Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-01-2008, 03:33 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
wallrat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 28
Random drunken stupidity?

No, not something I did--this time.

The college-age kids across the street were whooping it up as they sometimes do. Outdoor patio on the street side, music, loud chatter, etc. No real harm; the talk gets louder in the wee hours as the BAL increases. Can't chastise them for being wild, as it comes with the territory of youth I suppose. I usually put in some ear plugs and it works out.

But last weekend was slightly different in that they were going strong after midnight and I heard a distinct percussive noise, a few actually. I chocked it up to whatever the kids were doing and blew it off. My van was parked across the street.

Next morning while grabbing an item from the van for a road trip in the wife's car, I noticed the side of my van had had a few eggs smashed on the body side facing the street. The shells still lay in the road next to the van. I was effing stunned, as this is a beach community, generally affluent, and (up to now) has exhibited no sketchiness of this sort. Did I somehow piss someone off who knows my rig? Not to my knowledge. Could this be one of those incidents where gas consumption is the issue? In Huntington Beach, I doubt it. What can I do? Should I do as a result or in regard to recurrence?

I've thought a lot about this. Ultimately, I don't think I should do anything, other than what I did (immediately wash off the egg), and here's why:

I can't unequivocally state these kids were to blame (though it seems pretty damn obvious to me). One or a few partygoers who did this might have done so without consent or knowledge of the host.

If I were to catch the offender, past or (god forbid) future, what then? Yes, it would be cathartic to beat the daylights out of some coddled, entitled deviant tossing stuff at my van. Then I become the enemy of a legion of grommets who have little better to do than get wasted and harass some old guy who parks his van on the street. Sounds like a losing proposition.

Also, I don't want to be a slave to my van and these kids' behavior. Perhaps moving my van from the direct line of sight (and fire?) when the punks start revving up is a prudent approach, but it may make no difference in the end. I end up losing because I have to consider these reprobates whenever I park near them.

In retrospect I should have documented the damage in case additional vandalism occurs. Such it is. No real damage occurred, although this might not have been so if I hadn't noticed the egg on my van body and split for a three day weekend.

So I'm just going to assume it was an isolated event fueled by alcohol and youthful bravado (and possibly envy?). There are at least two other SMBs which park on the streets in my neighborhood, so my Quigley cargo van is not highly uncommon sight here. I'll probably get a locking gas cap and call it an anomaly.

Thanks for the ear on this (and likewise, any suggestions or thoughts). You guys and gals are the only folks I feel would appreciate my situation.

Cheers,

Mike

__________________
07 E350 EB 6.0 Quigley
wallrat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 04:03 PM   #2
Site Team
 
BroncoHauler's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,177
My van's been egged twice. Nice residential neighborhood and all that, but unfortunately the van's parked on the street in front of my house. Both times the van wasn't the only victim on the street, both times were either Friday or Saturday night, and both times I just cursed under my breath and washed it off as fast as I could.

I'm guessing it was just your basic dumb-asses who can't comprehend or respect other people's property. Don't mess with their $300 skateboards though (I boarded before any of them were even glints in their parent's eyes).


Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
BroncoHauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 04:42 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 23
I can definitely relate Wallrat! My truck was the target of a drive-by-egging about 6 months ago. I did the usual routine of looking down both sides of the street cursing whoever did this and washed it off. I live in a very quiet neighborhood, so I was quite surprised to see this.

Six months later...I've been without further incidents. I'm afraid that there are just too many "bored" teenagers out there with nothing better to do on a Saturday night.

I did talk to someone in the Berkley area who had a 4x4 SMB and had gotten some mean looks while driving around town...obviosuly because of the whole gas consumption thing. With the addition of a RUN ON BIODIESEL sticker to the back of his rig...the middle fingers were turned into a thumbs up Great solution for the haters of the "gas guzzlers" The ironic thing is that I think that SMBers are some of the more earth friendly travelers out there!
Sportsmobile West is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 05:25 PM   #4
Junior Member
 
wallrat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 28
Thanks for relaying your experiences, guys.

