Because whenever it's even vaguely cold outside, my neighbor likes to be able to start and idle her giant truck in her driveway without leaving her house (for 40 minutes before she drives a mile to work).

Remote start is not to blame here. A manufacturer installed remote start system will shut the car off if a door opens. And the car should also shut off automatically after 5 to 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, after market remote starter does not offer this capability, so with the new trend of monthly charges, if you like certain brands like Toyota, and you want that type of secure remote start, you have to pay $20 per month or more for the life of the car.

2021 Honda here, OEM remote start system does not shut off the car if a door opens.

Interesting. I have had a Subaru, Lexus, and Volvo over the past 15 years or so that all shut off if a door is opened after remote starting. I assumed it’s a no brainer anti theft mechanism (but one that can only be implemented by manufacturers).

Car ownership is way too cheap and accessible in North America for the amount of damage they cause.

This. Owning cars should be something that corporations and the rich and hobbyists do. If you dont want your car broken into maybe dont leave it lying around unattended in public?

I wouldn't go that far, but we should certainly stop subsidizing them so heavily that we forget there are any other options, or that humans were capable of happy, prosperous lives for millennia before they existed.

Yeah maybe I shouldnt put both those statements together when really I think they are seperate opinions. I dont think society should be so car heavy. I also dont think its realistic for people to leave something lying around in public and expect it not to get broken into or stolen. Would you leave a backpack lying around on the public street in a big city and expect it to not get stolen/broken into?

Because the old solutions had other problems that made them less secure.