Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts

thebaltimorebanner.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

441–450 of 670 posts

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

#441

Post by tomrod »

local_crmdgeon wrote: post #140

The City of Baltimore has repeatedly demonstrated that they will do anything besides try to change the behavior of the population. It's a failed city, and luckily the model is being exported to places like SF, LA, and DC. Why should we punish people who repeatedly commit crime anyway? Fuck it, why do anything? Let's sue Kia instead, maybe we can get a payday

I flew back from Baltimore yesterday. It's a great town. It's far, far from a failed city. I've been to failed cities. Baltimore isn't it.

Are there things that could be improved? Sure. Roll up them sleeves.

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

#442

Post by shuckles »

Convolutional wrote: post #185

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…

This argument suffers from Simpson’s Paradox. While the US may have high rates of incarceration, a city like San Francisco with which I’m familiar has European rates of incarceration. In addition, you can drive down the incarceration rate by reducing sentence lengths instead of reducing conviction rates for crimes or diverting bonafide criminals from prisons into various makework social programs that do not work to keep society safe or rehabilitate criminals.

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

#443

Post by shuckles »

vkou wrote: post #208
local_crmdgeon wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, at some point in Chicago and Baltimore people figured out that career criminals vote, and will vote in their own interests. Very few people vote in local elections anyway, so they've managed to elect a ton of prosecutors who promise not to prosecute. Feels like the 70s in Urban America repeating itself. I feel bad for the older Black population in Baltimore. They busted ass for the last 50 years and they got to…

Please provide a citation for the insane claim that career criminals are a major voting block sufficient to consistently swing elections.

You don’t have to be a major voting block to be a consistently consequential swing vote. California is a major voting block but its interests are rarely persuasive in federal politics because it’s never a swing vote in elections.

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

#444

Post by unholythree »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #153
thejarren wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who owns a Hyundai and a Kia, this is an interesting thread to read. Going to look into some safety steps moving forward.

They'll smash your windows anyway. Only safe option is to switch brands.

This is largely true. I own an Elantra, had a window, the ignition, and steering column trashed, and the would be thief failed to actually steal the car. I was still out almost $1200 after towing and my deductible.

Having a steering wheel lock has worked so far since then, but there is a tremendous incentive for someone to ruin my car again given the chance, since it'll (maybe always) appear to be an easy target, kill switch or no.

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

#445

Post by protoc »

unholythree wrote: post #433
Convolutional wrote: post #185

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…

A lot of commenters are on the parent post are of the opinion our American prison rates are high because of more criminal activity, which may be true, but I think it's also important to recall having a small prison population doesn't necessarily equal a just society. There were very few long term prisoners in medieval society, not because of a progressive outlook but because most crimes were punished with some form o…

hi cia

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

#446

Post by user982 »

serf wrote: post #237
dfxm12 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

>FWIW, the parent poster doesn't want increased incarceration, they want these people executed (probably without due process). that isn't just wrong -- it's not even what parent said. Their hyperbole was pointing out that the perceived situation is so bad that it would take something drastic to turn it around, not that they in anyway wanted or desired it. There is a lot of purposeful misinterpretation/mis-reading goi…

"It would take Ra's al Ghul to resolve the problems of this city" dereferences directly to "It would take [mass gassing the residents of Baltimore to death] to resolve the problems of this city", as Batman Begins is the scheme being referred to.

Both are hyperbole, but that is indeed what was said and implied. Defend it as rhetoric, don't gaslight it as a purposeful misreading.

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

#447

Post by IceHegel »

khm wrote: post #437

Baltimore has a police force out of their control (it's in state hands) but they still have to pay for it. This has resulted in massive retention and recruitment issues, and some of the cops who did stick around were on the take -- specifically the Gun Trace Task Force, home of the locally-famous Jump Out Boys. Baltimore is an independent city, so it can't rely on county assistance for anything. Furthermore, state la…

I’m all for making cars harder to steal, but I don’t think constructing the problem as unsolvable and out of the cities hands is all that compelling either.

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

#450

Post by quickthrower2 »

emodendroket wrote: post #410
quickthrower2 wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be hear or there when it comes to suing them. They would need to show that the antitheft deficiencies caused more crime. Or did it shift it to different manufacturers cars. From other comments I get the sense that yes they can show this, but defence can argue that the crime would happen anyway. A bit like the security system doesn’t stop a burglar it makes them walk to the next home.

I wouldn’t be so sure that more people don’t commit crimes if they’re just really easy. Imagine someone leaving their car unlocked with a sack of cash sitting on the driver’s seat. Isn’t it pretty easy to imagine someone taking that even if they’re not exactly committed enough to theft to smash cars’ windows and rifle through the gloveboxes?

Good point, and I imagine it is a bit of both. Probably need a crime stats and sociology expert to chip in.
Post reply on HN