Security a river accesses? Safe to leave car overnight?

[Conor]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

I'm not sure what's worse.  The trash scum thieves that are in the city or the trash scum thieves that live out in rural areas.  Can't get away from it if you wanted to.

 

This is why we can't have nice things.

I know what you mean.  This is one reason why I have kept the really old crappy pickup I had planned to get rid of around.  I figure the newer one will be a target at the river with this crap.  I often find abandoned buildings while out exploring.  I rate them for how out of the way they are by if the copper wiring is still intact or not.  Buildings anywhere near easy access will be stripped of any metals.  Those out in the woods are often pretty intact.

The good news is that a lot of these crooks are opportunistic.  You make it a tiny bit harder for them and they find another target.  I was doing IT and security camera work at a business that kept having stuff stolen.  They had started to put up a fence and put up a gate first.  This required a crook walk about 15 extra feet.  That was all it took to stop this and they never bothered to put up the rest of the fence.  That is how lazy these bums are.

Conor

[Conor]

One of my friends had two of his tires slashed and the valve stems cut at Pacific Palisades while he was fishing a couple weeks ago.  He has no political bumper stickers or anything offensive.  All we can figure is that they wanted to disable the car and make sure he couldn't drive it away on the spare tire, to come back and strip it or break in at night.  He called a local tire shop that came out and put new tires on right there so that didn't work out for them.  Or maybe they were going to put it up on a dolly and take the whole thing using the two good tires????  No idea.

We also had some interesting folks at the Times Beach/Route 66 access as well.  I am not sure what was all up but I suspect it might have been drug dealing or meeting for gay sex.  The first guy kept driving in circles around the first friend who showed up at the boat ramp before everyone else, making him nervous.  The guy was driving erratic and could barely keep it on the road.  He drove off as soon as the rest of us arrived, again going off the road.  My friend had a kayak in the bed of his truck so it should have been obvious he went to the river to actually use the river and not for whatever else is going on there.

The second one was a really nice new shiny Suburban backed in with its headlights on.  Again, he drove away pretty quickly when several of us walked up from the boat ramp.

It seems someone always gets pulled over and checked or checked on the river by the law enforcement rangers at the Scenic Riverways.  I am not sure if they were having problems but it seems they like to pull you over for any little thing and at least check you out.  I thought this was a bit much at first but I don't think anything of leaving an extra kayak, paddle, or other gear just out in the open while I am on those rivers.  I don't see or hear about the strange stuff that unfortunately seems so common in other locations here but sometimes it is annoying to have the rangers back in the weeds staring at you or whatever.  It is definitely a tradeoff.

Conor

 

[tjm]

2 hours ago, Conor said:

My friend had a kayak in the bed of his truck so it should have been obvious he went to the river to actually use the river and not for whatever else is going on there.

a kayak could conceal a boat load of drugs, or whatever?

 

2 hours ago, Conor said:

  Again, he drove away pretty quickly when several of us walked up from the boat ramp.

several strangers together, he may have perceived you as the thugs

Having spent some time Boston ca 1970 where they could strip a car in minutes or hot wire it while you were putting coins in the parking meter, (I actually saw that happen) cities always worry me more than homeless people with no tools or "salvage" crews.  Secure parking is an attended  pay by the hour enclosure, public parking anywhere is risky. Buy insurance, keep valuables in the vault at the bank and don't sweat the other stuff.  YOLO

[Conor]

I guess that is true.  A kayak could be a prop of sorts to legitimize the transaction.  Maybe the guy was told to look for a truck like his with a kayak in the back.

I don't think we looked like a threat to that one guy.  He was just sitting in his car.  We went to our cars to move them down to the boat ramp and pickup the kayaks and gear and didn't go towards him but when he saw a group, he left.

 

Conor

[tjm]

It's all in perception though, we fear the unknowns more than the known;  and you may have just drawn his attention to the time of day and reminded him of an appointment, I've parked on such places to kill time while waiting.

For example, I would not park anywhere in St.L. metro area and leave anything I wanted in the vehicle based on stuff I've seen in other cities, yet I leave my car in river accesses with only little concern.

[jdmidwest]

Homeless people are the best watch dogs.  Bring them something and they watch over your stuff.  They aren't going far.

We have had Boondockers at many places we have used over the years.  Talk to them, offer them trinkets from time to time.  Then you have a set of eyes.

The ones to watch for are the ones you don't see.  They come in and out and leave with your stuff.

[tjm]

An organized crew can strip-salvage a car in ~5-7 minutes I've heard. But they have tools for dismantling the vehicle and  transport for the stolen stuff. An escape plan. Squatters/homeless/troutbums in a van don't.  The tire slashers might be people that don't want to share the fishery, that's what happens out west. An unknown vehicle or out of state tags can result in slashed tires on some rivers.

[Gavin]

All you can do is live your life, and leave nothing in your vehicle. I remember a float with a former member here, we’re he jumped some meth heads car while we were running shuttle and they paid him back by siphoning his gas tank. 

[Conor]

That is pretty much how I do it.  I don't worry too much but you need to be aware and vigilant.

I didn't see the homeless at the Union Access the last time I used it but I am sure they don't want to rock the boat by breaking into cars or whatever since they are already doing something illegal.  Signs at access state "No Camping."  If they just live there and don't cause problems, they might get a free pass.

Conor

[fishinwrench]

5 hours ago, Conor said:

If they just live there and don't cause problems, they might get a free pass.

Offer them a few bucks to keep an eye on your vehicle.....and provide a little security if needed.   👍