Car Theft

Car Theft

Fresno recognizes that it is prone to car theft, being the second highest rated city in car thievery. Below, visitors can find practical suggestions for protecting their vehicle from theft.

When exiting the car to pick up mail, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. When paying for gas or pumping it, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. Wherever you go where you must leave your car unattended, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. Thieves have been known to slip into cars in a matter of seconds when the victim’s back is turned.

Keep valuables out of sight. Do not leave any items on the dashboard, in the front seat, or the backseat. Do not leave open the car’s glove compartment or any other compartment to tempt the thieves. It would be best if all valuables were not left in the car at all. This includes the check book, credit cards, cellphones, bills, GPS Devices, etc. It would be good to keep the car registration and insurance with you in your wallet rather than in the car (it would be easy for criminals to dispose of said information if left in the car).

Park your car in a well-lit area as close to the establishment that you’re residing in as possible. It is good to park the car in a group of other cars. However, if parked in a group, be more cautious as you return to your car because thieves can hide behind neighboring cars.

Please also consider these tips on how to lock your car. We suggest your car have an auto-lock to ensure all the car doors and the trunk are properly secured. When you are done driving the car for the day, we advise you to use as many locks as possible. Use a steering wheel lock and armored collar around the wheel to secure your ignition wires and steering wheel. Other locks to consider are the hood lock, gearshift locks, floorboard locks, and tire locks (for each wheel, and also carry a spare). Also, make sure to remove the rotor, ignition fuse, and coil wire to completely disable your vehicle and discourage thieves. Also, set your car alarm. Double lock your car with the key lock before you depart from the car. If there is a garage or parking structure available, we strongly advise you use these facilities. However, it is also recommended to still use the shared lock precautions stated above.

A local Fresno resident has used the above method and has expressed the safety of his car for the past 10 years. The resident refused to provide a sample photo of his locked car so not to draw attention to his vehicle. Upon request, we can provide an example of what a locked car looks like.

With the success rate of this locking method slowly on the rise, the motorcycle and bicycle thefts have increased. Therefore, visitors can use the following tips to protect these modes of transportation.

Motorcyclists, please use the dual lock system: a fork lock and wheel lock. Bicyclists, it would be best to bring the bicycle inside your home. Do not leave it unattended in the backyard unless it is securely locked to a pole or gate. Use the double U-lock method: one lock around the frame of the bike and the gate or pole, and the other U-lock around the frame and the bike’s front wheel. Cable locks work, but these can easily be cut through. U-locks, with the right tools, can be cut through as well, but history has shown that once one U-lock is cut through, the thief is too exhausted to cut through the second lock. Tarps are available for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles to camouflage your vehicles into their surroundings.

Whether you are a car driver, motorcyclist, or bicyclist, if asked to give a ride by a stranger, it is in your best interest that you politely decline. Please avoid the following pleas: “it’s just around the corner,” “my spouse will meet us halfway,” “I have gas money,” etc. Also avoid the stranger if he/she has more than one person with them. Picking up strangers have led to unfavorable consequences for the owner of the vehicle, most ending in their mode of transportation being stolen.

In the case that your car is stolen, it is best to make the precaution of registering your car and equipping the vehicle with a tracking device beforehand. Please call the police right away. They are always on hand to ensure your vehicle is safely returned.

Car Theft

Car Theft

Fresno recognizes that it is prone to car theft, being the second highest rated city in car thievery. Below, visitors can find practical suggestions for protecting their vehicle from theft.

When exiting the car to pick up mail, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. When paying for gas or pumping it, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. Wherever you go where you must leave your car unattended, turn off the car engine and lock the car doors. Thieves have been known to slip into cars in a matter of seconds when the victim’s back is turned.

Keep valuables out of sight. Do not leave any items on the dashboard, in the front seat, or the backseat. Do not leave open the car’s glove compartment or any other compartment to tempt the thieves. It would be best if all valuables were not left in the car at all. This includes the check book, credit cards, cellphones, bills, GPS Devices, etc. It would be good to keep the car registration and insurance with you in your wallet rather than in the car (it would be easy for criminals to dispose of said information if left in the car).

Park your car in a well-lit area as close to the establishment that you’re residing in as possible. It is good to park the car in a group of other cars. However, if parked in a group, be more cautious as you return to your car because thieves can hide behind neighboring cars.

