[pct-l] Why must there be a "Right Way & wrong way" to hike the

[Wes Rose]

Wireless ~

I am certain that if you are driving down the freeway and you see a car barrelling towards you, heading
the wrong direction, that your initial thought isn't, "Gee, there is some free spirit exercising his personal
preferences on the freeway.  Think I'll just scootch aside and let the dear soul pass me, and go his merry
way since I cannot live with the idea of discriminating against his freedoms"!  More likely is, "What is 
this idiot doing, risking his life and mine!?? "

Mountain bikes on the trail isn't an issue of discimination or personal preferences, it is a health and safety
concern.  Mountain bikers want to violate the law, risk the safety of hikers on the trail and then expect the
hiking community to engage in a 'reasonable' debate about your use thereof.  Go ahead and use the same 
logic with the individual driving his vehicle the wrong way down the expressway and see how that works out.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Wireless Rascal 
  To: Wes Rose 
  Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2010 8:25 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Why must there be a "Right Way & wrong way" to hike the


  Wes Rose,

  I thought I would have to wait longer than the very first response to my post to find exactly the kind of condescension I hinted at in my original note. Yet there you are with your "illiterate mountain bikers" comment. Thanks for fitting the stereotype. And that stereotype is exactly why I'm uncomfortable identifying myself. Of course, identities should hardly matter if we're having an adult exchange of ideas. Are we? 

  Of course the PCT is closed to bikes. That's exactly the problem of discrimination I was referring to. And if you think a sentiment like "I SAY...Let them go on their journey their own merry way....and let them enjoy their journey their own special way" is lunacy, then we do indeed have quite a gap to close.




  On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 8:07 PM, Wes Rose <wb104475 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

    Wireless ~

    It's not illegal to carry a big or small pack on the PCT, but it is unlawful to ride your
    mountain bike on the trail.  For all of those illiterate mountain bikers out there - and
    there must be lots of 'em - there's even a cute little pictograph with a bike circled with
    a line drawn through the middle.

    Beware of drawing too much comfort from the exhortations of Reinhold since most on
    the list already know that his primary residence is a place called Bellview.  But for all
    his lunacy, at least Reinhold has the courage to identify himself in his posts, which
    obviously cannot be said for everybody.
    [pct-l] Why must there be a "Right Way & wrong way" to hike the trail?
    Wireless Rascal wirelessrascal at gmail.com
    Sun Oct 31 19:59:09 CDT 2010

     a.. Previous message: [pct-l] "VICTORIA'S SECRET"
     b.. Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Thank you Reinhold for your call for moderation, acceptance and simply
    getting along! This issue strikes a particular chord with me because I have
    personally been the target of so much mean-spirited, discriminatory behavior
    simply because of my own unusual choice of equipment, which I'll explain. It
    seems incredible, but I've been told that I'm not even wanted on the trail
    at all. As a lifelong conservationist, volunteer, leave-no-trace adherent
    and, I think, generally nice person, it really feels lousy to be the object
    so much mistrust and unfair criticism. I can't tell you how many people have
    even gone so far as outright lying about me - accusing me of things that
    simply aren't true - just to keep me off the trail. Reinhold's sentiment, *"I
    SAY...Let them go on their journey their own merry way....and let them enjoy
    their journey their own special way."* couldn't ring more true to the ear of
    a "turtle," a "rabbit" or, in my case, a mountain biker.


    You get my point...I hope.

    _______________________________________________
    Pct-L mailing list
    Pct-L at backcountry.net
    To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
    http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

    List Archives:
    http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/