The following is a letter that I just submited to my club newsletter. I am the Safety Officer for the San Francisco Bay Area Sea Kayakers, (BASK). I thought it might be of some interest to this group. SAFETY OFFICER GETS BIT By Ken Mannshardt Safety is an issue that obviously extends beyond the water. Recently, as I was on the beach, tending to my PFD, throw bag & first aid kit, I should have been looking over my shoulder and casting a wider gaze. So as BASK Safety Officer, I feel compelled to relate the following recent occurance. On Saturday morning, October 31, I had just arrived at Chicken Beach to help assist the Novice Clinic. Chicken Beach is located about a mile north of the town of Inverness along the western shore of Tomalas Bay, about 30 miles north of San Francisco. I was parked along the roadside with about a dozen other cars, almost all of them with our group. I had arrived late that morning, because I didn’t get off work until 8 am that morning. The clinic was already underway as I was unpacking and schlepping my stuff to the beach. I had just changed into my wetsuit in the front seat of my truck. I had placed my wallet, checkbook and a palm top organizer on the drivers seat next to me. I then placed my clothes on top of them. I closed the door, but did not lock my truck as I carried another load down to the beach. Everybody was assembled in a circle on the beach as I walked by, dropped my gear next to my kayak and walked back to my car. This took no more than two minutes. As I approached the cars, I noticed a car pull away from the empty spot next to my truck. The next moment, I was amazed at the abrupt and unsafe U turn the car did in front of oncoming traffic. I then noticed that my car door was standing open. My clothes had been pulled aside and my valuables exposed. I noticed that my wallet looked out of place. It was laying atop everything else. I picked it up to examine it and noticed that all the cash had been removed from it. By the time I had a clue as to what was happening, that sporty little “Rav 4”, was driving away to the south. I didn’t get the license number. I then reexamined my belongings and found nothing missing but my cash. No credit cards were missing. This all happened very fast. I was a bit unnerved all day as a result. Actually I was pissed off. I kept running scenarios through my head all day. “What if, what if.” If I had only been ten seconds ahead, I could have possibly intercepted and beat the crap out of him. (There’s a very strong territory thing here. It’s a guy thing!) At least he didn’t get my credit cards and drivers license. What if I hadn’t noticed anything missing until later. Then that evening, camping among 25 BASKer’s and novices, noticed all my cash missing. Yikes! I’ll quit venting now. So, in conclusion, I suppose that the MO of most kayakers is pretty obvious to a thief. We leave our cars unlocked as we carry our stuff down to the beach. We’re pretty low key and often off guard on the beach. Further, the tailgate of my truck was down, indicating a transient mode. My truck was also on the end of the row, next to an open spot. The road head was also deserted at the time. Hindsight is always 20/20. The Sheriff that I made a report to said that this kind of crime is uncommon in that area. It was obviously a crime of opportunity. Live and learn! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
KayakerKen_at_aol.com wrote: > So, in conclusion, I suppose that the MO of most kayakers is pretty obvious > to a > thief. We leave our cars unlocked as we carry our stuff down to the beach. > We’re > pretty low key and often off guard on the beach. It sadly isn't the MO for paddlers here in the Big Apple. You lock your car if your carry is more than 50 feet from it unless other paddlers are around the cars; even then you still might lock it. Few of us sport bumper stickers saying things like "I rather be kayaking" or vanity plates marked KAYAKER which would spell out in neon letters rob me, rob me. None of this stuff about putting your car keys on the top of a front or back wheel so not to lose them while paddling. Same goes for picking parking spots. For example, there is an official kayak launch site on the Hudson River in upper Manhattan with some parking. My write-up guide suggests moving your car inland two blocks to where lots of cars are parked on the street. The exception is if there are softball games going on near the launch site. If you park among the players cars you're okay then. No thief would dare break into a car and risk an angry baseball team chasing him down wielding bats and having spikes on their shoes. :-) Welcome to the School of Street Smarts. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Do I hear a new book: "Street Smarts for Sea Kayakers"? -----Original Message----- From: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com> To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: Wednesday, November 04, 1998 5:08 PM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Safety Officer Gets Bit >KayakerKen_at_aol.com wrote: > >> So, in conclusion, I suppose that the MO of most kayakers is pretty obvious >> to a >> thief. We leave our cars unlocked as we carry our stuff down to the beach. >> We’re >> pretty low key and often off guard on the beach. > >It sadly isn't the MO for paddlers here in the Big Apple. You lock your >car if your carry is more than 50 feet from it unless other paddlers are >around the cars; even then you still might lock it. Few of us sport >bumper stickers saying things like "I