Skater's Security

[Rusty Blades]

A couple of different threads plus some local incidents have caused me to think a bit more about our safety and security as skaters and thought it might be something worth discussing.

Last year a lady at my home club had her car stolen. Her keys were in her purse, which was on the boards by the player's box. There are no bleachers, only a narrow passage along that side of the rink and we all thought it was fairly secure but apparently one or more teenage boys snuck along behind the boards and snatched her purse without being seen. Since we are a small club and any "strangers" would attract attention, the incident was really unexpected. Now we all hang our purses on the ice side of the scorekeeper's box because there is no way into the scorekeeper's box except across the ice. (The lady got her car back the next day with minimal damage.)

Another girl recently had her skates stolen out of the back seat of her boyfriend's car (which I presume was locked). Why anyone would bother to steal a pair of well used figure skates is beyond me! They had little "street value" but it certainly caused the lady much grief.

Personally, I never leave anything of value visible in my car or my skate bag. All valuables go in my purse and that is somewhere secure at rink-side. If there is nowhere secure at rink-side, my valuables get locked in the trunk and the key is in my pocket on the ice.

How about you? Any interesting stories or security suggestions?

[flo]

There are clubs/rinks where I would never leave anything unattended - too many nasty competitive skaters who would think nothing of tampering/taking skates. Fortunately our rinks/skaters here are pretty good. I'm careful if there's a public session following a freestyle, and use common sense measures.

[Isk8NYC]

When my oldest DD started skating again, I foolishly purchased a pair of Riedell Gold Stars for her from half.com. They must have been from the 1960's, because they were soft and floppy - she hated them and they gave her blisters.

I used them for several years as front-porch decorations, tying them to the railing by their laces. Last year, someone came up on the porch and cut the laces to steal the skates! I didn't find them in the woods or field nearby, so the dummies must have thought they got something good. :roll: Real good find: twenty-year old skates that were out in all kinds of weather for two winters. They were black inside with mold and the soles had rotted! Joke's on the thieves if they tried to use them!

[Skittl1321]

I really don't know what to do with my things. We have coin operated lockers, but I tend to go back and forth to my bag to get things as I skate- tissues, gloves, no gloves, my practice binder, guards, etc. So that would get really expensive.

I've basically determined that no one else uses a locker so I leave my stuff out, with anything of value at the bottom and smelly socks near the top. Although it would be easy to steal, at least you can't SEE anything tempting. I also make sure to alway put it on the bench nearest to the rink door, so I can see it easier. Soon I will be on the rink staff and I have the option of leaving my stuff in the staff room, but that actually makes me more nervous, because it is tucked away near the restrooms, is not locked, and would be easy for anyone to slip into unseen. At least if my bag is out the waiting parents MAY notice if someone other than the person who left it was digging through looking for something good.

I only bring a Drivers License, a credit card, and my insurance card in my wallet. And since the actual wallet is probably the thing of most value in my bag if my skates are on my feet, I think I might not bring that either. Since i haven't skated for a long time, my bag isn't full of expensive paraphenalia. Just a towel and some tissues.

The biggest hassle if it was stolen would be my keys- and I am too nervous to skate with those in my pockets. So here's hoping those never get taken.

My rink is in a large mall, but its quite common for people just to leave things out. I don't really have the option of putting it into the hockey boxes, as people on public skates often go in them to sit, whether they are supposed to or not, I don't know.

[flippet]

I'm always a little nervous about leaving my stuff out at my local rink too. It's a seasonal rink, and it's nearly all open skate--they have a very small, non-advertised lesson/"club" time, but that's not when I skate. So, given that I have a rolling carry-on for my skates, it does make me nervous that some kid or smart@ss brat will either rifle through it, or just steal it outright. I don't keep anything of 'value' in it, necessarily, just my soakers, extra pullover, gloves, tissues, and of course my shoes, when my skates are on my feet! I've been known to put my guards on and then take my bag back out to my car while I skate. Then, I just have my keys and hard guards to worry about--I leave my guards on the edge of the hockey box, but I'm always worried that some kid will think they're neat, or that they're abandoned, and just take them. And the idea of falling on my keys doesn't thrill me.

At my old rink, I never worried. It was a college rink, and just about everyone that skated the noon public was a 'regular'. I never worried about leaving my stuff out, even my keys. I think I usually left my wallet in the car, just as a precaution, but I'm sure there must have been times I just stuffed it in my bag.

[Ice Dancer]

I take a tiny handbag which I put in the locker with keys, money and phone, and then have everything else in my skate bag which I leave rink side. Most people in the lesson does it that way. I like to keep it in view though, because even though they are cheap supermarket shoes, I have visions of them getting stolen and having to drive 35mins in my skates which I am not convinced I could do!

