Break In at Fish Lake (king county); my rant
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:15 am
Those of you that know me and/or my reports, you know that I fish at Fish Lake in King County almost exclusively. Lately the perch have been biting fairly well so I've been fishing a couple nights a week after I get off work. Tonight was one of those nights...
Since I get off work at 6 I have to rush to get to the lake to have an ample amount of time to fish. I arrived at the lake around 6:45 to an empty parking lot. The empty lot is usual as very few people seem to know or care about this lake, which is the way I like it. By 7:00 I had drug my boat to the water and was rowing out. At 7:10 I had rowed to where I wanted to fish and dropped anchor. I was rigging up my perch gear when I heard a car alarm go off. Since the last few times I had been out I had heard lots of horns honking in the area I didn't think anything of it, until this time it didn't stop. I began wondering if this was my car alarm since I hadn't heard it before. I had just pulled anchor and started to row back in a hurry when the alarm stopped, so I figured it was from a neighboring house and went back to fishing.
At 9:00 I made my way back to the parking area and got to my truck. I pressed my unlock button and went to get in and noticed my glove box was open. I thought this was weird, but it took me a split second to realize that I hadn't left it open. Than I looked at the backseat window... SMASHED OUT!!! Now I'm pissed and confused!
Having never had a vehicle broken into I really didn't know what to do. I called my fiance who's truck it was and asked her. She had me look for the insurance card and anything that might be gone while she looked up the number for the King County Sheriff. I discovered that the gps unit that I had in the glove box my father had just sent me was taken, and nothing else (it was the only thing of value in the truck, there was garbage laying everywhere else).
I gave the sheriff dept. a call and the dispatcher I got couldn't have been more helpful. It was a bit rocky at first trying to explain where I was since I didn't know the nearest cross street, but we eventually figured it out. At one point he asked me if I would help prosecute if they found a suspect, I responded with an emphatic "ABSOLUTELY!!!" He offered to have an officer come out to take the report but I figured an officer couldn't do anything more so I continued with the report over the phone. When it was all done and he was going to give me the report number I informed him that I didn't have a pen or pencil. With that (and this is the most impressive part) he asked if I had been fishing on the lake. I, of course, said yes. He asked if I had any lead sinkers since I could use that to write down the number. I thought that was brilliant and thanked him profusely.
Now, after this whole story/rant I ask WHY? Who does this? I know these things happen, but seriously? I have talked to a lot of people that fish this lake and no one has had this happen to my knowledge. The closest driveway to the lake even has a police car parked in it. My best guess is that it was local kids out walking since I didn't hear a vehicle pull in (and you can hear any car going by or pulling in from anywhere on this small lake). I really thought this was the one lake in the area that was "safe" from all this. I just don't know what possesses someone to take what is not rightfully theirs! Again, I know this happens but it makes a guy feel helpless and pissed! This is my favorite lake and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fish it for a while out of fear of my property being destroyed... BAH!
Okay, thank you to those of you that actually read all the way through my rant. It was good therapy for me to write it down and I will be adding this experience, in a much shorter form, to the break-in's page.
Since I get off work at 6 I have to rush to get to the lake to have an ample amount of time to fish. I arrived at the lake around 6:45 to an empty parking lot. The empty lot is usual as very few people seem to know or care about this lake, which is the way I like it. By 7:00 I had drug my boat to the water and was rowing out. At 7:10 I had rowed to where I wanted to fish and dropped anchor. I was rigging up my perch gear when I heard a car alarm go off. Since the last few times I had been out I had heard lots of horns honking in the area I didn't think anything of it, until this time it didn't stop. I began wondering if this was my car alarm since I hadn't heard it before. I had just pulled anchor and started to row back in a hurry when the alarm stopped, so I figured it was from a neighboring house and went back to fishing.
At 9:00 I made my way back to the parking area and got to my truck. I pressed my unlock button and went to get in and noticed my glove box was open. I thought this was weird, but it took me a split second to realize that I hadn't left it open. Than I looked at the backseat window... SMASHED OUT!!! Now I'm pissed and confused!
Having never had a vehicle broken into I really didn't know what to do. I called my fiance who's truck it was and asked her. She had me look for the insurance card and anything that might be gone while she looked up the number for the King County Sheriff. I discovered that the gps unit that I had in the glove box my father had just sent me was taken, and nothing else (it was the only thing of value in the truck, there was garbage laying everywhere else).
I gave the sheriff dept. a call and the dispatcher I got couldn't have been more helpful. It was a bit rocky at first trying to explain where I was since I didn't know the nearest cross street, but we eventually figured it out. At one point he asked me if I would help prosecute if they found a suspect, I responded with an emphatic "ABSOLUTELY!!!" He offered to have an officer come out to take the report but I figured an officer couldn't do anything more so I continued with the report over the phone. When it was all done and he was going to give me the report number I informed him that I didn't have a pen or pencil. With that (and this is the most impressive part) he asked if I had been fishing on the lake. I, of course, said yes. He asked if I had any lead sinkers since I could use that to write down the number. I thought that was brilliant and thanked him profusely.
Now, after this whole story/rant I ask WHY? Who does this? I know these things happen, but seriously? I have talked to a lot of people that fish this lake and no one has had this happen to my knowledge. The closest driveway to the lake even has a police car parked in it. My best guess is that it was local kids out walking since I didn't hear a vehicle pull in (and you can hear any car going by or pulling in from anywhere on this small lake). I really thought this was the one lake in the area that was "safe" from all this. I just don't know what possesses someone to take what is not rightfully theirs! Again, I know this happens but it makes a guy feel helpless and pissed! This is my favorite lake and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fish it for a while out of fear of my property being destroyed... BAH!
Okay, thank you to those of you that actually read all the way through my rant. It was good therapy for me to write it down and I will be adding this experience, in a much shorter form, to the break-in's page.
