In N Out closing Oakland Airport area location

[storewanderer]

For unknown reasons, our local Fox-affiliated television station decided to broadcast the story about this Oakland In-n-Out location closing. Unfortunately it provided none of the context or information here (typical network TV), and basically made Oakland sound like a crime-ridden horror show.

So, there ya' go. The power of "misinformation" further clouding the perception of an already challenged city.

Thankfully they and others have mostly stopped their assault on the local downtown and city core, with the exception of the Sinclair owned station.

Have you ever seen another city where you cannot stop at gas stations on the way to the airport without risking having your rental car windows broken and your belongings stolen while you are standing at the gas pump putting your payment card through? And where this is happening literally all day at 4 different gas stations on the roads leading into the airport?

Go out to the Google Reviews for the 76, Shell, and 2 Chevrons on the roads leading into the airport and see what I mean here.

I've never heard of this. Of course crimes happen at gas stations, etc., but not with the frequency it is happening there in Oakland.

Same goes for car break ins. Yes, car break ins happen all day every day all over the place. But again in the case of Oakland at this shopping center where the In N Out is closing it is a constant stream of break ins happening constantly. Multiple times per hour in front of the same businesses. Again have you ever heard of that happening in any other city?

Have you ever heard of Raising Cane's opening a location and then having to make it drive through only after a few months of operation because customer vehicles are being broken into so much they don't even want customers parking outside their building (since the break in is a bad reflection on the business). Also is there any other Raising Cane's where they had to buy a fenced compound for their employees to park their vehicles because the employee vehicles were being broken into while the employees were inside working? What other city has this happening? This is a corporate operated Raising Cane's. They have almost unlimited resources with the unit volumes they do. This isn't some franchisee who is doing crazy things.

I am sorry but if I cannot safely patronize gas stations or restaurants on the way to the airport on the road leading into the airport that is a very odd situation. I do not know of this in any other major US city. What other cities is this an issue in?

It was not like this in Oakland 10 years ago. I went to that In N Out multiple times at 10 PM 11 PM etc. and had no issues. Did not witness any crime. I'm sure a few break ins occurred in the parking lot back then every day as many parking lots have break ins but nothing like this. Bought gas multiple times at those gas stations on the road leading into the airport in the past - again - no issues. Did not witness any crime or see any broken glass.

[Alpha8472]

Oakland is a big city. Some areas are indeed very dangerous and there are many thefts.

I did take gas in Oakland a couple of times in 2020. Luckily it wasn't in the area near the airport.

I used to ride the subway train through Oakland every work day until 2020. I have been attacked by juvenile delinquents and I have seen muggings. I even saw homeless people smoking crack on a train. However, back then there were crowds of people so I felt somewhat safe. Now with very few train riders due to work from home, I don't feel safe riding the train anymore. I drive now.

I house-sitted for a friend in Oakland for 2 weeks. It was scary. At night, you would hear police sirens. I wouldn't want to live there.

[storewanderer]

I don't want to bag on Oakland. I used to think that area on the way to the airport was one of the "safer" areas because it was fairly well traveled. Plus you had businesses opening there like In N Out, a large freestanding Panda Express, Wal Mart, etc. Multiple Starbucks were around the area, maybe only one left now. More recently you had Black Bear Diner and Dunkin show up and in the middle of COVID one of the first NorCal Raising Cane's. So I feel like this is a good location- offramp access and on the way to the airport. Visible to many people daily via the BART, via freeway, to/from airport, etc.

So the area was a slam dunk and a lot of business clearly wanted to be there. The locations get good traffic so it is evident a lot of customers do want to patronize these businesses. This is a failure on the part of Oakland. Businesses wanted to be there, customers wanted to patronize the businesses. Oakland Leadership failed to protect the parties involved. Even after Wal Mart left the shopping center attracted Raising Cane's. Now with In N Out leaving I think the spiral down is in motion. And I do think this will adversely impact OAK Airport too over time.

Maybe Raising Cane's has the right idea. Fence off the entire area where employees park. Don't let anyone else park there for any reason (they will literally have security tell you to leave if you park your car out front and try to eat your meal in your car in front of the location- this is also because they want a more clear view of the drive through line (since there is a risk of that being robbed too) and employee vehicles. Maybe you have to fence in the gas pumps to a nasty "single lane one way in one way out" set up somehow so people can't pull up in the middle of the canopy and break into vehicles from the center lane between the two sets of pumps.

[veteran+]

Complicated at the very least.

One of the biggest problems is the Police (historically and presently)!

Google it.

I think there was a time under J. Brown when things were better for a bit.

[SamSpade]

This is the CNN Newswire version of the story that would have gone out to TV and radio stations around the country.
So there's at least a bit more context, but certainly not rosy. (and who knows how this would be presented on-air)
In-N-Out has never closed a location, until now. It cites crime as the problem

[arizonaguy]

For unknown reasons, our local Fox-affiliated television station decided to broadcast the story about this Oakland In-n-Out location closing. Unfortunately it provided none of the context or information here (typical network TV), and basically made Oakland sound like a crime-ridden horror show.

So, there ya' go. The power of "misinformation" further clouding the perception of an already challenged city.

Thankfully they and others have mostly stopped their assault on the local downtown and city core, with the exception of the Sinclair owned station.

