VANDALISM AT THE TRAILHEAD 2000

“We all heard how the Pemsit-mobile got hit. (My condolences Pemsit)

Last night I parked at the Piazza Rock (Rangeley, Maine) parking lot with my buddy. When we came out this morning, there were 4 vehicles there. A Buick had a flat tire, no, 2 flats!!! We checked our 2 vehicles and were unscathed. We're feeling lucky about now.

Last year they had a problem at Tumbledown Mt. They did catch at least some of the perps!!!

Any ways beware when parking at Piazza rock this year.

Pemsit, where were you tagged? Where else has there been vandalism this year??”

“Suggestion:
Go to one of those "high Risk" trail heads and Hang out in the woods and watch out. When the jerks come along, have about 5 to 10 fellow hikers go out and inflict the same punishment to them that the vehicles have endured.”

“A lynching????”

“In Alabama, at a very isolated location, local cops said "well it happens" we suggest you dont park for any period of time there or leave your car unattended”

“Can anyone say Vigalante?If I spelled it wrong just shut up! LOL!”

“Tie them up, blind fold them and take them a few thousand yards into the woods and off the trail then spin them around and let them find there way home! Who knows, by time they get back to the trailhead, their car might have been hit by vandals!”

“Carry a BIG stick, and use it!!”

“I haven't had a problem with this, I think Maryland trail heads are not isolated enough for people to feel like they won't be seen.”

“I've had flats several times when we hiked out. I never attributed them to vandals. I think you go over rough roads and get a leak going and by the time several days have passed and you get back to your car the air is gone.
We carry a gizmo that plugs into the cigarette lighter and will pump up a tire. We also have one that will start your car as we have come back to a dead battery several times.”

“Yeah I always worry about the car not working when I get back, especially in the middle of nowhere!”

“It's sad to report that vandalism is pretty common in my area too.”

“The only time my car wouldn't start at the trailhead it was pouring rain, Go figure. Never had a problem with vandalism, although I get several flats a year.”

“I always return to the trailhead hoping to see that someone broke into, burnt and totaled my van.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“So what kind of vehicle would get as a replacement? What is everyone's dream car or truck?”

“My dream vehicle hasn't been put into production yet. One that both front seats can be folded down to make a bed to sleep on...so you don't have to move yer crap in the back!”

“my dream car...

...is a JEEP!!!”

“Vigilante
Viagralante

If you can catch the perpetrators REAL justice would be to take their clothes and strand them in the back woods.

Uphill-
Did you find lotsa Old Millwakee cans strewn about?”

“I'd like one on the new humvees they are coming out with this summer!”

“I'm with Buddha Bear I'd like a humvee too. I am thinking about building one of those humvee kit cars. They look like the real thing and only cost a fraction of what the real ones cost.”

“My dream car is the 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1: ”

“This really is a "Viagra" thread!”

“If everything were right with the world, I would love to do more motorcycle camping. I've been lucky so far not to have any problems with all the hiking I have done.

I hear that a lot of problems with the cars happen at night when the local kids go out looking for fun.”

“The Trouble with Trouble is that it starts out as Fun.”

“No problems (so far) at BC Trailheads with my Jeep YJ(Wrangler). At home, though, is another story.

I've been waiting more than a week, for my replacement doors to get painted... maybe today.”

“I always pre-smash my windows and pre-flatten my tires. I sure get the last laugh on those vandals!”

“I'm wondering now if some of the window smashings in the Southeast aren't being done by bears. There was a report a few weeks ago about a black bear in North Carolina breaking into cars.

It's common in Yosemite for black bears to break into cars looking for food but until now we've assumed our Southern bears don't do that. Maybe they're evolving?”

“And the next thing you know, those bears will get a taste for Jazz, and there go all the car sterios...”

“LOL!!!!”

“Gaddamn Suthanuhz!

Maybe yooz crackuhz has got Cornfederate flags on yer cars and the black bears don't dig it!”

“dont leave your car at the Cosby end of the Great Smoky Mountain National park without full coverage ins. the chop shop will have it. but to get rid of an unwanted car it will do the trick everytime.”

“A few years ago at a trailhead for the Thousand Lakes Wilderness departing hikers noticed all the cars all had puddles underneath. It seems a family of porcupines decided they liked the taste of radiator hoses.

As for bipedal vandals -- after a rash of break-ins at a wilderness trailhead in California Forest Service law enforcement officers set up a car in the parking area with a nice camera and a wallet in plain sight. They set up a stakeout in the brush and waited, armed with a videocamera. It took a few days, but eventually a carload of miscreants were caught red-handed and on tape. Next stop -- a Federal courtroom.

Vandalism on Federal lands can be prosecuted as either a state or Federal offense.”

“I heard a similar stakeout was set up in the Smokies last year. Same result. I hate those lowlifes. It's the absolute worst thing about bpacking, wondering if you'll see your windows smashed when you get back to the trailhead.”

“Haven't had the problem yet, but I always hold my breath as we get close to the trailhead.

I never like to leave anything in the car - even an empty box. I have to fight when my friends say things like "Oh, I'll just bring that tent/sleeping bag or whatever and we'll sort out what we'll need at the trailhead".”

“Came out of the Cheaha Wilderness, AL, Sunday to find the small window behind the driver's door of The Mighty Mighty Tacoma busted. They got approx. $1.67 in change. I was parked at the Lake Chinnabee trailhead.

I used duct tape and a trash bag (from my pack) to seal it off.

I found a ranger at the general store at Cheaha SP, and he took a few notes.”

“gojo, kind of makes you wish you would have left it unlocked. eh?”

“Yes - and I shall from now on...”

“Bummer, Gojo. Takes the fun out of a trip wondering if you'll have a car left at the trailhead. I heard it's really bad up in Alaska. Sometimes we take my old, green '73 Galaxie to the trailhead. I never lock it and I secretly hope soemone steals it. I think people are scared of it.”

“Aero, I gotta car like that”

“I got mine for $600 from the security guard at work; 2 door hardtop with a gas -guzzling 400 cu.in. V-8. He threw in a set of studded snow tires and it's a bomb-proof Urban Assault Vehicle. I usually just drive it to work, but it does make sense to leave it at the trailhead.”

“The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles...”

“Isn't it 2001?* ”

“Doesn't it piss you off, that they broke your window for a lousy doller.

Maybe they wanted to make a phone call? LOL

Its got to suck.”

“Yeah, you really have to park at the trailhead 'Hoboken' style. Nothing to steal and doors unlocked.”

“well, if it isn't the guy who's fly :-) how's the porn industry treatin' ya?”

“Maybe it was one of your kids.”

“violin, THAT is exactly they type of asinine behavior that i was referring to, when you first started this sh!t.”

“null”

“even bacpac is speechless.”

“I'm confused to say the least. What the hell are you talking about rad?”

“Is vandalism a problem in the Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock area? If so are there any "safe" areas to park?”