[Nate]

Originally Posted by tropicana

In a more general sense, I would say that it depends. If you know the person (especially if they're a close friend or a family member), then it would likely be okay. But you have no right to violate the privacy of a stranger's property, even if you think it's in the stranger's interest. Why? It's not your property.

I think this is a very weak outlook on property rights. Surely it has to end somewhere.

What if you peer in a neighbor's house and see their TV on fire, know they're not home, and know where they keep the fire extinguisher?

What if you peer in a neighbor's house, see their teenage daughter being raped, know that no one else is home, and know where they keep a gun in their master bedroom's nightstand?

Or let's make it a stranger, even. What if you see someone with a gun walk into your school's library and see a stranger's wallet sitting on top of a desk next to you while they were in the restroom? You couldn't grab it while you were running away?

Property rights are not about privacy. They're about the right to use and to sell.

[tropicana]

Originally Posted by Nate

I think this is a very weak outlook on property rights. Surely it has to end somewhere.

I didn't say "property rights". You did.

What if you peer in a neighbor's house and see their TV on fire, know they're not home, and know where they keep the fire extinguisher?

Why are you peering into your neighbour's house, if not snooping into things that aren't your business?
If you know your neighbour well enough for him to tell you where he keeps his fire extinguisher in his house, then you probably know him well enough to go into his house for that kind of thing. However, it's better to call the fire department for something like that.

What if you peer in a neighbor's house, see their teenage daughter being raped, know that no one else is home, and know where they keep a gun in their master bedroom's nightstand?

This is a highly unlikely scenario. How would you know she's being raped, and not just having sex? And most rapists won't rape a woman where he can be easily seen.
Again, if you know your neighbour well enough for him to tell you where he keeps his gun in his house, then you probably know him pretty well. IF you know his daughter is being raped, I wouldn't see any problem with stopping it, because her security of person is being violated, and that trumps privacy of private property.

Or let's make it a stranger, even. What if you see someone with a gun walk into your school's library and see a stranger's wallet sitting on top of a desk next to you while they were in the restroom? You couldn't grab it while you were running away?

Probably not. The wallet could conceivably slow me down, and even then I'd still be taking someone's wallet without their permission, which is stealing, even though I'd have "good intentions".
Wait.. in this scenario, am I supposed to be in the library? Because, in that case, I'd be thinking of saving my own life, and possibly the lives of other people in there with me. A stranger's wallet would be the last thing I'd be concerned about.

Property rights are not about privacy. They're about the right to use and to sell.

Not arguing with you there.

[Nate]

Maybe I'm just not as paranoid as the rest of you. Oh well.

[AlphaSigma]

I don't think I"m understanding how this is a moral question. In this instance, could you argue for, or against why it would be morally wrong to leave the windows down? Would it be an 'injustice' for someone's interior get wet because they left their windows down on a cloudy day?

[JoelWildtree]

In that situation it might be a safe idea to call the campus police (if they exist) or call some school official (since this is a student parking lot), and inform them of the situation. Report the make and model of the car and the license plate and let them decide the best course of action. Possibly they can track down the student who owns the vehicle, or if they are nearby will take care of the situation themselves. If they permit you to enter the vehicle to roll up the windows then it is on your own integrity to be honest about it, and not step beyond the bounds of the instructions you are given.