Brief by Central Staff
Mountain Life – February 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Here’s some evidence that we haven’t turned into a world-class resort community yet — we don’t have much of a problem with “hot-tub poaching.”
It doesn’t involve stealing a hot tub from someone’s patio or deck. Instead, it means using the tub without permission. With so many second-home owners who aren’t likely to be around to call the sheriff to report soaking trespassers, the risk of getting caught is fairly low.
The “poaching” phrase was apparently coined by the Summit Daily News, which pointed out that Summit County has thousands of hot tubs, many in public view. The paper quoted a Keystone waiter: “It’s fun and mischievous — maybe more fun because you’re not supposed to.”
There’s a fairly low risk of getting caught in an area with so many second-home owners who aren’t around to call the sheriff to report trespassers. But there are other risks — two men have died in hot tubs in recent months — alcohol and hot water are a combination so relaxing as to become lethal, And when no one is around, there’s no one to report a problem in time for medical attention.
In some sense, it seems just that trespassers suffer for their crimes. But the death penalty seems rather extreme.
