Living Car Free - Do you suppose they'd like to buy a bicycle?

DRIVERS SET THEIR OWN CARS ON FIRE FOR INSURANCE MONEY (http://www.wheels.ca/article/419816)

Check out that link!

Or do they intend to use the money to put a down payment on another car? Or maybe buy a used car, with cash, that way they won't need a loan?

Or do they intend to use the money to put a down payment on another car? Or maybe buy a used car, with cash, that way they won't need a loan?

Probably trying not to get his kneecaps cracked:


"Burdened by debt and driving home from a night of gambling....doused the interior with gasoline, set it on fire and walked away."

I can definetly see them buying a bike. If they can't afford a car and knowing America's crappy public transit service, the bike is the perfect option for getting around.

I don't have a link, but I read recently that some police departments are now keeping an eye out for burning cars, which are easily spotted from helicopters. The idea is to have an officer personally contact the owner of the car as quickly as possible. Often enough (according to what I read) the owner smells of gasoline or is nursing some kind of burn injury.

Has there been any report of owners burning their bicycles?

Has there been any report of owners burning their bicycles?
It looks like there is a serial arsonist using a bike to get around....
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Arson-Fires-Hillcrest-North-Park-15-Arson-Fires/TqM2JhY7WkKmLLH6bLoHYQ.cspx

"Investigators describe the suspect as a hispanic male, about 5'7. He was riding a bicycle and may have had a backpack."

The photo shows a torched car. I wonder if hispanic males about 5'7 riding bicycles are rare in San Diego? In DC the police would have their hands full if they tried to investigate every hispanic male on a bike who may or may not have a backpack. The description of the suspect reminds me of when we had a sniper on the loose here. "A white man in a white van." It turned out that the sniper was a black man and boy in a dark sedan.

"Investigators describe the suspect as a hispanic male, about 5'7. He was riding a bicycle and may have had a backpack."

I wonder if hispanic males about 5'7 riding bicycles are rare in San Diego? In DC the police would have their hands full if they tried to investigate every hispanic male on a bike who may or may not have a backpack.

That describes the fellow that I saw riding away on my Bianchi Eros many years ago. If you think they'd have problems in Washington D.C. San Diego would be 10 times worse. It's right on the Mexican border.

From the article:

>>A Baltimore police officer did it. So did a Baltimore firefighter. A resident of Prince William County, Va., burned a minivan for a friend.>>

If you notice, alot of those setting their cars on fire have good paying jobs! However, autos have become so expensive that even a decent paying job is not enough to cover the monthly payments, insurance and gas! Too many people buy too much car and get behind real fast.

I've been saying for years that new cars have outpriced the middle class.

From the article:

>>A Baltimore police officer did it. So did a Baltimore firefighter. A resident of Prince William County, Va., burned a minivan for a friend.>>

If you notice, alot of those setting their cars on fire have good paying jobs! However, autos have become so expensive that even a decent paying job is not enough to cover the monthly payments, insurance and gas! Too many people buy too much car and get behind real fast.

I've been saying for years that new cars have outpriced the middle class.

IMHO it isn't so much the cost of vehicles have become expensive, it is the insistence of people to over extend themselves. FWIW I have only purchased one brand new vehicle in my entire life, the rest of them have been used and I typically pay cash for them.

Too many people buy a vehicle based on the monthly payment and purchase what the Jones family has, not what they need or can afford.

Aaron:)

I
Too many people buy a vehicle based on the monthly payment and purchase what the Jones family has, not what they need or can afford.

Aaron:)

If they bought what they needed... that's a concept! Doesn't happen very often.

I've been saying for years that new cars have outpriced the middle class.

So they've gone full circle and are once more a toy for the rich. ;)

How do the investigators prove that the car was set on fire by the owner, and not thieves? They mention the frequency of theft for a particular model, but that only arouses suspicion and proves nothing. All the owner has to do is drive somewhere out of sight, light the fire, bike home, and report the car missing in the morning. I don't see how they can prove the car wasn't stolen, unless the owner is caught by a security camera/witness/etc.

How do the investigators prove that the car was set on fire by the owner, and not thieves? They mention the frequency of theft for a particular model, but that only arouses suspicion and proves nothing. All the owner has to do is drive somewhere out of sight, light the fire, bike home, and report the car missing in the morning. I don't see how they can prove the car wasn't stolen, unless the owner is caught by a security camera/witness/etc.

I saw a piece on CBS news about this. Factors that made police think the owner's did it: 1) obvious burn marks on the owner 2) owner smelling like gasoline 3) owner caught at the scene of the crime 4) cars burned for no apparent reason; the thief didn't even take the air bags 5) owner with history of credit problems and likely to lose the vehicle.

How do the investigators prove that the car was set on fire by the owner, and not thieves? They mention the frequency of theft for a particular model, but that only arouses suspicion and proves nothing. All the owner has to do is drive somewhere out of sight, light the fire, bike home, and report the car missing in the morning. I don't see how they can prove the car wasn't stolen, unless the owner is caught by a security camera/witness/etc.


I saw a piece on CBS news about this. Factors that made police think the owner's did it: 1) obvious burn marks on the owner 2) owner smelling like gasoline 3) owner caught at the scene of the crime 4) cars burned for no apparent reason; the thief didn't even take the air bags 5) owner with history of credit problems and likely to lose the vehicle.

All of these and quite a few do get caught on security cameras. TruTV ran a special on it a few weeks back, pretty funny/ironic in some cases. If a car is stolen and torched by a true thief, they will usually snatch stereos, GPS, airbags and other easy to sell high dollar items. The amateur arsonists don't always remember to do it. In Las Vegas (one area they highlighted) the local police run a chopper at night to spot the fires and have caught people in the act.

Aaron:)

Oh well, one less car.

Oh well, one less car.

:lol:

I was wondering about the carbon foot print involved in burning one:innocent::roflmao2:

Aaron:)