However, what makes you think the carjacker won't kill you?
The fact that he hasn't killed me yet. It's a lot quicker and easier to shoot the victim and grab his keys. The fact that he's taking the time to present himself and ask for the keys tells me "shoot the victim" is not at the top of his priority list. His reason for that--whether he doesn't want to kill, doesn't want immediate attention, or doesn't want the heat from a murder--isn't important.
I realize that's assigning rational thought to a potentially irrational entity. So, potentially very false conclusion. After all, the first rule of game theory is to assume all actors will act rationally in the furtherance of their own self-interests.
Anyway, here's how I see it:
Criminal -- wants the car. Doesn't want attention, or trouble from the cops.
Me -- wants to survive. Doesn't care about the car, at all (that's what insurance is for).
If I give up the keys, the criminal gets what he wants (the car) and doesn't get what he doesn't want (attention from loud
BANG!, and heat from a murder investigation). I've got evidence that the criminal
doesn't want to kill me because he's pointing a gun at me, and I'm not already dead.
So the rational decision is to give up what I don't value (the car) to preserve what I do value (my life), in the hopes that when the criminal gets what he wants (the car) he'll drive away without getting what he doesn't want (attention, heat).
It is an irrational decision to pull a gun, because it starts a gunfight and therefore jeopardizes what I do value (my life) in order to defend what I don't value (the car).
Make sense? Again, the fact that this guy is taking something from me is irrelevant. I don't have an ego, and I don't care about the car at all. All that matters is my life.
-SI
PS: yes, if the car wasn't covered by insurance or if I needed it for some purpose, the story might change. But it *is* covered by insurance, and I don't need it for work/family. All it is is a fancy
object--which can be replaced by filling out a few forms.