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Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

nantucketcurrent.com

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Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#21

Post by xhkkffbf »

morkalork wrote: post #10
haunter wrote: post #4

In my next life I might feel bad about rich people. Not now though.

Nantucket Island is one of those funny precarious places at risk from climate change. All those rich CEOs and executives with their 2nd homes there, do they care? Do they connect the dots between the externalities of their companies and what they lobby the government for to the fate of that little island?

Look at the two estates that former President Obama bought on Martha's Vineyard and Oahu. Does it look like he thinks that global warming is going to be a factor in his life or the lives of his children?

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#23

Post by bee_rider »

neilv wrote: post #22

> especially at the downtown Stop & Shop. We're very aware of that: there's so many red Jeeps with the keys under the mat." Guess I won't need to pay for a rental car.

Ah, do you really want to deal with the hassle of stealing thing during vacation?

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#24

Post by woodruffw »

steveBK123 wrote: post #3

Leaving keys in expensive cars in areas where everyone drives the same 5 luxury models is oddly common in some areas like Nantucket. It’s really jarring seeing the reminders from police there when you come from somewhere like NYC. Reminder that the US is a blend of high and low trust societies existing in geographical proximity. My parents still leave the door unlocked when they are home, especially if they are expec…

I’m not saying Nantucket isn’t high trust, but how much of this story is that versus it being futile to steal a car on a small island with a trivially searchable public car ferry?

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#26

Post by zdragnar »

steveBK123 wrote: post #3

Leaving keys in expensive cars in areas where everyone drives the same 5 luxury models is oddly common in some areas like Nantucket. It’s really jarring seeing the reminders from police there when you come from somewhere like NYC. Reminder that the US is a blend of high and low trust societies existing in geographical proximity. My parents still leave the door unlocked when they are home, especially if they are expec…

> My parents still leave the door unlocked when they are home

Growing up, we never locked our doors, ever. My parents only started after a serial burglar a few towns over (a half hour / 45 minute drive away) made the news.

I've never locked the doors at my current house, but I always lock my car doors when I go somewhere... I guess there's only just so much I'm willing to tempt fate.

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#27

Post by miriam_catira »

cheese_van wrote: post #11

Happened to me in the '80's. '71 Buick Skylark. When we went to lunch, our receptionist asked us to drive her Buick as it "was making funny noises." We found it in the 5 storey carpark, took it out and it drove fine. However, we got back rather late, and the carpark was full so we had to park it on the highest level. When we returned, I asked our receptionist, "I thought it odd that you had a St Christopher statue on…

My mom once opened the wrong '89 Dodge Caravan when grocery shopping in the early nineties, and it wasn't until she got in to drive that she realized it wasn't hers. She said the seat was too far back and then she actually stopped to look around. She said she had simply assumed it was hers since the key worked.

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#28

Post by thekevan »

kjellsbells wrote: post #5

Wait a minute. There were two G-wagens in the parking lot, one a 1985 model and one (based on the photo) much more recent. These are $100,000+ cars. The owner told the cops the keys were not left inside. Are we saying that a random ignition key from a 40 year old car can start a 21st century G-wagen? The kids who jack Kias for Tiktok views may just have found a new hobby.

They were '91 and '84 models.

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#29

Post by tough »

miriam_catira wrote: post #27
cheese_van wrote: post #11

Happened to me in the '80's. '71 Buick Skylark. When we went to lunch, our receptionist asked us to drive her Buick as it "was making funny noises." We found it in the 5 storey carpark, took it out and it drove fine. However, we got back rather late, and the carpark was full so we had to park it on the highest level. When we returned, I asked our receptionist, "I thought it odd that you had a St Christopher statue on…

My mom once opened the wrong '89 Dodge Caravan when grocery shopping in the early nineties, and it wasn't until she got in to drive that she realized it wasn't hers. She said the seat was too far back and then she actually stopped to look around. She said she had simply assumed it was hers since the key worked.

wait so the same key will open any car of the same model???

lol

Re: Only on Nantucket: The Curious Case of the "Stolen" Mercedes

#30

Post by jameshart »

steveBK123 wrote: post #3

Leaving keys in expensive cars in areas where everyone drives the same 5 luxury models is oddly common in some areas like Nantucket. It’s really jarring seeing the reminders from police there when you come from somewhere like NYC. Reminder that the US is a blend of high and low trust societies existing in geographical proximity. My parents still leave the door unlocked when they are home, especially if they are expec…

In the Boston suburbs, commuter belt communities just outside 128, it is common for police to send out reminders to people to lock their cars when they’re parked on their driveways whenever there’s a spate of thefts of valuables from parked cars. I assume it’s not restricted to this particular stretch of suburbia.

Examples: https://patch.com/massachusetts/weston/weston-pd-remind-resi... https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/wellesley-police-urge-re...

This always surprises me because for one thing most modern cars auto-lock, and who even keeps valuables in their car? But apparently there are enough high trust people in the suburbs of a major metro area who leave their cars unlocked that it’s worthwhile for people to walk down leafy streets trying car doors.

“Last week, 10 unlocked cars were hit by thieves along Bristol Road, Sagamore Road, and Tanglewood Road. Surveillance cameras captured a man stealing a 2020 Porsche Cayenne. The crook had his face and hands covered as he entered the SUV, only to find the key fob sitting in the unlocked vehicle.”

And this is in Massachusetts where wealthy people definitely have garages (you are not wasting time clearing snow off your Porsche Cayenne before the school run in February - you keep that car in a garage and let a plow service handle the driveway)

One theory: it’s a UX issue. People have cars with keyless entry and they do not actually know how to lock the car.

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