OOPS! ~ ~ Sooz

Failed Carjackers Couldn't Drive Stick Shift
By Associated Press Published December 13, 2014, 1:28 AM EST

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Police in Florida say two would-be carjackers almost got away with a vehicle in Ocala but didn't know how to drive a stick shift.

The Ocala Star-Banner (http://bit.ly/1yHpghG) reports the owner of a 2014 Toyota Corolla told police he was sitting in his car talking on his cell phone when a man with a gun tapped the window. Another man was by the passenger side window.

Police say the gunman demanded the man get out of the car and demanded his keys. He gave them the keys, they got in the car and he walked away. The man stopped another motorist who called police.

But the carjackers couldn't move the car because it was a stick shift. The duo ran before police arrived, leaving the keys in the ignition.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/failed-carjackers-couldnt-drive-stick-shift

Something very like this happened to me. I left keys in car, car in driveway went to bed. Middle of the night I heard tires squealing, thought "crazy neighborhood kids!" and went back to sleep. In the morning my car (2000 Saturn) was gone. It was stick shift, with tricky push-down-pull-back reverse. Thieves couldn't get in into reverse, did U-turn in my driveway and lawn, burning a little rubber in the process. They evidently didn't know how soundly we sleep, so they just drove it onto neighbor's lawn 100 yds away, and beat feet in the car they came in. Probably expecting lights and sirens at any moment. In the event I called the sheriff hours later when wife left for work, noticed that my car was gone and I wasn't. It was the easiest trouble call that deputy had all day.

You'd have gotten a healthy fine for doing that here.

Yet another reason for having a standard tranny. Shhhh, don't tell hubby. I want an automatic next time.

A fine for leaving keys in your car?

If the car is left unattended, yes. Plus, you wouldn't have any insurance coverage which is also illegal here.