Not to take away from the situation in NJ, but to say that everyone that lives outside NJ (or CT or NY or a handleful of other states) can't possibly get it is noisemaking. Until 1996 there were more than 30 state forests in MA open to ORV's... when the liberals and tree huggers were done focusing their attention on them...there were 6. And of those, the only ones open to quads are in the western part of the state (with the exception of one teeny one on the north shore). Now this year they've closed another, one of the biggest. Any trip to any legal riding area requires planning and a day trip for most of us, and frankly a trip to ME or NH is easier. The open space that we do have may as well be out of state. We pay taxes, bow to mandatory registration, our clubs have to enter into contracts with the DCR to maintain trails donating thousands of manhours to trail upkeep (for which the state is reimbursed by federal funding), etc, etc. The state is making money off us and "giving" damn little in return... I've heard of bikes being impounded and big bucks and court visits to get it back, I know a someone that was literally ripped of his bike as he rode by a town cop, and another that had a gun put in his face, and this is just local stuff. The point is that the outlaw mentality is part of what cost us thousands of acres to ride.

Now, my ranting above aside, the cops are people too, and some of them own bikes. They get it. Nine times out of ten you will get what you give. A little respect goes a long way. Not always, but most times. And the landowner has a lot to do with it. The more they complain about bone heads, they more the cops have to listen to them, the harder they are likely to come down on you.

I expect someone from NJ will reply and tell me that that is not how it is in their state, the cops are all aholes gunning for your ride... but the knucklehead that started this thread was trespassing, had brought a shovel to build a ramp, and knew that it wasn't his land, but thought that because it was "rundown" it would be alright to dig it up more. Like I'm to be impressed that a 15 year old only had "WATER AND GATORADE"...Sounds like the cops and the landowner have about had it... and after all that he got a warning-



You guys will never get a legal place to ride with that mentality... keep running, and when you finally get caught, it could follow you...

.02

 

mbullism i don't think all cops are a-holes but in nj they have atv taskforces that ride around on atv's and catch you. and when they get you they take your atv everytime and you don't get it back until your court date is over and all fines paid, plus they tag you vin# and if your vin# get tagged 3 times they get to keep it. also anywhere you ride in nj is trespassing. you can find more info on dirttdogg.com about it. i't sounds like your state is going in the same direction as mine so start learning how to run.

 

I have a better idea.
How about you DRIVE (I know a rediculous idea) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] to a designated riding area???
When I go to the dunes, the closest one is 2 hours away. The one that I USUALLY go to is 3-3/12 hours away.

No tickets (if you are within the sound limits), and no cops trying to chase you either.. HHMMmmmmm....

 

OK 1st, I do not like politics........2nd I'm real sorry to read that it comes down to running from law enforsment........

REMEMBER: who elects your STATE and LOCAL goverening officials.........REMEMBER: who elects the sheriff of your town or city..........and most of all REMEMBER: their is POWER in organized CLUBS and PARTYS and people that beleive in our sport..........

If running is what you want to do, so be it and GOOD LUCK (cause your going to need it)

If you truly beleive in our SPORT OF ATVing get involve and MAKE YOUR STATEMENTS of how you feel known to your LOCAL and STATE goverments........

 

Wut are you talkin about??? we didnt have a sixpack rack?!?! we had it straped to a freakin grizzly....

 

kayaker001-

We have the atv patrols as well. Our registration fees recently doubled to pay for additional EPO patrols on state land ( EPO=Environmental Police Officer, a.k.a. game warden...they have juristiction). We also have several local PD's that have recently gone before their local board of selectmen and said that they can't enforce the laws from their cruisers (because knuckleheads run), and now several local departments have ATV's as well. We also have landowners that hire off duty cops to patrol their acreage on the weekends...

As far as learning to run... I'm trying to impress apon this 15 year old kid that I've learned not to run, and it appears that he's learned the lesson the hard way. The important thing is that it appears that he's learned early enough with little consequence. If you guys in NJ have a three strikes and your out hanging over your head, then running will do nothing to change that, it will only get worse.

 

So move out of the Peoples Republic Of N.J. I would not live in California for like reasons. The radical liberals have way to much control (even though they are not a majority) and of course they know better than everyone so instead of punishing the wrong doers, they outlaw everything, like Constitutional protected items, not just ATVs.

 

Hey bear, I just read through this string and when I got close to the end I was of the like opinion that if your state doesn't like, want or allow quads anywhere, then sell your quad or MOVE. It's like owning a dirt bike in Manhattan, NY and complaining that there's no dirt park on the island. Otherwise you just plan to end up with your stuff confiscated and your hard earned money paying a bunch of fines.

I think this is why when you go on eBay to find a used quad, they're all on the east coast, or at least east of Denver. There's just nowhere to ride back there. It's a damned shame, but I don't think I'd own one back there. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

I am quoting you because you hit the nail on the head and are 100% correct in your thinking.

Not that there were not any other good replies but this deals with the cause and remedy to the problem and none of the others would really help long term.

Moving can help, but running away from your neighborhood and problems (look at what happened to brooklyn etc) doenst work long term and only leaves others to deal with the problems.

Running or not running are only short term too, and getting involved in making a real difference in fighting for our right to enjoy our sport, and even politics in general is the only thing that is going to make any difference long term.

So we all have many choices, but as far as I can see if most of us dont chose to become involved both in supporting our sport and in our political system as a whole were totally screwed long term not only due to having no legal places to ride, but also in having the few remaining rights we enjoy as Americans lost like so many before.


OffroadNJ

 

I am really sorry to hear that your state is following suit behind our mess of a state, but until this BS progresses into the more rural or conservative states etc the riders there will not fully understand what is happening in other areas.

Honestly until your hunted like a serious criminal how could you believe or empathise with this even happening?

So maybe we will get lucky and all the efforts of the few to benefit the many will prevail over all of our well organized and funded enimies, but I am just not betting on it and will try and convince all those that I can to become involved and make a difference.


Also one last thought on the mess you describe about legal obligations to maintaining a state owned trails system etc. I think you guys really need to seek some legal council because the wording on the non hiway portion of the federal gas tax and how its divided and distributed and to be used by the states is pretty much in conflict with what you describe.

I know there is more than one person who is involved here that is considering a potential legal action for the proper use of these $$$ as described by the fed.