In the years I've been in Hampden, I've done a few stupid things with my car. I've left my doors unlocked a few times. I've left my windows down a few times. And I've even left the sliding door on my van open twice. Not unlocked, I mean wide open. As in, go ahead and climb on it.
And nothing ever happened. Nothing was stolen. Nothing was vandalized, nothing. I had always loved that about Hampden — that I could forgetfully leave my car doors unlocked and nothing bad ever happened. Not that I'm recommending doing it — we live in a city after all.
Unfortunately, after 16 years, my streak of luck has come to an end. The other day, while parked on Falls Road, I accidentally left my car doors unlocked. Later, as I came back to my vehicle, I found it ransacked -- everything had been pulled out from the glovebox and other compartments and gone through – on a busy, heavily traveled road, in the middle of the afternoon.
Nothing was stolen as the most valuable thing I keep in my care is a mixed CD a friend of mine made, but it still made me just a little bit sad that, when people ask me about crime in the neighborhood, I can no longer share my vehicular good luck streak.
And speaking of parking, the Hampden Parking Task Force (in cooperation with the Hampden Village Merchants Association, the Hampden Community Council and Johns Hopkins University) will finally open up its Park & Go garage at Chestnut Ave. and 37th St. in July. You just drive up, and your keys to an attendant on weekends (and soon on most evenings), and they'll take it from there, for a nominal fee. Y'know, you just park. And go. For more information, just visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HampdenParkAndGo
Sunday, June 21 is National Go Skateboarding Day. And Hampden is home to Skateboard of Baltimore (Roosevelt Park, 1221 W. 36th St.). From noon to 4 p.m., you can come and skate, plant a tree (it's also Tree Up), enjoy some shaved ice and live music. All for free. It's Father's Day, so bring a father. Father's love to skateboard. And plant trees.
And if you're looking for fresh garden produce, Plant-It ACCE (1300 W. 36th St.) offers a variety of locally grown produce – including beans, cucumbers, herbs peppers, radishes, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini and more! Place your order by emailing wmoeller@bcps.k12.md.us, and you can pick up your produce Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plant-It ACCE helps students (of Academy for College and Career Exploration - ACCE) learn business skills and all produce grown by students is done using healthy gardening practices. So healthy produce and helping out school kids – it's a win-win!
Anyway, that's it for this week's column. Don't forget, lock your car doors.