Slackerprince

Finished up my ride on Saturday, and there was a police car in the parking lot.
My car and 5 others had their windows smashed and the cars burglarized.
Nothing was stolen in my car, since I don't leave anything of value in there, but another owner had a wallet and iphone taken.
For you Tampa people, this happened at the Suncoast 54 Trailhead parking lot.
This is a popular ride in the Tampa area, and the path and parking lot are part of Florida's Statewide Greenways and Trails System.
The glass guy came and fixed it today, and said a lot of the same thing is happening at another popular cycling spot, Morris Bridge Road parking lot for Flatwoods Park.
Really sucks, as these are the best spots in north Tampa for doing any real distance, on smooth paths, with no cars to worry about.
So, not the best weekend. I may just leave the car unlocked in the future. I really can't believe that 6 cars got their windows smashed during broad daylight. This lot is right in plain sight of a major expressway and a busy county road.
Anyone else having issues with this?

Here is the link for where it happened:

https://www.traillink.com/trail/suncoast-trail.aspx

Here is the link for my favorite spot, where the glass guy said the same thing is happening:

https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recrea...flatwoods.html



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bgrider

Happens at the trailheads for most of the trails in my area all the time. A quick glance around the lot reveals broken window glass all over the place. Its a shame.

lsberrios1 

WHOA that sucks.. just when you feel accomplished after your days ride you come to this...

That is why I only ride in secluded mountains in the middle of nowhere. Bears do this if I leave food in the car though!

Slackerprince

Which trails?

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fstshrk

Also happens here in WA state.

bianchi10

Man, that sucks. Sprrybtp hear about that. At least you didn't have anything taken.

HAMMER MAN

Sad. Hopefully someone saw something and reported it to the PD and they will soon be apprehended.

FLvector

This really sux. I use that trailhead often for rides during the week, usually after work. Some park across the road in the Target lot since there's much more traffic there. What is disturbing is we pay $2 a pop or buy an annual pass to park there, yet neither the county, nor the LE bother to patrol the lot. Smash and grabs are hard to catch and are very random.

I heard about this earlier and wrote to each of the 5 county commissioners and the director of park and rec. I received a response from 3 commissioners who promised to have staff research the idea of providing security cameras and signage to indicate such. The director of park and rec also responded, but he focused on maintenance, not enhancements, so if its up to him, I see no cameras in the future. I'd suggest you also send a message to each of the commissioners via email to express your concerns, and include the pictures of your damages and estimated repair costs. We can only try to improve the security, but these random events are tough to prevent. I'd be royally pissed to come back and find this, but at least you had nothing valuable stolen.

nkfrench 

My car was broken into at a trailhead a few years ago - I made the mistake of leaving a duffel bag full of my work clothes on the passenger seat. It was not worth anything to the thieves, but it was covering up a case with two laptops and $1000 of personal electronics. My SUV did not have a trunk to store items in. I thought it would be a safe place to park as there are always people there and I found a spot under a streetlight.

My insurance agent says he gets a lot of claims from customers who park at that location. It is near a crappy area of town and some apartment complexes. Typically one guy will walk between cars and smack the passenger window with a D-cell battery and keep walking. If nobody notices, his buddy also walks through and grabs whatever is in reach through the smashed window.

His advice was to pick a different trailhead in an area farther from the cheap apartments or preferably park on a nearby street in front of somebody's house. And of course, do not leave anything visible in the car even if it has no real value. I do not leave keys, wallet, or phone in the car. If you have a trunk, put items into it before driving to the trailhead.

Doohickie

In Fort Worth, you see window glass all over the place at certain trailheads. Last time I drove my bike to the trail, I parked in a grocery store parking lot. Not so lonely.

Slackerprince

That's not a bad idea about parking in the Target parking lot for Suncoast.
Thinking there are some other parking lots surrounding Flatwoods that would work, as well.
Thanks for the post.

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HonestOne

That's so bad! As always, I'm sure that someone probably saw something and just didn't stop to call the cops... We have to look out for each other!

Fiery

How is this even possible? What kind of an SUV is it? Honest question, I really have never seen, or have heard of an SUV without a trunk.

budkid

That blows...good thing there wasn't a bike in there.

Doohickie

American SUVs typically have a big open area for cargo behind the rear seat that is open to the passenger area. Sometimes, but not always, there is a cover over the cargo area to keep people from seeing whether there is anything in the cargo area, but even then it is not a secure "trunk" because you can simply fold down the rear seat to get to it.

Seattle Forrest

Trailhead break-ins are as old as time itself. Still sucks, sorry they smashed your windows even if they didn't get anything. I hope your insurance covered most of it.

A couple months ago, I had plans to go climbing on a Saturday and packed everything into the car the night before. Someone smashed my window, grabbed my backpack, and ran off with it. They stole my rope, quick draws, and helmet, plus the pack itself. Stuff was no use to the thieves, but it ruined my day.

Cyclelogikal

You know what I hate more than a murderer...............a THIEF! Sorry dude and glad you had nothing of value like money and credit cards stolen. That is a nightmare to get rectified!

MikeyBoyAz

In Mesa, AZ we have a route which is Very popular dropping down into the salt river for road and the 'Haws Mine' for MTB. People who park there are always at a Very high risk of break-in's. The actual parking area is gravel, though just off the road: there is window glass laced in the rock heavily. Anyone I know who says they might park out there for riding I send to the local Walgreen's store just 1.5 miles away, which has security cameras and high traffic.

Number400

If it keeps happening and the area seems targeted, it's time for a stakeout. Instead of riding away, go hide in the woods and wait with a video camera.

Good info as I always leave my wallet and house keys in the car. NOT a good idea and I will carry them from now on instead.

bikecrate

That does suck. I don't often go on that MUP and when I do it's at the Lutz Lake Fern trail head, but it could happen anywhere.

shoota 

This has been an ongoing problem ever since it was built. The problem is that the parking lot is easy to case, easy to get into and out of quickly and the surrounding area is easy to drive off into and not be found. It really is the perfect place to do this kind of thing. Pretty frustrating.

coasting 

Ouch. Before I read what you wrote, I thought they stole your bike.

Number400

Yup. Or at least a wrist rocket and some steel shot.

Slackerprince

Thanks for all the kind words.
My insurance deductable is $250, so that wasn't any help.
I shopped-around and got the window for $170 total, out of pocket.
What a waste of money.
I had it repaired at my house, so that was helpful. Safelite wanted
$370, and I would have to drive to their shop or pay more for mobile.
I'll be considering other parking options in the future, for sure.
Sorry to hear about others who have dealt with this.

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OldTryGuy

Really crappy. We have a Publix Plaza near the trail head with plenty of much safer parking.