I wish really I had the guts to leave my phone in the skate bag as I really want a photo and video of me skating, but I am too scared to leave it rink side, and too scared to have it in my pocket in case I fall and injure it or myself!

[Petlover]

My rink rents lockers on a permanent basis - I pay $25.00 every three months and have an assigned locker. I tend to be paranoid since I had my purse stolen in college, so I don't feel comfortable unless it is locked up while I skate. However, most of my friends leave their skate bags and purses by the rink and have never had a problem.

[Isk8NYC]

I've probably told this story before, so forgive me, but it really was a whacky situation.

A woman I know from swimming came to my rink to skate with her kid's private school. She, of course, came dressed to impress with her high heels and designer sportswear. She "didn't want to carry a purse" so she tucked her wallet, keys, and cell phone into a Gucci mini-backpack. How divine.

She rented skates :roll: and was skating with the backpack. Decided it was cramping her style, so she put it in a locker and took the locker key. When she came back to get something out of the locker, the lock was missing! Someone had removed the lock and all the contents.

The woman went ballistic, ranting and raving about thievery, blaming the rink staff. "My brand-new $5000 Gucci bag!" (Who in their right mind brings an expensive purse to an ice rink?) This went on for about 15 minutes while everyone searched bathrooms, trash pails and the parking lot. One employee stood outside to guard the woman's Jaguar.

Then, someone had a brilliant idea: call her cell phone. We spread out, turned off the sound system and everyone listened closely, trying to "catch a thief."

The phone rang in the locker BELOW the punched one. Turns out she didn't notice that the key number didn't match the locker number. Not her fault, (obviously) and I can understand her being upset and angry. Still, she overreacted drastically to the situation. Not someone I WANT to be with in a crisis.

[skatingdoris]

I have visions of them getting stolen and having to drive 35mins in my skates which I am not convinced I could do!

I hope that no one would ever do this 8O
One would think that it would be much more logical to drive back in socked feet??

During patch sessions my bag with everything in it is left with everybody elses in the changing room, during public sessions, when the changing rooms are locked I have always left my stuff in my skate bag rinkside and have never felt uncomfortable doing so. Mabye it is because I have been lucky to date (touch wood) and am to stingy to pay for the lockers - I'm sure it will come back to bite me on the arse on day:(

the thing about car keys has me more worried than anything else going missing (other than the case itself which is probably worth more than all the other junk I throw in there put together - not including my skates!!). I see a lot of the skaters on patch taking their keys on the ice and leaving them on the barrier - seems to be fashionable with the 17/18 yr olds, mabye just the novelty of it?

Mabye i'll think about locking my case during public sessions, jusst seems like such a hastle

[Helen88]

I just leave my skate bag on the benches right by the ice, so they're in full view all the time. It's only got my guards, soakers and shoes in it anyway. I keep my phone in my pocket though - probably not sensible as I'm liable to end up falling on it one day but...- and keep and fiver or so in my pocket in case I want something from the cafe. I don't need a wallet - and as I can't drive yet I suppose keys aren't a problem ;)

[DressageChica]

Stuff is stolen at my rink on a week to week basis, probably a day to day basis during the "holiday" season. Debit cards, cell phones, cars are broken into...you name it. I've had my debit card stolen, it was a huge mess. Gotta love living in the city. We have a security gaurd on duty all the time.

The thieves are even clever enough to break into the cars and open the trunks to steal purses. I try to hide my keys in my bag so that my car won't be stolen.

[Bill_S]

I've been lucky so far. I have a Bauer hockey skate bag (triangular) in which I keep my CD case, ice time punch card, car keys, soakers, and sometimes my wallet. Shoes are just tucked under the bench.

I'm not foolish though, and if I remember to do so, I secure my wallet in a hidden place in my car and just take the cash I need.

Our rink has no lockers, and in the hundreds of times I've skated there, I haven't heard of anyone losing anything. I've even left skate guards at the door to the ice for a couple days, and they were still there when I returned.

In summer I skate weekly at rinks in Columbus Ohio, and haven't had trouble there either.

I do try to take a peek occasionally to see if anyone is rummaging through my things. I am trusting, but like to use a little caution too.

[cathrl]

Just about every time I skate there's at least one non-skating mum on the side watching, and since the kids are all friends, we leave all the bags in a big heap.

[Team Arthritis]

I inheritted my mother in law's big grand marquis (car) because she kept running it into trees and over curbs (obviously the car is faulty). It has one really nice feature though, it has keypad door locks. This is an unexpectedly wonderful thing. I never bring my keys or wallet any more - I lock them in the car and bring my coupon and shirts in for skating.
Lyle

[jazzpants]

(I posted this on another thread as well, but it's appropriate for this thread...)

