I had no idea but apparently in some cities in Michigan you can get a ticket for heating your car up in YOUR driveway while you leave the car unattended with the keys in it.

That is what happened last winter to a Roseville man according to WXYZ news. What exactly did the man do? He did what many of us do during Michigan winters, he warmed up his car in his driveway while he went into his home and prepared to leave for the day.

UPDATE:  You can warm up you car for now, without fear of getting a ticket.   Check out this article.

In last winter's article the man was quoted as saying:

"I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then I was thrown back by it," he said. "I was really surprised. I was in and out in probably about 7-8 minutes. So in that amount of time he ran up here, gave me a ticket and by the time I got out he was nowhere to be seen."

He received the ticket in the amount of $128 dollars for leaving his keys in the car unattended.

By the way there is no state law against leaving your car turned on and unattended, but apparently there are many cities in Michigan which have local ordinances against doing so. Also you would not receive a ticket if you used a remote start because the keys would not have been left unattended in the car.

The Roseville Police Chief was also quoted in the article stating:

"We have five to ten cars stolen this way every winter, it's dangerous, and of course it drives everyone's insurance rates up. It drives our crime rates up."

Now I understand that it is not the smartest thing to leave your car running with the keys in it but does it really deserve a ticket? How about a warning first.

Also if the man was correct in the amount of time he left the car unattended, did the police really see the car was unattended and was able to write a ticket a leave unnoticed in that little of time.

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