Does anyone here actually prefer remote keys versus the old-fashioned keys?

All my cars have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
advantage in these complex remotes?. It just strikes me as another
blatant conspiracy to force the public to buy the less-efficient
higher-priced feature.

On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 02:18:12 GMT, Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS
> wrote:

>All my cars have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
>pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
>advantage in these complex remotes?. It just strikes me as another
>blatant conspiracy to force the public to buy the less-efficient
>higher-priced feature.

Are you talking about keyless entry remotes or those keys that have a chip
embedded in them and cost $150 to have duplicated?

Keyless entry is really convenient since it unlocks all the doors at once,
possibly unlocking it for your passenger before you reach the car to do it for
him/her. Plus, after 200,000 miles, you don't have the door lock worn out and
needing replaced.

Those keys with the chip in them I think are a pain. They are expensive for no
good reason. Yeah, they're better at anti-theft, but what I _really_ need is a
mechanism that keeps that theives from stealing stuff from out of the car,
rather than the car itself. If I was worried about the car, I would want a
tracking system, so if they decided to tow it somewhere, I could still find it.

Dave Head

Ladies and Gentlemen (and I use those words loosely), Speeders & Drunk
Drivers are MURDERERS spewed in rec.autos.driving:

> All my POSs have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
> pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
> advantage in these remotes that are too complex for me to even comprehend?
> It just strikes me as another blatant conspiracy to force the
> public to buy features that I can't afford on my welfare check.

Just because you can't afford it nor understand how to use it doesn't
mean that the rest of us should have to be deprived. And yes, I prefer
having the remote to unlock my car doors as I approach the car. Beats
the hell out of having to fumble with the metal key when it is raining.
I prefer it so much so that I had my '96 Taurus fitted with one anfer I
bought the other Taurus that came with them and I found out how much I
liked them.

BTW, loser, no crossposting in this spew??? You're slipping in the
quality of your trolls.

--
Loco laura bush - VEHICULAR shows us all - yet again -
what an idiot it really is:

"Radios shouldn't be in cars either. Only an idiot would argue that."
--laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, 8/5/06
Ref:http://tinyurl.com/hwevv
Message ID:

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:44:24 -0700, Scott en Aztlán >
wrote:

>Dave Head > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
>>Those keys with the chip in them I think are a pain. They are expensive for no
>>good reason. Yeah, they're better at anti-theft
>
>That's not a good reason?!?!?!?!

Not for me - I've never had a car stolen. And, anyway, I have insurance for
that. I _don't_ have insurance, or enough of it, to lose the contents of the
car.

>>but what I _really_ need is a
>>mechanism that keeps that theives from stealing stuff from out of the car,
>>rather than the car itself.
>
>Here's one: don't leave valuables in the car. At the very least don't
>leave them in plain sight.

I have a ham radio transceiver ($450), GPS unit ($300), tools I carry for
emergencies ($?), and a road rally computer ($1200) and those are in the car
_all_ the time. My laptop computer ($1400) is almost always in the car. On
occasion, I also have my camera gear ($8,000) in the car if I'm traveling..
Plus, I have my briefcase most of the time, and it has 2 calculators ($?), 2
ham radio handi-talkies ($400 each) , and other stuff. This is all stuff that
just has to stay in the car if I get out and do something like go to the gym or
the movie, unless I want to go 20 miles home and unload it, and drive 20 miles
back.

I've pretty much solved the thing about getting stuff stolen out of the car by
covering it up. I've adopted the "messy car defense". I have numerous junk in
the car - lots of old newspapers, jackets, sweaters, etc. When I park, stuff
that would be otherwise visible gets covered up by this stuff. Haven't had a
breakin for years. But... it still the primary concern.

Dave Head

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
> All my cars have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
> pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
> advantage in these complex remotes?. It just strikes me as another
> blatant conspiracy to force the public to buy the less-efficient
> higher-priced feature.

I prefer the remotes because they allow easier entry. When its raining,
I can unlock the doors on the way to the car, rather than stand and
fiddle with the keys for a few seconds.

Also, the remotes make entry easier at night, and safer too-you're
not standing with your back turned, even if it is only a few seconds
difference.

By getting into a habit of locking the doors with the remote after
you've gotten out, you eliminate most of the chance that you'll lock
yourself out. The previous car I had, that didn't have the remote, I
locked myself out twice. With the one I have now, I haven't (yet).

Also, if I ever come out and see someone leaning on my car talking to
somebody else, I like to use the panic button to scare the daylights
out of them.

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
> All my cars have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
> pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
> advantage in these complex remotes?. It just strikes me as another
> blatant conspiracy to force the public to buy the less-efficient
> higher-priced feature.

Here's another reason for keyless remote that the others have not
mentioned (this coming from a driver who thinks we have made cars too
damn dependent on wiring for simple tasks best handled manually):
winter! I'm not sure about your area, but the last several years in my
area we've had more of a tendency to get ice instead of snow. Trying
to force a key through a 1/8" layer of ice is a pain and a risk. Of
course, that's also a good argument for a garage.

"Dave Head" > wrote in message
...

> I have a ham radio transceiver ($450), GPS unit ($300), tools I carry for
> emergencies ($?), and a road rally computer ($1200) and those are in the
> car
> _all_ the time. My laptop computer ($1400) is almost always in the car.
> On
> occasion, I also have my camera gear ($8,000) in the car if I'm
> traveling..
> Plus, I have my briefcase most of the time, and it has 2 calculators ($?),
> 2
> ham radio handi-talkies ($400 each) , and other stuff. This is all stuff
> that
> just has to stay in the car if I get out and do something like go to the
> gym or
> the movie, unless I want to go 20 miles home and unload it, and drive 20
> miles
> back.

Just a guess, but you're not parking in too many urban areas, are you?

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> Dave Head > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
> >On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:44:24 -0700, Scott en Aztlán >
> >wrote:
> >
> >>Dave Head > said in rec.autos.driving:
> >>
> >>>Those keys with the chip in them I think are a pain. They are expensive for no
> >>>good reason. Yeah, they're better at anti-theft
> >>
> >>That's not a good reason?!?!?!?!
> >
> >Not for me - I've never had a car stolen.
>
> Well, I've never lost a car key, so their replacement cost is
> irrelevant.
>
> Now, if you're about to respond with something along the lines of
> "there's a first time for everything," then you've just overcome your
> own objection to chipped keys.

No, but I will make duplicates of my key in order to be able to
distribute them among passengers when I take the car with multiple
people in it to somewhere like the Dayton Hamvention, so anyone that
buys a 15 lb radio can come back and stick it in the car, rather than
carrying it around all day. 3 extra keys for $450? Not a car I'm
going to buy.

>
> >And, anyway, I have insurance for that.

> Insurance will NEVER make you 100% whole after a loss. Even if they
> replace your car with one EXACTLY like the one you had (which is
> impossible), you still lose time and money, and are subject to stress,
> aggravation, and inconvenience.

Yeah, well, maybe they don't steal my car because its too messy! <G>

>
> Maybe when you finally do have a car stolen you'll change your tune.
>
> >I _don't_ have insurance, or enough of it, to lose the contents of the
> >car.
>
> Why not?
>
> >I have a ham radio transceiver ($450), GPS unit ($300), tools I carry for
> >emergencies ($?), and a road rally computer ($1200) and those are in the car
> >_all_ the time. My laptop computer ($1400) is almost always in the car. On
> >occasion, I also have my camera gear ($8,000) in the car if I'm traveling..
> >Plus, I have my briefcase most of the time, and it has 2 calculators ($?), 2
> >ham radio handi-talkies ($400 each) , and other stuff. This is all stuff that
> >just has to stay in the car
>
> Now I see why you don't have insurance for the contents of your
> vehicle - no sane insurance company would write a policy to cover such
> a ridiculous risk!