My weekend rink has been hit a couple of times by thieves last Fall. We suspected they're young teenage girls b/c of the stuff that they DID take (money, pink cell phone, MAKEUP BAG!!!) and where they left the rest of the bag! (In the one of the ladies' bathroom stalls.) I've always locked up my stuff during public sessions and leave valuables at home thankfully, so I wasn't hit by the thieves!!! Keys are often on me!!! I used carry this (http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=travel-wallet&categoryId=31929&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=4531&cat4=2930&shop_method=pp&feat=4531-tn) with me to carry stuff like keys and change, but it got stolen along with my first pair of purple bag a couple of years back (not related to this... it was another incident and it was away from the rink when this happened.) I might get another one....but I might get this (http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=travel-wallet&categoryId=31920&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=4531&cat4=2930&shop_method=pp&feat=4531-tn) instead!

Sadly, a few of my weekend rink buddies DID get hit. They all lock up their stuff... except for one guy, who leaves nothing but cookies and Gatorade out! His message to the thieves was "They can take the cookies, but if you mess with my Gatorade.... :twisted: " (He LOVES Gatorade!!!) :lol:

[sue123]

Luckily, I've never really had any problems, but I generally only skate on really empty sessions so I don't have to worry about extra people. I've also been to a couple places that have a lockers that let you bring your own lock. Although, once I was in South Carolina and my parents decided to drop me off at the rink while they went shopping. I wasn't going to leave my stuff out since this was a pretty big rink (2 rinks, actually, and a large area in the middle) so I got a locker. It was one of those key lockers and you needed a quarter to get the key out. Well, I stashed my stuff, and then I had no clue what to do with the key. I ended up stringing it onto my laces right under the hooks and then lacing them the rest. But my skate clothes don't have pockets, and if they did, I don't fancy falling onto keys. So what do you do with them while you're skating?

[Mel On Ice]

I always take the minimum into the rink with me. NOt that I don't trust people, it's just that reducing the temptation keeps people honest. I have not had any trouble with stolen items at any rinks in MI or MO.

*knock on wood*

[Mrs Redboots]

As I've said before, Husband once got his wallet stolen with all his credit cards in it. And others have had this happen, especially in the evenings. But on the practice sessions there are enough mothers around that one can leave one's stuff on the benches fairly safely.

I know Husband was a little concerned after we visited Helen88's rink last week, as we left our bags in the hockey boxes where everybody else does, but some people had come in to watch the dance club (this often happens). And then he couldn't find his phone next day..... luckily it was in the car, having fallen out of his pocket or bag! And even more luckily it was switched on, because it had gone right under the seat where you can't find it unless you can hear it ringing! He took the house phone out to the garage to have a go....

[Isk8NYC]

I inheritted my mother in law's big grand marquis (car) because she kept running it into trees and over curbs (obviously the car is faulty). Lyle - you crack me up! LOL Thanks, I needed a laugh this morning.

[Ice Dancer]

Well, I stashed my stuff, and then I had no clue what to do with the key. I ended up stringing it onto my laces right under the hooks and then lacing them the rest. But my skate clothes don't have pockets, and if they did, I don't fancy falling onto keys. So what do you do with them while you're skating?

My rink has a rather sensible locker system, in that you open it with a 4 digit pin that you set and the locker number. The only problem is remembering the locker number! I tend to try and remember where it is and write the number on my hand (when i take a pen!). It is really useful as there is no key to look after and possibly loose, and the chances of someone guessing the number and pin are pretty remote I would have thought.

A lot of people in my group lesson skate with their pockets practically weighed down with keys, wallet, phone etc. Some of them have even been known to ANSWER the phone on the ice! I just think it would be so uncomfortable to have that much stuff in your pockets, and also the risk of falling and breaking something/injure yourself is not something I wish to try!!

[Isk8NYC]

I keep my phone in my pocket though - probably not sensible as I'm liable to end up falling on it one day but...Thanks for mentioning this - I wouldn't have thought of falling on it myself since I don't bring my phone on the ice.

Last night, I taught one of my favorite students who received a fancy cell phone for Christmas. She wanted to show the phone to me, so she brought it on the ice. I mentioned that she should give it to her Dad to hold, in case she fell. She instead put it in her skate bag (which distracted her for the whole lesson) and fell five minutes later! If she'd had the phone in her pocket, it would have been crushed. I told her to leave it at home or hide it in the car next lesson.

[Helen88]

I can see that happening to me...but I get dropped off at the rink - no one stays - so it's a bit tricky...*thinks*