Theft at the Rink

[SynchKat]

I have only ever had skate guards taken.  I have heard of many people losing things from their skate bags.  I always take my purse out to the ice and put it in on a bench in the hockey box.  In and extreme case of theft, at one rinks I trained at in the summer, the skating office which had all the music equipment in it, which was toted around on a trolley, ws broken into one evening and all the equipment was take.  Made for a very quiet session the next morning. 

[PinkLaces]

Knocking wood    Had nothing stolen at our rink.  It's pretty big with lots of hockey people plus random soccer kids in the summer.  We use the benches to put skates on, but all the zucas go along the boards in the rink area. Any random kids get shoed away from the area by parents or coaches. My DD once left her ipod in the player on the last FS session of the night. She realized it when we were all the way home.  We live 20 mins away so it was 40 mins round trip.  Some nice hockey guys had turned it in to the front desk.

[Isk8NYC]

Some nice hockey guys had turned it in to the front desk.

The hockey guys at our rink are really honest and thoughtful; they put forgotten jackets and books by the skate rental for lost&found and iPods, phones, jewelry, money get turned in at the front desk all the time.  I  borrowed a jacket from skate rental one day and the SD came over and said "That's my jacket!"  Someone had hung it on the coat rack after finding it in a hockey box.

I'm friendly with the woman who work in the rink's day/trackout camps.  Last month, she brought me a freshly-laundered black fleece jacket and said "This says (dd's name) inside; one of the kids borrowed it for skating during the camp, but when I saw the name tag, I though it might be your DD's."  Sure enough, it was a jacket I'd been looking for, but couldn't find in the house.  I figured it was left at school in June.  She washed it for me!  What a nice lady.

[AgnesNitt]

I was at one of my rinks tonight, and found out that two skate bags had been stolen in the last week. One with the skates in it!

I lock everything up in the trunk of my car before I go in, and stuff worth money (phone, keys, cash) are in a zippered pocket on my jacket.

[VAsk8r]

My nomination is Charlottesville Ice Rink in VA. I didn't have anything stolen but the layout is just insane, and creeped me out. It is the only rink I ever secured my boot bag and shoes in the lockers. Other than that the rink was great.

Wow. I clicked on this thread and saw my home rink nominated as the rink where you're most likely to have something stolen. What is it about our layout that creeps you out? I have been to quite a few rinks in Virginia, and actually I feel a little more comfortable at ours because we put our stuff right by the ice. At a lot of the other rinks I've been to, most people leave their stuff in a separate room or lobby, and it's not easily visible when you're on the ice.

That said, I will acknowledge our rink is much more accessible to the public than most others since it's on a pedestrian mall, and it's a lot easier for anyone to come in.

When did you visit? A lot has changed in the past couple of years, though I wouldn't say it's made us more secure.

I too only bring in what I need and keep everything else locked in the trunk of my car.

[jjane45]

I am probably not the only theft victim at my rink. Last month I saw the office staff advising people to take skate bags into the rink area instead of leaving them unattended in the lobby. During syncro there was an army of zuca bags lined up perfectly against the first row of seats lol.

[iomoon]

Nothing has ever happened to me, but after reading your comments, I should invest in a wallet with a string to put around my neck. 

[davincisop]

The only thing I leave on the benches is my skate bag with my skates in it. Because I'm an employee at the rink, whoever is in the office lets me store my purse in there. Thankfully ::knock on wood:: I've never had anything stolen.

But I know other people have lost jackets and guards and stuff. I've managed to save a few things that are left behind before they go into our lost and found bin if I know who it belongs to. Like when one skater I know left her knee supports behind, I put them in the front office with her name on them and messaged her on facebook to let her know they were safe and sound.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

I've had some hockey players steal my hardguards during Public Skate. Then there was one time when they took the screws out and tossed them clear across the rink, and I caught them in the middle of the act. After that, I always take my guards with me onto the ice and hang them on the glass, or have my parents take them and give them to me when i get off.

Ever since I got my züca bag, my parents won't let it out of their sight at the rink or at tests/competitions. But often we see many girls get dropped off at the rink and leave their züca's unattended while they skate, and nothing happemds to them. I left my bag unattended once to get a drink and I come back and some hockey player kid is unzipping it. Luck  a' the draw I suppose...

[davincisop]

I've had some hockey players steal my hardguards during Public Skate. Then there was one time when they took the screws out and tossed them clear across the rink, and I caught them in the middle of the act. After that, I always take my guards with me onto the ice and hang them on the glass, or have my parents take them and give them to me when i get off.

Ever since I got my züca bag, my parents won't let it out of their sight at the rink or at tests/competitions. But often we see many girls get dropped off at the rink and leave their züca's unattended while they skate, and nothing happemds to them. I left my bag unattended once to get a drink and I come back and some hockey player kid is unzipping it. Luck  a' the draw I suppose...

My coach always has said never leave your stuff unattended. ESPECIALLY at competition. She sets up an area for us all to meet up and parents will keep an eye on the bags.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

My coach always has said never leave your stuff unattended. ESPECIALLY at competition. She sets up an area for us all to meet up and parents will keep an eye on the bags.

Haha, that sounds really cool. I wish the coaches at my rink had something like that.

