Thief Alert -Goldbar!!

[tyree]

A friend of mine who doesn post here asked me to post a thread warning everyboby of vehicle break-ins at the Goldbar bouldering area. Some of you may know him- his name is John Stordol. I only post his name in case someone comes across some of the things that were lifted from his car.

He was parked at the bouldring area and someone smashed his window with a rock while they were out climbing. They took his mac book, two cameras, a rope, a rock rack of triple cams, his cell phone, a bunch of draws, two harnesses and some other stuff that I cant remember right now.

This stuff may be gone for good but if you are approached by anyone trying to sell this stuff at the crag- BEAT THIER ASSES!!!

Seriously. This is such a bummer.

So heads up when parking in the meth capitol of WA. Dont leave a bunch of stuff in your car ethier b/c this just encourages more break-ins.

 

[Blake]

That's horrible, those guys are lucky they were gone by the time John got back.

 

I wonder how likely they would be to return if a decoy car were left there and the climbers watched it from a ways off...

[Bug]

We could prop a big rock up with a stick over the car and yank it out when they are inside.

[olyclimber]

What are the markings on his rack in case we come across some gear for sale?

[tyree]

I cant remember right now but I will post them when I get the chance. I think that Blake isnt far off with the idea of a set up. If there were immediate consequences mabey these guys would think twice about ruining someone's season!

[SlickWilly]

That sucks. Tyree, check your PMs.

[spotly]

I've usually got tons of gear hanging out in the back seat of the truck just-in-case we get good enough weather to climb after work. Sometimes I have it in there at the TH too, just-in-case we need it for craggin on the way home from a hike or climb. This is a good reminder to me to check with my insurance company to make sure my stuff is covered and what kind or documentation I need in case it's stolen. Don't have most of the receipts anymore. Anyone else here ever had their gear ripped off - what kinda hoops did your insurance company put you through as far as porving what was stolen?

 

Hope your friend is insured and/or gets his gear back.

[Sol]

oh jonny, that sucks. proabaly the last one of my friends to own any type of insurance. LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[catbirdseat]

The way I view car theft exposure is like this:

 

Chance of break in x value of contents = Exposure

 

If you have very valuable contents, then perhaps the only place to park would be the inside of a locked garage. I'm not at all defending thieves. But we each should take a hard look at what we are willing to leave in our cars. This fellow lost a great deal. It's horrible!

[spotly]

I agree. Even though I keep mine hidden as best I can, it's still a huge risk. Gotta figure out a better way.

[archenemy]

put your valuables out in the woods and hide them.

Edited May 24, 2007 by archenemy

[Raindawg]

 

An American fantasy:

BEAT THIER ASSES!!!

 

An American reality:

 

"BEAT THIER ASSES!!!" = Jail time 4 U!

 

 

 

those guys are lucky they were gone by the time John got back.

 

I'd be careful about picking fights with car thieves; they might just shoot you. I know a guy who was held up by gunpoint for awhile perhaps a half-mile up the Stuart Lake Trail while returning to the parking lot. Apparently he was being "held back" while a team of thugs looted the cars. Some of these guys apparently use walkie-talkies to report on road and trail traffic.

 

We could prop a big rock up with a stick over the car and yank it out when they are inside.

 

The judge says, "another nice fantasy", "but more jail time 4 you!"

 

 

Hide your stuff!

 

And by the way, don't assume that other "climbers" aren't involved. Everybody seems to be a "climber" these days, even if it's just a passing fad for many. In previous decades, when there was only a fraction of the number of "participants", there was a kind of accountabilty because everyone knew, or knew of, everyone else...a bygone era.

 

[Off_White]

Good reality check Dwayner. Vigilante action makes for an exciting Hollywood movie, but doesn't really play that way in the real world. I remember back when I thought anyone who was a climber was okay, it was a long time ago and I was pretty naive. My favorite trailhead car is my POS 300,000 mile toyota station wagon.

 

Oh, and serious condolences to the victim, hopefully some of his stuff will turn up.

[billcoe]

Leave us with our fantasies Dwayner.

 

 

 

"Judge Dredd

In a future America crime has become so rampant that the constitution has been suspended. It has been replaced by judges who walk the streets with the power to determine judgement and punishment for crime right on the spot. The judges are judge, jury, and executioner. The judges live by a very stringent code to prevent their misuse of powers.

 

Sylvester Stallone plays Judge Dredd one of the most famous Judges of all time. He is framed for a murder and put on trial. In the past he was a teacher of the Judges. His past pupils help to find evidence of his innocence. One criminal wrecks havock on the streets and acquires an illegal robot killer to aid in his pursuits. The movie ends with Judge Dred being proved innocent but not after much action and adventure. In Judge Dredd, Stallone does not act above the law because as he says "I am the law."

[chelle]

I've usually got tons of gear hanging out in the back seat of the truck just-in-case we get good enough weather to climb after work. Sometimes I have it in there at the TH too, just-in-case we need it for craggin on the way home from a hike or climb. This is a good reminder to me to check with my insurance company to make sure my stuff is covered and what kind or documentation I need in case it's stolen. Don't have most of the receipts anymore. Anyone else here ever had their gear ripped off - what kinda hoops did your insurance company put you through as far as porving what was stolen?

 

Hope your friend is insured and/or gets his gear back.

