INDIANAPOLIS -
Volunteers spent much of Sunday cleaning up tacks on the Monon Trail. IndyCog says around 100 flat tires were reported on the trail.
The tacks appear to be furniture tacks, which are quite small. But IndyCog- a local biking group - says they spent hours cleaning up hundreds of them Sunday along the Monon Trail.
IndyCog used magnetic skimmers to find the tacks along the Monon over the weekend. Most of them were found on the south side of the Kessler bridge.
IndyCog Director Kevin Whited, says bikers have complained about getting flats for the past few weeks after riding along the Monon but they weren't sure where the problem was. The bike enthusiast says it's not just a safety hazard for bikers. Barefoot runners and dogs being walked along the Monon could have come in contact with these tacks.
"We started getting calls from people that said 'hey, we got flats!" Bike shops and individuals contacted us - that said they got flats. We figured it was probably a small amount of tacks, so we didn't really make a big deal out of it. And we put out a commute report on Twitter that said, 'Hey, watch out for tacks on the trail.' And then last weekend I think we got a report that there were over 100 flats," said Whited.
"It could be very dangerous. [If] I don't ride with a helmet on, a tack; wiping out. It could be dangerous. If nothing else, it would put a huge crimp on the day," said Dave Poncar, Greenfield biker.
The IndyCog director says they have notified Indy Parks about the furniture tacks and they are almost certain someone dropped them on purpose.
Indianapolis Metro Police already patrol the Monon Trail frequently. Whited says they have reported the apparent vandalism to IMPD.
Bike shop owner, Charlie Revard says his staff at BikeLine have been dealing with the tack vandalism for weeks. Revard says he is going to ask the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council for extra sweeping equipment on trucks that already patrol the Monon. "If they are mounted on the trucks properly they will be able to pick up this kind of debris that is causing the problems for everybody", said Revard.
IndyParks spokesperson, Jen Pittman, tells Eyewitness News they aren't ready to commit to extra sweeping equipment for the Monon, but they are looking into the problem.
If you see something suspicious on the Monon Trail, you are asked to call IndyParks and report it at 327-PARK.
Around 100 flat tires were reported on the Monon. (Photo courtesy IndyCog)
The tacks were found south of the Kessler Boulevard bridge, which is a busy spot.
One of these little tacks can ruin your day if you're a cyclist - but they could also injure a dog.
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