[BrianL99]

I played golf last week, with someone who works for Community Watch. He told me that we average 10 "gate crashes" per day.

I went to a dog park today. Of the 3 gates I went through (or around), 2 were under repair. There's a gate in front of the Mallory Club House, that seems to get broken at least 3 times/week.

I assume the "crashers" get billed? I assume their insurance pays? Are there really 10 per day? How much does the crasher get charged? How much does an average repair really cost?

I assume this has been going on since The Villages began? Maybe it's time for a different solution?

Perhaps equipping the Guard Shack attendants with Paint Ball guns?

[asianthree]

Yesterday coming from UPS store and square one in golf cart stopped to push the gate button.

Gate started up hesitated At moving 2’ then back down. Pressed the button again gate slowly went up and they proceeded to swing sideways and fall across the road. Good thing I didn’t rush the gate.

This would be the third gate in a week that I have watched fall down all by itself. Wonder if they count those 10 gate crashes are in the numbers he spoke of. When in reality it could be the bolts just giving away, or poorly installed bolts. So yes gate crashed, but no vehicle involved.

The camera will pick up car plate, but carts have no I’d, so once a year TV posts the pics and ask for help to Id carts. Last post fee was $250. But that been awhile

[Michael 61]

Besides paying the cost of a new gate, the guilty party should also pay for admin fees, a hefty punitive fine, and be ticketed as well.

[Chi-Town]

Perhaps gate visibility may be part of the problem.

[Two Bills]

They say about $250 a pop for knocking down a gate.
I take out a Gate Crasher annual season ticket for $450 every year.
I am allowed 5 gates for free, and the others at half price.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

They say about $250 a pop for knocking down a gate.
I take out a Gate Crasher annual season ticket for $450 every year.
I am allowed 5 gates for free, and the others at half price.

I heard that as well, from several folks. At $250 a pop, seems like a money maker for TV: those arms are held on the mechanism by shear-away bolts so that, when hit, the arm suffers no (or very little) damage. A guy with a wrench and some new bolts could put things back in order pretty quickly, one would think.

That number per week unfortunately seems all too believable. Our gate seems to be down about twice a month, but one week recently saw no fewer than three such events. Another poster mentioned visibility and IMO this could be an issue. Those arms are painted red and white, which is very visible when the arm is up but when it is down it is at precisely the level of automobile taillights so that red striping, especially when traffic is heavy, might be doing more harm than good.

[Normal]

200 dollars is invoiced per license plate. The gates are secured with plastic Teflon shear bolts. Not really a major issue.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Perhaps gate visibility may be part of the problem.

No, that's not it.

[fishon]

I went through an exit gate the other day and I think I saw a license plate reader, just like on Trooper cars, under the video camera.

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Perhaps gate visibility may be part of the problem.

I’ve probably seen 4 or 5 arm crashes - every time it was a second car trying to get through an arm opening with the car in front.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by fishon

I went through an exit gate the other day and I think I saw a license plate reader, just like on Trooper cars, under the video camera.

Every gate has a camera

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

I’ve probably seen 4 or 5 arm crashes - every time it was a second car trying to get through an arm opening with the car in front.

I'm going to add stupidity to visibility.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

I'm going to add stupidity to visibility.

And impatience. Any more reasons? I'm sure there are.

[MrFlorida]

Get your cataracts fixed !

[asianthree]

Gate pole doesn’t get replaced, look at the many you know have fallen get dinged and back up they go.

The gate that almost fell on my car at 3am (coming home from work) was witnessed by community watch guy. Gate was completely up as I started to go, the gate fell right in front of the car.

It had just been bolted earlier. Banking if it hit hood or windows it would be my insurance paying instead of the person who replaced the $10 plastic bolts.