Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Why not imagine it in a way that works?

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                       

The gentleman car-thief

Test the intentions and skill of the thief and then let him in
  (+10, -6)
(+10, -6)
  [vote for,
against]

This is a compartment fitted on new cars, accessible from the outside, similar to the filler cap compartment.

It contains information about the cars security features, such as "If motion is detected within the car and the remote has not been used, the tracker will be activated". More importantly, it also contains a replica of the door lock and ignition system. The thief attempts to bypass the lock and ignition and if successful the car door unlocks and the ignition starts. All of the normal security sytems function as normal, the advantage for the owner is that if the car is recovered it is undamaged, the advantage for the thief is that if he gets away he has an undamaged car to sell.

There are also a couple of labelled buttons such as "I want to break the window and steal the stereo" along with information such as "If a window is broken, the alarm sounds". If the thief presses this button, the window opens, the stereo slides out on a tray and the alarm sounds.

marklar, Jul 31 2007

An Earlier "Gentleman Thief" http://en.wikipedia.../wiki/A._J._Raffles
A fond memory from my youth [csea, Aug 01 2007]

Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.
Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee
Destination URL. E.g., https://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)






       But this car-thief testing compartment has the ability to unlock the car. Therefore car theives will just smash their way into this and see if they can 'hotwire' it, rather than demonstrating their skills on the replica door lock.
hippo, Jul 31 2007
  

       With reservations, approved.
normzone, Aug 01 2007
  

       err [hippo], the compartment is not locked, it contains the replica lock and the replica ignition for the thief to hotwire. The point is that the thief tries to hotwire it.
marklar, Aug 01 2007
  

       + [link]
csea, Aug 01 2007
  

       [marklar] what I meant is that the thief will just rip out the replica lock to get to the bit that enables the car ignition.
hippo, Aug 01 2007
  

       Then you have another compartment that opens the first compartment...
Ling, Aug 01 2007
  

       [hippo] That is the standard hotwiring process. Just find the wires behind the keyed switch and start touching them together until stuff happens.
Galbinus_Caeli, Aug 01 2007
  

       [hippo]to me your comment reads as 'the thief will use the device exactly as intended'. Once again, the point is that the thief will 'rip out' or otherwise get round the replica lock rather than the real one.
marklar, Aug 01 2007
  

       This idea displays a superb flexibility of thinking, both practical and ethical. It reminds me somehow of those libertarian sci-fi writers who believe all our problems would go away if we wore pistols and duelled out our problems by common agreement.   

       (+)
GutPunchLullabies, Aug 01 2007
  

       [+] My friend in Hull, fed up with having her car window smashed by thieves nicking her radio, put a note on her car windscreen saying, "Dear thieves, if you want to steal my radio in future, please don't bother smashing my car window, it's a bloody nuisance. Just ring my doorbell and ask for me, and I'll unlock the car for you."
imaginality, Aug 01 2007
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle