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Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

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191–200 of 670 posts

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#192
post #188

I should point out to those not from the US that this is how Americans view the US. There is a lot of crime, the government and NGOs are on the side of the criminals etc. It is up voted to the top as well, with agreement in the replies, this is how Americans view the US. The US incarcerates more people than China, despite China having more than four times as many people, but the view obviously is the incarceration ra…

I agree the US incarcerates too many people, does the comparison to China make sense? How can we trust their numbers especially when they disappear people.

Well don't trust China's numbers, and compare the US incarceration rate to those of any industrialized country's numbers that you do trust.

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#193

I should point out to those not from the US that this is how Americans view the US. There is a lot of crime, the government and NGOs are on the side of the criminals etc. It is up voted to the top as well, with agreement in the replies, this is how Americans view the US. The US incarcerates more people than China, despite China having more than four times as many people, but the view obviously is the incarceration ra…

It would take Ra's al Ghul to resolve the problems of this city

FWIW, the parent poster doesn't want increased incarceration, they want these people executed (probably without due process).

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#194
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't quite follow as the catalytic converter is melted down for its metals rather than used as is. As to "all the parts on a car paired" - there is VIN etching. https://www.allstate.com/resources/allstate/attachments/tool... The audio system has some semblance of paring. Though with he KIA, this is more often dealing with use (e.g. joy riding) of the car rather than reselling it.

Melted down? More likely they're sold to questionable "remanufacturers"

Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-... // https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33444851 (405 points // 468 comments)

> Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from across the United States executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown today of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors for their roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for tens of millions of dollars.

> ...

> They knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters and, through a “de-canning” process, extracted the precious metal powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto sold the precious metal powders it processed from California and elsewhere to a metal refinery for over $545 million.

Ok, not quite melted down, but reduced to rather base components. They are not reused in the same form.

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#195

I should point out to those not from the US that this is how Americans view the US. There is a lot of crime, the government and NGOs are on the side of the criminals etc. It is up voted to the top as well, with agreement in the replies, this is how Americans view the US. The US incarcerates more people than China, despite China having more than four times as many people, but the view obviously is the incarceration ra…

Don’t trust any day from Chinese government..

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#196

I should point out to those not from the US that this is how Americans view the US. There is a lot of crime, the government and NGOs are on the side of the criminals etc. It is up voted to the top as well, with agreement in the replies, this is how Americans view the US. The US incarcerates more people than China, despite China having more than four times as many people, but the view obviously is the incarceration ra…

[dead]

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I leave my door open and someone steals my TV, it's not my fault I don't have a TV anymore.

Legally it is. If there was no signs of forced entry then you're not going to be compensated for your loss and the police aren't going to pursue any suspects. But that's not what this case is about. To use your analogy, imagine KIA were a lock maker such as Kwikset. You bought their lock to install on your front door. You locked your door and left the house. You came back and your TV was gone, with no signs of forced…

The police aren't going to pursue any suspects over a stolen TV period. The obligation of the police is not to solve crime. They are more or less required to create a police report for you, but that is about it.

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I leave my door open and someone steals my TV, it's not my fault I don't have a TV anymore.

Legally it is. If there was no signs of forced entry then you're not going to be compensated for your loss and the police aren't going to pursue any suspects. But that's not what this case is about. To use your analogy, imagine KIA were a lock maker such as Kwikset. You bought their lock to install on your front door. You locked your door and left the house. You came back and your TV was gone, with no signs of forced…

The first time I tried picking a lock I just put the picks in and the lock opened. No need to worry about pins, just put something, and it opened. I can pick a Kwikset lock, but it is not that easy. (I'm not very good, Kwikset doesn't have a good rep among lock pickers, but it isn't the worst)

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#199

I should point out to those not from the US that this is how Americans view the US. There is a lot of crime, the government and NGOs are on the side of the criminals etc. It is up voted to the top as well, with agreement in the replies, this is how Americans view the US. The US incarcerates more people than China, despite China having more than four times as many people, but the view obviously is the incarceration ra…

It feels bizarre to make appeals to a foreign society with a history, culture, government, and demographics which are utterly alien to the situation in the west. We don't live in China. Are you so sure that our situation SHOULD be that of China that you'd be willing to risk you or a loved one being victimized by a violent thug? It always confused me that people would side with criminals over the innocent.

Re: Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

#200
post #54

Lots of comments that didn’t read the article so here’s a good excerpt on why there’s a lawsuit. Baltimore’s lawsuit says the companies “failed to keep up with industry standards,” and claim it was a result of business decisions made to reduce costs and boost profits “notwithstanding decades of academic literature and research supporting the deterrent effects” of anti-theft technology. “The dramatically increased rat…

“The dramatically increased rate of Hyundai and Kia theft in Baltimore has required city and police resources that would not have been needed but for Hyundai and Kia’s deliberate failures,” I'd like to see the data here. Is there any indication that the crime wouldn't be present in other areas of life? Would the people committing these crimes be law-abiding citizens if not for the temptation of these cars being easie…

They might be committing other crimes, but at least they would not be speeding around in stolen Kias and Hyundais. That seems like a win.

Easily stolen cars lead to nuisance behavior that affects far more than the immediate victim of the theft.

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