Screenshot: YouTube/CTV News
It turns out that if you live in Gatineau, Canada you may get robbed if you leave your car unlocked … even if no one gets into your car to steal anything.
A dude from the Ottawa suburb named David Carriere reportedly forgot to lock his car doors. He was then robbed a portion of his paycheck when he came back to his car a short time later to find a $52 ticket on his windshield. The reasoning? There is a bylaw in the city that requires drivers to lock their doors when they park in public.
The region’s Highway Safety Code states, “No person may leave unattended a road vehicle that is in his custody without previously removing the ignition key and locking the doors.”
Mmhmm.
Carriere said the officer who issued the fine was peering through vehicle windows in the parking lot when he left his car and walked to a nearby restaurant.
“I thought I was seeing someone robbing cars or something like that,” he told CTV Montreal on Tuesday. “As he got closer, it became apparent that he was wearing some kind of uniform. So then I took him to be a security guard. Maybe he was patrolling the parking lot to make sure the patrons of the parking lot are using the services of the shops.”
Carriere said he was inside the steakhouse by the time he realized his vehicle was unlocked. He said he was greeted by the officer when he returned to the parking lot to lock up.
“He said, ‘I have to give you a ticket.’ I said, ‘It’s okay. I’m at the Baton Rouge. I can be parked here.’ He said, ‘No. It’s for not having your car doors locked,’” Carriere said.
The law is ‘designed’ to reduce vehicle break-ins in the area. Gatineau police have handed out 467 tickets for unlocked cars in 2017 alone. Last year, they gave out over 500.
— no ragrats (@SynchroBlitz) December 20, 2017
Ah, the nanny state. Next time I visit I will lock the doors but leave the windows rolled down. As I read it, that is not technically illegal,” Carriere wrote. “Any other stupid bylaws I should be aware of?”
Also in Canada: Police In Canada Are Threatening To Use Nickelback’s Music To Punish Drunk Drivers
Josh Helmuth is a contributor for Mandatory and Crave Sports.
