Wow! Cops Now Ticketing Drivers Who Leave Windows Open!

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
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... there is no such thing as a secure car, even one that's locked with the windows up.
According to the law, there is a legal definition.

how easy is it for a tow truck to haul a vehicle away?
That's not unauthorized use...

(a) locked it or made it secure in a manner that prevents its unauthorized use

the government does it all the time for parking violations. are those cars secure? hardly ...
See above.

... it would take a hell of a lot more than a closed window to secure a car -- you'd basically have to put a car in a locked vault to truly secure it ...
Ummm...

If you think the world is out to get you, sure.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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... there is no such thing as a secure car, even one that's locked with the windows up. how easy is it for a tow truck to haul a vehicle away? the government does it all the time for parking violations. are those cars secure? hardly ...

... it would take a hell of a lot more than a closed window to secure a car -- you'd basically have to put a car in a locked vault to truly secure it ...


Well, nothing is idiot proof that's for sure.

 

wizard

Time Out
Nov 18, 2011
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... does closing car windows actually prevent unauthorized use? not if you feel that those closed windows prevent access to the vehicle. closed windows can easily be dealt with through the use of a rock or a brick ...
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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The only way they could justify using that law to nail people for leaving their windows open is if the car has no ignition lock.
Until the 80's many vehicles didn't have a transmission lock.

Meaning it could be taken out of park.

Until the 90's, cars could be started with a screwdriver.

An antiquated law, but it still exists, he used it reasonably.

... does closing car windows actually prevent unauthorized use? not if you feel that those closed windows prevent access to the vehicle. closed windows can be easily be dealt with through the use of a rock or a brick ...
More secure than leaving it wide open.
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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That ticket could never stand up in a court of law.

'locked OR other device to prevent unauthorized use'....the crown would have to prove that the ignition switch did not prevent unauthorized use.

I think it's a great way to waste time and resources that could be used for something useful. I'd fight that ticket, and I'd win. Easy as pie. Cops probably wouldn't even show up for court, and the judge would laugh them out of the building even if they did.
 

wizard

Time Out
Nov 18, 2011
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More secure than leaving it wide open.
... nope. a closed window is no deterrent to theft. i actually had some stereo equipment ripped off from a locked car with the windows up. the thief even relocked the car after he took the gear. other than the missing equipment, i didn't even know it had been opened ...

... this story is another sign that harper's police force is on the way out ...
 

Sparrow

Council Member
Nov 12, 2006
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Leaving a park car window open is considered both by the police and your insurance as facilitating or contributing to someone stealing your car. If your car is as secure as you can make when you leave it and it gets towed away you are not responsible.
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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That ticket could never stand up in a court of law.

'locked OR other device to prevent unauthorized use'....the crown would have to prove that the ignition switch did not prevent unauthorized use.

I think it's a great way to waste time and resources that could be used for something useful. I'd fight that ticket, and I'd win. Easy as pie. Cops probably wouldn't even show up for court, and the judge would laugh them out of the building even if they did.
I think a creative crown could argue that not installing an encrypted electronic dead man, was a failure to meet 191 (a). Especially considering todays industrious and enterprising youth.

The argument can go both ways.

... nope. a closed window is no deterrent to theft. i actually had some stereo equipment ripped off from a locked car with the windows up. the thief even relocked the car after he took the gear. i didn't even know it had been opened ...
It's still a barrier.

... this story is another sign that harper's police force is on the way out ...
LOL< the Motor vehicle Act is provincial.
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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Leaving a park car window open is considered both by the police and your insurance as facilitating or contributing to someone stealing your car. If your car is as secure as you can make when you leave it and it gets towed away you are not responsible.

That's not what the law says, and that's not what the section she got a ticket for says.

Not a chance in hell it would stand up in court.
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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... i said the police force is on the way out, not the provincial government.
No, you said Harper's police force.

everybody knows the rcmp are federal govt ..
Irrelevant, they enforce federal, provincial, regional and town by laws, depending on the their mandate by contract.