Please also consider these tips on how to lock your car. We suggest your car have an auto-lock to ensure all the car doors and the trunk are properly secured. When you are done driving the car for the day, we advise you to use as many locks as possible. Use a steering wheel lock and armored collar around the wheel to secure your ignition wires and steering wheel. Other locks to consider are the hood lock, gearshift locks, floorboard locks, and tire locks (for each wheel, and also carry a spare). Also, make sure to remove the rotor, ignition fuse, and coil wire to completely disable your vehicle and discourage thieves. Also, set your car alarm. Double lock your car with the key lock before you depart from the car. If there is a garage or parking structure available, we strongly advise you use these facilities. However, it is also recommended to still use the shared lock precautions stated above.

A local Fresno resident has used the above method and has expressed the safety of his car for the past 10 years. The resident refused to provide a sample photo of his locked car so not to draw attention to his vehicle. Upon request, we can provide an example of what a locked car looks like.

With the success rate of this locking method slowly on the rise, the motorcycle and bicycle thefts have increased. Therefore, visitors can use the following tips to protect these modes of transportation.

Motorcyclists, please use the dual lock system: a fork lock and wheel lock. Bicyclists, it would be best to bring the bicycle inside your home. Do not leave it unattended in the backyard unless it is securely locked to a pole or gate. Use the double U-lock method: one lock around the frame of the bike and the gate or pole, and the other U-lock around the frame and the bike’s front wheel. Cable locks work, but these can easily be cut through. U-locks, with the right tools, can be cut through as well, but history has shown that once one U-lock is cut through, the thief is too exhausted to cut through the second lock. Tarps are available for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles to camouflage your vehicles into their surroundings.

Whether you are a car driver, motorcyclist, or bicyclist, if asked to give a ride by a stranger, it is in your best interest that you politely decline. Please avoid the following pleas: “it’s just around the corner,” “my spouse will meet us halfway,” “I have gas money,” etc. Also avoid the stranger if he/she has more than one person with them. Picking up strangers have led to unfavorable consequences for the owner of the vehicle, most ending in their mode of transportation being stolen.

In the case that your car is stolen, it is best to make the precaution of registering your car and equipping the vehicle with a tracking device beforehand. Please call the police right away. They are always on hand to ensure your vehicle is safely returned.

Drinking in Fresno

Drinking

 For those seeking a uniquely Fresno experience, the city boasts nearly three hundred bars, pubs, nightclubs, and cocktail lounges. Whether your poison is beer, wine, or hard liquor, there’s something for everyone, with an average of 106 bars per fifteen square miles, where tourists can observe the locals in their “natural habitat” in the city USAToday reported as being the “Drunkest City in America” in 2010.

One of the ideal neighborhoods for tourists wishing to observe Fresno’s drunk culture is the Tower District, located just north and west of downtown, which boasts some local favorite watering holes such as: The Landmark, Livingstone’s, Spokeasy Public House, Sequoia Brewing Company, Audie’s Olympic Tavern, Das Bierhaus, Veni Vidi Vici, Pinot Wine Bar, Cuvée Spirit & Wine Parlor, Tower Sports Club, Million Elephant Café & Bar, Strummer’s, North Tower Circle, Bobby Salazar’s, Essence Lounge, Bourbon & Taps, and Score Sports Café & Lounge—all within one square mile.

Tourists are encouraged to participate in the festivities, but should be sure to be alert at closing time (2:00 AM for most establishments) so as not to miss the end-of-the-night spectacle of locals carefully plotting their routes home so as to avoid DUI arrests. Each night is certain to be an exciting game of cat-and-mouse as police cars cruise up and down the streets with astounding frequency, park in front of or around the corner from bars, sit in the middle of the street with flashing lights, or set up orange cones and bright signs announcing DUI checkpoints (a real treat for those new to the city to stumble across; experienced visitors will have planned out the most likely locations). However, as Fresno is the self proclaimed “toughest city in the nation on drunken drivers,” due to its near one hundred regular checkpoint locations (the highest of any city in the United States) and an average of around 5,000 DUI arrests per year in Fresno County, visitors’ chances of observing a DUI arrest are quite high.

In order to help facilitate the best visitor experience possible, included below is a link to a map of possible DUI checkpoint locations throughout the city. (NOTE: This map does not include surrounding areas such as Clovis, Kingsburg, Sanger, Parlier, or Selma.)

Fresno DUI Checkpoint Map

Fashion Survival Tips: The Four Seasons

Fashion Survival Tips: The Four Seasons

Fresno is filled with wall to wall shopping to highlight your own personal fashion. Be it flowers and lace, spots and stripes, or leather and spikes, the Fashion Fair Plaza on Shaw Ave is fully stocked with clothing to appeal to all styles, shapes and sizes. Fresno offers top notch clothing for all seasons. This guide will offer some suggestions in clothing for Fresno’s unpredictable weather by the seasons.

