[pct-l] Bikers on the PCT

[greg mushial]

> Message: 9
> Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 15:35:35 -0700
> From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bikers on the PCT
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
> <853C14A0-60C9-4267-A5FC-7E4D3E9E9724 at santabarbarahikes.com>
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>
> On Oct 24, 2010, at 1:11 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bikers on the PCT
<snip>
> Good idea except no warning for the first offense. There is no way to
> positively identify a mountain biker. They have no license or
> registration on their bicycles. They frequently carry no ID and give
> false names. So their bicycles should be immediately confiscated and
> they should be given a ticket and forced to walk home. They may
> retrieve their bicycle upon presenting a picture ID with the name and
> signature of the person they claimed to be when the ticket was issued.

The only concern I have with this model is: "confiscate" and "retrieve upon 
presenting ID"...  where to they retrive it from? and how does it get there? 
Is a FS person going to carry it out? push is out? ride it out? and the 
admiistrative cost - we all acknowlege the money shortage within the FS. 
Might I suggest ipso facto extracting the fine at point of confiscation... 
ie, lock the bike to an immovable object, smash the spokes out so that isn't 
ridable and leave it to rust as warning to other mtn bikers...  no 
administrative cost, don't care about false names/IDs etc. The minimum cost 
of mtn bikes I've seen on the PCT is around $600, some I'd guess at over 
$2k, ie, significant fine in that. And even if the lock/chain is cut, the 
smashed wheels are going to make it a bit** to get back out to a trailhead. 
Maybe if there are fallen branches, or other battering objects around, make 
geometry changing to the frame to make it not worth retrieving.
TheDuck