The law in question, is provincial.

It's on the books, the officer gave her a warning for breaking it.

That's not what the law says, and that's not what the section she got a ticket for says.
True, but that's why it exists, lol.

Not a chance in hell it would stand up in court.
I think if a Crown was so inclined, he/she could make it stick.

I can't see why, it's a measly amount.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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... seems to me these little known laws should be made public. but then keeping them secret is much more lucrative, isn't it?

A person with an I.Q. of 4 would know it's only common sense. Like, if you value your possessions lock them up, if you don't, don't go whining to the cops. You can't legislate against stupidity, but at least those capable of it can be forced to defray the bills!
 

BruSan

Electoral Member
Jul 5, 2011
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Are we talking about the law as quoted in section 191; as that is covered adequately enough by the ignition lock as stated right there in the sentance "secured so as to prohibit or discourage it's unauthorized use". Any lawyer worth his salt should be able to fight that one. These morons going to start ticketing jeep C/J's without roofs now are they? Hardtop T birds with the roof left at home, sports cars with just the taunneau cover zipped over the seats and steering wheel.

Insurance companies denying claims of lost possessions is a totally different thing entirely. We are not talking danger to public safety with you losing your CD player.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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Are we talking about the law as quoted in section 191; as that is covered adequately enough by the ignition lock as stated right there in the sentance "secured so as to prohibit or discourage it's unauthorized use". Any lawyer worth his salt should be able to fight that one. These morons going to start ticketing jeep C/J's without roofs now are they? Hardtop T birds with the roof left at home, sports cars with just the taunneau cover zipped over the seats and steering wheel.

Insurance companies denying claims of lost possessions is a totally different thing entirely. We are not talking danger to public safety with you losing your CD player.

Obviously the law applies to vehicles which can be locked! Not rocket science! :smile:
 

BruSan

Electoral Member
Jul 5, 2011
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Except that you can consider your vehicle as being discouraged from unauthorized usage by merely removing the key and walking away from it and leaving windows open on hot days as it pertains to the law as written. Are they going to ticket you if you've left your Rottweiler in the front seat with a window down for air and there being no statute against leaving pets untended in vehicles in that territory?

How can they differentiate from vehicles with windows open and those with windows closed but doors unlocked? Are they going to start walking around and testing the doors of parked cars? NOPE! Discriminatory practice of only ticketing those who leave windows open and not those who leave cars unlocked and with perhaps even the key in the igniton? Hello? Rocket science you say? Not as clear cut as you're making this out to be.

One could challenge the "prohibit or discourage" aspect being maintained based upon showing up in court with a story of how you performed your due diligence to ascribe to both of those by merely saying you removed the distributor cap and had the thing in your pocket while the the cop was writing the ticket but forgot to tell him. You had a six foot orangutan in the trunk. You had the car pushed there after it ran out of gas. The car cannot be started or otherwise manipulated without voice recogniton by owner. You could tell the court anything reasonable and beat this nonsensical charge. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTEST IT.

The spirit of the law is based upon you taking reasonable steps to "prohibit or discourage unauthorized usage of the vehicle". Should you be able to demonstrate you took resonable steps OTHER than rolling up the damn windows; you have fulfilled the requirement of the law as it is written. It ain't rocket science!

This has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Insurance companies refusal to reimburse upon loss of contents which is usually a rider associated with your HOUSE policy NOT your car.

Loss of the vehicle itself through theft would of course be a hard fought battle if you admitted to leaving the car unlocked but not un-winnable provided you used a lawyer to challenge based upon your car having other built-in, theft deterrents such as chipped recognition ignition keys, activated motion sensor based alarm etc..
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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Except that you can consider your vehicle as being discouraged from unauthorized usage by merely removing the key and walking away from it and leaving windows open on hot days as it pertains to the law as written.

Exactly - that's what the law says. Leaving your windows open is not an offense under that section, if you aren't leaving the keys in the ignition.