Have you ever seen another city where you cannot stop at gas stations on the way to the airport without risking having your rental car windows broken and your belongings stolen while you are standing at the gas pump putting your payment card through? And where this is happening literally all day at 4 different gas stations on the roads leading into the airport?

Go out to the Google Reviews for the 76, Shell, and 2 Chevrons on the roads leading into the airport and see what I mean here.

I've never heard of this. Of course crimes happen at gas stations, etc., but not with the frequency it is happening there in Oakland.

Same goes for car break ins. Yes, car break ins happen all day every day all over the place. But again in the case of Oakland at this shopping center where the In N Out is closing it is a constant stream of break ins happening constantly. Multiple times per hour in front of the same businesses. Again have you ever heard of that happening in any other city?

Have you ever heard of Raising Cane's opening a location and then having to make it drive through only after a few months of operation because customer vehicles are being broken into so much they don't even want customers parking outside their building (since the break in is a bad reflection on the business). Also is there any other Raising Cane's where they had to buy a fenced compound for their employees to park their vehicles because the employee vehicles were being broken into while the employees were inside working? What other city has this happening? This is a corporate operated Raising Cane's. They have almost unlimited resources with the unit volumes they do. This isn't some franchisee who is doing crazy things.

I am sorry but if I cannot safely patronize gas stations or restaurants on the way to the airport on the road leading into the airport that is a very odd situation. I do not know of this in any other major US city. What other cities is this an issue in?

It was not like this in Oakland 10 years ago. I went to that In N Out multiple times at 10 PM 11 PM etc. and had no issues. Did not witness any crime. I'm sure a few break ins occurred in the parking lot back then every day as many parking lots have break ins but nothing like this. Bought gas multiple times at those gas stations on the road leading into the airport in the past - again - no issues. Did not witness any crime or see any broken glass.

10 years ago? I was last in that area October 2019 and again in October 2020 and didn't have any problems whatsoever. I even spent about an hour waiting in my car in that Walmart parking lot, I went to the Chipotle there without incident and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

It seems like COVID and the exodus of young professionals from the Bay Area is having an effect on things there. Downtown San Francisco also wasn't nearly in the state it is in now in 2019 / 2020.

[Alpha8472]

If COVID had never happened San Francisco would still be filled with rich tech workers, office workers, rich tourists, etc.

San Francisco's malls would be packed and the city would not be in a deficit. The police would be fully funded and there would be more police officers to respond to crime.

The stores in Oakland would be packed with customers. The Oakland In N Out would be bustling with customers.

I went to Downtown Oakland before the pandemic and the nightlife was going strong before the pandemic. There were concerts and theater events. The movie theaters were packed. The restaurants were packed. People felt safe at night due to the sheer number of people.

Street vendors would be selling food on the sidewalks at night and people would line up.

Restaurants were packed and many people were employed.

The city was doing well and the police were funded well enough. Oakland had tons of tax revenue and the city was spending money like crazy. The police presence was stronger and there was less visible crime.

Now you don't feel safe. The crowds are gone. The nightlife is dead. People are not out spending money and having a good time. Now people are frugal, they stay at home, they don't like being among crowds of possibly sick strangers.

Many people who used to have jobs to occupy their time are now unemployed. When you are unemployed and have nothing else to do you might end up getting into trouble.

I wonder what everything would be like if COVID never happened.

[storewanderer]

10 years ago? I was last in that area October 2019 and again in October 2020 and didn't have any problems whatsoever. I even spent about an hour waiting in my car in that Walmart parking lot, I went to the Chipotle there without incident and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

It seems like COVID and the exodus of young professionals from the Bay Area is having an effect on things there. Downtown San Francisco also wasn't nearly in the state it is in now in 2019 / 2020.

Just look at the reviews for the businesses in that shopping center... and the photos...

It is not the same anymore.

I know I am sounding like a broken record here but I just do not know of anywhere else with this level of vehicle break in activity occurring where the vehicle operator is literally RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CAR AS IT HAPPENS, with such efficiency and frequency, as this shopping center and the gas stations on the roads leading into the Oakland Airport. Obviously these businesses have cameras, corporate operated businesses like Raising Cane's and In N Out have excellent cameras. The 76 that closed was a Rocket (United Oil) and they would have excellent cameras also as they are a large operator and a lot of supervision is done remotely. The 76 reopened as a dealer site after Rocket closed it, it was closed for some months. So my point is this isn't a bunch of little independent businesses with no cameras and no funds/ability to try to fight crime. These businesses have good camears, have spent a lot of money on security, yet this is all still happening. I don't want to be critical of the police but it is hard not to be. Clearly they are absent and do not care. Victims file police reports and these businesses will turn over camera footage to police with a police report (they won't turn it over to the victim directly). The lack of action from the police is not okay. That should not be okay with the "leadership" of the City of Oakland either. They will be sorry when their airport collapses too because the area near the airport gets such a bad name that enough business travelers avoid it that it causes flight losses. Local commuters don't need to use these businesses by the airport (but they are a nice convenience for local commuters, and airport employees/crews for that matter) but business travelers/tourists do.

[Alpha8472]

Berkeley is right next to Oakland and the police actually are very responsive. If your house is being robbed they actually respond.

Criminals go to Oakland because the Police are understaffed and stretched too thin due to lack of funding.

[veteran+]

Oakland Police's history tells you everything you need to know about their reputation, even before COVID and budget issues.

And during any administration, past and present.