Fruit Thieves (mostly persimmons)
Karen
by Daniel DeBolt
Mountain View Voice Staff
Downtown property owners say they are creeped out and irritated by the
regular presence of fruit thieves in their neighborhood — people who
sneak onto properties and strip trees of their fruit, which the
residents believe is then sold elsewhere.
Over the past few years, they say, people on foot, on bikes and in
cars have been taking fruit from people's front yards — and, in at
least one case, from backyards as well. The most popular fruit to be
stolen is persimmons, which will ripen all over the neighborhood in a
few weeks.
The pilfering isn't a serious enough crime for police to dedicate a
lot of resources to stopping it. But it's enough to be an annoyance
for neighbors, who say they wouldn't mind so much if they were asked
first.
After posting on the neighborhood e-mail list, the Voice received
eight reports of fruit trees being stripped without permission in the
area surrounding View, Bush and Loreto streets.
Downtown resident Bruce Karney said that up until 2000, people would
ask to pick his persimmon tree. Now they are stripping his apple tree
as well, without asking.
"I'm angry about it," he said, adding that he once saw a fruit thief
drive up in a Mercedes Benz.
"Creepy is a good word" to describe it, said one downtown resident,
who had a persimmon tree in her unfenced backyard completely stripped
of its persimmons last year. The thieves squashed her landscaping in
the process when they stacked stones to get high enough to reach every
piece of fruit.
The woman, who wished to be anonymous, filed a police report in which
she estimated the damage and the fruit to be worth $400.
"Apparently there's some kind of underground persimmon market," she
said. "Persimmons are particularly attractive to some people. I'm mad
about it for various reasons."
Many neighbors say they are afraid that the thieves will become
emboldened if left unchecked.
Bush Street resident Anne Urban remembers walking out her front door
one afternoon last fall to see a man in her persimmon tree in her
front yard. "I yelled at him," Urban said. "The annoying part was that
he laughed. He didn't run away fast until I started chasing him."
Noam Livnat, leader of the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association,
wrote about the "fruit thieves in our midst" in the association's
September newsletter. Livnat said he'd caught a woman red-handed up in
his fruit tree and had seen his neighbors chase some fruit thieves
down his street.
"I'm concerned that those who drive here to steal fruit from front
yards will move to stealing from back yards or from houses," Livnat
wrote. "I haven't been worried about crime in the neighborhood and I'm
not sure I am now, but I'm not as sanguine about it anymore."
In the newsletter, Livnat said that chasing the thieves from the
neighborhood was "the neighborly thing to do."
"I think it's appropriate to chase them away," Karney agreed, adding
that it might also be a good idea to "take their photographs, get
license plate numbers and file a police report."
In an e-mail, police spokesperson Liz Wylie said that "the best course
of action" is for homeowners to "call us as the picking is occurring
so that we can do something about it." She said the fruit thieves may
not be aware that what they are doing is not OK with the homeowner,
and suggested that people put up signs with messages to the effect of
"Please don't pick my fruit."
"If we caught somebody in the act, we would likely give them a
warning, depending on the circumstances," Wylie said. "If somebody
were to be arrested and it's under $50 worth (of fruit), the DA's
office would prosecute it as an infraction, not a misdemeanor" — and
that's if they chose to prosecute it at all.
Downtown neighbor Eugene Cordero had a different take on the
situation.
"It's been my observation that there is more fruit rotting in our
front yards than fruit picked by unwelcome guests," he wrote on the
neighborhood e-mail list. "The real issue is the expanding divide
between rich and poor. If people were not in such challenging times,
they wouldn't resort to stealing food to feed their families."
The situation "illustrates an unwillingness to imagine what it's like
to live on the other side of the street."
A local volunteer organization called Village Harvest will pick
residents' fruit trees and donate the fruit to local food agencies. To
learn more, visit www.villageharvest.org, call (888) fruit-411 or
write in...@villageharvest.org.
The Ranger
news:f85be1f9-2cc0-45d5...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
> Mouton Vieux's Voice intones "Resentment builds against fruit thieves"
[snip story of bold thieves]
It ain't jes' Downtown Mounton Vieux... I posted this back in 2005...
Melba's Jammin' <barbs.chal...@earthfink.net.invalid> wondered in
message news:barbs.challer-1DF...@individual.net...
> When's your court date, BTW. "-)
Hasn't happened yet.
Here's that tale...
I planted a nectarine sapling four years ago in my front yard. I did so
for three reason: space availability, almost 12-hours / day of direct
sun light, and location (it could double as a neighbor-screen between
our cars).
This year, adhering to my regular method of "let it go feral and it'll
grow" care and maintenance, the thing is producing fruit like a lemon
tree on speed. It's 1/2" limbs were arched downwards like a
fully-extended Sidewinder compound bow.
To say that I was preening like a new father holding up a record trout
is falling short of that description. I used every conversational
opportunity to point out the obvious: I was going to have too many
nectarines for Clan Ranger's consumption so a few Good Neighbors (the
type that don't harangue or offer unsolicited advice, and enjoy fishing)
were going to receive their fair share.
Into every moment of happiness some Prize Jackass has to bray his way,
though. Enter Walker #1.
Walker #1 is a passing acquaintance. I see him every morning trudging
past my castle and we nod hello. Nowhere in there do I care to know his
name, nor does he give a flying flutter about me. It's the best of all
possible situations. Somewhere, sometime, my nod hello was interpreted
as "You may help yourself to my nectarines."
Recently, as I walked out through my garage to the strip where I'd
planted this Golden Goose tree, I was witness to Walker #1 helping
himself. While I wasn't even slightly upset about that -- as I said,
it's producing nectarines like so many lemon trees -- what caught me off
balance was his wanton destruction of its light limbs and branch tips.
If a piece of fruit resisted, he'd simply snap the branch.
I walked up to him, bristling, "See these tips," I asked, reaching down
and picking up the six closest to me, "and that whole branch section?
They _were_ part of that tree! Payment is the nectarines you're packin'.
Now..."
I often joke that I have Death riding my right shoulder because of the
way people react when I'm mildly annoyed. His quick handing over of all
eight nectarines certainly helped support that claim. To make sure
there was not going to be any further misunderstandings, I added for
clarification, "Oh. And I don't expect to have this conversation with
you again." He solicitously quickstepped his way out of my sight.
I looked at the fruit in my arms. Every one was hard as cement! There
wasn't a ripe one in the lot! Coupled with the branches littering my
driveway, I decided a little more proactive harvesting was necessary.
When I returned with my shears and harvest bucket in hands, I was rather
surprised to find a whole side of the tree devoid of fruit. A closer
inspection revealed multiple branches hanging at unnatural 130� angles,
proving that several two-legged animals had been helping themselves all
along.
My ebbing generosity was quickly replaced by a need to exact some form
of revenge. I didn't have to wait more than three days, of which a
significant amount of extra interest had accrued.
A few days later, in the early morning while on my way out to take all
three daughter-units to summer school, an older lady was quietly
divesting my tree of most of its remaining fruit. Daughter-unit Alpha
thought it weird that we had our own personal picker, especially since I
hadn't mentioned it in staff, so she asked this lady who she was. The
woman ignored her and kept picking fruit. Daughter-unit Beta then took
her turn and walked up to her, asked her again who she was; and she was
ignored. Spawn, knowing she would receive similar treatment, didn't
bother but bolted inside to get me.
"Someone's at the tree again," Spawn announced at sound levels usually
only found during world cup matches.
"Dammit!" I exploded.
"She's still there," she added and turned to run back out the garage.
We both stopped as I exited the garage. "Are you going to leave any of
the greener fruit to ripen?"
The chutzpah some people use as a shield when they think they are going
to get items for free is something I have never understood. Sour Puss
turned and looked me square in the eyes, sneered a tsk in my direction,
and then turned back around to finish the u-pick process at Ranger's
Public Farm.
"Since you're too stupid to understand that I'm asking you to leave," I
said nonchalantly, "I'll explain it in a simpler way." I took one large
step to my right where I coil my garden hose and gave the spicket a full
turn. 60psi shot through the green rubber tubing and roared out the
sprayer nozzle twelve feet. All three daughter-units vaulted away like
nimble little gazelle.
Sour Puss got it full in the back and head.
The Safeway bag, laden with her ill-gotten loot, dropped and scattered
over twenty fruit hither-and-yon. Sour Puss, head ducked between her
shoulders, ran back to the sidewalk, ten feet away, thinking I'd stop
spraying her once she reached the safety of that particular patch of
cement.
I didn't.
I kept spraying her the remaining 55' to the end of my property line.
She was one wet feline by the time I'd finished making my point. All
three daughter-units quickly filed into the car firing off
statement-questions as I pulled away.
As we drove past Sour Puss, she attempted a Withering Glare. I stopped
and rolled down my window. "Don't ever come onto my property again. I
won't be nearly as kind next time."
Unknown to me, Jeff (a neighbor down the street) had witnessed the
entire incident -- it'll probably be featured on some live-cam video
program soon. He also has a fruit tree (a Meyer Lemon) out front. When I
returned from drop-off, he ambled his 300 lb bulk over as I was picking
up all the fruit in the bag. "Mornin', [Range]. Had a good laugh at,"
and he pointed down to the loot. "I've always wanted to do that too!" He
continued to laugh. "I got to thinking, though," he said
sympathetically. "I use something that I think you'll appreciate." He
offered me a cellophane wrapped package."
"What is it?"
"Tree netting. It's like a hair net for trees. Originally," he said, "it
was to prevent those damned jays from stealing my tree's fruit but it's
reaped an unexpected bonus. Those GDFs leave my tree alone as well
since, it seems, none of them carry a knife or shears."
"Cool. Thank you very much. How much?"
"Free. It was worth it just watching her get soaked when you didn't stop
at the sidewalk."
The Ranger
Wallace
"Karen" <kso...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f85be1f9-2cc0-45d5...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
by Daniel DeBolt
Mountain View Voice Staff
Downtown property owners say they are creeped out and irritated by the
regular presence of fruit thieves in their neighborhood � people who
sneak onto properties and strip trees of their fruit, which the
residents believe is then sold elsewhere.
My persimmons were ripped off last year, in West San Jose. Fortunately, I
still had enough that were too high for the thieves to reach.
evergene
>Here's that tale...
I love it -- carefully calibrated force applied to maximum effect. At
the moment, I'm watching and listening to the Blue Angels practicing
directly overhead. As a display of force, they suggest an interesting
alternative to the garden hose.
Michael Sierchio
Major collateral damage, though. A paintball gun? You know, with
backup. 590A1? Maybe just an audio tape of a pump-action shotgun
being racked?
Todd Michel McComb
Michael Sierchio <kudzu-...@tenebras.com> wrote:
>Maybe just an audio tape of a pump-action shotgun being racked?
I was already thinking that in many parts of the country, the
buckshot to water ratio would have been considerably higher.
evergene
Call me old school, but the idea of calling in an air strike on a
nectarine tree just tickles me. "I love the smell of stone fruits in
the morning."
By the way, I'll give you 3 to 2 that soon we'll be hearing how a real
man would have handled this situation. I'd offer 3 to 1, but posting
the offer changes the odds - it's like trying to measure position and
velocity at the same time.
Dan Abel
evergene <ever...@newsguy.com> wrote:
I can hear it now:
"See that plane up there? Our son is the pilot. My wife is in the
house and is in radio contact with him. He has a machine gun and
rockets, and knows how to use them. Your house will not survive an
attack."
--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
da...@sonic.net
Golden California Girls
>[story snipped]
Motion detectors for the lawn sprinklers!
Steve Pope
track it to its destination.
Steve
JC Dill
> A big problem in San Jose was people stealing nopales and the rare
> tunas (rare because people stole the pedals that would have sprouted
> the tunas).
What are you drinking, and can I have some?
jc
Steve Pope
>It's the first definition list at m-w.com, princeton.edu, and
>Google.com (and probably others as well).
I've been waiting for years to see "atun con tuna" on a menu...
S.
JC Dill
> yourself instead.
> It's the first definition list at m-w.com, princeton.edu, and
> Google.com (and probably others as well).
Try it yourself:
http://www.google.com/search?q=definition+pedal
I don't think pedals sprout tunas.
jc
Karen
> My persimmons were ripped off last year, in West San Jose. Fortunately, I
> still had enough that were too high for the thieves to reach.
So, what is up with persimmons?
Is there a second market, or what?
Karen
rone
Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>Oh, so now you're reverting to a spelling flame to try and save
>face.
