car break ins Dublin/Wicklow mountains

mattser

Come to think of it, in all my years walking in Wicklow, in most if not all of the places mentioned above, I have, I'm pretty sure, NEVER seen a Garda patrol.

Donny5

mattser wrote: »

Come to think of it, in all my years walking in Wicklow, in most if not all of the places mentioned above, I have, I'm pretty sure, NEVER seen a Garda patrol.

I have. The Gardaí from Roundwood (I think) are often up the Gap, and I've even seen a few checkpoints up there. Still, there's a lot of places people stop and I'm sure there are higher priorities.

mattser

Donny5 wrote: »

I have. The Gardaí from Roundwood (I think) are often up the Gap, and I've even seen a few checkpoints up there. Still, there's a lot of places people stop and I'm sure there are higher priorities.

Fair enough. No doubt if I let the tax run for a few months I'd meet the checkpoint :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Donny5

mattser wrote: »

Fair enough. No doubt if I let the tax run for a few months I'd meet the checkpoint :rolleyes::rolleyes:

That'd be the way, alright.

nomdeboardie

MB Lacey wrote: »

I left car parked opposite start of Lough Dan walk, came back few hours later to smashed back passenger window - there was nothing on view and nothing in the car anyway - guess they thought I might have left purse under driver's seat.
It was a very cold drive back to Dublin, that was 2 years ago - and it was my birthday!
I now leave glove compartment open when I park around Wicklow as a possible deterrent - I think it's all pretty hit and miss tbh.
Saw 2 cars with smashed windows parked up at the first car park on the left on military rd near Sally Gap, and remnants of smashed windows at a car park further down that rd too - all recently.
It's a tough call, I still go walking and park my car and just hope for the best.

Nothing more cruel than that drive home with the wind whistling in your ears
In my case I decided to call a guard out to see the car (prob wasn't much point, in retrospect), so I was getting nicely pre-chilled after sweating from included some running intervals in my trek up and down the hill
But at least it wasn't on my birthday

dickdasterly

Mickeroo wrote: »

If they want to get in and hotwire it they can do so whether its locked or not. Having the van stolen is pretty unlikely though, 9 times out of ten they only want to look around inside for money etc. I'd rather just leave nothing in the van, leave it open and not have them ram a screw driver through my locks like last time.

That's very good thinking can remember years ago a car dealer in the eastend of Glasgow ( car crime capital of Europe) doing the same.

He told me it saved a fortune on replacing glass.

rje66

I kitesurf a lot around the east coast and the kite surfing community are having similar problems, see link
http://www.kitesurfing.ie/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=13571&highlight=break+ins.
In some instances cars are being done on busy beaches with people around. The summer before last it seemed to be rife, but not so bad recently though.

Mech1

I'm not sure if I can say this here but anyway, My car was broken into last summer at a wicklow fishing beach. Hidden GPS taken, I arranged for myself and two other lads to camp out the next week in the field beside carpark with our cars as bait. One window got broken but it wasnt the last thing broken that night:D

Maudi

Mech1 wrote: »

I'm not sure if I can say this here but anyway, My car was broken into last summer at a wicklow fishing beach. Hidden GPS taken, I arranged for myself and two other lads to camp out the next week in the field beside carpark with our cars as bait. One window got broken but it wasnt the last thing broken that night:D

heh heh.

Alun

rje66 wrote: »

In some instances cars are being done on busy beaches with people around. The summer before last it seemed to be rife, but not so bad recently though.

I think that the technique they now use, i.e. sawing through door wiring looms through the crack between front wing and door, can be done more quietly without drawing as much attention as breaking glass. In some ways having more cars around might make things easier as they'll have some cover to hide behind.

By the way, on my car I managed to get the wiring loom resoldered by an auto electrician who called to my house to do the repair, which was a lot cheaper than a new wiring loom.

nomdeboardie

I discovered my loom had been partly cut a few weeks after the Djouce breakin (window) I mentioned earlier. First noticed the main electrical problems after I returned to one of the Sandymount Beach carparks (not kitesurfing, but that looks fun!). So the loom cutting might have happened at Sandymount, but I have a suspicion it might have happened earlier as I think there may have been some electrical glitches building up before that - maybe happened at Djouce and the damaged wires gradually frayed as the door was opened and closed afterwards? My local mechanic managed to reconnect the wires.

hardyman

Today 25 February went for hike from Crone Car Park to Powerscourt waterfall, found my car windows smashed on return, nothing of value in car just a random act of vandalism. Car park was full, two other cars also had driver windows smashed in. Nothing taken. These scumbags are not solely out to rob but also for mindless vandalism. A helpful garda came from Enniskerry said it was common occurrence. I won't be leaving my car parked in Wicklow again. ever. And that is the end of my hiking in the garden county of vandals.

hardyman

Watch out in Crone car park , three cars had driver's side windows smashed today ,including my car. Broad daylight, between 2-4pm, car park full and lots of hikers about including garda patrol but nobody saw anything suspicious. No valuables visible and nothing taken. Sheer vandalism. Garda said the scumbags come from as far away as Navan to do their dirty work. Cut my hand trying to free broken glass , cold bloody drive home. Last time I will park in Wicklow forest parks.

boombang

Really sorry to hear that Hardyman. It's such a shame that some people are willing to spoil something so pleasant as the enjoyment of Wicklow.

I really think society needs to take a firmer hand with scumbags to sort this stuff out.

sparrowcar

hardyman wrote: »

Watch out in Crone car park , three cars had driver's side windows smashed today ,including my car. Broad daylight, between 2-4pm, car park full and lots of hikers about including garda patrol but nobody saw anything suspicious. No valuables visible and nothing taken. Sheer vandalism. Garda said the scumbags come from as far away as Navan to do their dirty work. Cut my hand trying to free broken glass , cold bloody drive home. Last time I will park in Wicklow forest parks.

