In this week's Maine Sunday Telegram there were two articles in regards to reckless ATVers. The biggest one dealt with a land owner battling a few of rouge riders who refuse to obey his wishes (staying off his land). INSTEAD THESE FOOLS CONTINUE TO RIDE ON HIS PROPERTY!!! Now the land owner is forced not only to post signs, but hidden cameras, gates and other blockades. The other article spoke of ATVers riding on snowmobile trails. People need to start using a little common sense!!!

 

I totally agree!!!

 

I hate when those kind of people give us (law abiding, respectful) ATVers a bad rep! Isn't that the story of the atv industry's life....

newf

 

The really unfortunate thing is that those few who don't follow the rules, get the most media attention. In all honesty, of the guys I ride with, and have bumped into on the trail. Maybe 1 in 10 is a disrespectful rider and delibrately ignores posted property! The rest of us just want to have a good time riding and not infringe on others rights.

Rick

 

Unfortunately there's no easy answer to this problem. The best we can do is encourage responsible riding through organized ATV clubs and associations. The ATV clubs around here have very good relationships with many of the land owners. It's nice to see this kind of mutual understanding and respect. Too bad it can be ruined by the actions of a few.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL CLUB

 

You are completely right, unfortunately there may not be any reasonable answers. Our club is in its second year and we are taking the blame for every incident that occurs in our community. It is hard to stand up for what you believe in when you know you are just making yourself a target for public criticism. Hopefully more people stand with us to be counted instead of slithering away unwilling to accept the responsibility for their actions. Forgive me for the rant, but this topic is very fresh in my mind at this time.

 

I think everyone should read this thread. This is something important to us all. Our club here in Michigan, is only a few years old too and it's been difficult at best to keep things on level ground. It's bad enough trying to keep trails open for us to use and maintain club membership while a few individuals will dismantle all that we attempt to build. Clubs must get involved in community affairs, help maintain a possitive immage for all to see. Keep the club name popping up all over the place so people know the name by hard. My club president is the best salesman I know. He could talk a dog out of his favorite fire hydrant. But we still need to work hard to get others to follow rules on the trails.
Chuck