| Author | Message | ||
     Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 153 Registered: 12-2004 |
Wilkanoid: So sorry to hear you're avoiding the reservation.  That's just not right. I heard some scary things when I first moved here 6 years ago. I go quite often when the weather is nice, usually with my dog, sometimes with the kids. I have been going for years and have NEVER come across anthing like this. I have NEVER felt unsafe, alone or scared. I am most often there in the mornings, sometimes during the week, mostly on weekends. It's a beautiful place to get away, take a walk, enjoy the view, watch the birds, look for deer (which I actually have seen quite often). Whenever I've been there, there are lots of other folks, with and without dogs and children, out too. I go to Crest Drive and walk up to Washington Rock, overlooking Millburn, which it the area I believe is being discussed. This is just one unfortunate story. Don't let it scare you off. Do you not visit NYC because of the all the awful stories about crime? | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 154 Registered: 12-2004 |
mck: What did the guy do when you screamed at him? | ||
| mck Supporter Username: Mck Post Number: 714 Registered: 5-2001 |
Cursed at me through his window. After that, don't know because I kept on moving. I agree that one unpleasant incident should not keep anyone away from the Res. I have been there a hundred times since and never seen anything. I do carry a cell now, tho, and would immediately call the cops if it happened again. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 3831 Registered: 5-2001  |
Some thoughts: 1. The continued attempts by a very few to link gay cruising and this nut job are offensive and irrelevent. Yes- it's a cruising spot, but generally not that obvious. Hell, so are Starbucks and Home Depot. See? You never knew, did ya? Casual sex pick-up and exibitionism are not the same thing. 2. Yelling (or any reaction) at him probably would have been just what he wanted, since it's a good bet he's there for the attention anyway. I can't address the psyche of Millie's children, but her non-obvious response probably was dissappointing to him. Good. 3. I had a friend who once had a flasher open his trench coat in her face while she was on the #7 train. She looked closer and said "why, that looks just like a penis, only smaller". He fled the train. 4. Exhibitionists are everywhere. We had neighbors who used to do it in their window at night with the lights on. Oh, and they were straight. At least in the window.....  | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 155 Registered: 12-2004 |
greenetree: I couldn't care less about the sexual persuasion of persons cruising the reservation, perverted or otherwise, or in life in general. I assume there's quite a bit of hetero sex taking place there too. Seems like a prime "parking" spot to me!  I just assumed those types of activities were reserved for cover of darkness. Guess I'm just old fashioned that way. P.S. Gosh your friend is clever! Wish I was that good on the spot. | ||
| Sgt. Pepper Citizen Username: Jjkatz Post Number: 646 Registered: 12-2003  |
it is a gay cruising area. No use beating around the bush. You ain't kiddin'.  | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 934 Registered: 8-2002 |
..best response I've heard given to a male flasher (from an older woman friend, happened to her as a young woman).. "Oh I've seen bigger" /p | ||
| Wilkanoid Citizen Username: Cseleosida Post Number: 324 Registered: 10-2002 |
Meandtheboys - I don't avoid NYC or any other place, surprisingly. I grew up in a crowded city, and NYC seems less threatening than having to deal with perverts in the reservation when my kids are with me. On my own, it's not as much of an issue. W | ||
| chocoholic Citizen Username: Shrink Post Number: 253 Registered: 2-2003 |
Yes...part of South mountain Resevation is a gay cruising spot. Yes, it is obvious. I good friend of mine who I will call Bob ( this is true story) a few months ago decided to park in the reservation during his lunch period ( which he took late, around 1 Pm or so). He stated that he noted that men were parking around him, exiting their cars and entering the woods. As he watched these activities with some curiosity, a man pulled up behind him, exited his car, walked over to my friends car and stood staring at Bob through the driver side window.. Bob, after about 30 seconds of being gazed at by this fellow, rolled down his window and asked in a sarcastic manner " What the h-ll is going on?" The person dropped his eyes, mumbled something and ambled into the forest. If gay cruising means meeting strangers and going into public woods for a roll in the hay, then it should be illegal. If it were a bunch of heterosexuals doing the same thing, the men would being doing perp walks and the women would be jailed for prostitution. I told Bob that he should have reported the area to the police so that arrest couldhave been made. | ||
| Chris Prenovost Citizen Username: Chris_prenovost Post Number: 318 Registered: 7-2003 |
