Re: RC: American River ride

[David LeBlanc <dleblanc@mindspring.com>]

At 12:20 PM 5/2/00 EDT, Howard4567@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 5/2/00 3:34:07 PM !!!First Boot!!!, sshaw@pacbell.net 
>writes:

><< Some of my friends were awoken at midnight by
> the Park Rangers and given breath tests for alcohol and told that they
> had to leave. They were also told that they would have to call a taxi to
> go. They had been drinking and the breath tests were below the limit,
> but close enough that the Rangers did not want them to drive.  >>

>Midnite breathalizers?  Taxi ride home?  I just can't imagine going to a
ride 
>like this.  Ever.  These Park Rangers sound like the Brown shirts in Nazi 
>Germany.  "Let me see your papers."  

>My first reaction would be to put this ride off my list and to tell everyone 
>about how bad the authorities are at the Park.  But from what I've read it
is 
>in a beautiful area, and if not for the tactics of the Rangers, it would
be a 
>great ride.  The question is, "Can you fight the National Park system?"

I don't know if you're fighting the entire park system. Sounds to me like
it would be better for the ride manager to contact the head ranger for that
park. Plus you may not have the whole story here - there's a good chance
someone complained. Cops do not usually wake sleeping drunks unless they're
in public or might want to go for a drive.

>The answer probably is yes, but.....But it takes years to get them to change 
>the way they currently do things.  But you need Congressional support.  But 
>you won't see any changes from the ride this year to the rides next year.  
>but.....

I kind of doubt you're going to get much support for being drunk in the
park. Even if these rangers are overboard, this isn't the kind of thing
that a politician is going to touch with a 10 foot pole.

>It's kind of funny how different aspects of our federal government behave 
>when it comes to endurance riding.  I've been to a ride that is held on an 
>Army Post (Liberty Run near Augusta, GA) and, except for the weapons 
>training, no rider was ever bothered by any Army official.  This particular 
>Army Post is just as good as being on private land, if not better (they have 
>a great restaurant there).

That is a great ride.

>Anyhow, if you all decide to fight them or try to, let RC know how you go 
>about taking on the FEDS.  

What you want to do is go sort it out with the head ranger at that park.
If the ride is going to continue, then you need to be friends with these
people, and if there are some special rules that people need to follow,
then the ride manager needs to let people know what to expect. I can't seem
to find any rules and regulations on their web site.  BTW, from looking at
the map, it would seem to be in a Natl forest, not a park.

>Just be glad you're not dealing with Janet Reno, 
>who would probably react by sending in ground troops and kidnapping your 
>horse so that the horse could be with her stud Poppa.

Nah, she'd want to split up you and your horse, since the two of you
together are too competitive.  They'd then say that now that you're split
up, you're free to try and be a horse, and your horse can now try and
compete as a human.


David LeBlanc
dleblanc@mindspring.com