I found myself with a touch of insomnia last night, so I turned on the tube and began surfing until I felt sleepy. I land on “Tru-TV” and see flashing lights from police cars. “What’s this? Did TruTV pick up ‘Cops’”? I soon realize that’s not the case. It’s a show called “Bait Car.”
It’s my opinion that “Bait Car” is a show designed to legally break the laws of “Racial Profiling”; “Entrapment”; and “Reckless Endangerment.” Set in the “Urban” neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, two female actresses drive a vehicle to a designated location and exit the car with the engine running and the door open.
It’s only a matter of time before someone strolls along and sees what appears to be an abandoned car. Whether the alleged perpetrator has ill intentions or not is inconsequential, since if the individual opts to get in and drive the car, they’re picked up within a few blocks and charged with GTA aka “Grand Theft Auto.” The show is clearly designed to prey on the needs of the impoverished.
Now I’ve seen cars of this nature, however my mother always told me “Don’t take things that don’t belong to you,” so I keep it moving. My impression is that the owner is near by and ran into their home or the local merchant, foolishly leaving their car running, for anyone to take. So in my opinion someone thinking they just got a free ride, doesn’t make them a bad person. Not according to the L.A.P.D., as now it’s “Game On,” and they follow the person they just set up for a few minutes before pulling them over and carting them off to jail. WHAT!!! This is outrageous to me. Basically if a person makes a bad decision in the heat of the moment, it can result in them having a criminal record. An individual can practically instantaneously have a record with a felony for essentially what used to be classified as a “Joy Ride.”
Apparently “Bait Car” is not one of the top shows on the channel, nor is it new, despite my latent awareness. How many people have fallen victim to this program? I went to the TruTV website and it wasn’t among the “Featured Shows”, it wasn’t even listed under a tab that read “More Shows”, but I was able to find it when clicking the “All Shows” tab. Basically the popularity of the show is indicative of its underhanded theme, which is not popular at all. TruTV is a Time-Warner property that works in conjunction with the “Task Force For Regional Autotheft Prevention,” which is comprised of deputy sheriffs. This simply looks like a means for deputy sheriffs to meet their quota of citations at the expense of civilians. According to afrodaddy.com: “In California, the three strikes law has resulted in a 25 to life sentence of thousands of people, many for non-violent offenses. Two childhood convictions for seemingly small crimes like shoplifting, or joyriding in a car are seen by the ‘system’ as ‘robbery’ and ‘grand theft auto’. A third conviction for something as simple as drug possession or forgery could land your child in jail with a minimum 25 to life.” I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that “Bait Car” never sets up shop in the affluent neighborhoods of Beverly Hills or Berkeley in California or on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.
According to a study by Christopher Hartney and Linh Vuong for Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System, in 2009: “African Americans were held under state jurisdiction at 6 times the rate for Whites, Hispanics at 1.7 times, and Native Americans at 2.6 times. The individual states that consistently had the widest prison disparities across race and ethnicity—with African Americans in custody at least 10 times the rates for Whites—were Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Every state reported overrepresentation of African Americans, ranging from 2.2 times the rate for Whites in Hawaii to 14.9 times the rate for Whites in New Jersey. Half of the states reported overrepresentation of Hispanics, ranging from 1.1 times the rate for Whites in Indiana and 1.3 in Texas to 6.2 in Nevada and Connecticut. Seventeen states had equal or underrepresentation of Hispanics compared to Whites. Eight states either did not report incarceration figures by ethnicity or had too few Hispanics to calculate rates. Thirty-six states had overrepresentation of Native Americans in prisons, ranging from 1.2 times the rate for Whites in Missouri and Tennessee to 14.5 times the rate for Whites in Nevada. Asian Pacific Islanders were overrepresented in 5 states.”
The concept of the “Bait Car” show is based on one of the oldest and most disgraceful practices that minorities have had to endure in this country, blatant racism, and it’s FUNKED UP!!!
Eyes Wide Open
c-dub
3 Comments
If you listen to the introduction of the program, they set the bait car in “high incidence” areas where there is a lot of crime. That is not racial profiling. I highly doubt that the guy in Beverly Hills coming out of Tiffanys to his Benz is likely to stop when he sees the Accord parked running, doors open with keys in it and jump in. Just not going to happen. However I am not saying this is not a set up. It is a crime of opportunity and as such the “bait” is easily taken by anyone who is impoverished or looking where to find a few bucks to pay next months rent. Let me tell you straight up, I have made a 6 figure income AND I have been looking where my next $5 is going to come from. The later was more recent and it has been a struggle just to survive. So I can empathize with those who struggle. When I was broke and about to be homeless I seriously considered robbing a bank. No shit. I once pulled up to a car with windows down and a GPS sitting there within easy reach. Did I take it? No. Did I consider it? Hell yes. So I can see where people who are desperate fall for this trick. But just as you said, if opportunity is there, you don’t have to take from someone else. I also was taught what is not mine, you don’t take. Everyone has heard, “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. Taking what is not yours is wrong and illegal, no question. I know it, you know it and those who steal know it. So why would it be “outrageous” to take someone to jail for taking a car, Bait Car, your car, my car, any car? I didn’t take anyone else things and apparently you didn’t either. I worked harder to make money and get back on my feet. Knowing right from wrong and being taught by good parents is paramount to a functioning society. Teach each other, learn from life, parents, clergy and you will not fall for this trap. It is easy to blame someone else for our mistakes. The cops set me up, my friends told me to do it, it’s racial profiling, etc. Man up (women too), pull yourself up and get going. No one can do it for you. Go ahead and put Bait Car in my neighborhood. Getting thieves off the streets is not racial profiling in my opinion. I would prefer those who steal not live next to me and my family. Period.
Amen
Are you being serious? Entrapment? You need to read the statutes. Nobody is forcing these criminals to steal