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Printer-Friendly Mode‘Damage and dash’ car vandals need to shape up
February 8, 2010 —
Damage to vehicles seems to be a reoccurring event at SVSU and parking lots everywhere. Each week in the police briefs I read stories of cars getting keyed, backed into or dented. Sadly, most vandals do not get caught or admit to causing damage to another vehicle.
What has happened to honesty and people doing the right thing? It is hard to change the morals of people by writing in the paper that vandalism is bad, but if cameras were installed in all of the parking lots, it would force people to be honest.
Since most people have forgotten the courtesy rule of leaving their number after damaging a car, more surveillance cameras should be added to the campus parking lots. Not only would the cameras force people to do the right thing, it would make people become better drivers. After the car is caught on surveillance, there will be a better chance of finding the person who did it. There’s a possibility that the car is registered through SVSU and if not at least a license plate number could be seen. I know that I would act differently in on tape. With any luck it will have the same effect on others and people will be more cautious in the parking lots.
I know some people don’t care if their car is dented or keyed, but many do. It is someone’s property and no one has the right to harm it. Yes, sometimes accidents happen and you back into a car, but just because it’s an accident doesn’t mean you can just drive away.
I remember when I was little I broke a picture frame at my friends’ house. I didn’t just walk away and pretend it wasn’t me. I apologized and bought my friend a new one. Now, why do people seem to forget that courtesy rule? You should leave your number and hold yourself accountable.
Yes, a picture frame is quite small compared to a car, but it’s the same concept. Since the vehicle is most likely worth more, it should make you want to do the right thing be even more. The owner might be cool about it and say “No worries. Insurance can cover it,” or sometimes you will have to pay for the damages. Either way it’s better to be honest.
I recently had damage done to my car and no one got caught because there weren’t any cameras. Yes, I have insurance to cover it, but it’s the fact that someone dented my car on purpose for no reason (I hope). I would love to see who did it and point out their immaturity. I could handle being backed into on accident, but come on, ripping off wipers? Grow up.
The moral of this story is don’t make the University have to buy surveillance cameras just so people will grow up and not ruin other cars. Let’s take it upon ourselves to do the right thing.