gangs go to the trouble of hiring experts to do the (hard) technical part, I would guess that gangs interested in stealing expensive cars would have no problem finding unscrupulous people to help them disable any security measure.
Even the car share company devises a security measure, what stops someone from registering into the service with fake ID and knowing all about it to neutralize it?
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I apologise for being a lil off topic but I do have a question for you. Before I ask that question, let me tell you a story. When I was growing up, I knew this girl who works part time at a cinema. Her job is basically to clean up the place after everyone has left once the movie has ended. While cleaning up the place, 7 out of 10 times, she will find something someone has left behind and out of that 7 times, probably…
So, where I grew up, everybody was a criminal. I don't mean that hyperbolically either. Everyone in my family (mostly bottom-of-the-barrel criminals, but a few actual bad-ass criminals), every other kid who lived in my neighborhood. All criminals. My older brother ran away from home when he was 15, partially to get away from all of that. I stayed until I was 17, but left for much the same reason. If I felt obliged to…
Still, I've always felt a tingle of guilt every time someone looses something valuable at the cinema. It always reminded me that if everyone runs away from a problem, nobody will solve the issue. Being slightly older (and maybe wiser) now, what I should have done is try to find a way to convince her to stop stealing.
Anyway, thanks for your reply!
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I would guess that former gang member should be able to flip burgers, mop the floor and collect trash from the streets. That's a good start. Yes, that might not pay as much as criminal activity, but that's definitely enough to survive. As for safety - why is it not safe to quit a gang? Why would remaining gang members care about former gang member who disappeared in unknown direction and does not cause any trouble?
I would guess that former gang member should be able to flip burgers, mop the floor and collect trash from the streets. And with the pay from that he could afford to live where? No place better than where he came from!
The point of moving to new place is to eliminate all the ties with old life and gang members.
But I guess even that is not necessary. I'm not expert on quitting gangs, but would assume that most gangs would not really force gang member on staying in the gang against the will of quitting gang member. If gang member is lacking determination - he might be useless of even dangerous as an active member of the gang. So the most practical approach should be mutual thinking: "good riddance".
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If you have kept up with this particular friend so that you know his current situation, then you have not removed yourself from the moral dilemma. Glad you got out, and there may be other reasons not to turn someone in, but this is a bad excuse.
I should be clear, I haven't seen any of these people in many many years. The situation I've explained was how things were set up when I last had any contact with Colin. I haven't heard anything since, so I assume things are progressing more or less the same.
GPS tracking devices are much cheaper.
There are much more surveillance cameras than 10 years ago.
That could significantly reduce car hijacking business.
That's sad to hear, but I think he's right to realize that it's going to be really hard to deal with losses when the auto theft community gets wind of their business. I am always amazed by the efficiency and technological prowess that the kids I grew up with who steal cars apply to their trade (even if I wish they were involved in a better trade). One kid I grew up with now has a ring of six guys working for him, pay…
The problem with running criminal business is that as soon as he tries to scale, he would inevitably and very seriously piss off lots of people. That would put extra pressure on law enforcement to catch the thieves and they would eventually be caught. Next step is several years in jail and close monitoring of the future crime activities. End result - the only expertise that he would gain over the years (in stealing)…
Why would he want to scale? To launch an IPO? Come on Bro.
a silly question, but isn't there any insurance on the said cars ? if the cars are lost/stolen etc. and they do have insurance, let the insurance company deal with law-enforcement or other 'out-of-band' mechanisms (too many hollywood movies) to retrieve the stolen property...
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Safety, for one. As for moving, family and lack of a link to anywhere else. Starting a new life isn't as easy as you seem to think it is. Nor, for that matter, is moving. Particularly if you don't necessarily have any good marketable skills.
I would guess that former gang member should be able to flip burgers, mop the floor and collect trash from the streets. That's a good start. Yes, that might not pay as much as criminal activity, but that's definitely enough to survive. As for safety - why is it not safe to quit a gang? Why would remaining gang members care about former gang member who disappeared in unknown direction and does not cause any trouble?
I ask honestly, but do you have any idea what you're talking about here? Here are two reference articles, one on empathizing with people in situations that are completely outside of your realm of experience:
“A Muscular Empathy”: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/a-muscul...
’If you really want to understand slaves, slave masters, poor black kids, poor white kids, rich people of colors, whoever, it is essential that you first come to grips with the disturbing facts of your own mediocrity. The first rule is this--You are not extraordinary. It's all fine and good to declare that you would have freed your slaves. But it's much more interesting to assume that you wouldn't and then ask "Why?"‘
And one on getting out of gangs and the psychological pull they still have even after you've decided to get gone:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/02/06/the-draw-of...
‘"They'll say, 'What's wrong with you, sissy? What's wrong with you, faggot?' Misery loves company. They don't want to see you succeed because they're still in misery. 'He's doing good? F––– that fool.' A lot of kids fall away. They sabotage their success."’
That's sad to hear, but I think he's right to realize that it's going to be really hard to deal with losses when the auto theft community gets wind of their business. I am always amazed by the efficiency and technological prowess that the kids I grew up with who steal cars apply to their trade (even if I wish they were involved in a better trade). One kid I grew up with now has a ring of six guys working for him, pay…
Please, if anyone knows someone who is willing to do this to another human being, make it stop. You have the power to prevent a loved one's Christmas from becoming a nightmare, use it. Please?