[pct-l] Bikers on the PCT

[Edward Anderson]

Kick this problem around long enough and we might come up with an effective and 
doable approach to protecting the PCT from m. bikers and motorcycles.  I like 
Diane's idea for a citation - except -confiscating the bike (or motorcycle) by 
the Ranger and requiring the violator to walk out puts the burden of getting it 
out on the Ranger.  I say, require the violator to do the carrying - even if 
more than one trip is needed. Also, there might, and often is, more than one in 
a group.  In an earlier post I told of an incident in the John Muir Wilderness 
when a Ranger caught a motorcycle rider and made him carry it out to the Ranger 
Station.  That required more than one trip and also two days.

Ron,  enforcement will obviously require that more Rangers be hired. Why 
not? Jobs are needed and that's a good use of the money needed to supplement 
money from the big fines.  Rangers should have satellite phones and should be 
able to lock some kind of tracking device to the bike.  The bikers are a 
community. Once the word is out that serious enforcement is in effect, with big 
fines, they will stay off the PCT.  There are plenty of trails where then 
legally ride. 

One of the last mountain bikers that I confronted would not answer me, 
 pretended that he did not hear me when I asked if he realized that he was 
riding illegally on the PCT.  He never said one word - just rode on.

MendoRider



________________________________
From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Sun, October 24, 2010 3:35:35 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bikers on the PCT


On Oct 24, 2010, at 1:11 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bikers on the PCT
>
>
> What is needed is called ENFORCEMENT - including appropriate  
> penaltys for
> violations to get the message across. Obviously more is needed than  
> just a sign
> of a bycycle (or motorcycle) with a diagonal red slash. What is  
> needed is an
> additional sign indicating that there will be FINES for violations.  
> The bikers
> are well aware that they don't belong on the PCT. Start with a  
> written citation
> with just a warning on the first offence. After that the  
> consequences for
> violations should become greater - substantial fines and possibly  
> impounding the
> illegal wheeled vehicle. It should cost them money to get it back.

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.

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