It would have helped if you hadn't been such a dick in the first reply.
>You know, I never really realized just how fucking lame you were
>until recently.
There's a Mr. Kettle calling on line 2, Mr. Pot.
rone
--
"The priest jabbered incomprehensibly on the distinctive nature of Christian
actions, as opposed to Jewish and Muslim actions, in the world. Not one word
about Mary. No connection to the readings. I am getting tired of this man,
and I think his liturgy is suspect." -- Richard Allan Baruz
Golden California Girls
> Implant a micro-GPS locator in one of the persimmons and
> track it to its destination.
The sewage treatment plant?
rone
Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>I thought you would have gave up defending helpless women on the
>internet from the likes of me about 15 years ago. What's the
>occasion?
I'm not defending her; i'm attacking you.
rone
Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>On 12 Oct 2009 23:17:49 -0700, rone wrote:
>> In article <x1sdr3fc...@sqwertz.com>,
>> Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>>>I thought you would have gave up defending helpless women on the
>>>internet from the likes of me about 15 years ago. What's the
>>>occasion?
>> I'm not defending her; i'm attacking you.
For 13 years.
evergene
>On 12 Oct 2009 23:17:49 -0700, rone wrote:
>> I'm not defending her; i'm attacking you.
>
>Rone's in love.
Now *that's* what I call thread drift.
Ciccio
> My persimmons were ripped off last year, in West San Jose. Fortunately, I
> still had enough that were too high for the thieves to reach.
FWIW, grand theft, which can be charged as a felony, generally
requires that the value of the property taken exceeds $400. The
value, however, is only $100, when the property is avocados, olives,
citrus or deciduous fruits, other fruits, vegetables, nuts,
artichokes, or other farm
crops.
Ciccio
Wallace
"Ciccio" <franc...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:5d51c150-740e-4414...@g22g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Does a home fruit tree count as a "farm crop"?
JC Dill
It counts as a "deciduous fruit".
jc
Wallace
"JC Dill" <jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hb892h$m9l$1...@aioe.org...
well, that sure begs the question.
Karen
> well, that sure begs the question.
The fine should be higher than $100 to deter thieves. Lemons can be a
$1 ea, artichokes $3, avocados $2, and up in the store.
I don't know what a persimmon may cost. There are persimmon interests
on craigslist.
Karen
Wallace
"Karen" <kso...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:835f1895-fa8e-41b4...@v37g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
Karen
no, it begs the question whether a home fruit tree counts as a "farm crop".
The way I read the statute, it pertains to farm crops, such as avocados,
persimmons, etc. Not persimmons in general. It says "and OTHER farm
crops". Need to look at the legislative history and case law to see if they
provide any insights.
And the $100 is not the fine, it is the threshold between petty larceny and
grand larceny.
Ciccio
> "Ciccio" <frances...@comcast.net> wrote in message
It can be, if the fruit is part of a commercial activity. So, for
example, if the owner were to pick fruit from their tree, and sell it
a roadside stand, that would do it. The question that needs to be
resolved is: whether it is limited to items of fruit that are sold
commercially? Or does "farm crops" mean generally the types of items
that are grown for commercial purposes, whether or not the owner sells
them commercially?
Another, interesting issue is: If the former interpretation, then:
where, in the stream of commerce, if ever, do items grown for
commercial purposes stop being "farm crops"? For sure, it need not be
taken off the tree, as convictions have been sustained when they were
taken from trucks transporting them to market. How about when they get
to the market? If one takes $100 of fruits, nuts, veggies, from a
supermarket, is that grand theft instead of petty theft? Or for that
matter, if they are taken from the purchaser's fruit bowl, at the
purchaser's home?
It's easy to see how people get irritated at lawyers...
Ciccio
Wallace
On Oct 15, 11:39 am, "Wallace" <pleasenos...@microsoft.com> wrote:
> "Ciccio" <frances...@comcast.net> wrote in message
"Another, interesting issue is: If the former interpretation, then:
where, in the stream of commerce, if ever, do items grown for
commercial purposes stop being "farm crops"? For sure, it need not be
taken off the tree, as convictions have been sustained when they were
taken from trucks transporting them to market. How about when they get
to the market? If one takes $100 of fruits, nuts, veggies, from a
supermarket, is that grand theft instead of petty theft? Or for that
matter, if they are taken from the purchaser's fruit bowl, at the
purchaser's home?"
