Someone figured out that you could open a Kryptonite lock using a Bic pen, which has roughly the same shape as a tubular lock key. You did not need to use the actual key or pick the lock. There was a rash of bike thefts afterwards.
TikTok is a convenient scapegoat, but I think the problem would exist without TikTok, because it so closely echoes a similar situation from 2004. To be honest, I think that the manufacturer should bear the blame in both scenarios—it’s their responsibility to make sure that the products can withstand, for at least a few minutes, an unskilled thief with inconspicuous, unpowered, commonly available tools (like, a thief with no lock picks or angle grinders).
That could explain why some cities saw much bigger spikes than others - or it might not! Feels sloppy.
edit: this obviously doesn't negate your point, there's clearly an enormous spike. It's just weird since the article took the time to break it down by city, and to call attention to some cities seeing larger spikes than others.
Afaik, lawsuits again gun manufacturers are actually successful [1].
[1]: https://apnews.com/article/sandy-hook-school-shooting-reming...
I'd like to see the data here. Is there any indication that the crime wouldn't be present in other areas of life? Would the people committing these crimes be law-abiding citizens if not for the temptation of these cars being easier to steal? Or would the police resources be spent on alternate crimes? It seems the common denominator here is people willing to commit crimes, not the city's claim that it "would not have been" if the company increased security.
Almost all crime is committed by a tiny, tiny group of people - in NYC, 327 people commit 1/3rd of all shoplifting. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/15/nyregion/shoplifting-arre...
We used to just warehouse people like this, and we stopped because that was mean and did not get us likes on Instagram.
It's really, really unjust.
Easily stolen cars lead to nuisance behavior that affects far more than the immediate victim of the theft.
If it's required, it should be documented.
Apparently it's more of a joke, you can do it completely bare handed if you don't mind tearing some plastic and manage to grab a finicky bit. The cars have no immobilizers at all apparently.
Yea, I don't think that is it.
> "Car thieves ... engage in reckless driving, creating substantial safety risks to themselves and Baltimore residents and their property."
I don't see anything about Hyundai or Kia taking the cars for joy rides. They are not going out and encouraging people to steal their cars. They are not responsible for enforcing community standards. There is no law which states they must use any certain anti-theft technology. The cars are in no way malfunctioning. So why is there a lawsuit?
Why not go after the owners? They bought the cars and didn't care whether they had anti-theft technology.
I didn't read it either... because I'd read a bunch of other articles and watched videos about the problem a couple of months ago.
IMHO the root cause is that it's impossible with current legislation/courts practice to deter this kind of behaviour. Specifically:
* Many of the perpetrators are minors
* Stealing a car, depending on cirsumstances, is a misdemeanor
* There is no mounting of repeated offenses
* Police can't keep the suspects on custody for long and prosecution is overkill for the results
So more or less, stealing a car is free. And instead of fixing the above points (maybe Baltimore as a city can't do that on its own) the "solution" is suing car makers.
I do remember that the police officers were very clear that they can do nothing. Even if the arrest the kids, the DA won't prosecute them.
I.e. it wasn't like the manufacturers decided that they were useful, they were forced to introduce them by the national or pan-national authorities.
If the US didn't mandate them, the reference to industry standards is - at best - a very feeble one, the city of Baltimore could - maybe - sue the NHTSA
Baltimore’s lawsuit says the companies “failed to keep up with industry standards,” and claim it was a result of business decisions made to reduce costs and boost profits “notwithstanding decades of academic literature and research supporting the deterrent effects” of anti-theft technology.
“The dramatically increased rate of Hyundai and Kia theft in Baltimore has required city and police resources that would not have been needed but for Hyundai and Kia’s deliberate failures,” the lawsuit says. “Car thieves — many of them teenagers— take advantage of these failures and engage in reckless driving, creating substantial safety risks to themselves and Baltimore residents and their property.”