Porch Pirates

[ecotourist]

I've really enjoyed myself over the last few days watching videos of porch pirates having paint squirted all over them, being showered by water jets, being shot at with paint balls, or having a box they're running away with blow up - sometimes fairly violently.

In many of these cases the porch pirate falls right off the front steps, or yells something like "my eyes, I can't see", and I'd have to think their clothing is often ruined by the shower of paint.

It's great fun to watch, and probably great fun to do it too, but do you suppose there is any liability for doing these things to thieves.

 

[Astro14]

The NASA engineer who made the glitter bomb packages, with a cell phone to capture the video, is my hero.



Not content with just the glitter, he included a “foul smell” canister in later iterations.

 

[Inked]

“do you suppose there is any liability for doing these things to thieves.”

Absolutely.

 

[Hall]

It's great fun to watch, and probably great fun to do it too, but do you suppose there is any liability for doing these things to thieves.

100%, especially if the person gets more than a minor injury. Just imagine one of those "exploding" (even a glitter bomb type) goes off in a car, the driver crashes into another car and hurts others. You will be sued and almost certainly lose. The argument that if the person didn't steal it, it wouldn't have happened, won't help.

 

[y_p_w]

100%, especially if the person gets more than a minor injury. Just imagine one of those "exploding" (even a glitter bomb type) goes off in a car, the driver crashes into another car and hurts others. You will be sued and almost certainly lose. The argument that if the person didn't steal it, it wouldn't have happened, won't help.

Not sure why he stopped, but Mark Rober is no longer in the glitter bomb business. There were certainly some liability issues, including times when someone was driving away when a partner was opening it. It could have conceivably caused injury.

But sure there are a lot of these revenge video types, including those trying to outscam scammers. I haven't really heard of anyone prosecuted for these things, including hacking into the systems of the scammers. But I would suspect that it would be a bad look to prosecute someone who is doing this sort of thing against scammers. There was apparently a movie on this, but it was unusual in that the call center was in the United States and not South Asia.

 

[Hall]

Not sure why he stopped, but Mark Rober is no longer in the glitter bomb business.

I'm sure he got tired of building them. The YouTube gimmick side of it doesn't really have much appeal when it's just another video of the same thing too.

 

[Chris142]

Here the bad guy could sue and win if he got hurt. With that said all my cats poop goes into old Amazon boxes and get left by my mailbox.

A few weeks back there was a car following the UPS guys around our neighborhood.

 

[KGMtech]

Porch Strongbox makers rejoice at these videos.

 

[CourierDriver]

wonder how long the dye stays on your hair and skin.......................lol

 

[ecotourist]

wonder how long the dye stays on your hair and skin.......................lol

I think they often use paint. Doesn't come out of your hair all that easily either. And probably ruins your clothes.

I wonder how much effort there is to refurbish the entry afterwards. Maybe you only do it when you plan to repaint?

 

[alarmguy]

I've really enjoyed myself over the last few days watching videos of porch pirates having paint squirted all over them, being showered by water jets, being shot at with paint balls, or having a box they're running away with blow up - sometimes fairly violently.

In many of these cases the porch pirate falls right off the front steps, or yells something like "my eyes, I can't see", and I'd have to think their clothing is often ruined by the shower of paint.

It's great fun to watch, and probably great fun to do it too, but do you suppose there is any liability for doing these things to thieves.

Yes of course there is liability. Someone is being physically harmed, who is not threatening anybody.
In addition that person is being assaulted, but not yet proven to have stolen something.

Just to be clear, I am not siding with porch pirates I’m just bringing up the possibilities if a homeowner gets sued

I doubt it would happen, but who knows?
Sometimes unintended consequences can happen and seriously interest somebody

 

[SC Maintenance]

I also love these videos!

I am not a lawyer - but there is something in common law called the "clean hands" principle - literally (long predates glitter bomb). In a nutshell it says you aren't entitled to legal relief unless you have "clean hands" - ie if your own wrongful acts caused the problem in the first place then you don't have "clean hands". No idea if it would apply here, but it would seem like it should?

