[pct-l] Warner Springs theft

[Steve McAllister]

Re: Warner Springs theft (wrecksduke at ca.rr.com)

There are lots of different people hiking trails. They aren't all
nice, reasonable, friendly, honest, ...

If you read many trail journals, you hear stories about some of the
people on the trail.

An extreme example, the person that was running away from something,
probably jail time and was stealing anything he could to survive along
the way. He would steal things that he didn't need and lug them to the
next town to sell the items. He would steal from trail angels, he
didn't care who he took from.
All the hikers knew him as friendly but weird. They eventually busted
him and took him to jail, but he had already stolen a lot of stuff
from a lot of thru-hikers by then.

I know there are a lot of homeless, desperate and unstable people near
the AT who like to mix in with hikers as a source of booze,
cigarettes, food and supplies.

You have the story of the runaway kid, who would sneak into camp at
night and take peoples hanging food bags.

You have malicious thru-hikers who would steal things for kicks,
vandalize their surroundings, annoy, threaten and harass other hikers.

You can see the burn marks and graffiti left in most of the shelters
and picnic tables.

Basically, hikers are people and there are some people you don't want
to be around, but you have to share the trail with them.

stevie