Deer in Phoenix Park - Word of Warning

TelePaul

Was in the park yesterday trying out a new zoom and doing some recon prior to the rut. Parked my car on the opposite side of the field in which the Papal Cross stands, and was shooting for maybe 20 minutes. I came back to my car and someone had tried to break in - screwdriver under the lock. I expect I disturbed them by coming back so soon, they must have bolted.

Word of warning to anyone visiting the park in the next few weeks!

DaireQuinlan

TelePaul wrote: »

Was in the park yesterday trying out a new zoom and doing some recon prior to the rut. Parked my car on the opposite side of the field in which the Papal Cross stands, and was shooting for maybe 20 minutes. I came back to my car and someone had tried to break in - screwdriver under the lock. I expect I disturbed them by coming back so soon, they must have bolted.

Word of warning to anyone visiting the park in the next few weeks!

Seems to be a bit of a theme in the park nowadays, I was reading a thread somewhere else on boards about it just the other day. The Zoo car park is apparently a hotspot for it as well. As always, never leave any valuables or bags in view etc etc

DaireQuinlan

Actually just apropos of nothing, but it's worth repeating, PP being a major urban park it isn't -too- surprising that there are gangs of thieves roaming the park like rabid wolves looking to pillage peoples cars.

The place where people seem constantly caught out is up in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. If you park anywhere up there, particularly in any of the forest park car-parks, ALWAYS take anything valuable or any bags or anything that look as though they might contain anything valuable and put them into your boot. Try and do it fairly discretely. The incidence of theft up there is pretty high. In part I think because it's fairly remote so people don't take the same precautions.

TelePaul

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Actually just apropos of nothing, but it's worth repeating, PP being a major urban park it isn't -too- surprising that there are gangs of thieves roaming the park like rabid wolves looking to pillage peoples cars.

The place where people seem constantly caught out is up in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. If you park anywhere up there, particularly in any of the forest park car-parks, ALWAYS take anything valuable or any bags or anything that look as though they might contain anything valuable and put them into your boot. Try and do it fairly discretely. The incidence of theft up there is pretty high. In part I think because it's fairly remote so people don't take the same precautions.

Funny you should say that - my mother does a good bit of hiking in Wicklow and had her window smashed and radio taken last year. It's such a shame, scumbags like this ruining amenities for people who otherwise enjoy them greatly.

Whatever about the Wicklow mountains though, I was parked in a car parking area in the PP - no cameras or anything of that sort. What's also interesting is that there was nothing of any real value left in the car (most of it was strapped to my back or hanging from my neck!) A few cds and a bluetooth hands-free kit were about the extent of the content, but I think these guys will try their luck even if they can't see anything on display - there's always the booth and glove compartment.

fguihen

if you ever take a spin up the sally gap, you will see quite a few cars with windows smashed in, on any given day. its because its so remote that:

1. there is no law enforcment.
2. the owners are prob miles away out hiking.

Id love to go walking up there but never will leave a car up there.

pixbyjohn

In the Wicklow hills it appears to be a regular occurrence now, and many of the perpetrators are not even afraid to be seen. Mostly they are driving stolen cars also. Besides not parking in remote areas always have someone with you whilst out walking/hiking etc.

FreeAnd..

So let me get this straight, a deer tried to break into your car? - Sorry couldnt resist - from the title I was expecting some deer attack story

a148pro

Yes diddums, thanks for warning, please change thread title to "Scumbags in Phoenix Park - a word of warning". I can see the Daily Mail 'savage killer deer' headlines already.

veryrandom

I really hate the scumbags around Dublin and beyond. If they're not stealing phones out of your hand they're breaking into your car. I am currently learning to drive (test is soon) and one of the thing i was looking forward to most was driving up the Dublin/wicklow mountains and doing some photography. But thanks for the warning, i will be sure to think carefully about where and when i go up and where i leave my car.

No1J

FreeAnd.. wrote: »

So let me get this straight, a deer tried to break into your car? - Sorry couldnt resist - from the title I was expecting some deer attack story

No you fool, don't bring a deer car to the park or someone will try to rob it.:rolleyes:

StopNotWorking

I was only talking to some lads in work today about checking out the fortress and deer this weekend. They told me to be very careful around the old army fort as junkies hang out there? Does anyone have experiences of being approached while in the fields by scumbags?

pearsefitz

Scum bags still present in Phoenix Park.
On Monday the 9th September 2012.
They broke into 3 cars(2003/2008/2008) without setting off any alarms and to phones wallets watches clothes all while we were 300 meters away football training.
Have not got a clue why a bait car is not used to punish this scum...
If anyone finds suits jeans bags in the park please contact me.
Long shot.
Apparently they targeting people watching then hitting the groups like jogger / teams etc. while they enjoying the park.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Would love to have caught them!!!

Ash.J.Williams

Don't forget Graveyards folks!! The most common area for car content theft as far as i can see!

People who tend to "travel" a lot seem to focus on cars parked outside graveyards. I've even heard of a car that the boot was targeted specifically. Obviously they watched the owner place the items in the boot.

mcmoustache

pearsefitz wrote: »

Scum bags still present in Phoenix Park.
On Monday the 9th September 2012.
They broke into 3 cars(2003/2008/2008) without setting off any alarms and to phones wallets watches clothes all while we were 300 meters away football training.
Have not got a clue why a bait car is not used to punish this scum...
If anyone finds suits jeans bags in the park please contact me.
Long shot.
Apparently they targeting people watching then hitting the groups like jogger / teams etc. while they enjoying the park.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Would love to have caught them!!!

Same happened to our crowd while we were training on the pitches to the west of the magazine fort. The following week we spotted a UK reg jeep pulling in and then leaving after one of our lads walked over. The pulling in and out happened twice so there was definitely something fishy going on.

pearsefitz

Well with this happening the length and breath of the city maybe we can use boards.ie to get a petition going to get some bait cars set up.
This would be cheaper and more affordable than guards keeping eye on the astro parks and public parks and beaches.
What you or anyone else think?

Larsso30

sisters car got done in the park on wednesday, while she was doing a bootcamp class.

Kenny Logins

I'd be tempted to point the lens back at the car and gather some evidence.