 

Summer

During this season, the temperature is at an average high of 98 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, visitors should pack lightweight clothes. For women, Fresno natives are fond of shorts or capris coupled with fun and colorful tops (for the trendy female, crop tops are in) or tanks, flip-flops, and a pair of shades on hand. While maxi-dresses are really popular, it is advised that these dresses are not worn unless the weather is below 90 degrees. A local maxi-dress fanatic has expressed how legs covered under the thick fabric of a maxi are subjected to heat baking their legs to maximum perspiration. Visitors, please consider a sundress ending right about the knees, perfect for all degrees of heat. For men, shorts are the way to go, the pant legs cutting a few inches below the knee. Cargo shorts or basketball shorts are pretty popular in the summertime complimented with a tank or T-Shirt. Avoid wearing dark colors, especially black at this time of year. There are days where the temperature will push the 100s, and dark clothing will make the outdoor experience in Fresno very unbearable. Wear bright colors like light blues, yellows, greens, and pinks to avoid the heat. More importantly, for safety matters, visitors should pack and apply their strongest sun blocks. Sunburned skin does not always go with every outfit. Parasols, sun hats and sun visors are nice protection from the sun, but a Fresno native will spot anyone using these belongings as a tourist.

Fall

Visitors should still pack the lightweight summer clothes. The temperature may still be above 90 degrees in September (sometimes leaking into October), so the fall fashions may or may not be applicable each year. Therefore, if it’s still 90-100 degree weather, the above information about summer fashion will still apply. If fall does occur, jeans are more common around this time of year. The nights will be cooler so visitors should pack lightweight coats, sweatshirts, and jackets. Local Fresno women prefer to bring out their colorful leggings, coats, and parade in the latest style of boots. Rumor is there is some unsaid competition between women on who can wear the most stylish pair. Men wear button-up collared t-shirts (solid-colored or plaid), slacks or jeans. Shorts are still applicable for men as well. Both men and women are enjoying scarves, berets, driver’s caps, and leather jackets increasingly as the season draws to a close.

 

Winter

The average high is 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Visitors will want to be prepared for colder weather and possible rain fall. Pack sweatshirts, coats (light and heavy), and a couple pair of jeans or slacks. Clothing for both the men and the women tend to blend together around winter. There are more fashionable sweats, sporting favorite sports teams or school pride. Long sleeved and short sleeved clothing is suggested due to fluctuating changes in temperature (some places are colder or warmer than others). Some mornings till noon are nippy, so it would be wise to pack scarves and hats. It is around this time of year that the hat fashion for both men and women is at its craziest. The hoodies, the crocheted berets, driver’s caps, and the beanies with pom-poms appear by the hundreds. Crazy Hat Day, a town favorite, occurs in February, celebrating Fresno’s love for hats.

 

Spring

The spring time is when the pastel colors are back in. However, it is best not to wear anything white. With the rainy season, combined with the wind blowing dust from the agricultural venues, dust storms are common and not favorable for white clothing. A local resident expressed her dismay when she wore a white dress for Easter only for it to become brown and splotchy when a dust storm blew by. The rain is not too severe all spring long so heavy duty rain boots are not a requirement, but it would be good to bring a small pocket umbrella and a lightweight raincoat. Around May, spring is sometimes cut short. Visitors may want to bring some summer clothes to enjoy the sunny weather. Suggestions from the summer season apply.

Doomsday Prepping

Doomsday Prepping

Fresno, and the Central Valley by extension, is known as the Bible Belt of California. And as such, a large portion of the population—whether conservative or not—are obsessed with the end of times. This occasionally creates an atmosphere of panic in the region, which is perhaps enhanced by the sometimes-apocalyptic-looking landscape (which you might have noticed driving on highway 99, a system pocked by shredded tires, overgrown ditches, desiccated trash fluttering by, condemned hovels laid bare by the elements). However, whenever news comes down from an epidemic, natural disaster, or a left-leaning candidate being elected anywhere in the world, Fresnans spend an increasing amount of their time on the pastime affectionately dubbed “Doomsday Prepping.”

