Someone stole my street shoes

[kajero]

While I was in spinning class a week ago last Thursday morning someone stole my street shoes! They were my favorite pair of boots. I used to leave my street shoes out when I went to spinning class because I didn't like getting the locker dirty. No more! I wrap my shoes iin a towel and put them in the locker. (Lifetime provides towels, it is just such a waste to have to wrap shoes in one! If I bring my own towel I'll have to buy a bigger bag and the one I have now fits in the locker so well.)

I also used to leave my cycling shoes and sweaty riding clothes under the bench when I went to shower. I liked to "air" them out before shoving them into the plastic bag and then into my gym bag. I sure won't leave those things out any more,

So if you go to spinning class . . . . lock up your shoes unless you want to wear your flip flops to work that day! And it was dang cold, too! Fortunately I had a pair of generic shoes at work that I kept there in case of I forgot my shoes at home when I wore my winter boots. I just hadn't bothered to take them home. So at least I had something to put my frozen feet in once I got to work -- even if the shoes didn't exactly go with what I was wearing but neither did my flip flops.

[zoom-zoom]

A friend of mine had her running shoes stolen while in a gym shower. It wasn't a huge loss, since she had gotten the shoes on clearance and had logged a couple hundred miles...they looked almost new, since she had never worn them outdoors.

But Karma may have gotten the thief, but good. My friend also had a raging, stubborn case of athlete's foot.

[redrhodie]

My dbf had a pair of boots stolen from our front hall about 2 months ago. The weird thing is, we saw the guys, and thought they were working on the unit upstairs. They had keys to, and were inside that unit, so we think they were somehow connected to the realty company who is selling it. Police actually investigated and couldn't find them, but they did try.

The boots seem to be the only thing they took in the building. They were much loved, and ready for resoling. If even these were tempting, I guess you can't leave anything anywhere. They were right outside our apartment door, and we were home. I suspect it's the thrill of the crime, more than anything else, since they wouldn't have been able to try them on to know they'd fit. Crazy.

Dbf really wanted them back, but I was totally grossed out by the idea of him wearing them after thieves had had their dirty stinkin' thief feet in them. He bought new ones that he likes even better. So an okay ending to an ugly violation, but still, you hate to go through it. It feels worse than you can imagine, when it happens to you.

The other good thing was, I had been leaving my bike to dry in the hall after wet rides, so losing his boots was a cheaper lesson than losing my bike.

I hope you've let your gym know this happened.

[malkin]

That just stinks.

When I was in High School, someone stole the sandals that I left outside the band room door after I had changed into my tennies for marching practice.

Pathetic.

[channlluv]

It always surprises me when something is stolen. I think mainly because it would never occur to me to steal something. I'd see your boots sitting on the floor by your locker and figure they didn't fit with all your other gear or something, and I'd move out of my way to make sure I didn't drip pool water on them.

On the other hand, the YMCA has signs posted all over the place inside the locker room not to leave valuables, and even when you're driving into the parking lot, there are big signs saying not to leave valuables in the car and that they are not responsible for theft. I don't know where anyone is going to keep their valuables if they can't leave them in the car and they aren't safe in the locker room, either.

DD left her favorite pink-tiger stripe swim cap and her goggles on a hook and went in to get a shower. When she came out a few minutes later, they were gone. I haven't seen that swim cap on anyone else, and if I did, I'm not sure I'd say anything except maybe offer them a warning. "My daughter had a swim cap just like that one and it was stolen while she was in the shower. The thief snatched it right off the hook, along with her pink goggles. Be careful where YOU leave that cap. You never know."

Not quite an accusation.

I guess we really have to be careful everywhere we go.

[OakLeaf]

Oh, man, that stinks. I can't imagine someone stealing shoes, ewwww! Next worst thing to stealing underwear IMO.

My feet are so big that my motorcycling boots don't even fit in my locker. I've worried a little bit about them getting stolen ... not only were they NOT cheap, but obviously if they were stolen I wouldn't even be able to ride home. Now I'm a lot worried. Ugh.

[Owlie]

That sucks! And who does that? What kind of person do you have to be to steal clothes or shoes that you don't even know will fit you? Also, ick.

By the way, if you don't want to mess up a towel or the locker, put your shoes in a plastic grocery bag (preferably a relatively opaque one), and then wrap the bagged shoes in a towel.

[Dogmama]

I'm always surprised by the people, usually men, who leave their car keys & cell phones laying around the gym. How easy to steal a car - just keep clicking the car alarm until one responds. I had my cell phone stolen once & the cretins had downloaded about $100 worth of porn before I got it shut off - only a couple of hours. Verizon didn't make me pay for it, thank goodness.

[Savra]

I once had a leather jacket with my cell phone in it stolen from a gym locker room. I posted signs everywhere saying it was "lost" and that I really needed it back. A couple of days later it suddenly appeared and was turned in at the desk. I'm thinking the guilt of seeing those signs had a play in getting it back. Maybe signs could help you. Just a thought.

[kajero]

I posted signs everywhere saying it was "lost" and that I really needed it back. A couple of days later it suddenly appeared and was turned in at the desk.

I already asked. NO signs at Lifetime. Oh well.

[Raindrop]

A friend of mine had his used and very wet bike shorts stolen while he was in the shower. It amazes me what people will take. There couldn't be a resale value on these things...but then again, there's always Ebay or Craigslist. Check there for stolen items....you never know!

[Pip]

At our gym it's apparently not uncommon for shoes to be stolen from underneath lockers, so I've never left mine out. I learned my lesson many years ago after leaving a coat out that had badges all over it from my travels on a student exchange scheme. They included some which were given to me by my host mother and were therefore very precious to me. I tried putting notices up but obviously the thief didn't have enough of a conscience. For some people I guess the opportunity is just too tempting. I did spend years looking for the badges on people though!

[soprano]

I used to swim at a JCC where very few people locked their lockers. One day I came back from my swim to find that someone had put a lock on my locker! I ended up having to tramp upstairs in my bathing suit to talk to the building manager about getting the lock cut off, which was a bit embarrassing due to the 30 Orthodox rabbis present in the lobby. The manager decided the we had to search every locker in the room (maybe 200?) to make sure that my things hadn't been moved before she could cut the lock. She and the staff thought that the lock might have been put there by another patron who had dementia; she was known to do funny things like that. After that incident I started requesting a lock when I got my towel at check-in.

[BC2COCyclist]

Many years ago, some miscreant woman stole my smelly, beat up hiking shoes from my open locker at a public pool (back then I was freaked to have anyone see me naked - so I used changing stalls to get dressed) It was Winter, in Victoria, BC and I had to walk home in sock feet. Probably two miles or so.

I checked every garbage can on the way back etc hoping the thief had realized they were old and yucky and tossed them. No dice. Never forgotten about it.

[Dogmama]

Yesterday I was swimming at a new public pool. After my swim, I walked into the locker room and my lock + purse, street clothes, etc. were gone! I was totally freaked out until I heard this very deep voice coming from the showers:

"Miss, I think you're in the wrong locker room."