Electric gates – how to stop people from breaking them?!

[diddy]

Evening all,

We have an electric gate through our field to get to our house. It is clearly signposted “private” and there is no footpath through the field. It is just a short track that leads only to our house so people really have no need to be using the gate at all. But walkers sometimes get lost looking for the footpath network and wander through the field instead.

I saw a group of ramblers coming through today and when I went out this evening, I find the electric gate looking very sorry for itself with wires dangling everywhere. Someone has clearly forced the gate manually and snapped the mechanism clean off.

I’m so fed up as this is the third time this has happened in little over a year and it costs an arm and a leg to fix each time.

Like I say, we have a sign on the gate that says “private road no public footpath.” There is another sign that says “electric gate” with a huge arrow pointing to the switch. Yet these random trespassers keep coming through and breaking my lovely gate!

Assuming we fix it, does anyone have any clever ideas about how to stop people breaking the electric gate? Or should we just admit defeat, put a regular gate on and resign ourselves to jumping in and out of the car as we go through the field? Any thoughts would be helpful - even if it’s just to say this is the very definition of a first world problem and I should get over myself

Thank you!

D. xxx

 

[Equi]

Assume people are stupid, which they clearly are, and make a sign stating clearly "This is an eletic gate to a private house. This is not public land and if you come through this gate you are tresspassing. The public footpath is THAT way <---. Ps. if you force my gate open, it will send a signal to the police, who will come out immediately. Also, **** off."

 

[Zipzop]

Get a nice big Rottweiler and have him loose behind the gate. That ought to do it!

 

[be positive]

A camera, real or false with a sign stating they are being watched, however stupid they may be most people will not want to damage private property with a real chance of being seen, it must be criminal damage to force a privately owned gate.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Electrify it

 

[SEL]

A camera, real or false with a sign stating they are being watched, however stupid they may be most people will not want to damage private property with a real chance of being seen, it must be criminal damage to force a privately owned gate.

Exactly what I was thinking. Although you could take Zipzop's advice and add a beware of dog sign too. The scarier the gate looks the more likely people are to head in a different direction.

 

[diddy]

Thanks for all your replies everyone. I hadn't thought about a camera or putting a beware of the dog sign (or an actual dog!) so very helpful. Although I also like the ideas of electrifying the gate or just spicing the sign up with some inappropriate language. Honestly, people are so stupid sometimes. We can all end up gong the wrong way but there really isn't any need to smash up someone else's property on your way out!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I would put up a camera (not expensive these days) and a sign saying unauthorised entry is forbidden and those seen forcing entry will be charged with trespassing and sued for damages.

People always pay attention to anything that might bite their pocket.

 

[brbc]

Hi,

Working for a Automatic gate company myself, unfortunately there isn't much you can do! The only thing I would suggest doing as I have with some of our customers who have the same problem, is putting a camera up with a sign. Its not possible for a gate motor to cause damage to itself due to a malfunction, so its definitely people forcing it or messing around with it! Just an FYI if you are putting a camera up you need to put a sign up to state you are recording. Id also say that whoever has damaged the gate will be responsible for the repair, and as you well know its not cheap!

Feel free to PM me of you'd like to know more etc