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Armed robbers make getaway in Zipcar
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Comments
Not entirely crazy
Zipcar works by leaving the keys tied to the windshield wiper handle* so it wouldn't be hard for a thief to jimmy open the car door or smash a window to have a working vehicle. The cars are GPS tracked but if the robbers were only headed nearby to exchange cars the tracking won't give them away.
* By attaching the keys to the wiper handle zipcar ensures that users will always turn on the windshield wipers when starting the car, obviously an extremely helpful and not at all annoying feature.
It's not that simple
Zipcars are alarmed and ignition locked and require that the card of the specific member who made the reservation be scanned before it will unlock the car, the ignition, and disarm the alarm. It's not as simple as jimmying open a car door and grabbing the key and driving away. Zipcar can also remotely cut the ignition, if a car is stolen (though I think they only do this when it is not moving: they have GPS tracking). I was in a Zipcar once that for some reason relocked itself a few seconds after I scanned in my card and unlocked the car, every time I tried to start it the alarm would go off, and the car wouldn't start (it was particularly embarrassing, because I was in the parking lot of a library in a quiet suburban town). I called Zipcar and they disabled my current card, reset the car remotely and then had me go to the trunk, where there was a spare card, which was then activated to my account. They'll be able to find these fools because Zipcar will be able to locate whatever cars were in the area at the time and tie it to the member who had it reserved at the time.
I rent zipcars frequently
The lock/alarm isn't activated until a few hours after the reservation so that if someone left something in the car they can get back in. When the key hasn't be tied down I've just taken it with me and locked the car as normal without the zipcard. It worked fine without setting off alarms.
As for the key... In the past they would attach the key to a retractable chain or wire like what custodians often wear. These tended to break to they just switched to having the key (via a short piece of webbing) to the wiper handle. The webbing is too short so when you take the key to put it into the ignition it pulls down in the lever and the wipers turn on with the ignition. Annoying.
Not really how it works
As a former ZipCar user, I can tell you that this is not exactly how ZipCars work. The person renting the car has to open the car using a card. The car has a kill switch that prevents that car from operating if a thief were to jimmy the car open. The keys are useless is you do not have a card.
Also, in my experience, the keys are usually attached to the dash.
really?
Its been a few years since I rented a zipcar.. I never saw the keys on the windshield wiper blade. They were usually in the ignition or center console (or nearby). Also many of their newer cars have have those "Push to Start" ignitions where you don't need a key.
Also your ZipCard is tied to the ignition somehow. Back when more cars had keys.. I used to take the key and put it in my pocket during my rental. If you did not swipe your card to unlock the door (and used a key), the car will not start period. Also if you did not rent a specific car and tried to use one, it will not allow you to even open the door.
At least this is how it was a few years ago when I still rented zipcars.
No where does it say the car was "stolen".. just says a zipcar is used. And if they rented one to do the robbery.. ummmm yeah stupid criminals because these cars are heavily tracked (by swipes and by GPS)
D'oh!
He didn't say on the blades, he said on the blade handle.
These days the keys are attached to the lever on the steering column that activates the wipers - of course with a strap long enough to reach the ignition.... Keeps them from getting lose, and those zip-line things they used to use never worked after a few weeks.
What's going on with all the broad daylight robberies?
JP, Mission Hill, and now this. All broad daylight, very public robberies in a tight geographic area. Is there any connection somehow? Can we get more info on the descriptions of the robbers in each of these?
well
i believe money & the desire for profit was involved in each case, so there may be a conspiracy here after all