In the last few weeks has revived an old story, which snopes, hunters of urban legends (and “hoax”), found the first tracks in 2004, in those famous chains of email that was distributed before the social networks will reach the impact current. The story revolves around about a methodology of theft which, in short, is based on cause the driver to stop the march, and get out of your car with the engine running and the keys in the ignition. But the question we ask is the following. Is it dangerous to get off of the car to pick up that ticket, whether true or false, that someone has placed on our windshield? what Is a normal technique of theft, or an urban legend?
Some police departments in the united States have reported cases of counterfeit banknotes, and apparently not based on the handy hook advertising used by some companies, on the windshield of the drivers. But it doesn’t seem to have registered thefts related to them.
The emergence of this story can be found in the account of Facebook of Kyri Viehman, a conductive St. Louis (Missouri), he was surprised to find an enigmatic counterfeit ticket on the windshield of his car, gripped by the wiper arm. At that time, when I went out to a shopping centre, do not hesitate to get out of the car, with the keys connected and the engine running, and pick up the ticket to verify it was fake.
When he reached home, he decided to search the internet for similar stories, and it was then that he made with the famous urban legend that pointed to a technique to steal cars, which would be based on getting the driver to alight from the car with the engine on, and to take advantage of the neglect to take the car. Luckily for Kyri there was no theft, but she decided to share her story on Facebook so that your contacts happen to him something as well.
Your entry on Facebook to become viral and has been shared by thousands of users of Facebook. Media as FOX 2 to be echoed in its history, interviewing Kyri to know first hand what happened. According to FOX 2, in conversations with the police department St. Louis County Police, this is the first time I have heard of an event similar to Kyri. Yes it is true that Maryland has recognized different cases, over the last year, fake 100-dollar bills on the windshields of parked cars. Although it does not appear that in any case involve allegations of theft related to this practice.
Everything points to it would be a joke, associated with an ancient urban legend. Some police departments even issue press releases denying that there were cases of theft related to the placement of tickets on the windshield, or with another variation of this urban legend, cover with papers advertising the rear window to force the driver to lower the car (see press release of the police of Florissant).
In summary, it appears that there is a greater risk in the fact of finding a ticket on our windshield, or even advertising, something very common in many Spanish cities, often associated with prostitution, to the point that the town Council of Madrid would have proposed to end this practice that is already causing problems in the environment of colleges and locations frequented by minors. The only risk, and the situation that you should avoid under any circumstances, is get out of the car with the motor connected, especially in the vicinity of shopping centers.
In motor: