Predictable increase of backcountry motor vehicle issues

[Blmpkn]

My Dad is from Wiscasset and I was lucky enough to live there for three years. Great memories.

It's sort of bittersweet living up here. Our state economy IS somewhat dependant on tourist money.. but what I'll call our "state culture" is truthfully always under threat and taking blows by tourists.. people who have no 'skin in the game' up here.. for lack of a better word.

I will say that my personal usage of city person IS mostly a mindset.. it's just.. alienating I suppose.. when the majority of your tourists come from 3 states that are mostly cities lol.

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[dtech]

I've been struggling with "using my stuff for free" to help others. Part of me, as a former volunteer Firefighter and Paramedic, feels it's my duty to help a fellow human being.

BUT ... so many could give a crap after you've helped them, or even sue you, that it's made me cynical. And I hate that - but, I honestly believe that this is reality.

Hey you might like this story, in the 90s worked with a guy who stopped to help a woman who had slid off the road into a ditch in an intense thunderstorm. This is not made up, there is a lightning strike close by and he is indirectly hit, it knocks him down and momentarily stuns him, she claims she is traumatized by the incident and sues him for emotional scarring or something like that. The case was dismissed by a judge before ever going to a trial.

 

[Gumbo]

All I know is, trash leaves trash.

And, sometimes closing trails is for the greater good...

And, no I didn't read the whole thread before posting this. ?

Back when I was in high school a bunch of us got together and picked up trash in various places around Nashville. We made a bunch of t-shirts that read,

IF YOU LITTER, YOU'RE THE TRASH!!

 

[Charley]

While I am glad more people are experiencing the outdoors, I believe that is the problem.
More more people more problems, more ways to experience the outdoors more ways to create problems.

Hiking, well walking the trails in the local township and county parks over the past decade I certainly have seen more and more trash on even short 1/2 mile trails. Obviously people are unprepared to deal with the burden of weight caused by an empty plastic bottle.

Counties in Kentucky in order to bring in tourism dollars have been creating trails for the under 60 inch wide crowd, but unfortunately sometimes their gusto to find space relies on way too old of maps and not more recent property searches. One family was harassed and shot at, after they put up signs to remind people to stay on the trail (and eveyone seemed to know that the section of trail was in dispute, as the county just bulldozed a path through the owners land).

And yes, Moab, here are the links:
Here's a couple stories.

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/09/30/the-bureau-of-land-management-kicks-a-hornets-nest-in-moab/

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/...popular Green,confluence with the Green River.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

While I am glad more people are experiencing the outdoors, I believe that is the problem.
More more people more problems, more ways to experience the outdoors more ways to create problems.

Hiking, well walking the trails in the local township and county parks over the past decade I certainly have seen more and more trash on even short 1/2 mile trails. Obviously people are unprepared to deal with the burden of weight caused by an empty plastic bottle.

Counties in Kentucky in order to bring in tourism dollars have been creating trails for the under 60 inch wide crowd, but unfortunately sometimes their gusto to find space relies on way too old of maps and not more recent property searches. One family was harassed and shot at, after they put up signs to remind people to stay on the trail (and eveyone seemed to know that the section of trail was in dispute, as the county just bulldozed a path through the owners land).

And yes, Moab, here are the links:
Here's a couple stories.

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/09/30/the-bureau-of-land-management-kicks-a-hornets-nest-in-moab/

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/...popular Green,confluence with the Green River.

There are places in central Florida where we would go kayaking that you knew to not get out of the boat on land in certain places because it was private land, and those good ol' boys don't call the sheriff....

It is like that seen from Yellowstone where a Beth tries to get that investor out of the river but he knows he has a right to be in the water, but not stepping on dry land...

As for the county bulldozing through someone's private land, that's neglegance on the governments side. But, the citizens also need to participate in government if they want a say... Ie if the land owners had shown up to a meeting before shovels were in the ground...

 

[dtech]

While I am glad more people are experiencing the outdoors, I believe that is the problem.
More more people more problems, more ways to experience the outdoors more ways to create problems.

Hiking, well walking the trails in the local township and county parks over the past decade I certainly have seen more and more trash on even short 1/2 mile trails. Obviously people are unprepared to deal with the burden of weight caused by an empty plastic bottle.

Counties in Kentucky in order to bring in tourism dollars have been creating trails for the under 60 inch wide crowd, but unfortunately sometimes their gusto to find space relies on way too old of maps and not more recent property searches. One family was harassed and shot at, after they put up signs to remind people to stay on the trail (and eveyone seemed to know that the section of trail was in dispute, as the county just bulldozed a path through the owners land).

And yes, Moab, here are the links:
Here's a couple stories.

