Safety @ BC All DH

[fisherbikefreak]

I hit BC on Sunday and yesterday. Both days were great for riding poor for park users safety.

Sunday -- I get wicked air coming down from the school side of the system. The adrenelin is still pulsing through my veins when I pull into the parking lot near Hwy 61. As I cross the bridge over the creek, a St. Paul Police squad car rushes in and screaches to a stop behind a parked car. Two officers immediately rush the parked car while one of them yells, "[don't move or do as I say] or I'll shoot you in the face. I'll shoot you in the face, do as I say." I turn around head back over the bridge and tell the family playing near the creek to not bring their kids toward the lot, because something is going down. From what I could tell the teenage kids in the car were in one of the caves drinking and smoking pot. Bad yes, but didn't constitute the "I'll shoot you in the face" type force.

Tuesday -- Out for a nice ride along the hilltops. I meet many nice people along the trails. After a couple hours of up and down I decide to head back to the car. I get to the lot (Hwy 61) and a window was shattered on the car parked next to mine. My car was unharmed. Apparently, it's too ugly to even bother breaking a window out of it. I love how people feel pity for they guy driving the ugly Contour! But still I felt bad for the person who owned the nice car parked next to mine.

So what's the deal with Battle Creek? Why so many problems? What the hell can we do to keep us and our property safe while we are out enjoying the trails? Who do we need to talk to about making the area safer for us to use? Many questions, any answers?

[Brick]

So what's the deal with Battle Creek? Why so many problems? What the hell can we do to keep us and our property safe while we are out enjoying the trails? Who do we need to talk to about making the area safer for us to use? Many questions, any answers?
Some of this has been mentioned before here:
http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/search.php?searchid=12051

It's not uncommon I guess, and because of it, I've always parked in the Winthrop lot instead of down at Point Douglass Road. Sadly, no real answers either.

e.

[TML]

I used to like parking at the Point Douglas lot as well. I liked to end the ride with a downhill back to the car. I quit parking down there about four years ago after the hoodlums broke into my truck through the window. Nothing big stolen just a real pain in the rear. I park in the Winthrop lot now and so far so good. It's nice to be able to go change in the rec center also.

[bradpartyka]

I park at the community center. I think the Battle Creek Forum here mentioned that that is the safest place. The bathroom is near their anyways, over by the baseball fields.

[suddha]

I have seen, or heard about, too many car break-ins at BC and now park on Battle Creek Rd, between the upper and lower trail systems. I am usually the only car parked there, which maybe isn't good. It is a bit isolated but I figure not many hoodlums are up there looking for mischief like in the parking lots. I know from a local XC ski forum cars have been vandalized in the Winthrop lot as well, during the winter.

I guess one could park back in the neighborhoods near the trailheads and ride to the trail from there.

[firetruck]

So what's the deal with Battle Creek? Why so many problems? What the hell can we do to keep us and our property safe while we are out enjoying the trails? Who do we need to talk to about making the area safer for us to use? Many questions, any answers?[/QUOTE]

[firetruck]

Life is dangerous Peter Pan. Maybe you could hand out flowers to people around the park.

[Fool4TheCity]

St. Paul's Finest are cracking down on increasing drug deals and other gang related activities (breaks-ins) that have been occurring in the lower parking area for the past year or two. The area has become very popular with Asian gang members.
As far as you coming across the PD doing there job, I would hope you would be a little more grateful than appearing offended at the Officer's choice of commands ("I'll shoot you in the face, do as I say.") It may be the toughest job in the country, people always second guess everything you do. St. Paul has bad people, SPPD doesn't mess around with trying to be nice to bad people. Stay in the suburbs if you want to see cops treat scum nicely. Urban Officers handle situations differently because they have too.
I have many Police Officer friends and they are all outstanding, extraordinary, people trying there best to do a nearly impossible job. Cut them some slack! Say hi, when you see them, show them the respect they deserve.

Fisherbike, you also mentioned some pot smoking and drinking going on in the caves. After the tragedy that happened yesterday in another part of St. Paul, look for even more enforcement activities. Pulling dead kids out of a cave, that had there whole life ahead of them, is not a fun way to make a living.

[nigel]

St. Paul's Finest are cracking down on increasing drug deals and other gang related activities (breaks-ins) that have been occurring in the lower parking area for the past year or two. The area has become very popular with Asian gang members.
As far as you coming across the PD doing there job, I would hope you would be a little more grateful than appearing offended at the Officer's choice of commands ("I'll shoot you in the face, do as I say.") It may be the toughest job in the country, people always second guess everything you do. St. Paul has bad people, SPPD doesn't mess around with trying to be nice to bad people. Stay in the suburbs if you want to see cops treat scum nicely. Urban Officers handle situations differently because they have too.
I have many Police Officer friends and they are all outstanding, extraordinary, people trying there best to do a nearly impossible job. Cut them some slack! Say hi, when you see them, show them the respect they deserve.

Fisherbike, you also mentioned some pot smoking and drinking going on in the caves. After the tragedy that happened yesterday in another part of St. Paul, look for even more enforcement activities. Pulling dead kids out of a cave, that had there whole life ahead of them, is not a fun way to make a living.
I agree 100% and then some! But im a lil biased too i guess *winks*

D

[fasterfoster]

Life is dangerous Peter Pan. Maybe you could hand out flowers to people around the park.
What the hell is that suppose to mean?

Are you implying that activities such as theft and vandalism, etc. are ok?

And I agree with Mike K. regarding the police. Any crack down on gang activity has my support.

[fisherbikefreak]

St. Paul's Finest are cracking down on increasing drug deals and other gang related activities (breaks-ins) that have been occurring in the lower parking area for the past year or two. The area has become very popular with Asian gang members.
As far as you coming across the PD doing there job, I would hope you would be a little more grateful than appearing offended at the Officer's choice of commands ("I'll shoot you in the face, do as I say.") It may be the toughest job in the country, people always second guess everything you do. St. Paul has bad people, SPPD doesn't mess around with trying to be nice to bad people. Stay in the suburbs if you want to see cops treat scum nicely. Urban Officers handle situations differently because they have too.
I have many Police Officer friends and they are all outstanding, extraordinary, people trying there best to do a nearly impossible job. Cut them some slack! Say hi, when you see them, show them the respect they deserve.
I work with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, State Patrol, Homeland Security and just about every police department and sheriffs office in the state. My grandfather was an Orange County Calif Sheriff. Even though I am not an officer I know their importance and respect law enforcement officers and their duty, they do have a difficult job. From what I saw this officer was a little too forceful. In other discussions with co-workers in the above agencies, I have added that I understand that SPPD comes across many bad people. I still thought this particular officer's show of force was a little too much. He did calm down after sitting the kids on the curb and searching through their vehicle.

I made note of the incident here because I think it is important for the bikers who use the trail to be aware of the problems BC has, especially in the lower lot. I know this subject has been discussed (last summer), but a new season constitutes a new discussion to keep things current. Awareness is a great tool in our effort to curb such activities.

[firetruck]

Maybe next time you are working with law enforement officers you could ask them to be more polite when they are doing their job. I'm sure they'll welcome the input.

[halls]

I have also parked on the west side of the school, i believe it's ruth street. you can park by homes there and access the trail from there.

[Pandl]

I haven't had a change to ride off road at BC yet, but I quick parking there last year because most of the times I went there, I saw broken window glass on the lot. I believe this happened at least 3 times. I have also seen broken glass in the lot along 61. Luckily, I have a friend who lives up the road from Lower Afton, so I park there. And, now I know someone who lives a block down on Ruth Street, so I will park there.