It's a known fact that they smash the windows to check under the seats and in the glove box. You might find it was more than just vandalism, either way I think it's time we set up a good oul vigilante group :mad:

FrostyJack

Nothing to do with vandalism I suspect, one of the reasons I never park near there. Just scumbags out for a quick euro. I would love to know if it is a set gang that patrols or local opportunist. I would have thought the bad weather would but off scum driving out from Dublin but it seems to happen regardless, so it would point to the latter. I have been around the World and one of the reason I hate this country is you are not allowed nice things. Most places you leave a laptop on your seat it would be stolen, but without that, most places your car would be untouched.

Don't Chute!

frostyjack you obviously have not been "around the world" if you think cars don't get broken into in other countries. that was a nonsence comment. Also, if you hate this country, leave, there will be more room for the rest of us.

FrostyJack

black and amber wrote: »

frostyjack you obviously have not been "around the world" if you think cars don't get broken into in other countries. that was a nonsence comment. Also, if you hate this country, leave, there will be more room for the rest of us.

If you read my post you would see I didn't say that but thanks for the advise though, you seem quite learned.

Don't Chute!

well then would you please enlighten me as to what you did say because you seem to be saying that cars in other countries do not get broken into for no reason and i think that is nonsense

FrostyJack

black and amber wrote: »

well then would you please enlighten me as to what you did say because you seem to be saying that cars in other countries do not get broken into for no reason and i think that is nonsense

Most places you leave a laptop on your seat it would be stolen, but without that, most places your car would be untouched.

Can you read it now? In the Mog it would be broken into no doubt, at the Grand Canyon, it would probably not. At Leopardstown it would probably be broken into, in Pompei it would probably not. Most 1st World countries you don't have to nail things down, that is my point. Even in places like Eygpt crime on tourists generally doesn't happen. Any part on Ireland it is likely, given the oppertunity.

Mickeroo

FrostyJack wrote: »

Can you read it now? In the Mog it would be broken into no doubt, at the Grand Canyon, it would probably not. At Leopardstown it would probably be broken into, in Pompei it would probably not. Most 1st World countries you don't have to nail things down, that is my point. Even in places like Eygpt crime on tourists generally doesn't happen. Any part on Ireland it is likely, given the oppertunity.

It happens everywhere to some degree man.

Alun

Mickeroo wrote: »

It happens everywhere man.

Exactly. In 10 years or more of parking in various car parks in the Wicklow Mountains every weekend, so well over 500 times, may car was broken into only once. When I lived in the Netherlands I was broken into 4 times in one year once.

If you let these people stop you from enjoying your hobby, you're letting them win.

Don't Chute!

i think the problem with wicklow is its proximity to dublin the grand canyon is too far from any major urban centres to make it worth their while driving out for a couple of quid whereas wicklow is only half an hour away

Donny5

Shay, blaming the locals is bull****. You've no idea who broke into your car, and there's no time too early for vandals in Ireland.

Shay Conway

Oh sorry, I forgot locals are above suspicion.

Donny5

Shay Conway wrote: »

Oh sorry, I forgot locals are above suspicion.

You should be sorry. I said nothing about the locals at all. All I'm saying is that you've no basis to be accusing anyone, except for a story you've made up in your head.

mattser

Donny5 wrote: »

You should be sorry. I said nothing about the locals at all. All I'm saying is that you've no basis to be accusing anyone, except for a story you've made up in your head.

The chap had his car done, along with 3 others. As he says, the parking of the other 2 cars made the 4 that were done look suspicious.
The thread was started so we could give each other the heads up, not pick holes in what we think.
Cop on.

Shay Conway

Donny5 wrote: »

You should be sorry. I said nothing about the locals at all. All I'm saying is that you've no basis to be accusing anyone, except for a story you've made up in your head.

Forgive me if I point out a few inconsistencies in your response ...

- "blaming the locals is bull****" - you wrote this and you are saying that you said nothing about the locals


- You say I have "no basis accusing anyone" - when glass is broken it is reasonable to assume that somebody broke the glass


You are not making sense.;)

duckysauce

Shay Conway wrote: »

Yesterday between (31st March 2012) one of my rear door windows was smashed, between 10.30am and 2pm nothing taken and no evidence of entering the car. Four out of 6 cars in our group had the same damage and nothing taken. The Gardai from Roundwood came and noted the damage, they thought that it was a random act or someone looking for money. I disagree with the analysis as I had valuables in my car, and the fact that the act happened so early, vandals just don't operate so early. The conclusion that I have come to is that some local nut felt that some of us were parked inappropriately and decided to punish us, the two cars that were not damaged were parked Ok.

So watch out for mountainy men, funny things go on in the Wicklow Hills.

www.shayconway.blogspot.com

were the cars that got smashed blocking the entrance to anything?

Donny5

mattser wrote: »

The thread was started so we could give each other the heads up, not pick holes in what we think.
Cop on.

Follow your own advice. We don't need people making up accusations. He sounds like he was talking about the carpark above Glenmacnass waterfall, which is often hit by thieves. If it was punitive because of bad parking, then it could have been anyone passing.

Shay Conway wrote: »

- "blaming the locals is bull****" - you wrote this and you are saying that you said nothing about the locals

I didn't say anything about the locals - I said something about you, that is, your conclusion is based on nothing but supposition, and is bull****.

Shay Conway wrote: »

- You say I have "no basis accusing anyone" - when glass is broken it is reasonable to assume that somebody broke the glass

You can say someone broke the window, fine, but not who.