BUSTED! this ones for you cops out there

[dell30rb]

Behind my school there are a bunch of woods. We found some old, Junked cars back there, where some of them are on school property, but most arent. They are all really really old, have no engine, transmission and are usually crunched and have plants growing in them. No one knows who owns them and our school building is tho only thing near there One day we went back there with a screwdriver and popped some of the emblems off of the outside of a few cars (we got 5 emblems). Embelms meaning like a "V8" symbol on the side of a car, or the chevy symbol from the rear end of a chevy.

Somehow the teachers found out (squealer) and are really pi$$ed.

Is this like a really bad crime or something or are the teachers just overreacting?

 

[dell30rb]

even if ur not a cop plz reply. I would appreciate any opinions

 

[justql]

It isn't yours, you shouldn't take it. Those old emblems could be worth alot.

 

[KTA]

seems harmless to me... . . but what do i know?

 

[Matt_H]

I don't know why there would even both with you guys. Seems pointless to me but then again I'm a teenager to so...

Matt

 

[dell30rb]

right...but they arent worth jack. I checked on ebay...one was selling for 50 cents. everything valueable had been taken from the car already. The engine, steering wheel...every thing. They were dumped on school property. its a private school.

 

[oldguy]

Just like justql already said if you don't own it don't take it. Chances are you'll only get 5 or 6 years in prison this time since it's your first offence;).
When I used to get complaints about tresspassers (hunters, hikers, bikers whatever) it used to really get me when they acted stupid (some really were good actors ;) ) and would say "we didn't know it belongs to someone". I always thought wow free unclaimed land I am going to stake my claim.

Seriously the excuse They aren't worth anything doesn't cut any slack. It still boils down to If you don't own it don't take it. If I take the barpad off your bike is it ok because I can buy one for 50 cents at a rummage sale.

 

[dell30rb]

I know it was wrong and i'm sorry, but do you think the teachers are making too big a deal outta this?

P.S. oldguy i dont have a crossbar pad...so you couldnt take it. ;)

 

[justql]

No.
A) What do you mean they are making a big deal out of it. In my school I suspend students a day for taking a bag of chips, more for bigger things.
B) They are paid(probably not much) to teach you. That means teaching you to be a productive memebr of society. Theives are usually not productive members.
C) When should they make a big deal out of it. When you still an entire car?? No grey area here. Taking anything that is not your is WRONG and you should've been called on it.

Sorry to be a hard case. I get paid to be one though.
:p :p

 

[spanky250]

You are right on, justql. The property you took may have been totally worthless, but it still wasn't yours.

 

[HiG4s]

Let's see, they weren't tresspassing because it was on property of the school they belong to so they are required to be there. It was left as trash illegally by someone else and knowing schools (my wife is a teacher, I hear a lot about how schools work) sometime in the future there will probably be a school campaign to clean up the property and everyone that has gotten in trouble will probably have to help.
So these kids will probably have the chance to take more parts when they are forced to help have them taken to the dump. And seeing they are missing all the usable parts, the junk yard will charge (probably by the pound) to haul them away. At which point the school will probably, to save money, offer them to anyone that wants them if they will take them away.
If the story is being told correctly, IMHO they are over-reacting.:uh:

But to save yourself hassle, if they were left on school property they belong to the school. Just ask the principal if you can have parts from them BEFORE you take them next time.

We got kids shooting each other and planting bombs in schools. We have terrorists infiltrating the country and threating our very way of life. We have Americans dying across the ocean trying to perserve our freedoms. So let's jump real hard on some kids taking the emblems from old junk abandon cars.:moon:

 

[justql]

Originally posted by dell30rb
where some of them are on school property, but most arent. .

:think :think

 

[XphilX]

the teacher's reaction to that was un-called for!
if the these cars are in the shape that you described them, then what you are doing could be considdered recycling, or at least picking up some trash

i was doing something similar, taking some old car tires to use for a paintball field, when a cop showed up.
now, it was apparent to me that the tires were of no use to anyone because of the condition that they were in, and guess what! a cop and i actually agreed on something!
he told me to take as many as i like
i would assume this was because not one person was being harmed by my actions, as is the case in your situation

but don't expect your teachers to change thier minds, they won't admit to being wrong

 

[justql]

So if I go to your paintball field and remove the tires, the same tires you took is that right?? Their junk. Thier not worth anything. Would you not care? One persons junk is not necasarily anothers.

 

[oldguy]

excellent example justql :aj:

Everyone wants to justify illegally appropriating some ones property with the old "it isn't worth anything" Then why do you want it

It still goes back to if it isn't yours dont take it. If it really isn't worth anything and you are doing a guy a favor by taking it why sneak it away? Just ask him for it

 

[Danman]

It still goes back to if it isn't yours dont take it. If it really isn't worth anything and you are doing a guy a favor by taking it why sneak it away? Just ask him for it

Yep!

 

[IBWFO]

If you really want to get technical, an abandoned car (assuming they are abandoned) is the property of the State until a salvage title is submitted and issued. So, unless these cars have had a salvage title applied for and accepted by the State for the school then the cars are the property of the State. Therefor it should be the State that is the one that needs to step in here.
Also, if some (but not all) of the cars are on School property, and you get hurt in trying to "get" an emblem off, the school could be held liable along with the State. Have your parents apply for a salvage title and maybe you can "own" all these cars, and tell the school to please remove them for you!!!
LOL!!!

