You Just Can't...

You just can't leave your car unattended with the keys in it in a public place for even a minute--you just can't. I'm leaving the kids out of it because we all know that countless vehicles are stolen because the owner left them "for just a minute" with the keys in the ignition. Poof! Car and contents gone--and it did not taken even the fabled 60 seconds.

So we had yet another example last night of how you cannot leave a vehicle with the keys in the ignition for even "just a minute." Last night, a woman stopped off at the Dollar Tree in Truman Corners in Grandview. She ran into the store for just a minute, and while in the store, saw her minivan, which she had left parked and running outside the store with her two small children (3 years and 11 months) inside, move off without her. About a half hour later, someone notice the van parked outside an apartment building, with the two kids inside and reported it to the police. A little bit of detective work and the apartment where the car thief had gone was located. He was taken into custody after police surrounded his place.

Yes, the kids in the car left alone is an epic fail. BUT just leaving the car, running, unattended is an epic fail too. It doesn't matter what neighborhood. I wouldn't do it in Leawood any more than I would do it in Grandview. If you care about your vehicle and what is in it, do not leave it unattended with the keys in it.

Of course that goes double-triple-quadruple for kids, but do we even have to talk about something that is so obvious? Everyone knows you don't leave kids unattended in a vehicle "even for a minute." (Do you leave them unattended in your house for "just a minute"?)

So please, when you leave your car--even for a minute!--turn off the engine, take the keys, take all your valuables (including that annoying 3 year old!) with you and lock it up!