Stealing things from strollers

[RichmondTiggerFan]

oh my..i have never seen that, but that is one sneaky little squirrel!

These 'suspects' have also struck outside the Finding Nemo show at AK.

 

[grafxgirl]

Maybe the OTHER little kid just reached out and snatched the skeleton as she was rolling by...

This was my thought too. I know my kids have done this at the toddler age, and I didn't notice until too late.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I actually just had a friend email me that they had a real stroller theft outbreak over the weekend. Her entire stroller was taken. I think security told her 10 had been stolen Saturday evening in the MK!

I cannot visualize anyone from Security telling a Guest that a certain number of strollers had been stolen.

And it is very possible to misplace a stroller, especially if it is parked outside of a designated stroller parking area. Often CMs who are tasked to stroller straightening will takes one that are parked away from official stroller parking areas and move it to one, but not necessarily the closest one.

 

[mom2rtk]

I cannot visualize anyone from Security telling a Guest that a certain number of strollers had been stolen.

And it is very possible to misplace a stroller, especially if it is parked outside of a designated stroller parking area. Often CMs who are tasked to stroller straightening will takes one that are parked away from official stroller parking areas and move it to one, but not necessarily the closest one.

So do you suppose she just misplaced it? And returned home with never finding it? And how do you suppose her diaper bag was found, sans stroller?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I did not say it was not stolen. I said that I seriously doubt that any Security person at WDW would tell a Guest such as thing as "ten stollers have been stolen in the Park tonight".

You did not mention in your original post that the diaper bag had been found.

But I have seen people want to contact Security to report a missing stroller and then finding it is an authorized stroller parking area.

I have have seen lots of strollers for sale to cast at Property Control up to and including some special needs strollers such as the McLaren Major, which can be quite expensive; that is where found item are sent from Central Lost and Found after a certain interval.

 

[LaurenT]

Where did you get your glo-in-the-dark skeleton? Was it one of a kind so it was totally impossible for that other child to have one that was the same? I know it's such a coincidence that the other child has the same skeleton but unless you purchased yours somewhere that the other child's parents couldn't possibly have gotten theirs, then you really don't know for sure. You didn't specify in your post where you had purchased yours. It is getting closer to Halloween and it's possible there are more people who bought that same skeleton.

Statistically, it would be nearly impossible for someone to have stolen that item within moments of seeing a different child with the same exact item....it would only be possible if it were an overly popular thing..like a silly band

 

[mom2rtk]

I did not say it was not stolen. I said that I seriously doubt that any Security person at WDW would tell a Guest such as thing as "ten stollers have been stolen in the Park tonight".

You did not mention in your original post that the diaper bag had been found.

But I have seen people want to contact Security to report a missing stroller and then finding it is an authorized stroller parking area.

I have have seen lots of strollers for sale to cast at Property Control up to and including some special needs strollers such as the McLaren Major, which can be quite expensive; that is where found item are sent from Central Lost and Found after a certain interval.

Well, sorry but I'm going to believe my friend. She had no reason to make up a story about security telling her theirs was the 10th stroller stolen that night.

 

[graceesmom]

This totally explains the missing sippy cup from my stroller when I exited the Land Pavillion last year.

Disney thieves are awful!

(right outside the land pavilion)

 

[jc040404]

I did not say it was not stolen. I said that I seriously doubt that any Security person at WDW would tell a Guest such as thing as "ten stollers have been stolen in the Park tonight".

I can! I've had the wildest things told to me by security over the last year or so, stuff that I'm sure they probably shouldn't have been sharing. It happens a lot when I've noticed one of them listening with an odd face. I've never asked, but I guess my face showed I was curious so they shared whatever was going on. Saying ten strollers have been stolen doesn't seem like a big deal at all in comparison.


We've had a couple things stolen. A toy that I'm sure another little one probably just grabbed without parents realizing on a visit in 2006. Earlier this year someone ran off with my spare sunblock. At the same time we noticed the missing sunblock, another guest was about out of her mind over her dd's missing minnie ears. (Stroller parking by IASW, very late in the evening) We just don't leave much on the stroller, but I have also been amazed at what some seem to be comfortable leaving unattended.

 

[jak07]

My son had his kid "frog" umbrella stolen out of our stroller June 2009 outside of the Living Seas.
We left the adult umbrellas opened and used them to cover the stroller. Everyone thought the other one had the frog umbrella, and somehow it got left in the basket of the stroller, closed. We went to get the stroller and the adult umbrellas were still there, and the the frog umbrella was gone. My son was CRUSHED! He cried and asked why someone would steal his umbrella.

I can't figure out if a child stole it, or if an adult grabbed it for their kid.
Either way I was soooo angry. They could have taken the adult ones, I didn't care. Why go fishing in my stroller for one when there were 2 perfectly good opened umbrellas.

As we walked around the park, I glanced over (didn't dig through) other strollers looking to see if someone had our umbrella, I noticed so many people that had left cameras, packages, toys, etc... in them. Why would you do something like that?

Sorry that your toys were stolen. Crappy parents!!!!

 

[stormer]

Last year we parked our stroller outside Pizza Planet because it was raining. It is a Maclaren and I had put the rain cover on it. When the rain passed and we went outside someone had moved the stroller and taken the rain cover. I was so mad. It wasn't the item that was stolen, just the fact that someone would take something that wasn't theirs.

 

[jak07]

Regarding the OP's post, some times kids grab things on strollers without the person driving the stroller noticing. It's only later that it's realized the child has something they shouldn't have, and then trying to find the rightful owner is next to impossible

True, but they could ALWAYS turn it into Lost and Found or a CM. There really is no excuse.