 

Your car insurance will not cover anything that is in your car. If you have home owners or renters insurance you will be able to file a claim. But, depending on your provider and what type of coverage you may or may not get a check (less deductible) to replace your gear until after you have already spent money to replace all that was stolen. Many companies these days, presumably to cut down on fraud, will not cut a check until you produce receipts of each item you repurchased.

 

This is what happened when my bike was stolen a couple years ago. I couldn't afford to replace my bike at the time and ended up getting a bike of far lesser value and had to put the whole amount on my credit card and pay interest on the $500 deductible.

 

My best advice is not leave anything in your car you cannot afford to have stolen.

[kix]

 

My best advice is not leave anything in your car you cannot afford to have stolen.

 

 

tell him what he has won Don!

[ZimZam]

Get a camo bag, place gear in it, take it with you and hide it. I leave my vehicle unlocked to prevent window smashing. I also take the coil wire.

[Judge Dredd]

Don't worry, I will find this guy and he will be judged.

 

[tyree]

How did I know that this would blow up into an armchair debate of how not to get stuff stolen from our cars? The point of this post was to help John, and as it turns out there are people who have come up with some solutions to my friends problem! This situation still sucks, but "I told you so" definatly isnt going to help.

I remember when I first started climbing, I was in Smith rocks and looking like the noob that I was this "climber dude" comes up to me in the lot trying to sell me some gear. I was still as broke then as I am today so I did'nt buy any.

Just after that we were walking down to the basalt collums when I spotted this pack just sitting off to the side of the trail, nobody around. It was a lure b/c when I looked back after walking down the trail a ways there were 3 dudes chilling behind a boulder waiting for someone to take the pack!I'm sure that they were waiting for the guy who tried to sell me gear in the lot. I cant believe the scumbags that would rip stuff off at the base of a climb or a pack on the side of a trail!

PS- Thanks for the posters who have helped out, that is what this website should be all about!

[Good2Go]

What's really sick is that if you file a claim you're likely to get a huge increase in your renter's/homeowner's policy, or they may even cancel the policy (I was told 2 claims for theft or minor damage and nobody will insure you). And, your claims history is shared among the companies, so you may have trouble getting a policy later when you really need it (like when you buy your first house and the mortgage requires the coverage), even with just one theft claim in your history! (Theft claims are apparently a major source of insurance fraud.) I learned this the hard way last year when my rack, rope, pack and other goodies were stolen out of my truck. I wound up not filing a claim, even though I had renter's insurance.

 

As for vigilante-ism: I say by all means do it, just don't be stupid and brag about it. And don't forget, go for the nut shot BEFORE they pull out the gun

[Dechristo]

personally, I favor the fast palm-heel to the nose.

[archenemy]

How did I know that this would blow up into an armchair debate of how not to get stuff stolen from our cars? The point of this post was to help John, and as it turns out there are people who have come up with some solutions to my friends problem! This situation still sucks, but "I told you so" definatly isnt going to help.

This is not your friend's problem: it is a problem we all face. And I don't think people are interested in saying "I told you so" (none of us knew your friend nor told him to not leave his stuff in the car) but instead, we are offering up our own current workarounds and insurance experience to others who might find themselves in this same situation.

 

[archenemy]

What's really sick is that if you file a claim you're likely to get a huge increase in your renter's/homeowner's policy, or they may even cancel the policy (I was told 2 claims for theft or minor damage and nobody will insure you). And, your claims history is shared among the companies, so you may have trouble getting a policy later when you really need it (like when you buy your first house and the mortgage requires the coverage), even with just one theft claim in your history! (Theft claims are apparently a major source of insurance fraud.) I learned this the hard way last year when my rack, rope, pack and other goodies were stolen out of my truck. I wound up not filing a claim, even though I had renter's insurance.

1. Filing a claim of theft will not most likely result in a change in your homeowner's policy. I know this from personal experience. If you know of someone who has had their policy changed or cancelled as the result of one claim, they either chose the wrong insurance company or the wrong representative.

 

2. It is rarely the case that "no one" will insure you. You may end up paying a huge amount with a less reputable company if you have a spotty history and poor credit, but someone will insure you (as long as the property itself qualifies of course)

 

3. The insurance you have to get when you buy your home is PMI, which is different than other insurance. It is insurance that you will not default on your loan and it is only required for people who have not paid 20% down on their first home. Other insurance you have on your (mortgaged) home is required for the same reason is required on a car with a lien on it--you don't own the property yet and if something happens to it the bank will be out the money they lent you. That is why the bank must see your proof of insurance before they will loan you money for your mortgage. If you have theft claims on your Renters' insurance that were not made at the property you are going to purchase, that should make no impact on Homeowner's insurance for that property.

 

4. I am not 100% sure about this, but I believe that your claims history cannot be shared with other insurance companies without your consent. I may be wrong about this--if someone else knows for sure it would be great to hear from you.

 

 

I am sure this is very boring for many folks, but its also really important for us to educate ourselves and each other on the world of insurance--it basically rules our lives.

Edited May 25, 2007 by archenemy

[ZimZam]

"What happened to you Dick?"

"Well officer, some climber beat my ass for stealing his shit."

"Have any witnesses or evidence to this assault?"

"No." said Dick, "just this picket he shoved up my ass."

"I'll need you to fill out this report."

 

 

[AlpineK]

On a side note:

I just got my PMI insurance dropped. I didn't own 20% of the house so the bank sent out an appraiser to look at the condition of my place. All the repair and improvements to my place really jacked up the value and thus the portion of the property value that is mine if I were to sell the place.

 

I still have homeowner insurance though.