On one level I feel better knowing that perhaps these vans are simply big, random targets and that I'm not alone, but on a higher level I'm bummed for all of us because we live in a world of marginal respect.

I must be naive. I just can't imagine a 20-year-old person's motivation to egg a nice rig. I'd have to guess envy plays in at that age. Young kids, anything probably goes. I was 12 once...

Cheers.
__________________
07 E350 EB 6.0 Quigley
wallrat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 07:06 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 496
There was a guy on my block growing up who was the recipient of all things vandal.

Over the years after numerous TPs, sugar in gas tank, burning bags of shit, etc, he had enough. He didn't really know who did what. But one day as he drove by a group of us hanging around our cars in front of the house, he stopped, got out and came over.

He said very simply: "Don't f*** with my house, don't f*** with my car, don't f*** with me." Got in his car and drove off. We left him alone after that.
j.whitbread is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 08:42 PM   #6
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Well Mike be glad they didn't bust out your window like they did to me 2 weeks ago. That window cost me $6000 in fencing. But it was motivated by money and the alarm spooked them off. If they start throwing stuff through the fence I'll have to pour cement and move the van out of throwing distance. More bucks! Maybe what you need is a big kid that likes to fight who will have a talk with your neighbors

I still try to keep on a level playing field with the locals when possible. Buy em a beer or shoot em. OK just a joke.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2008, 10:34 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: South Padre Island, Texas
Posts: 238
Well, I lived in Berkeley for all but two of the last 35 years and let's just say driving through town in my brand new SMB last January was not much fun.
I've purchased my "Texans for Obama" and "Fueled by Biodiesel" stickers for when I go back. But then when I'm here in South Padre, it's all about "McCain/Palin in '08".
My version of stealth camping.
__________________
'07 Ford EB50 PSD SMB $x$
Joanna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2008, 12:56 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Christopher Thwaites's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Santa Rosa CA
Posts: 638
wallrat...why don't you wander over to the neighbors sometime when they are in sight and introduce yourself. Strike up a conversation and when the opening occurs mention you got egged and ask if they got egged too. Keep it light.
The house next door to me is a rental. Over the past few years the tenants have been pretty good but at one time we had this idiot who played music all night. We tried being nice but he was brain dead. We called the cops, we pounded on his door and told him to turn down the effing music. We finally contacted the management company and threatened a small claims action. The idiot was evicted within 90 days.
Since then when new people move in my wife and I drop over with a gift basket and some wine and welcome them to the neighborhood. We always talk about what great neighbors the previous folks were and then tell the story about the idiot. We haven't had any issues since adopting this tactic.
Actually we've made some really nice friends out of our neighbors.
__________________
Chris/Ruth
2016 MBZ Sprinter 144" 4wd.
DIY
07 BMW 525xi wagon
Christopher Thwaites is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2008, 09:45 PM   #9
Junior Member
 
wallrat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 28
CT, I think that's a good suggestion, and in fact I have been thinking along those lines in recent days as I go in and out. I just have not seen anyone outside their place since then. Thanks for that nudge.
__________________
07 E350 EB 6.0 Quigley
wallrat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2008, 09:59 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Lake Tahoe, NV
Posts: 296
I got egged years ago on Halloween (late 80's because it was my 1987 Chevy El Camino). I washed it immediately and waxed it the next day. About 2 years later I noticed rust coming through the paint in the shape of a comet and about 4" in diameter. I took it to the chevy place thinking I had a defective paint job. He sent me to their body shop. The manager asked if I had ever been egged. I said yes. He said when a car gets hit by an egg, the shell is so sharp that it cuts through the paint and primer to the metal. You don't notice it until the rust shows up. Keep that section waxed. You may want to talk to a body shop and see what the best thing to do is. oclv
oclv is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.