Vandalism on Mt. Woodside

[kault]

Tonight (June 24), Andre and I arrived at WS launch for an evening flight to discover that one of our windsock poles had been ripped out and two large fires had been set on launch. One was still burning by the east windsock and created a risk for launching due to the slight crosswind and absolutely deterred me from top landing.

As a club, I think this poses a significant challenge for us. Safety is compromised. Wings could be damaged. Can we discuss some options?
Rod suggests blocking the road so that the morons will not want to carry their wood so far.
Other options.
Signage?
Video surveillance
RCMP involvement

These fires are a form of mischief which is a criminal offence. Is there some other crime being committed here?

What says the community?

[the other martin]

My experience in dealing with vandalism showed three common traits. Vandals are male, stupid, and lazy. Alcohol is a common factor in most instances of vandalism. They will go to great lengths to cause damage and yet are opportunistic. If the situation provides itself without requiring effort they act. If they actually have to think about the act in a premeditated manner they won't follow through.

Signage explaining common sense practices only provides them with an opportunity to vandalize the sign(s). Common sense is not something a vandal has an abundance of.

Posting video surveillance only provides them the opportunity to either steal or vandalize the equipment.

RCMP will not do random patrols. Equipment, manpower, and motivation are limited resources.

I think Rod has the most viable solution. Rocks the size of half ton trucks blocking the roadway down to the parking area will discourage most of the vandalism. A gate only provides a challenge. Cash spent on enlarging the parking area at the top would be money better spent.

On a positive note I noticed two things.

1. They did not destroy the carpeting.
2. The vandal in photo #1 looks a lot like Andre.

[kault]

Andre was a quick thinking 9-11 style hero. He peed on the fire!

[tnankie]

I doubt the fires were started out of mischief. If it were mischief they would have started them in the middle of the matting. I think it is people going up there to camp/look at the view and drink a bit. The windsock pole could easily be a misguided drunken dare,
"I bet you can't climb that"
"I so can.....oh shit!"
::CRASH::

However the net result is the same, I don't think we can educate all people as to why fires on launch are a problem for us, so blocking off the lower car park maybe our only viable option. Still wont stop the dirt bikes, but one problem at a time. We could concrete the launch as an alternative approach (I have no idea what this would cost).....might suddenly get a whole lot of skateboarders up there though

[Suntan]

Perhaps instead of Rock's an insane gate with keys for our aging Hg brethren? I know us lazy PG pilots could use the little hike.