[Icicle]

This will probably sound funny to everybody, but my water bottles keep getting stolen. Today it happened for the second time in just a week. Of course, a bottle of water isn't really a big loss. But come on, I got thirsty midway through the session! What could I do? I kept skating, but I felt exhausted at the end.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

This will probably sound funny to everybody, but my water bottles keep getting stolen. Today it happened for the second time in just a week. Of course, a bottle of water isn't really a big loss. But come on, I got thirsty midway through the session! What could I do? I kept skating, but I felt exhausted at the end.

This happens to my friend all the time! So she bought a sports bottle that is meant to attatch to a bike, it has velcrow straps on it. So whenever she brings her water bottle out, she velcrows her guards to it too.  

[Query]

This will probably sound funny to everybody, but my water bottles keep getting stolen. Today it happened for the second time in just a week. Of course, a bottle of water isn't really a big loss. But come on, I got thirsty midway through the session! What could I do? I kept skating, but I felt exhausted at the end.

I wonder if it would help to write your name on your water bottle with a permanent marker...

That might tell people you cared enough to keep it, and that you aren't one of those slobs who discard their bottles anywhere convenient - so the maintenance staff would routinely throw it away.

And a casual thief might feel guilty taking something which is labeled in such a way that it obviously isn't theirs.

Anyway, it's worth a try.

[Casey]

I had my guards stolen off a public session recently, but that was quite abnormal.  Years ago I took some guards that weren't mine out of a lost-and-found bin, so I reckon it was karma catching up.

[VAsk8r]

I almost forgot. My club jacket disappeared at another rink about 70 miles away. I think I left it folded over the boards after a session, and I never saw it again. While I don't have proof it was stolen, I checked lost and found multiple times and asked coaches and other skaters if they'd keep an eye out for it, and it never turned up. Since the club's name was on it, it seems like if it had ended up in the hands of someone with good intentions, it could have been returned to the club and then to me.

[jjane45]

I almost forgot. My club jacket disappeared at another rink about 70 miles away. I think I left it folded over the boards after a session, and I never saw it again. While I don't have proof it was stolen, I checked lost and found multiple times and asked coaches and other skaters if they'd keep an eye out for it, and it never turned up. Since the club's name was on it, it seems like if it had ended up in the hands of someone with good intentions, it could have been returned to the club and then to me.

I think for anyone with good intentions, it would end up at rink lost and found bin. Personally I would not expect anyone to take a jacket back to the club, especially if the club is 50+ miles away from that rink...

My rink seems to clean up the lost and found bin very frequently. If I don't ask for misplaced items immediately, chances are they are already gone. I hope they at least donate usable items to charity, instead of just dumping things...

[clovely]

Since my work schedule changed, my 13 year old spends most of her time alone at the rink. She has to have her phone and has to leave her stuff. She spent about eight hours/day over the summer and does about 3 hours/day now. Her spinner went missing for a few days. I thought she misplaced it but a couple coaches suspect another skater "borrowed it". That made me sad. She rarely has cash, just a rink gift card with her name on it, but all her equipment, her phone, sometimes her iPad have always been safe. I worry when she's there during public skate or classes, though as there are SO many people just milling around. She had her "lucky clip" stolen (I think) during a competition. :-(

[jjane45]

Do rinks generally have lockers available for use / rental?

[VAsk8r]

I think for anyone with good intentions, it would end up at rink lost and found bin. Personally I would not expect anyone to take a jacket back to the club, especially if the club is 50+ miles away from that rink...

Oh, I didn't expect them to take it back to our club. But I thought a rink employee, coach or a member of that rink's club might say to someone in our club, "Hey, I found a jacket with your club's name on it. Know anyone who's lost one?" There are tons of people from our club who skate there during the summer.

In any event, I checked lost and found a few times, and it never turned up.

[karne]

This will probably sound funny to everybody, but my water bottles keep getting stolen. Today it happened for the second time in just a week. Of course, a bottle of water isn't really a big loss. But come on, I got thirsty midway through the session! What could I do? I kept skating, but I felt exhausted at the end.

How funny! Why would anyone steal a drink bottle? They might get your germs from it! 

I don't think I'll ever have that problem; ours is quite a small rink and my drink bottle is VERY distinctive - it's bright red and has huge F1 and Australian Grand Prix logos on it, so it's not like anyone could claim "I confused it with mine!"

[nicklaszlo]

I accidentally left an ugly, labeled MP3 player in the hockey box for 5 days before my coach rescued it.  So there is hope yet.

[mamabear]

We have coin operated ones but most of them don't work.  It's kind of annoying actually.  I wish they had some where you could just bring a lock similar to the Y.

[SkateToronto]

Theft in the figure skating community is not common, however I would never leave my things around during a public skate or hockey skating session.

[Skate@Delaware]

My rink pro shop has had a theft recently-very bold one at that! Someone swapped out a pair of new hockey skates (worth >$300) and left their old beat up ones in the box.  Now, I will say that the owner does leave his store unattended (he sits just outside the door in the main lobby and watches tv) and will occasionally run down the road for errands while leaving his shop open and unattended.

He is now more cautious and protective of his goods.