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/09/30/the-bureau-of-land-management-kicks-a-hornets-nest-in-moab/

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/...popular Green,confluence with the Green River.

great article, thanks and just to stoke the embers re the side by discussion, the excerpt below, but this is exactly what prompted me to make this post - experiencing some lazy *sses in their side by blaring loud music, swilling beers, just joy riding and disrupting the tranquility of the outdoors and in this case me personally. I guess this is now very commonplace in a lot of areas and as far as I'm concerned kudos to the BLM for closing trails . What is sad about the article is the mention of BLM employees fearing retribution from off roaders. Some of these lazy *sses need to get out and hike if they want to truly enjoy the outdoor experience, instead they cruise around in these noisy environmentally destructive vehicles and feel free to abuse and litter.

"But, from what I’ve seen, the side-by-side crowd tends to be party animals, tearing through the desert or forest with music blasting and with cheap LED light sticks flashing and changing colors. While many of them aren’t bad people, many of them seem to throw trash, drive at unsafe speeds around blind turns, and otherwise show that they don’t care about themselves, other people outdoors, or the environment. They didn’t build the vehicle up or do much to earn it, and thus don’t value it the way other segments of the off-road community do."

 

[Charley]

As for the county bulldozing through someone's private land, that's neglegance on the governments side. But, the citizens also need to participate in government if they want a say... Ie if the land owners had shown up to a meeting before shovels were in the ground...

They did, and the local officials didnt listen. Last thing a retiring couple wanted to do is to spend their money on winning a lawsuit - which they did.

 

[subquark]

Hey you might like this story, in the 90s worked with a guy who stopped to help a woman who had slid off the road into a ditch in an intense thunderstorm. This is not made up, there is a lightning strike close by and he is indirectly hit, it knocks him down and momentarily stuns him, she claims she is traumatized by the incident and sues him for emotional scarring or something like that. The case was dismissed by a judge before ever going to a trial.

Holy crap! That is beyond anything anyone could make up!

Great the the judge dismissed it but, otherwise, even if you're found innocent, you still have to pay to defend yourself. Sure you can sue for that but no thank you!

That is a truly outrageous (and maddening) story!

 

[Blmpkn]

IF YOU LITTER, YOU'RE THE TRASH!!

This is the truth.


I was leaving the dunks drive through one morning, and the parking space in front of me had a car parked in it (with jersey plates on it ?) The passenger of the vehicle opened their door, and proceeded to throw an empty cup into the parking lot.... when the space next to them had a trash can directly in front of it.


Literally 6 feet away from a trash can..

It was a bad morning for me already. Instantly made my blood boil. I stopped behind their car and berated those people from my open window at a volume that probably could of been heard across town. As quickly as they could.. they got TF out of there. At the time I kicked myself for leaving enough room behind them that they could wiggle out of their spot and leave... because I wasn't done yet lol. Probably a good thing they had room to leave though ?

 

[Jhbryaniv]

They did, and the local officials didnt listen. Last thing a retiring couple wanted to do is to spend their money on winning a lawsuit - which they did.

Than rightfully so, the retiring couple would need to take legal recourse, win and be compensated...

 

[ppfd]

It’s like these cheap fucks that won’t pay for trash service but drive new cars, live in $300 k house and make 45 k, and own side by sides costing more than the truck pulling them.
I was at my apt one day last spring, there is a satellite campus of the local university in back of me. I heard all this commotion out back and looked to see some dip shits in a newer F350 dumping shingles in the campus dumpster. Being saturday no one was there.
It was none of my business but, it just pissed me off. I called a deputy buddy of mine and asked if he was working. He said yep and I’m about a mile from your place. I said get your ass over here and told him what was going on.
He came whipping into the parking lot had a few words with those two assholes and had them in the dumpster throwing the shingles back into the truck.
Took their info and a picture of the the truck and plate. Said he would check Monday and see if there was shingles in the dumpster and if so it wouldn’t be good for them, Or if the shingles were dumped anywhere but the landfill.

See the landfill is the next county over and costs maybe $50.00 to do the right thing.
Ive watched soccer moms and dads dump trash into this dumpster again driving new cars.
Campus locks it now.

I was a firefighter/medic for 30 years, nurse now.
I don’t stop 99% of the time to offer help. I’ll call for help.

 

[Cmar]

National Forest dispersed camping sites and surrounding areas often require a biohazard suit for cleanup.

This makes me sad, even sadder that increasingly it is happening here too. Many places I off road camped with my parents when I was a kid, are now off limits, and my children have missed out, because of self entitled dickheads like this.

It's bush-fire season over here now and already there have been some pretty serious fires, some of them not far from here, with houses destroyed and lives lost. Police believe that at least some of these have been deliberately lit. If caught the penalty should be the fire department should dump them right in the middle of the next one. Not just some crappy fine.

 

[Cmar]

Holy crap! That is beyond anything anyone could make up!

Great the the judge dismissed it but, otherwise, even if you're found innocent, you still have to pay to defend yourself. Sure you can sue for that but no thank you!

That is a truly outrageous (and maddening) story!

Lightning struck the wrong person, kind of destroys my belief in a benevolent God.

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