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Alleys of Coronado Make Things Disappear

Many streets in Coronado have alleys behind homes. In most cases, they are primarily used to enter into one's garage or store your EDCO trash cans.

One of the many secrets of Coronado is that if you place any type of furniture, clothing, books, toaster or even a kitchen sink, chances are those items will be gone in less than 30 minutes. In fact, we've seen an item vanish in less than 5 before. Why does this happen?

There are people that make it their practice to 'cruise' Coronado alleys looking for 'donated' items that sit near trashcans. They are usually driving vans or trucks and can cover the entire village of Coronado in a matter of hours. This practice is allowed as long as the item is free and being discarded. However, we did want to give you a few tips if you want the 'alley cruisers' to only take the things you are donating:

Clearly mark an item that is being donated as "free".
If you are leaving something out for a buddy to pick up, do not put it in the alley unattended.
Do NOT leave your bike, stroller, wagon or other 'mobile' item in the alley without it being locked up.
If you don't like donating to alleys, you can always contact AMVETS or Coronado thrift stores.

If you have had an "alley scavenger" experience or something disappear from your alley, please share it in the comments.

Tags: community

9 members like this

Comment by Jimmy on February 18, 2011 at 8:40am: I always assumed this was illegal. From personal experience, I can attest that you should not leave your stroller in an alley unattended or unlocked - even if it has a car seat, your jacket, and other personal belongings in it!

Comment by Pat Cooley on February 18, 2011 at 12:49pm: Isn't this just another way of recycling, reusing and keeping stuff out of the landfill. I put a clothes dryer in the alley when we first moved here. I worried that my neighbors might complain but as I was checking to see if the dryer was still there a few hours later, there they were putting an old dresser out in the alley. (My dryer was gone and I couldn't hardly believe it. But now I am a believer.)

Comment by lisa on February 18, 2011 at 5:28pm: I don't think this is illegal. If you want to give something away for free, just put it in the alley. Poof - it's gone!

Comment by Dani Schwartz on February 19, 2011 at 11:18am: We don't have an alley, but we continue to have success 'recycling' our big, give away items when we put them out front on Pomona and mark them with a FREE sign. It's amazing how quickly things are picked up. "One's trash is another's treasure."

Comment by peggy van waay swagemakers on February 19, 2011 at 12:02pm: My son, Willem, took out all of his windows while renovating his cottage. After sanding and priming he leaned them against the fence to dry and yes, they were all gone in a flash. After putting a plea for mercy on a large sign, they all returned. Not so magically however, because a reward was offered.

Also, my husband, Dutch, placed my suitcase, partially packed, by the garage and left for just a minute or two....BAM! Gone.

Be careful and keep your garage doors down. Sometimes we forget and leave them open. Big mistake.

Comment by Julie Overstreet on February 19, 2011 at 1:18pm: LOVE that perk of the alleys - such a great way to instantly clean house!

Comment by Julie Williamson on February 19, 2011 at 1:58pm: Most of the time it's not a problem but have had some bad experiences. Had a new wooden gate taken because it was just sitting in place and not hinged onto the wall. Be sure you don't accidentally drop your car keys on the front seat of your car (yep, the car was gone in less than an hour, found next day in San Diego, stripped and trashed) and be sure you shred any personal documents to protect your identity. Police cannot stop folks in the alley from going through your trash cans and tearing open your trash bags, even right in front of you....

Comment by Nancy McKenna Hall on February 19, 2011 at 3:54pm: It's a great way to "recycle items no longer wanted. We've put out washer/dryer combo, and even a spa. Took a couple days for the spa to 'disappear'. I think they had to arrange for a big truck. Love that someone else gets to use it.

Comment by Lynne Harpst Koen on February 19, 2011 at 5:49pm: Julie W-That's awful about the gate, but particularly the car! OMG. Great advice to SHRED!!!

Comment by Christian Garbutt on February 19, 2011 at 9:29pm: Had an AIR Carseat stolen when it was leaning up against my door to the alley, took me 4 minutes to walk around and open the door to find it missing.

Comment (keep it clean & on topic)