The local news (well, the Salt Lake city news, anyway) tends to lead with crime news. We’re getting closer to the Christmas Commercial Spending Holiday (TM) Member FDIC, so “porch pirates” are soon to be the big story almost every night. But last nights news featured this mind-boggling story of theft:

Disabled teen hoping for return of custom wheelchair after it was stolen in SLC

The teen in question suffers from a rather awful genetic disorder that caused his rib cage to stop growing when he was a child, compressing his innards an leaving him with a grand total of 11% lung function. He cannot travel without oxygen tanks, which his electric wheelchair was modified for…and some jackholes decided to steal it from the family SUV.

Theft is, of course, always bad. But it can *usually* be understood: someone wants that item, or wants the money that they can exchange that item for. People steal packages from porches without knowing what’s in them, presumably hoping that they contain valuable items that they can pawn. People steal cars because they need a ride or because they think they can resell it or part it out. But a wheelchair? What the frak can you do with a wheelchair? Is there really that much of an underground black market for modified electric wheelchairs? Are there really that many criminals or family members of criminals who desire electric wheelchairs?

Some people just need a whoopin’. Stealing meds and wheelchairs from kids? Yeah… that gets you moved up to the head of the whoopin’ line.