Commuters express their anger at vandalism at station car park

Andrew Mathieson
A YOUNG woman stands alone beside her van parked at North Geelong train station.
Waiting in the dark, she shivers next to an open, smashed car window.
Broken glass and her belongings are strewn throughout the cabin.
The ignition is ripped out.
A tow truck arrives to take the indistinguishable vehicle away.
A similar scene is repeated, on the same night at the same place to another girl, as witnessed by another victim, Lindsay Toulmin.
He grumbles, “I haven’t got much to complain about.”
The 61-year-old former Geelong publican and sports store owner is just one more vandalism victim, but his car is at least drivable.
“It’s not just about a break-in,” he says.
“It’s a young girl standing in the station, at the end of a cold night, with her car up on a tow truck.
“She’s done nothing wrong except go to work and earn an honest living.
“That one was so upset that she wasn’t going to go back to her place.”
Mr Toulmin has noticed vandalism is a far too common occurrence at abandoned car parks during the day.
North Geelong is manned by one stationmaster but does not provide security.
The car park is home for about 700 cars each day during peak periods.
“What happens is that you just get sick of it,” Mr Toulmin says.
“It’s been going on for years now.
“Now it’s getting worse.
“They have just done over a whole row of cars (last Monday).”
Mr Toulmin said V/Line should employ security to maintain a presence in the carpark.