What's up with people and their car alarms?

Yeah so I usually park downtown and then walk to the places I'm going instead of struggling to find multiple parking spots, and my path typically leads me past the parking lot of this one particular apartment complex. It's a section-8 complex (public housing) and there's always people in the parking lot, no matter the time of day or night.
 
The furthest (from the building) row of parking boarders right on the sidewalk close enough that you can touch the front of the cars without leaving the sidewalk should you so desire. So I've noticed whenever I or someone else walks by specific cars, their owners (lounging in the parking lot) manually activate the car alarm (panic button the key chain) as we pass. It doesn't startle me but it is annoying as hell. 
 
I thought it was something endemic to that complex, but I was in another part of town today and had the same thing happen: as I pass a car, someone manually activates the alarm. Then it happened again as I was passing some on-street parking.
 
What in the hell? I guess it's reached the point now if a car alarm was going off because someone was breaking into it, I don't think I would even pay attention. Remember 'The Boy who cried Wolf?"

I've never seen this happen, but I'm going to start doing it.

First ive heard of this behaviour. Seems pretty dumb to me. Come to think of it i have never heard my car alarm.

Wait, so they hide somewhere, and as you walk by, they press the panic button?

Wait, so they hide somewhere, and as you walk by, they press the panic button?

I've never seen this happen, but I'm going to start doing it.

Never seen this before. 
 
Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Don't you carry like four guns and a pair of nunchuks with you? They're probably intimidated. 
 
But seriously, this is the first I've heard of that.

Never seen this before.   Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Don't you carry like four guns and a pair of nunchuks with you? They're probably intimidated.  But seriously, this is the first I've heard of that.

@Nocall said:

Never seen this before.   Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Oh, yeah. BMWs, convertibles, and even a yellow mustang that says 'THE BOSS' on the side.  Your tax money well spent.

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Nocall said:

Never seen this before.   Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Oh, yeah. BMWs, convertibles, and even a yellow mustang that says 'THE BOSS' on the side.  Your tax money well spent.

And I'm rolling around in a nine-year-old scratched saturn. Awesome. Oh well, at least I have a nice apartment in a pleasant neighborhood.   Gotta stay optimistic.

You wouldn't happen to be a minority, would you?

I suggest the movie noise 

when i first read this i thought you meant they would "set" the alarm with the single "BEEP" when you walked by, as if they were afraid you'd do something.  however, upon reading your post again, i have come to a simple conclusion.  that place is full of total jerk-offs who deserve to have their ear drums blown out.  i would suggest sneaking over there at night or something and throw several dozen eggs all over the offending vehicles.  another idea, which i got from Fight Club, take a bat and smash the bumpers of these cars to really set off the panic alarms.  just don't get caught.  or, if you do, and they approach you, scream and yell at the top of your lungs into their ears.  over and over and over again.  then, celebrate with a pizza.

You wouldn't happen to be a minority, would you?

It's beyond their understanding. 

 What the hell... Never heard of this.
 
Are they "bro" looking dudes that think it's funny to set off a car alarm to try to startle people or are they grown men afraid you are going to punch their car?

 What the hell... Never heard of this. Are they "bro" looking dudes that think it's funny to set off a car alarm to try to startle people or are they grown men afraid you are going to punch their car?  

 What the hell... Never heard of this. Are they "bro" looking dudes that think it's funny to set off a car alarm to try to startle people or are they grown men afraid you are going to punch their car?

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Axxol said:
I carry a Smith&Wesson revolver at all times. Revolvers don't jam. I have a Conceal&Carry so I'm covered.

Contrary to popular belief, revolvers can have stoppages, but it's much rarer (especially if they're well maintained). If you maintain your sidearm, you're probably never going to get stoppages anyway; I used a semi automatic browning hi-power overseas and after many hundreds of rounds fired never had a single stoppage. It's all in the magazines you get issued, some are bent enough to be crap and some work great

Just want to lay this myth to rest, otherwise yeah, back on topic I've never seen people do this with their car alarms. But I live in Canada so that could just be another US thing

@xobballox said:

 What the hell... Never heard of this. Are they "bro" looking dudes that think it's funny to set off a car alarm to try to startle people or are they grown men afraid you are going to punch their car?

They mostly look to be in their early 20's, no one particular race but they all stand around in groups in the parking lot drinking and thumping that terrible music...which they never let a song finish. They have these little remote controls to their car stereos and they'll only play like the first 10 seconds of a song before switching to another.

I've never heard of people doing this kind of thing before but it seems like a kind of dumb thing to do.