Agreed. But in this age of political correctness, the police will probably avoid doing anything that might upset some group or other. My God, if NAMBLA can be defended by the ACLU, then anything goes. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 3835 Registered: 5-2001 |
Uh, gentlemen, it would only be illegal if money were exchanging hands. And how on earth do we get from consenting adults to NAMBLA? But, I'm glad to know that you are so moral and upright that you probably never had a one night stand. Or is going to a bar, drinking a lot and looking to hook up for the night different? | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 958 Registered: 8-2003  |
If there is no money exchanged, then it's not prostitution. However it's still indecent behavior in a public place. If guys, gals, or anything else wants to meet for some fun times, I have no problems with that, but don't do it where you will get caught by people walking by on a path. Either hide in the woods, really far, or better yet go home or a get a room for an hour. | ||
| chocoholic Citizen Username: Shrink Post Number: 255 Registered: 2-2003 |
Public sex is illegal, greenetree. If you want to invite strangers to your own home to have sex, please be my guest. But the minute you start hooking up with people to have sex in a PUBLIC area, frequented by adults and children out to enjoy a sunny day and a walk in the woods, all bets are off. And off to jail you should go. | ||
| Wendyn Supporter Username: Wendyn Post Number: 1339 Registered: 9-2002 |
Actually it is different. The thought of people, sex and orientation aside, having sex in the woods in the middle of the afternoon while I am trying to take my kids for a walk is horrible. If these same people were doing it at night with no kids around, or somewhere that wasn't as public it wouldn't be an issue to me. I could care less who people (ok aside from my husband) have sex with. I just don't want to be asked to watch it with my kids. I did my share of "parking" (Watchung Reservation and other public places) but I was in a car. At night. And I got caught several times. But it is pretty scary to me that my 4 year old could see people having sex in the woods in the middle of the day. On the other hand this specific guy was obviously an exhibitionist, otherwise he could have found a more private spot to take care of himself. So can someone tell me where the parking and crusing areas are so I can avoid them when I walk with my kids? | ||
| CFA Citizen Username: Cfa Post Number: 1293 Registered: 5-2001  |
Starbuck's? Home Depot? Hmmmmmmm | ||
| Ukealalio Citizen Username: Ukealalio Post Number: 1816 Registered: 6-2003 |
Wendyn as mentioned in my post above, avoid the trail where you can drive. I ran there a couple of times and got creeped out. The trail that is closed off to vehicles (I think it's called Crest Drive and runs to a Washington Memorial overlooking Millburn) seems like a safer bet for families, straight or gay. | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 1539 Registered: 1-2003  |
There was a report on 20/20 or dateline about this. Not the reservation specifically mind you, but the gay man sex cruising in general. It seems that at reststops (in Jersey more than most) men go in to the woods, expose themselves and/or stimulate themselves in the hope another guy will come along and "finish the job"... they usually get their wish, and then go home to the wife and kids. I guess the reservation is closer than going to a reststop on the parkway. Don't kid yourself, this guy was hoping for gay sex, well, he probably wouldn't have minded if a woman helped him out, but he was expecting a man. Thats why he didn't run when you came by (no pun intended), he was waiting for someone to come by (again, no pun intended). | ||
| John Beltsos Citizen Username: Belts_boy Post Number: 95 Registered: 4-2004 |
So what are we going to do about this sitaution? Avoid certain parts of the Reservation? You must be kidding. We should take pictures of these guys, the license plates of their cars and post everything in the Internet. Some parts of the Reservaion are so disgusting: cars with running engines and steamy windows, beer cans and bottles, used condoms and siringes (spelling?). We live in expensive houses, pay 5 digit property taxes and are not able to take care of one of the potentially most beautiful areas of nature in our neighborhood. Again: what are we going to do about it? | ||
| mck Supporter Username: Mck Post Number: 715 Registered: 5-2001 |
Wendyn: You could try parking in the lot off Glen Ave, in Millburn. I think that's a great spot to take the kids. There are picnic tables and a spring up to the right, and numerous trails that meander through the woods and down along the pond and river. Lots of kids and dogs. You can also park in the lot on S.Orange Ave. Head west on the ave, make a U turn at Cherry Lane and head east again. The lot (it's in rough shape, don't take your Mercedes) is on the R, after a curve and a sign that says something like "emergency phone". Park there and walk down the path and you'll see a sweet little stone bridge. You can then head L to Hemlock Falls, or R on various trails. Lots of people bring dogs to play in the water, and they're fun to watch. | ||
| Soda Supporter Username: Soda Post Number: 2531 Registered: 5-2001  |
Hmmm...  |
