Let me preface this comment by saying I am a savvy street smart person who lived in NYC and played in and around Philadelphia, not to mention frequent dallying in Allentown, Reading and North & South Side Bethlehem.
I have NEVER been mugged, but that is ONLY because I am alert & cautious. Many folks still have their head in the sand because they have been lucky, but eventually if things keep going in the direction they have been in the last 20 years, their luck won’t hold out forever. As for me, I avoid places where bad things can happen because it just is not worth it to me. Unfortunately, that list is growing…
I live in the vicinity; I fish the Saucon and used to fish it almost every day when I lived in Saucon Valley. I did some reconnoitering in the park one time about 20 years ago, my street smarts kicked in and I decided I would NEVER fish in the park.
The park is essentially in South Side Bethlehem, not Hellertown. There are MANY unsavory areas very close to the park and it has become a playground for many of the unsavory characters from those neighborhoods. Loud music, illegal fishing, drug dealing, drug use and littering abound.
Not too long ago the park was
severely overcrowded with interlopers from New Jersey causing the same problems they cause at Beltsville, The City of Bethlehem took steps to alleviate some of those problems, however big issues remain.
Similar problems occurred in
Penn Pump Park in Palmer Township near Easton. I used to fish the Bushkill in that park all the time, but no more…
The bottom line is similar to the situation that BruceC2C described when fishing in a park in New Cumberland. Unfortunately, some folks have ruined things for the rest of us. How you handle those situations is up to you.
When I go fishing, I wear a gun on my hip where I can do so legally. However, I’m not going to press my luck fishing where I might have to use it.
There are just too many safer options available.
