City kids do not leave keys in vehicles. . . It’s different out here...

[Farmer495]

Keys get removed to slow down thief or discourage joyrider.

Doors get locked.

Neighbor had battery stolen out of truck years ago, truck door was unlocked they popped hood and took battery.

 

[Mcdust]

Years ago I worked for a Bobcat contractor. I was driving us in his old Dodge dump truck and we stopped for lunch. On coming back to the truck he saw I had taken the key out and immediately got annoyed because the key hadn't been out since he bought it new. Of course it then would start but not stay running, which was a bad switch which he blamed on me for as long as I worked for him which wasn't long. Sooo, leave the key in it!

 

[Bobrown14]

Interesting read here.
I started driving in 74 - that was the first and last automatic I ever had. 64 chevelle was my grandma's.

We live in the country. Leave the keys in all the vehicles with manual trannys. My tractor probably impossible to steal and there's like 4 shifters (shuttle 16 gears) so good luck. Took me a few days to figure it out.

I leave the keys in the old Honda like possum so easy to take that and do me a favor. My Tacoma with 6 speed (they still make them that way) is in the garage with keys in it.

Moved from the city right before covid war. Hadda lock everything. One time went to the park - someone busted my window to get in - I had money check book cc cards ID everything in the console. All they did was break the window.

My pop always left his keys in the car until someone stole his car - well beside all my brothers and sister. You'd have thought he would have started taking keys out when my bros and sis were doing joy rides without a license.

Ona side note the reason for automatic transmissions was happened after the wwII when troops came back without a leg or were crippled so they came up with the automatic for them and it was a special order extra $$. My pop was a polio victim and never drove until we could get an automatic.

 

[GB540]

This area used to be like you mentioned, crime all but unheard of and keys left in everything.

Several years ago it started to change. Today? If it's not in one's line of sight it better be locked. Even inside a secured building isn't enough, the keys need to be out. Sad what's happened in a short period of time.

 

[mred2]

I take keys out of tractors and toys so kids don't turn them on and run the battery down. Even if they don't take them, still damage. I had one guy that I let use my tractor. It was an old one that you had to warm up the glow plugs by turning the switch to the left. He used and returned it. Later I went to use it and the battery was dead, replaced battery and the starter was bad. I had to have the starter rebuilt. I found out, he had come over without calling to borrow my tractor and forgot about the glow plugs. He could not get it started by tried until he burned the starter and battery up. He thought that once he borrowed it, it was his as he wanted.

 

[Jstpssng]

When I started truck shopping about 8 years ago I really wanted a 3/4 ton or light ton truck with 4WD and manual transmission. I was surprised at how many newer GM products there were with "Manual" transmissions. It took a while to figure out that it was just their 8 speed automatic, with the ability to pick the gear. I have that in my Colorado and it actually isn't that bad. But if I get a bigger truck it's only going to be used when I need to haul gravel, firewood or my tractor and the running gear has to last another 30 20 years.

 

[aspg4]

Something to think about. As a long time law enforcement officer (now retired) I always hated when people left the keys in their vehicles. If we were in a veh. pursuit and the guy wrecked, and then ran off into the woods before he could be arrested all he had to do was wander around until he could find a vehicle with the keys in the vehicle. Instant get away. When we got a call about some ones vehicle missing we knew the guy easily got away. Not all pursuits are just for speeding or other minor violations. There are robbers, murders, kidnappers ect. out there that don't just pull over and stop when the lights go on...

 

[Torvy]

When we lived up north, people used to think nothing of leaving their car running in the winter if they were going into a c-store or to get something 'quick'. Especially true in the smaller towns.

 

[Jstpssng]

When we lived up north, people used to think nothing of leaving their car running in the winter if they were going into a c-store or to get something 'quick'. Especially true in the smaller towns.

A lot of people still do that here. A few years ago a coworker left his company truck running while he ran in to grab a pack of cigarettes. While he was in the store somebody stole his truck. I don't remember the exact details but the guy ended up totaling it. He must have been in trouble before because the last that I heard he was in trouble with the feds because my coworker had a gun in the truck.

 

[IrishLoader]

When we lived up north, people used to think nothing of leaving their car running in the winter if they were going into a c-store or to get something 'quick'. Especially true in the smaller towns.

You can still do that in some areas, I just wouldn't advise it. Especially with kids on board. I had a "Karen" call 5-0 because I ran into the post office. I came out as she was standing at the tailgate reading my tag to the 911 operator. I told her to keep going and stay right there for the constabulary to arrive. Well she wasn't having any of that and took off, not before I got a shot of her tag. Responding took the pick and ran it, then started laughing his @$$ off, said she had expired tags and a few other things a judge would like to see her about.


Forgot to add, my eldest (14) was in the front seat slouched as usual but still on board with the curtain climbers.