 

[MeanestMomEver]

I am so glad I don't have to take a stroller anymore. (Although I do miss those days!)

I never knew it was a problem back in the day but since learning about all the theft I would do things differently now.

I think you have to handle your stroller and property the same way as you would at a large shopping mall. Would you leave your car unlocked? A bike? No, you lock those. I think everyone really should use a bike lock whenever possible and never leave anything of value. I think someone explained a way to lock a stroller up to make it unusable but so that CM could still move it if needed.

After all, you wouldn't park your stroller outside Macy's and go in to shop and leave your camera, water bottle, lunch or bag from Gymboree in your stroller. Just because it's WDW doesn't mean disgusting thieves aren't there.

I don't mean AT ALL to sound like I am scolding. After all, I never took a bike lock back in the day. But today I would and I would take EVERYTHING with me. Well, actually, my DH would probably take over and rig up some sort of locking backpack and lock it to the stroller for the non-valuables like clothing and diapers.

As for the little missing skeleton - I would have handled it the same way. Sounds like she knew it was at risk and used an identifying item that wouldn't upset her if she lost it. It's just the principle. I get that. I also would like to think that the child grabbed it or maybe it was knocked to the ground as someone brushed by and the child's family member picked it up. "Hey, this is cool!" But I also would not be surprised if a parent or older sibling just grabbed it. I could see it happening at the mall, so why not at Disney?

 

[blessedby3]

I agree with pp's that the parents may not have known until later that their child swiped the stuff off your stroller. Doesnt make it right, but sometimes these things happen. I know from experience
Years ago when I was in Sams with my dd(now 11), I got out to the van to load her up and to my surprise inside her stroller with her were about 15 gift cards
Thankfully they were not active (since they have to do that at the register) but I was mortified that I didnt notice and I know I was beet red as I went back inside and explained the whole thing to the customer service lady.

Also, a couple of years ago we left our stroller outside of Mickey's Philharmagic while we went in. We didnt leave anything in the stroller, but used our shower curtain to cover it since it was supposed to rain. We used clothes pins to attatch it to the stroller and when we came out--you guessed it--someone had undone our cover and taken it! I was so upset! People just amaze me everyday...its no wonder that when kids see parents doing these kinds of things, that they grow up to do the same! Stop the madness!!!!

 

[larryz]

I am so glad I don't have to take a stroller anymore. (Although I do miss those days!)

I had to re-read this a few times to figure out that you weren't actually TAKING stollers, you were using them (yours). Forgive me, but it's a thread about taking things FROM strollers, so I naturally made the leap when you said "taking strollers."

 

[mommahnina]

I was nervous about renting a stroller from a company, but we found out that they have put GPS locating on the strollers! hehe ! which I personally think its brilliant!!! I dont plan on leaving anything in the stroller.. I dont trust anyone.


also on thefts... better hold onto your churros at epcot!!! we stopped and got one after we ate some lunch and were sitting next to the "lake" well the birds came in and actually flew up and took my sons LOL!! should have seen his face it was horrible, so I went and got another one for him and in the process the bird stole my youngest daughters as I was walking around the building to get to our tables I saw my husband moving weirdlly and feathers flying everywhere LOL apparently my husband was very angry the bird stole his daughters churro ( or the fact he had to buy yet another one ) so needless to say HOLD ONTO THE CHURROS!!!!!! the birds are quick and fast and steal from kids sitting in there strollers lol!!!

 

[mrsr2ro]

also on thefts... better hold onto your churros at epcot!!! we stopped and got one after we ate some lunch and were sitting next to the "lake" well the birds came in and actually flew up and took my sons LOL!! should have seen his face it was horrible, so I went and got another one for him and in the process the bird stole my youngest daughters as I was walking around the building to get to our tables I saw my husband moving weirdlly and feathers flying everywhere LOL apparently my husband was very angry the bird stole his daughters churro ( or the fact he had to buy yet another one ) so needless to say HOLD ONTO THE CHURROS!!!!!! the birds are quick and fast and steal from kids sitting in there strollers lol!!![/QUOTE]


I cannot stop laughing at this!

 

[cm8]

I think more and more people are born w/o any shred of a conscience anymore. if they want something, take it. It's all about ME after all. And unfortunately it's an easy thing to learn when parents live by that example.
Sorry OP. I for one would have the same conclusion as you did about the skeleton. Given how little many parents even watch or care about their kids are doing (however watching what others are wearing in the form of the offensive shoe Crocs! Is perfectly sane. ), I'm sure they just grabbed it because they wanted it and the mom either figired she'd never find teh woner becue she didn't see little Suzy Angel Sunshine steal it, or maybe dad bought it.

These threads HAVE been helpful to me tho, even though they are depressing. I'm going to be looking at doing things a bit differently this time.

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

Sadly, I have the bike lock on the stroller all ready to go. This is the last trip with a stroller (I hope), and although we hadn't needed one in the past, as we started getting ready for this trip a couple of months ago, my gut tells me, to bring it and use it. (and that's before reading any posts about this).

At the risk of being shot down in flames here, I am so tired of seeing all this theft, now more and more gotta deal with it on vacation. Really? I work at a certain provincally-run Liquor Store, and we see theft pretty much every day. We cannot do a damn thing to stop them either. On the off chance we have security in the store and they catch said thieves, they pretty much get to walk out with a warning, so is there any reason to stop? No one is acountable for anything anymore.

Sorry, really grumpy lately, think I need this trip more then ever. Sorry to hear about it OP!

 

[kaligal]

If you don't want something stolen, never leave it unattended in a public place.