I am sure what state your in has a huge bearing. However given anyone can sue anyone for any reason, its quite likely it has happened, if for no other reason than the plaintiff's attorney figures the defendant will settle rather than pay for trial.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/clean_hands_doctrine

I will also point out that trespassers have sued and won for slip and falls many times - lots of examples. So anything is possible.

 

[y_p_w]

I also love these videos!

I am not a lawyer - but there is something in common law called the "clean hands" principle - literally (long predates glitter bomb). In a nutshell it says you aren't entitled to legal relief unless you have "clean hands" - ie if your own wrongful acts caused the problem in the first place then you don't have "clean hands". No idea if it would apply here, but it would seem like it should?

I am sure what state your in has a huge bearing. However given anyone can sue anyone for any reason, its quite likely it has happened, if for no other reason than the plaintiff's attorney figures the defendant will settle rather than pay for trial.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/clean_hands_doctrine

I will also point out that trespassers have sued and won for slip and falls many times - lots of examples. So anything is possible.

I think the question is how proportinate is the response compared to the violation of law and/or someone's rights. Deadly force in response to an otherwise non-violent harm isn't going to be seen as legal in terms of criminal and civil law.

Stink bombs are probably not going to create a real hazard. The glitter bombs mentioned have some minor potential to cause injury through secondary means. I don't necessarily see a thief or a team that works together having much of a civil case. But perhaps the guy walking across the street hit by a driver affected by a glitter bomb might have a solid case.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I think the question is how proportinate is the response compared to the violation of law and/or someone's rights. Deadly force in response to an otherwise non-violent harm isn't going to be seen as legal in terms of criminal and civil law.

Stink bombs are probably not going to create a real hazard. The glitter bombs mentioned have some minor potential to cause injury through secondary means. I don't necessarily see a thief or a team that works together having much of a civil case. But perhaps the guy walking across the street hit by a driver affected by a glitter bomb might have a solid case.

Who was talking deadly force?

I agree some 3rd party walking across the street that gets caught up in the fray is a much more sympathetic victim.

 

[Wylie6G72]

I'd have to be satisfied with putting something really disgusting and malodorous in a box and calling it good. I'm certainly not cleaning up paint explosions everyday and I'm not going to set myself up for that kind of risk..... Not that it wouldn't be totally satisfying to watch a box full of dog doo blow up in somebody's face.

 

[y_p_w]

Who was talking deadly force?

I agree some 3rd party walking across the street that gets caught up in the fray is a much more sympathetic victim.

I thought someone mentioned booby trapping.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I'd have to be satisfied with putting something really disgusting and malodorous in a box and calling it good. I'm certainly not cleaning up paint explosions everyday and I'm not going to set myself up for that kind of risk..... Not that it wouldn't be totally satisfying to watch a box full of dog doo blow up in somebody's face.

I am with you. I would never do it myself - would be afraid some kid would grab it.

Fun to watch others do it. I especially like when they go head over teakettle.

 

[Pablo]

I just do the box in a box, outer box false bottom.

 

[Hall]

but there is something in common law called the "clean hands" principle - literally (long predates glitter bomb). In a nutshell it says you aren't entitled to legal relief unless you have "clean hands" - ie if your own wrongful acts caused the problem in the first place

I will also point out that trespassers have sued and won for slip and falls many times - lots of examples. So anything is possible.

While I agree whole-heartedly with this "clean hands" principle, it clearly doesn't apply in US law (all the time).

 

[SC Maintenance]

While I agree whole-heartedly with this "clean hands" principle, it clearly doesn't apply in US law (all the time).

The US supreme court has ruled that the "clean hands" doctrine absolutely applies. I still believe they are the highest court in the land, so I believe that makes it perfectly clear the doctrine does in fact apply - all the time.

The question is whether it applies specifically to a porch bomb? I would say it does, but I am neither a lawyer or a judge .

For example:

Precision Instrument Mfg. Co. v. Automotive Co., 324 U.S. 806 (1945)

Keystone Driller Co. v. General Excavator Co., 290 U.S. 240 (1933)