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Axxol said:
I carry a Smith&Wesson revolver at all times. Revolvers don't jam. I have a Conceal&Carry so I'm covered.

Contrary to popular belief, revolvers can have stoppages, but it's much rarer (especially if they're well maintained). If you maintain your sidearm, you're probably never going to get stoppages anyway; I used a semi automatic browning hi-power overseas and after many hundreds of rounds fired never had a single stoppage. It's all in the magazines you get issued, some are bent enough to be crap and some work great

Just want to lay this myth to rest, otherwise yeah, back on topic I've never seen people do this with their car alarms. But I live in Canada so that could just be another US thing

@Fajita_Jim:  What a bunch of assholes .... cant like entrap them with police officer around? I mean at least the sight of the cop may make them rethink their assery

Thats such a good idea i gotta start doing that shit lol! But i have a nice car so maybe i wont, dont want to get keyed lol.

   He would never stand for this shit.

Do you live in a ghetto or something? Because I've heard stories about you almost getting mugged, a home invasion, and now people not trusting others to even walk by their cars without sounding an alarm.

Do you live in a ghetto or something? Because I've heard stories about you almost getting mugged, a home invasion, and now people not trusting others to even walk by their cars without sounding an alarm.

@Fajita_Jim: :It's called disturbing the peace the music alone would probably be complainable the alarms that way above any noise level that's legal. 

I don't think I've ever thought "A car alarm? Someone is committing grand theft auto!". I've always thought "God, can someone just turn that fucker off!". Never seen this in practice, but I think it's just paranoia or people acting like dicks.

This is one reason why cops started giving out tickets to whoever touched the sidewalk with their car

@Aetheldod said:

@Fajita_Jim:  What a bunch of assholes .... cant like entrap them with police officer around? I mean at least the sight of the cop may make them rethink their assery

And charge them with what? Asshattery isn't illegal, even if buggery still technically is.

Slash the tires.

@Aetheldod said:

@Fajita_Jim:  What a bunch of assholes .... cant like entrap them with police officer around? I mean at least the sight of the cop may make them rethink their assery

And charge them with what? Asshattery isn't illegal, even if buggery still technically is.

@Giantstalker said:

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Axxol said:
I carry a Smith&Wesson revolver at all times. Revolvers don't jam. I have a Conceal&Carry so I'm covered.

Contrary to popular belief, revolvers can have stoppages, but it's much rarer (especially if they're well maintained). If you maintain your sidearm, you're probably never going to get stoppages anyway; I used a semi automatic browning hi-power overseas and after many hundreds of rounds fired never had a single stoppage. It's all in the magazines you get issued, some are bent enough to be crap and some work great

Just want to lay this myth to rest, otherwise yeah, back on topic I've never seen people do this with their car alarms. But I live in Canada so that could just be another US thing

Hey, yeah...but that's not technically the same as jamming (where a round fails to load all the way). I do maintain my firearms, as I go to the range regularly. There's no use in having a gun if you can't aim, and it's not like riding a bike: you MUST keep in practice.  I field-strip my guns after every use.

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Three0neFive said:

You wouldn't happen to be a minority, would you?

According to you duders, I'm the spitting-image of Gordon Freeman. I'm also a cartoon, supposedly.

Well maybe it has something to do with that crowbar you're always carrying around.

@Nocall said:

Never seen this before.   Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Oh, yeah. BMWs, convertibles, and even a yellow mustang that says 'THE BOSS' on the side.
 
Your tax money well spent.

@Fajita_Jim

@Nocall said:

Never seen this before.   Wait...they live in public housing but have cars nice enough to warrant an alarm? Priorities, people!

Oh, yeah. BMWs, convertibles, and even a yellow mustang that says 'THE BOSS' on the side.
 
Your tax money well spent.

It's like this on the Apache reservation I've been to, nearly everyone has dish TV and nice new cars, but live in run down houses and burn their trash in the front yard or just let it sit in the tall grass.

@Fajita_Jim said:

@Aetheldod said:

@Fajita_Jim:  What a bunch of assholes .... cant like entrap them with police officer around? I mean at least the sight of the cop may make them rethink their assery

And charge them with what? Asshattery isn't illegal, even if buggery still technically is.

Disrupting peace???? I mean they are teasing people ..... sound pollution etc. False calling of an emergency , it wouldn't hurt to ask a police officer what could be done ... if anything :\

I scared the shit out of a girl who lived in my condo complex while she was walking by my window (my car was parked right outside our condo).

I see people occasionally do it because they think they are being funny. On the other hand, I have teenagers intentionally set off car alarms during the summer. Still need to purchase a new airsoft gun...