Doomsday Prepping has spawned a growing market, and has actually helped place jobs on the market in Fresno, decreasing the dismal rate of unemployment (though it still idles at dismal). On a consumer level, Preppers (as they are wont to be monikered) help stimulate the economy by their purchasing power. Canned goods and bottled water sales have increased exponentially in the area, and purchases of ammunitions and guns has also seen a rise in sales. Also on the upswing are: first aid kits, flare guns, shovels, pocketknives, machetes, chainsaws, gasoline, axes, hatchets, tomahawks, samurai swords, longswords, shortswords, bows and arrows, crossbows, fallout shelters, gas masks, goggles, boots, clothing, disposable dishes, reusable dishes, all-in-one dishware, firesteel, flintstones, generators, socks, gel insoles, paintball gear, SWAT vests, face shields, various protective gears, potato guns, mallets, kunai, and salt and pepper shakers.

You might find the atmosphere to be contagious; and indeed, all visitors are encouraged to get swept away by the Central Valley’s pastime. Central Valley Preppers, the first program in the country designed specifically to prepare for the end of the world, offers several training courses to ready visitors or those newly interested in the field for the inevitable demise of modern civilization. Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, and Survivor courses are offered all year round at low costs. Beginner courses last a period of ten weeks (though expedited sessions are provided for those who feel the end-of-times is more urgent) and offers insight on scenarios for the end of the world, tactics for surviving, beginning self-defense, and lectures on how we rely too much on technology nowadays. More advanced programs offer several types of self-defense classes, including fencing, judo, archery, and ju jitsu, to prepare for any type of post-apocalyptic encounter. There is also a field course and boot camp in which participants are encourage to brave the Central Valley elements and prove they have what it takes to survive the end of the world (all participants must sign a waiver absolving CVP of any responsibility for injury, bodily harm, or subsequent therapy sessions).

All graduates, who are willing to pay an extra fee, are invited to a special (once-a-year) meet-and-greet with Bear Grylls from the famed show Man Vs. Wild. Attendees can watch as Bear jumps out of a helicopter, lands on a busy street, canoes down the canal, and creates a makeshift ladder out of garbage bags floating nearby in the water to reach the platform where he will sign autographs and share stories of survival. Snacks and punch are provided. All attendees are encouraged to buy Bear’s new book Brother Bear: Bear Meets Bear: A Memoir (also available in audiobook, recorded by Mr. Grylls himself).

For less hands-on Preppers, there is also a book club wherein members read a dystopian (seeing as dystopias are a part of the real threat to the end of a certain level of the world; that is, the society in which we find comfort, though general discontent) or post-apocalyptic book a week to discuss the survival tactics employed, and assess what mistakes characters made that led to their ultimate demise. A list of current and upcoming meetings as well as a reading list are available at http://www.literarycirclesurvivingtheapocalypse.com.

A LETTER FROM FORMER FRESNO CITY MAYOR

A LETTER FROM FORMER FRESNO CITY MAYOR

Dear Explorer,

As a boy growing up in the third largest city in Louisiana, I know a thing or two about residing in the shadow of what others may consider something bigger and better, if only by popularity alone. Everyone I knew then and know now still ask me what New Orleans is like, and what my hometown’s relation to it is when I mention my home state. “Shreveport was the capital of the state for two years during the Civil War,” I say. “Shreveport was a location for such films as W. and The Mist,” I exclaim. Good things aren’t always so obvious, and sometimes people need to look past what’s right in front of them and explore for themselves, searching out places that may not stand out with a star on a map.

As it so happens, having once been mayor of the fine city outlined in this collection, and having known it also as an outsider, I often hear that the city of Fresno, located in the heart of California, is known as a city that lacks “things to do.” There is an overwhelming misconception that it is a city full of lower class Joads, closed-minded moralists, and youths imitating their visits to larger cities in Southern California. Having now lived here for over a decade, I can attest that these misconceptions are far from accurate, and must solely be based on weekend visits from business folk who don’t look past the 99 or the entry fountain at their Holiday Inn.

Aside from being located directly between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Fresno is a mere two hours from the nearest beach. At over 500,000 people and counting, it is California’s fifth largest city, right behind San Francisco. As trite as it may appear in writing, more and more high volume chain restaurants and businesses are adding Fresno to their list of locations, including the upcoming rumored Dave&Buster’s, as well as a West Coast debut of Duncan Donuts. With the addition of Campus Pointe’s new Heritage Theater, Fresno will now include three major movie theater corporations competing between six major theaters. As competition increases between our ever-expanding retail outlets, malls, and entertainment centers, Fresno is also a booming real-estate market with more than enough demand to fill the countless number of housing tracts erected whenever land becomes available.