Most car insurance won't cover electronics unless its bolted into the
vehicle. Even if its bolted in, sometimes the fact that it is
aftermarket still makes it ineligible. I have a separate homeowner's
rider for the camera, and separate ham radio insurance for the
installed and briefcase ham rigs, but the rest of the stuff is at risk.

>
> Sounds like a Brinks truck would be a good vehicle for you.

It wouldn't fit in with my road rally hobby very well.


> >if I get out and do something like go to the gym or
> >the movie, unless I want to go 20 miles home and unload it, and drive 20 miles
> >back.
>
> So lock it in your trunk, out of sight.

I have the tools and the laptop back there.

>
> >I've pretty much solved the thing about getting stuff stolen out of the car by
> >covering it up. I've adopted the "messy car defense". I have numerous junk in
> >the car - lots of old newspapers, jackets, sweaters, etc. When I park, stuff
> >that would be otherwise visible gets covered up by this stuff. Haven't had a
> >breakin for years. But... it still the primary concern.
>
> It should be. And your ham callsign license plates will be a dead
> giveaway to a thief that there is thousands of dollars' worth of radio
> gear hidden underneath all that mess.

The ham radio callsign is on the Jeep. The WRX goes by "RALLY VA" Its
always protected by the factory security system, and I don't have the
opportunity to go to midnight movies any more (Toledo, Ohio, famed city
for having nothing to do, has movies that start at midnight, and
bowling alleys open all night or very, very late, because other than
that, there _really_ _is_ nothing to do. I lost thousands of dollars
there in vehicle contents ripoffs.) Those late-night activities are
when the drug-crazed are out looking or something to rip-off and sell
to get their next fix. Since my late-night movies don't much go beyond
about 12:15 AM, instead of _starting_ at 12:15 AM, I'm a bit more
secure. Also more secure since I don't live in Toledo any more. I
think Detroit has a crime problem becauase it is close to Toledo, which
seems to be the rip-off capital of the area.

Dave Head

Sancho Panza wrote:
> "Dave Head" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > I have a ham radio transceiver ($450), GPS unit ($300), tools I carry for
> > emergencies ($?), and a road rally computer ($1200) and those are in the
> > car
> > _all_ the time. My laptop computer ($1400) is almost always in the car.
> > On
> > occasion, I also have my camera gear ($8,000) in the car if I'm
> > traveling..
> > Plus, I have my briefcase most of the time, and it has 2 calculators ($?),
> > 2
> > ham radio handi-talkies ($400 each) , and other stuff. This is all stuff
> > that
> > just has to stay in the car if I get out and do something like go to the
> > gym or
> > the movie, unless I want to go 20 miles home and unload it, and drive 20
> > miles
> > back.
>
> Just a guess, but you're not parking in too many urban areas, are you?

Fredericksburg, Virginia has about 200,000 people in the surrounding
area, but the place, and the whole state, really, is crawling with
cops. Don't even think about exceeding the speed limit. And, the
places where I do park are pretty visible. I've learned to park where
it is easy for any member of the public to be suddenly present. It
unnerves the thieves, I think. If you park out by the road, then
anyone can suddely roll up on the scene in their car. Park just
outside the movie side-door, and anyone can suddenly walk out the door
and observe a theft taking place, and cell-phone the cops. Parking it
where it can be seen often is a good defense. The one
seriously-deficient area around the movie theater that I go to is where
I see the broken window glass laying on the pavement. I _never_ park
there.

Dave Head

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
> All my cars have used the standard metal key that you carry in your
> pocket and duplicates can be made for a buck. What is the big
> advantage in these complex remotes?. It just strikes me as another
> blatant conspiracy to force the public to buy the less-efficient
> higher-priced feature.

The fact that even a moron like yourself couldn't lock your keys in
your car if you tried.