Rock Rentals

I’m sure you’ve heard of people getting a loaner car from the dealer while they are doing repairs or service work on their personal vehicle, but this story is a little different because it’s about giving the dealer a loaner car. Of course the dealer in this case isn’t running a car dealership, but instead is a drug dealer. Apparently a growing number of crack cocaine users are renting out their personal cars to drug dealers in exchange for drugs according to a study performed by the University of Alabama in Birmingham. UAB criminologist Heith Copes said the practice was called by several names on the street including rock rentals, dope pawns, and crack rentals.

Although the story relates this practice as being a new development in the drug community, anyone who has ever lived with an alcoholic or an addict knows that things have a way of coming up missing routinely. Many of the things that are reported stolen (TV’s, tools, computers, etc.,) have often been “loaned out” or “borrowed” by the owner to pay off drinking and drugging debts. They are reported stolen by the significant other who only learns the truth too late. In fact, the study cites that in one Louisiana town with 792 cars reported stolen… over 400 turned out to be rock rentals.

Like in most instances related to addiction, the actions of the addict cause all those around them mucho grief. The significant other thinks his or her car has been stolen. The police officers wasted their time and energy chasing down a stolen car that has actually just been borrowed. And the poor drug dealers, well actually they make out quite well since they conveniently avoid that pesky car payment.

Just remember if you are lucky enough to get the old family car back, there is no telling what kind of nefarious deeds in which it has been involved. Get ready for the men in blue to be pulling a few more “probable” searches!