Nothing to do in Fresno? How about a stroll in Woodward Park, or perhaps a viewing of a free Shakespeare play during Summer Nights at the Park? Or how about a Broadway production at Saroyan Theater, a local musical at Roger Rocka’s, a popular current artist’s concert at The Save Mart Center? I’m just warming up.

To me, a quick search on Wikipedia or the worldwide internet could get you familiar with Fresno’s overwhelming plethora of entertainment options, or help you write a report on the award-winning school district (Clovis School District, some of which is located in Fresno City, all of which is located in Fresno County). This collection highlights some of the lesser known, locally famous events and locations that I believe allow Fresno’s true unique spirit to shine through. I hope you do more than just spread the word about this great city, but truly experience it for yourselves.

Alan Autry

Fresno, 2014

Critical Mess: A Party, a Protest and Alcohol Fueled Support of Sober Driving

 

One of Fresno’s newest traditions has found a special place in both the hearts of activists and protestors as well as those looking for a drunken good time. If you’re in Fresno in March, June or September… and sometimes New Year’s Eve, you might consider partaking in Critical Mess. If a mixture of protest and party, chaotic responsibility and supporting sober driving sounds like a good time, this may be the event for you.

Critical Mess was created to protest what many Fresno residents claim are unfair police practices when it comes to the enforcement of DUI laws. Thousands of drunken party-goers several times each year take to the streets in mass to show their support of sober driving and to protest what they believe to be an excessive amount of DUI checkpoints in the city.

Critical Mess was founded in 2011 after an article published in Men’s Health magazine ranked Fresno as “the drunkest city in America.” Doug Martin and Sheldon Demaria, two locals that are regular fixtures at the bars in Fresno’s Tower District, were discussing the article, attempting to figure out how the magazine calculated such an odd fact. They discovered this ranking was based on a simple formula that compared population to the number of DUI arrests. They both felt the reasoning was flawed and that the city may not be the drunkest, but rather the city that puts the most emphasis on arresting DUI offenders. This theory was later supported by their own research which found that the city of Fresno (population 509,000) had twice the number of DUI checkpoints in 2011 than Sacramento, California (population 478,000), despite being nearly the same population and arguing that Sacramento has a much busier night life.

To protest, they decided to take this concern to the city council, but were ignored when local politicians washed their hands clean of such a controversial issue. When their concerns were ignored, the two organized what they dubbed Critical Mess. In the spirit of Critical Mass, the San Francisco day where thousands of people ride a bike in the streets as a protest to the amount of cars on the road, Critical Mess would be a night every few months where thousands of drunken people would clog the streets in areas where DUI checkpoints were set up.

This leaderless drunken parade became a four-times-annual “organized coincidence” celebrating a shared sense of rediscovering a common cause to have a good time on foot, showing Fresno’s responsible behavior by not driving while intoxicated and to challenge the unethical domination of DUI checkpoints in Fresno compared to other comparable cites.

Critical Mess is officially held on the first Saturday of March, June, and September and is unofficially held on New Year’s Eve, often the biggest turn-out. On these days, people officially gather at 10 p.m. in Sequoia Brewing Company’s parking lot in the Tower District as well as Riverpark, just outside of the Yard House to make their march. But these aren’t the only ones, just the official ones. If you connect with Critical Mess on popular social media cites like Facebook or Twitter, you will find dozens of other gatherings on those nights. There is sure to be a Critical Mess activity near where you are staying. Dozens, hundreds, maybe a thousand people from around the city will arrive, which we hope will be a giant, crazy, awesome evening ending in a big party under warm skies.

If you decide to participate, just be aware of the rules: One, you cannot have any open containers of alcohol. We suggest that you hide any illicit beverage in a 7-11 Slurpee cup or other similar camouflaged container. Two, illicit drugs are not to be visible during the march. We suggest that drugs also be camouflaged, such as in brownie form or other like means. Three: no fighting. The marches are to be a celebration, not a melee. Four, and most importantly, you cannot interfere with the operation of any police activity. This is a peaceful protest and participants are only supposed to make police “uncomfortable,” not actually engage them.

Critical Mass has provided ordinary Fresno citizens with the opportunity to join a fun and dynamic movement that is free of the usual humdrum of everyday politics while connecting with others to take a stand for one very positive symbol: drunken responsibility and solidarity. Many quickly recognize the powerful message that is inherent in the Critical Mess marches: Don’t drink and drive… drink and walk. It is cheap, it is fun, and it doesn’t pollute.