D

 

[Sawblade]

Originally posted by dell30rb
I know it was wrong and i'm sorry

You just answered your own question. You knew it was wrong to take the emblems, your just wanting someone to justify it for you. What the emblems are worth is immaterial. I've worked for a retail company for 19 years. In that time I've dealt with my share of shop lifters. I'll spell it out real clear. Taking the emblems was theft. No gray area IMO.

Once I pressed charges against a 17 year old for stealing a 97 cent bag of jacks. Yes, that's the game of days gone by were you drop the ball and pick up the jacks before the ball falls to the ground again. He was laughing about it at first, he sure wasn't laughing when the officer lead him out in handcuffs. That boy wanted his mama real bad. Chalk this up to one of life's lessons and move on.

 

[LaRider20]

Get a grip! I agree with HiG4s and XphilX. Geez this is becoming a kid bashing site. There were no knives or guns involved. Nobody was raped or beaten. Some kids came across some rusted junky cars with grass growing IN them. They were pieces of crap that had probably been there for 25 years or more. They removed a couple of emblems from them. So what!

Teachers are paid to teach, not dominate students.:mad:
Policeman are paid to protect and serve, not harass citizens.:mad:

Somebody call ME a wwwaaaaambulance.

 

[longtime]

Oh puhleeze!

If the kid has described it truthfully, some kids found junked trash (abandoned auto carcasses with plants growing in them -- not on any potential owner's property) and took a couple of worthless baubles off of the junked trash. Well please you school administrators out there call Janet Reno and have 'em put to the flame!

For those of you that call this "theft" or use the word "thief": Do you know where the cars were? Whose property they were on? Whether they fit the legal definition of "abandoned"?

I hereby give all people, young and old, permission to take my garbage -- oh wait! I don't have to . . . one of the few things Cali's done right is to make it not-a-crime to salvage another person's garbage.


My gosh -- I thought I was a hardass!

dell30 -- I agree with Hig4s 100%. What you did may not have been a crime at all (your local folks know the details, and hopefully did not overlook them). But it's still better just to ask beforehand -- always, to avoid potential misunderstandings . :debil:

Bet this is a post many DRN'ers wouldn't expect from the right-wing fighter pilot lock 'em up kinda' guy. ;)

 

[LaRider20]

Longtime, you're right I didn't expect it.:eek:

 

[oldguy]

Originally posted by LaRider20
Teachers are paid to teach, not dominate students.:mad:
Policeman are paid to protect and serve, not harass citizens.:mad:

I am not bashing any kids but yes it is the teachers job to teach- and as part of teaching some ethics should be introduced.

as a cop I am paid to protect which I am proud to do but the serve part is a misnomer -who should I serve? the victim or the perpetrator? My duty is to society at large whether the action is major or minor.

Longtime no I can't say I am shocked because you are a level headed guy and made the statement from your heart as to what the majority think. justql and I answerred it from the technical side because that is how dell asked it in the first place. he wanted to know the factual basis IMO. As I said in my first post he won't get more than 5 or 6 years in prison for it (I thought that relayed my sentiment above the technical answer)

 

[Old CR goat]

A kinder/gentler LONGTIME, :scream: <shudder> Who'd a thunk it?

I would think it possible that the teacher's reaction was more that you should not have been around the cars (safety thing). And if that is a concern, the school needs to get rid of them.

You kids leave those car alone, You're gonna put someone's eye out!:)

 

[WoodsRider]

When I was 14, my friend and I found a junked out old truck in the woods by our house. Just like you described, no engine, transmission or seats. We shot at it with pellet guns until we ran out of ammo. A couple weeks later a man who, as it turned out, owned the woods and the truck came by and demanded to be paid $150 for the damage to his truck or he was going to file a report with the police. My parents paid the money and then sold my pellet gun. The old man never fixed the truck and when he died it was hauled away to the wrecking yard.

I learned a simple lesson. If it doesn't belong to you, don't mess with it.

 

[Okiewan]

Get a grip! I agree with HiG4s and XphilX. Geez this is becoming a kid bashing site.

Are you're saying, the "kids" think alike and the "grown-ups" think alike? Hummm :think

The folks saying it was/is wrong, are simply making that statement from a technical standpoint. No doubt, if it's not yours, don't take it. Seems to be a pretty sensible general rule to follow no? You have no idea how much something may be worth to someone. Fact is, taking something that is not yours is called stealing.

How difficult would it have been to find out who owns the cars? Or to find out that they were in fact dumped? Too much work? A hassle? Easier just to take the stuff?

Parents/Teachers/Cops/grown-ups often "over-react" to stuff that kids don't understand. There's a reason. It's called principle. A word/concept that doesn't mean much when you're young, but something you will eventually understand means a lot. It's what makes a person understand right and wrong. It's what makes you respect others (and their stuff)... It's something that seems to be getting more and more rare these days.

< off the soapbox >