Smellytele
Well-known member
Most of the time I boot up in the parking lot. On the days I don't (friends or family wants to go in the lodge) if I see the free bag check I will use it. Always use it at K because I know where it is.
-
Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!
You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!
Free bag checks..... Why don't some people use them????
- Thread starter drjeff
- Start date
Yeah, I'm sure urban pick-pockets are boarding the buses in droves on weekends to head to local ski areas and steal people's boots and lunches. 20-to-1 its the bored local teens egging each other on or trying to feed their rural drug habits. Bored urban teens and drug addicts have much better options for picking pockets and petty theft than skulking around a ski lodge 2-4 hours from home.
hammer
Active member
One other thought...if I had anything in my bag that was of real value do you think I'd trust it to a bag check?
Going a little off topic but to a bigger issue, we just bought a new cable lock and a person at one ski shop (where we didn't buy what they had) made some comment about the basic cable locks not being all that useful, something along the lines of "all that is needed is a cable cutter and the lock is gone in a second". If the locks are that useless (have not been for us so far) then is the only real option to prevent ski theft a ski check?
Going a little off topic but to a bigger issue, we just bought a new cable lock and a person at one ski shop (where we didn't buy what they had) made some comment about the basic cable locks not being all that useful, something along the lines of "all that is needed is a cable cutter and the lock is gone in a second". If the locks are that useless (have not been for us so far) then is the only real option to prevent ski theft a ski check?
abc
Well-known member
The safest is never let it leave your feet!
SIKSKIER
New member
I'm spoiled cuz I boot up at my house in Mittersill and drive 30 seconds to the mt and park right on the trail.I had always brought my bag to the lodge with skis and poles in tow but with the Cannon parking pods it cant get any easier than stepping out of the car and into skis.If I need something its so easy to ski right to the car and get it.Its actually a lot closer than the Zoomer bar set-up which I used to do waaaay back in the days.
Attachments
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
While he's correct that it's wouldnt be hard to snip a thin cable with a wire cutter, what % of ski thieves walk around with wire cutters? At least a cable prevents the probably 90%+ who are just opportunistic 5-finger grabbers.
But to answer your question, I was an early adopter and huge proponent of Ski Key. Bought mine in 1999 at Smuggler's Notch and have used it ever since. Sadly, for whatever reason some resorts seem to be decreasing their ski key racks or eliminating them altogether, which I think is a shame, because your skis are 100% safe and secure if you use one.
I imagine the cable locks deter spur of the moment thefts. I also suspect that thieves with cable cutters would prefer to go after unlocked skis just to avoid the risk of being noticed cutting a cable. But don't most ski areas now have those locking ski rack things? They seem to be just as good as a ski check for theft deterrence, and much quicker. Not sure how big a problem ski theft really is. Despite skiing areas apparently targeted by evil urban predators, I never bother locking and checking my skis and never had a problem. Maybe there's just not a market for stolen bump skis....
Beat me to the quick!
SIKSKIER
New member
hammer
Active member
Hear you on the Ski Key, looks like a good way to go if the ski areas have the racks available and in the right locations.
My only problem with ski theft was on vacation in PCMR, someone snatched up my rentals. I didn't lock them but there were a lot of other skis that were unlocked on the racks. Used my cheapo cable locks since without issues...and I do wonder if they saved me from an attempted theft at SR last year.
Wow. Do you think it was a mistake by another renter?
This issue really burns me. Sugarbush has ample free bag storage rooms on both levels of the gatehouse lodge. There also lockers where for a nominal charge items can be locked up. There are also larger lockers in the schoolhouse building. There are signs in the cafeteria asking that bags be stored in the bag storage rooms and not by the tables. and yet, there are some who ignore all this and leave their shit all over the place. Its mostly kids coming on bus trips.
Earlier this season, I kind of lost it and gave it to this kid. I came into the lodge and it was almost full and yet there was a whole table (8 seats) covered in bags and gear stuff. I asked the people seated at the next table if there was anyone there and they said no, that the kids just left their stuff and hadnt been there for a long time. So I moved the stuff to the end of the table so I could use half of it. About 20 minutes later, a kid comes in and says who moved my stuff, which was a bad bad move on his part. I asked why he thought it was OK to use a whole table when the cafeteria is full and people need places to sit and eat, and there is a big room with shelves 30 feet away with a sign that says bag storage. I went off on him a bit, but i think deservedly so. needless to say, he and his crew quickly gathered their stuff and moved it to bad storage room.
Earlier this season, I kind of lost it and gave it to this kid. I came into the lodge and it was almost full and yet there was a whole table (8 seats) covered in bags and gear stuff. I asked the people seated at the next table if there was anyone there and they said no, that the kids just left their stuff and hadnt been there for a long time. So I moved the stuff to the end of the table so I could use half of it. About 20 minutes later, a kid comes in and says who moved my stuff, which was a bad bad move on his part. I asked why he thought it was OK to use a whole table when the cafeteria is full and people need places to sit and eat, and there is a big room with shelves 30 feet away with a sign that says bag storage. I went off on him a bit, but i think deservedly so. needless to say, he and his crew quickly gathered their stuff and moved it to bad storage room.
Hawkshot99
Active member
Hate to break it to you, but its not hard at all to "unlock" a locked ski lock.
benski
Active member
Though it is not hard to see and easy to avoid if your a thief. I don't see why w thief would bother attempting to break a lock if he could just take a different pair of skies
Smellytele
Well-known member
He may think the ones locked are more expensive seeing they are locked
Good job!
Some people seem to think that leaving their bags somehow "reserves" the table for them. I hate when people have no consideration for others. I try to avoid going into the base lodges as much as possible on weekends though.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
This really ticks me off. Ski Key is a great concept, and 100% protects your gear.
The Ski Key racks used to be at just about every mountain, but they're either disappearing, or are declining. I noticed a few years ago Jay Peak got rid of them, which was doubly stupid because Jay Peak doesn't have anywhere near enough ski racks to begin with.
hammer
Active member
If it was they never came forward with the skis...which is the same as stealing.
I'll just stick with my cheapo ski cable lock, has worked fine for me so far.
Hawkshot99
Active member
You can pop the locks open with 1 hand with minimal effort. Looks just like you are pushing in the button to open the lock and takes just as long.
Back when I ran a shop on mtn, the ski lock companies would warrenty ANY lock we told them we had, because we sold so many. I had several instances where a person bought a lock in the AM and later in the day they forgot there combo, or it would freeze shut. I could go out to "look" at the lock with the customer. In 1 motion it was unlocked, I would apologize to the person and hand them a new lock. Then have the lock company warranty the broken lock. None of the people ever noticed how I opened it up, and they were standing right next to me.
Why would a thief take a certain pair of locked skiis? Maybe that is a ski they know they can easily sell.
Similar threads
- Locked