rather be kayaking" or vanity >plates marked KAYAKER which would spell out in neon letters rob me, rob >me. None of this stuff about putting your car keys on the top of a >front or back wheel so not to lose them while paddling. > >Same goes for picking parking spots. For example, there is an official >kayak launch site on the Hudson River in upper Manhattan with some >parking. My write-up guide suggests moving your car inland two blocks >to where lots of cars are parked on the street. The exception is if >there are softball games going on near the launch site. If you park >among the players cars you're okay then. No thief would dare break into >a car and risk an angry baseball team chasing him down wielding bats and >having spikes on their shoes. :-) > >Welcome to the School of Street Smarts. > >ralph diaz >-- >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter >PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 >Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com >"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Sounds like clubs might also be needing a Security Officer? Hank Hays At 02:13 AM 11/5/98 -0500, Bob Denton wrote: >Do I hear a new book: "Street Smarts for Sea Kayakers"? >>KayakerKen_at_aol.com wrote: >> >>> So, in conclusion, I suppose that the MO of most kayakers is pretty >obvious >>> to a >>> thief. We leave our cars unlocked as we carry our stuff down to the >beach. >>> We’re >>> pretty low key and often off guard on the beach. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
you mean you folks have to lock your cars !!! I get to leave the keys in the ignition all the time...This way I don't get to lose them... Even when I go to town around here...I get to do the same... Only time I have to lock my car is when I go to the big cities, and it drives me nuts...Had to get the tow truck to come and open it up for me... Don't even lock up the houses on the farm...then again we got 2 big dogs *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
sylvio lamanarche wrote: > > you mean you folks have to lock your cars !!! > > I get to leave the keys in the ignition all the time...This way I don't get > to lose them... > > Even when I go to town around here...I get to do the same... I have been told that all Canadian farmers drive Mercedes. Could you please provide your schedule of town visits and exact locations to the rec.opportunity.thieves newsgroup. > > Don't even lock up the houses on the farm...then again we got 2 big dogs Exactly how big are the dogs and do they mind their hamburger with a dab of sedative? ralph ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>Dear Sylvio, > >I'm really curious about where you live. > >Bijili Abbey >Orangevale California >USA Nowadays I live in south eastern British Columbia, Canada... Right in the canadian rockies, on a small acreage out of town... I mostly paddle Kootenay lake and St-Mary's lake. The first one is quite large has a lot of folks, but real nice bunch I guess...The latter has no one around. At both these lakes I left my boats on the shore for long periods, even leave the cat and laser on the beach all summer. On st -Mary's lake we even leave a campsite up all summer, nothing gone yet in 12 years... Town has 18 000 poeple on 1 side, and 7 000 on the other side..and real quiet... So no one comes into the yard, My 2 dogs seem to make sure of that...But I think they are better at keeping the critters away... Silky dog is a chow/husky cross, 45 lbs, not so big, but her helper...Ruff dog, is 95 lbs and tall, shepperd/husky//huske/malamute cross, looks more dangerous than he is...never bit anyone yet...just looks big... No neibourghs to be seen ...quite nice/// By the way, it is for sale... Found even nicer than the blue canadian rockies *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
sylvio lamanarche wrote: > > Nowadays I live in south eastern British Columbia, Canada... > Right in the canadian rockies, on a small acreage out of town... > > I mostly paddle Kootenay lake and St-Mary's lake. The first one is quite > large has a lot of folks, but real nice bunch I guess...The latter has no > one around. > Well, I think the question of where to hold the next Paddlewise Symposium has been settled. Steve -- Test Scoring & Reporting Services Sometimes, you never can University of Georgia always tell what you Athens, GA 30602-5593 least expect the most. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 09:06 AM 11/6/98 -0500, Steve Cramer wrote: >Well, I think the question of where to hold the next Paddlewise >Symposium has been settled. Hey everyone -- Steve's buying Sylvio's wonderful property for us paddlwisers to party on!!!! Hoooooorraaaaaayyyyyyy. Hank Hays *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>At 09:06 AM 11/6/98 -0500, Steve Cramer wrote: > >>Well, I think the question of where to hold the next Paddlewise >>Symposium has been settled. > >Hey everyone -- Steve's buying Sylvio's wonderful property for us >paddlwisers to party on!!!! Hoooooorraaaaaayyyyyyy. > If anyone buys the farm, I'll even throw in a all paid trip to my place in Viet Nam for up to 1 month, Georges gronseth may be comng to hold a workshop there in late february...or a trip to Palawan province in the Phillipines to visit with Caveman's bunch there... A mere $ 235 000.00 USD at today's exchange rate that's 350 000.00 CDN or 3.15 billion Vietnamese dong Any takers out there !!! 24 days to go till Sai Gon *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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