Was this OK to do?

[1969912 0]

A couple weeks ago we had heavy snow, and while driving through the parking lot of a store I noticed a parked pickup truck in the boonie area of the lot with its headlights on. The truck had a set of ramps from the bed to the ground, and it looked like the truck might have belonged to a snow removal person.

Anyway, about an hour later as I was driving out of the parking lot, the truck was still there with the lights on. So I stopped and saw that there wasn't a big dog inside and that the door was unlocked, and opened the door and shut off the lights.

Technically, I messed with someone else's vehicle, but might have prevented the person having to get a jump start.

Good or Bad?

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[jdthomas 0]

good if the person had just left the lights on by accident.

bad for you if it was a crime scene and you left your prints at the scene.

if was my truck that you had just saved the battery on and I found out i would thank you.

www.greenboxphotography.com

[JohnRich 4]

Yep, okay - just a good deed done.
Just get in and out quick so that no one thinks you're rifling around inside for something to steal.

[1969912 0]

It seemed pretty clear that the truck had been hauling a snowblower or quad with a blade, and the guy was nowhere to be seen. The city was pretty much at a standstill due to the heavy snow. And yes, I did it quickly.

Interestingly, seeing the truck reminded me of an instance when I was 5 or 6 years old when my dad shut someone's lights off in a parking lot.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

Interestingly, seeing the truck reminded me of an instance when I was 5 or 6 years old when my dad shut someone's lights off in a parking lot.

Dad would be proud of you that his good deed lesson was passed on to your generation.

Edit to add:

One of the things that makes your case more justified, is that you observed the headlights still on after a long period of time. That kind of rules out the idea that the car will cut them off automatically, or that the owner will be back shortly.

If you just see headlights on one time, you usually just presume one of the above and therefore do nothing. The time period involved in your incident, is what made your action the proper thing to do.

[muff528 3]

Maybe he left the lights on so he could find the truck in the heavy snow after his work was done. ......Probably still looking for it.

[Megatron 0]

I wouldn't have done it. You have no idea who this person is, what he does, and why his lights are on in the first place. As someone said he could have left them on intentionally. Besides, I've heard too many stories of good samaritans getting screw over bigtime for going a good deed.

[tinlizzy73 0]

I shut a car's lights off once. I think you did the right thing. Once at school years ago I left my lights on and came out close to midnight to a dead car battery and no jumper cables.

Jeanne
Blue Skies, better days, more beer - Oh the humanity - Peace be with you my friend

DON'T TASE ME BRO

[Txflier 0]

sure it's fine I've done it with jeeps and bikes when people leave there key in the ignition. If the person were to see you I'm sure you could have just said sorry I saw your lights on for a long time just shutting em off for ya. I think the average human could probably tell the difference between a thief and someone just helping out.

I'm not the rope totin charlie Bronson wanna be that's getting us fucking lost.

[shropshire 0]

You did a good thing, in my book - nice one.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome