Stolen ski/board gear in Japan

[sanjo 2]

Talk in another thread about stolen gear

 

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23478-skiing-quivers-in-niseko/

 

Always amazed at how almost no-one locks stuff up here, but also that I have never heard of anything being stolen.

 

Any experiences - when and where?

[muikabochi 208]

Never notice any locked gear round here and can't recall seeing anyone locking stuff up either.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Very rare to hear about stolen stuff but I have seen some people use locks.

 

1 guy at Kagura had his board stolen, foreign guy, I lost my shink ticket on the hill and his wife asked the staff if anyone had handed it in....luckily for me someone had, unfortunately his board was not so lucky

[Thundercat 60]

This from a few years ago:

 

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/16644-stolen-stuff-at-japanese-resorts/page__hl__stolen__fromsearch__1

[snowdude 44]

People around here dont lock their gear up and I dont either. Most here dont even bother locking the house doors let alone their gear.

I have never seen anyone lock their gear at any of the resorts that I have been to.

 

[Karnidge 2]

I suspect apart from the Ns and Hs, you're going to hear much the same.

 

Makes you wonder why that might be.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I suspect apart from the Ns and Hs, you're going to hear much the same.

 

Makes you wonder why that might be.

lots of high end gear, and lots of opportunity.

 

(Ignoring that Japanese culture suggests respect and therefore no theft, and it is more likely to be foreigners...)

 

Think about it...big N and big H have big big whacks of international tourists.

High end newish equipment and likely to take lots of long holiday mode breaks inside restaurants and bars.

Opportunity.

 

A local hill. Few locals maybe riding their favourite board from 5 seasons ago. Stops for a pee and an energy bar, but otherwise the board never leaves his feet. No opportunity.

[SKI 15]

it is more likely to be foreigners

 

Just simply this.

[SGboarder 1]

Agree that I hardly ever see boards/skis locked up in Japan, even in the high-traffic tourist areas like Hirafu. If I were to leave a nice set-up at the base for the whole day in order to be able to swap, I might consider looking it - eliminates the (small) risk of a nasty surprise and means I will never have to trouble staff with such an unpleasant matter.

But for shorter breaks (like lunch or even apres boarding) I do not see myself having to bust out a lock anytime soon. Hope the culture stays that way for a long time to come.

[gvm3373 4]

I have been told of incidents of theft in niseko, not only ski/board gear but personal items from hotels and lodges. The offenders hit while the victims are out in the snow.

Now i wonder what sort of person would do such a thing. hmmm.

[scouser 4]

A thief?

[grungy-gonads 54]

A thief?

 

A scouser!

 

Just kidding.

[Mac46 0]

Skis/Boards are not stolen here, they are 'mistakenly taken' by someone and that person is requested on the P.A. system to return them.

[NoFakie 45]

Yeah, the Japanese guy in this thread reckons he heard eight consecutive announcements about mistakenly taken boards, all of which just happened to be popular brands. http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1347394168

[Dunga 1]

I've had some friends who had their stuff taken by mistake which was returned 24hrs later.

 

Generally I think it's mostly mistakenly taken at most ski resorts including ones here in oz.

[Go Native 70]

We found that a huge issue with customers from newer skiing nations like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. They didn't quite seem to get the whole idea of remembering where they put their skis prior to going for a break or that it actually mattered that they attempted to retrieve the skis that they actually hired. Many just didn't get it. Often they'd leave their skis lying down and go in for lunch and of course by the time they came out the skis are covered by 10-15cm of snow. They'd search around a bit and then just take any skis that looked like theirs. Happened all the time. They didn't seem understand how wrong it was to do that.

[RobBright 35]

I did it once when I rented a board out at GALA Yuzawa, 9 years ago. The rental boards all looked the same and there were a bunch of them together.

 

I didn't realise until I handed it back in and the rental staff got angry with me. Hohum.

 

At the resorts I've been to, I've started to see a slow rise in the amount of stuff being locked up. Nothing too expensive, but maybe a 100yen lock.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Update.

We haven't locked anything.

 

Although I did stay and watch the boards while the guys spent about 20 minutes in the shop at the base.

 

I was with a friend in Thredbo when her rental board was taken in the same way as your example MIJ.

We lost half a day riding until lifts closed to find the similar board (same rental company), then just changed the bindings to goofy and used that for the last 2 days. They said it happens all the time. Good reason to lock rental equipment if you ask me

[Hauffy 0]

I just got busy the ole P-Touch. I now a rather dorky label on my board with my name and email address. Who knows! Might save me some grief

[nagoid 4]

I used to have my name stiched into my underwear.

No-one ever stole that, so perhaps it's a good plan!

[Alexander L 80]

when signs popped up a few years ago at the big N warning people about stuff having gone missing, I've seen loads of people lock up. I always lock.

[muikabochi 208]

No such problems have been reported at the big Mt G, as far as I am aware.

[pie-eater 207]

Though they probably have tons of high tech out-of-sight security stuff going on at Mt Granview...

[Biggen 3]

I leave my car running all the time. When I go out for shopping or anything in winter, I park the car and leave it running. I might be a only a minute or I could be 1/2 hour. plus I never take the key out of the ignition.The key stay in the ignition all the time ( I fear i will misplace them). I leave my camera bag on top of the lockers at resorts because I fear losing the key and having to muck around with management to open up the locker to retrieve my gear. Being a Policeman in Japan would have to be the most boring Job in the world because I have never witness any crime in Japan in the 4years I have lived here.

[Alexander L 80]

Yo mate. You being Japanese, wouldn't you be more friendly to the environment and turn your engine off when you're out of your car? Or do you have lots of money and like to waste petrol while spewing gunk to annoy everyone.

 

Please post your number plate and where you frequently do your shopping and if I'm in the area, I'll help out and turn off your engine and store your keys in the nearest gutter.