I was wondering about that too.
"It's easy to see how people get irritated at lawyers..."
no wonderment there.
The Ranger
news:kissc5l9l8d6je3v2...@4ax.com...
> The Ranger wrote:
>>Here's that tale...
>>
> I love it -- carefully calibrated force applied to maximum effect.
Thank you. SWMBO was not, uhm, as supportive right away. Something about
insurance issues, a potential lawsuit, and the glee with which I delivered
said carefully calibrated force.
Today, on cue, enter Walker Troupe Du Jour; four Japanese Silver Vixen.
Clan Ranger was away on a soccer sojourn so the Golden Persimmon Vault was
left unguarded.
Or so Walker Troupe believed.
Jeff, my neighborly neighbor mentioned prior, has since joined St. Pete
tending those heavenly Meyer and persimmon orchards. Jeff's wife, once demur
and soft-spoken, has taken on the mantle of Capt. Jeff, complete with
boomerang shield, booming voice, and star-spangled latex. She "patrols" the
neighborhood crops and is not shy about addressing loutish behavior.
Today Walker Troupe meandered past Clan Ranger's property line, excitedly
pointed to my burgeoning tree, and then moved forward to assist me in the
U-pick process. Capt. Jeff was across the street in two heartbeats and
shaking her finger (so says the reliable Court Reporter, Spawn friend and
confidante). Court Reporter's father-unit was outside today as well, tending
his yard when he noticed Capt. Jeff shaking her finger and yelling at four
other seniors. Said seniors said something to Capt. Jeff who then switched
to Full-Volume Japanese. Senior Vixen bobbed and placated Capt. Jeff,
beating a hasty retreat from whence they emerged.
Court Reporter couldn't wait to tell Spawn, who couldn't wait to tell SWMBO,
who called up Capt. Jeff, who was still mad as a wet hen over "the brazeness
of some people that hide behind language."
I feel Mrs. Jeff has earned a double-bushel for this. My crop's safe for
another season.
The Ranger
Aahz Maruch
The Ranger <cuhula...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>I feel Mrs. Jeff has earned a double-bushel for this. My crop's safe for
>another season.
...and you'll be getting beers off this story for the next decade,
right?
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
"Someone is *wrong* on the Internet."
The Ranger
news:hblc9n$c21$1...@panix3.panix.com...
> In article <sYednWKsTNntU0bX...@posted.rawbandwidth>,
> The Ranger <cuhula...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>I feel Mrs. Jeff has earned a double-bushel for this. My crop's safe for
>>another season.
>
> ...and you'll be getting beers off this story for the next decade,
> right?
I would certainly hope so. But the 'group's currently only drinking Bud
Lites.
The Ranger
123go
"The Ranger" <cuhula...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:sYednWKsTNntU0bX...@posted.rawbandwidth...
> evergene <ever...@newsguy.com> wrote in message
> news:kissc5l9l8d6je3v2...@4ax.com...
> > The Ranger wrote:
> >>Here's that tale...
> >>
> > I love it -- carefully calibrated force applied to maximum effect.
> [snip]
>
> Thank you. SWMBO was not, uhm, as supportive right away. Something about
> insurance issues, a potential lawsuit, and the glee with which I delivered
> said carefully calibrated force.
>
> Today, on cue, enter Walker Troupe Du Jour; four Japanese Silver Vixen.
>
> Clan Ranger was away on a soccer sojourn so the Golden Persimmon Vault was
> left unguarded.
>
> Or so Walker Troupe believed.
>
> Jeff, my neighborly neighbor mentioned prior, has since joined St. Pete
> tending those heavenly Meyer and persimmon orchards. Jeff's wife, once
demur
> and soft-spoken, has taken on the mantle of Capt. Jeff, complete with
> boomerang shield, booming voice, and star-spangled latex. She "patrols"
the
> neighborhood crops and is not shy about addressing loutish behavior.
reminds me of the time my little Italian neighbor guy started yelling at my
dad, who was helping himself to something before I returned home. Since my
dad knew he was the Italian guy, my dad started explaining to him in
Italian. Ahh, all turned out well!