Re: Controversial paper - Good response article on ZDNet

From: Mack (macckone_at_a_nospamjunk123_ol.com)
Date: 10/15/03 

Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 10:34:55 GMT

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 06:44:16 -0400, "Douglas A. Gwyn"
<DAGwyn@null.net> wrote:

>Mack wrote:
>> One of the cases involved a woman who left her kids and keys in the
>> car (not running or in the ignition). The kids (very young) put the
>> keys in the ignition started the car and drove through a convenience
>> store. The store clerk was killed and a legislator's wife was
>> critically injured. This finally led to the passage of the law.
>
>There is, or should, already be a law against criminal
>negligence leading to injury or death. The problem was
>not keys in the ignition but rather unattended and
>untrustworthy kids. I seem to recall that there are
>laws about leaving kids unattended in cars, too.
>
>> I would venture to speculate that 5-10% of cars stolen have keys
>> in them ...
>
>So keys aren't a factor in over 90% of stolen-car cases.
>The crime is (should be) stealing the car, and whatever
>damage results, not the existence of keys.

This is context information. The fine for leaving your keys in the
car is something like $50. I seriously doubt it is strictly enforced.
To put it in further context in most states it is illegal to drive
without a seatbelt (not sure if any state doesn't require one).
That has the same fine and is strictly enforced. And driving
without a seatbelt is very unlikely to injure anyone but the
person who didn't buckle up (of which I am as guilty as anyone).

Now getting back on topic. Should software be made
like cars with no seatbelts or locks? Or should there be
a software Lemon Law that says the software makers
should make more of an effort to ensure the software
is free of bugs? Particularly major security flaws.

BTW, my new vehicle with 382 miles (yes three digits) on it
broke yesterday so I don't think that software companies
are the only ones that need to improve.

Leslie 'Mack' McBride
remove text between _ marks to respond via e-mail

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Stolen property used for crime
    ... If you left your keys in the car, the victim might have a claim, but the ... I would have thought I'm perfectly within my rights to leave my car doors ... may be able to sue you successfully under the law of tort. ... reasonable 'connection' between the negligent act or omission and the event ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Windsurfing on lake Champlain
    ... Yeah Endo! ... My dry clothes were still locked in my car, ... picked up the wife and kids and went back to pick up the car. ... Had to explain to the boarder guard the whole bit about the keys, ...
    (rec.windsurfing)
  • Re: Windsurfing on lake Champlain
    ... Was that the beach we had the Learn to Windsurf event at back in July?? ... My dry clothes were still locked in my car, ... picked up the wife and kids and went back to pick up the car. ... Had to explain to the boarder guard the whole bit about the keys, ...
    (rec.windsurfing)
  • Re: Windsurfing on lake Champlain
    ... Ellen Faller writes: ... My dry clothes were still locked in my car, ... picked up the wife and kids and went back to pick up the car. ... Had to explain to the boarder guard the whole bit about the keys, ...
    (rec.windsurfing)
  • Re: Default Admin Account
    ... If it were a car and I left the keys in it ... So both take ownership - is it the same as in this ... Actualy, in some state, you would also be charged or ticketed, as it is against local laws to leave the keys in the car as well. ... One's reason for breaking the law doesn't matter whether he was "motivated ...
    (Pen-Test)