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Catalytic Converter Theft

sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com

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Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#131

Post by mikestew »

jtbayly wrote: post #129
mikestew wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do I expect people to do? Not drag people behind a truck over a car part. What, you think that’s reasonable? Or is it just the shooting that you don’t find to be over the top?

Taking things into their own hands is literally all that is left, unless you are a pacifist. I never made any statement about how people should take it into their own hands or what degree was acceptable or over what. Nor did I say anything about shootings being acceptable. So take your straw man out of here. What would you do is if somebody was taking $1500 of yours along with your ability to provide for yourself for…

So take your straw man out of here.

No straw man, it was in the referenced article, which one might assume to be the context of your comment. But if you’re just making a random, out-of-context statement, you’ll have to allow that others are keeping up with the conversation.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#132

Post by [deleted] »

mikestew wrote: post #131
jtbayly wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taking things into their own hands is literally all that is left, unless you are a pacifist. I never made any statement about how people should take it into their own hands or what degree was acceptable or over what. Nor did I say anything about shootings being acceptable. So take your straw man out of here. What would you do is if somebody was taking $1500 of yours along with your ability to provide for yourself for…

So take your straw man out of here. No straw man, it was in the referenced article, which one might assume to be the context of your comment. But if you’re just making a random, out-of-context statement, you’ll have to allow that others are keeping up with the conversation.

[deleted]

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#133

Post by RileyJames »

Had both my catalytic converters stolen off my E250 in Vancouver Canada, parked in the backyard of a mates house.

Frustrating because the van wasn’t worth replacing them. But surprisingly it was legal to replace them with straight pipe. Obviously ethically dubious, due to increased emissions. But a better option that scraping the vehicle prematurely and purchasing a new one.

Either way. I’d be looking at the demand side. The thieves aren’t melting them down, they’re flogging them for cash. Who’s paying cash for clearly hastily sawn off catalytic converters in bulk?

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#134

Post by economusty »

_huayra_ wrote: post #52

It's things like this that make it such a shock to go to an extremely safe country / area. All the little scripts one has to keep track of to be "safe and secure" in the US (e.g. instinctively locking your doors all the way to learning that you can't park in SF to take your girlfriend to lunch on your way to drop her off at the airport because a big suitcase is a target for these rampant smash-and-grabs; unfortunatel…

Mostly in Democrat runs cities. Go ahead, down vote me because you can't handle the truth.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#135

Post by foobar33333 »

mikestew wrote: post #124
jtbayly wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you expect people to do if the civil magistrate decides not to protect people's life and property?

What do I expect people to do? Not drag people behind a truck over a car part. What, you think that’s reasonable? Or is it just the shooting that you don’t find to be over the top?

Seems like a reasonable response from someone who sleeps in their car and likely can't afford to replace the part being stolen. And every news article of someone being shot or crushed as the jack fails makes it a little less likely someone else will try it.

Ideally the police would crack down hard on theft to prevent individuals needing to deal with it.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#136

Post by shard »

dnautics wrote: post #76
_huayra_ wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah I should be more specific: urban areas in those countries. The level of petty crime in any major city in the US is far higher than any city in those countries I mentioned. In non-urban areas in the US things are better for sure, but you still have to deal with other things like having complete asshole neighbors that you really can't do anything about because small quality of life crimes like partying every night w…

I dunno. Staying in an Airbnb in Seoul, I woke at ~1am to someone banging on my door and yelling for about five minutes. Pretty sure if it weren't locked, I'd be in some sort of trouble.

From another angle, I've been to a restaurant in a central part of Seoul where the owner kept his cash in a wooden box with no lock by the entrance. Pretty sure anyone could have grabbed that box and ran out the door, especially when the owner is in the back preparing the food.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#137

Post by sawjet »

reducesuffering wrote: post #115
l320093jj wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our catalytic converter was stolen a few months ago. It was strange because we were parked in front of a government building -- library and courthouse -- and were only inside for about 15 minutes, in the afternoon. Came outside and the car sounded like the muffler was missing, or like I was driving an old tank. Our new car came with installation of a catshield. When talking to various autobody places, they were skept…

The thiefs like to be in and out very quickly for obvious reasons. Without the shield it's a couple minutes. If they jack it up and there's a shield, that's going to take 15 minutes, they'll likely just abandon it as the risk/reward isn't there.

A skilled jackman can lift a car in mere seconds. Just watch some NASCAR

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#138

Post by fy20 »

zaphod12 wrote: post #77
_huayra_ wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah I should be more specific: urban areas in those countries. The level of petty crime in any major city in the US is far higher than any city in those countries I mentioned. In non-urban areas in the US things are better for sure, but you still have to deal with other things like having complete asshole neighbors that you really can't do anything about because small quality of life crimes like partying every night w…

This is a really awfully broad generalization. Crime in SF, NY, Chicago, Boston, LA or Houston are all vastly different situations. Even with shootings up a ton this past year, NYC is still safer per capita than places like Savannah. SF seems to have gotten very out of control, though. Fwiw, I would never leave my car unlocked anywhere, but I also wouldn't feel weird about leaving a bag out. And there is a ton of pic…

> Big cities require some attentiveness.

The size of the city isn't the issue here. There is definately a correlation between size and crime, but that's not the real issue - what it is I don't know though.

I live in a mid-sized European capital (bigger than Lisbon), and it's one of the safest places I've ever lived. I could probably leave my car running, with an expensive camera on the dash, while going to get a coffee, and everything would still be there when I get back.

Compare this to some Italian cities I've been to - which are smaller - where I feel lucky all four wheels are still there when getting back (locking wheel nuts are easy to break btw). I lived in Rome for a while and if you left something that even looked like it could contain valuables on show, you'd come back to a broken window.

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#139

Post by cartoonworld »

Turing_Machine wrote: post #38
bluedino wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then they can show their mechanic's license. There's no reason for Joe off the street to come in with a backpack full of these things. Especially ones that are brand new. Here's 20 stolen from a dealership the other night - https://abc13.com/la-porte-car-dealership-theft-catalytic-co...

"Mechanic's license"?

I got this.

The "Mechanics License" is an informal certification that all reputable technicians in the US employ and is widely recognized. It's a form of de-facto licensure that's easily recognized at a glancing distance, and serves to ensure that a mechanic is not going to leave on a moments notice, without at least bolting a wheel on. Instead, he or she will tell the foreman or whomever's name is on the sign, likely to call a tow truck for Friday.

It goes like this: Once a young apprentice lube tech graduates from Harbor F. University, an unusual ritual occurs in most mechanic's shops where a large, diesel, truck with a lift gate and a Square terminal approaches.

A nondescript individual emerges from the truck, (slowly, as to not alarm anybody who has a pending tab) where our young acolyte is soon taken gingerly by the hand and ushered onto this mysterious conveyance.

Seven or Eight hundred dollars later, the young, oily apprentice emerges holding a shiny, new, silver gun and possibly a ratchet and a t-shirt or pocket protector.

Most seasoned veterans will recognize this as their Mechanic's License. It's good for brake jobs, mostly.

If you foul up to many times in the shop, they call the MAC or Snap-On guy who will gun it in his diesel and demand full payment for the impact tool and ratchet. They usually get to keep the shirt though, because, yuck, you know?

Re: Catalytic Converter Theft

#140

Post by emodendroket »

beerandt wrote: post #112
emodendroket wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How often does your average person sell scrap parts? I don't think the situations are analogous.

The gross sum of time spent tracing the origins of scrap will be greater than money lost due to theft. The answer is mitigated risk via insurance and prevention, not a preemptive policing of all privately owned items of value.

> The gross sum of time spent tracing the origins of scrap will be greater than money lost due to theft.

I am quite skeptical that this is true.

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