Re: RC: American River Ride

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/4/00 9:41:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Dbeverly4@aol.com 
writes:

<<  I also wonder if he planned on people who would NOT, absolutely NOT, 
 obey the rules no matter what.  Hard to factor those types of people into 
the 
 equation.  You DON'T have to have a motor home everywhere (or even anywhere) 
 -- you can shift your little self over about 1/4 mile to another camping 
 site) in the National Parks System.  I think what happened here was an 
 overwhelming use of an area NOT designed specifically for the task, the 
 system didn't work because, quite simply, people didn't work with it.  >>

First of all, I'll concede that likely management COULD have done a better 
job of communication here.  That said--from first-hand accounts from riders, 
it is pretty clear that the "people" in this case DID try to follow the 
rules, and were rousted out at midnight anyway!  The "rules" were that 
campers had to be self-contained.  The rationale behind the rules in this 
case is pretty clear--no human waste or litter to be left on the 
site--reasonable request in a highly used and populated area.  I have NEVER 
been in a circumstance where my camper with a porta-potty and a jug at the 
end of a hose to take the grey water from my sink did not qualify as 
"self-contained."  Campers who endured this midnight raid report that the 
ranger checked for STOVES and SHOWERS--what does THAT have to do with the 
price of tea in China, for gosh sakes?  Furthermore, rigs that were CLEARED 
during daylight hours as being ok to camp in the "self-contained" area were 
deemed (according to first-hand accounts) unacceptable in the middle of the 
night!  I'm sorry, but this is NOT a case of a bunch of crazed folks 
flaunting the rules--this is a case of sincere, well-meaning, law-abiding 
citizens who WERE trying to follow the rules (albeit perhaps not well 
prepared due to lack of communication from management) and who were STILL 
subjected to unacceptable search and behavior from overbearing authorities.  
NO MATTER what degree of blame rests with management here--the treatment of 
the riders in this case by authorities was UNACCEPTABLE.  Yes, RM's should 
stick together here--in fact, any human beings who have ANY concerns about 
their rights to use public lands (or any other rights) including federal, 
state, county, or whatever, should stick together and JUST SAY NO to this 
sort of heavy-handed intimidation tactic.

I've said it once and I'll say it again--the RM had a permit.  If the rangers 
had a beef with how things were conducted, they can serve a citation on the 
RM in a civilized fashion, and take it up in the proper arena--which is 
court.  There is NO excuse for harrassing the riders in this case.  This is a 
CHEAP way to try to shut down a ride by destroying its entry base without 
EVER having to demonstrate that the RM broke any rules.  Let the RM have her 
day in court to prove her case before a judge, and don't try to prejudice the 
case by intimidating the witnesses (the riders)!  This is NOT a case where 
there is any sort of threat to life, limb, or property--and hence does NOT 
justify the sorts of tactics used.  (I'll grant that an officer approaching 
an unknown situation at midnight SHOULD have his hand on the butt of his 
gun--but this was a KNOWN situation, and there was no excuse for the officers 
to be there to begin with, since they HAD already supposedly helped to sort 
the campers as to where they should go BEFORE they were all bedded down for 
the night, and since the camp was peaceful and there was NO disturbance.)

Heidi