I’d like to put hill climbin knobby dirt bike tire prints right on their dumb butts!!! (whilst I’m still young and healthy enough to stand up on the pegs!!!)
Who’s dirt bike should I ride on them if I can’t ride mine?
If you don't own/ride a bicycle or a horse, it is getting damn near impossible to get near a stream, river or lake to fish without very long hikes. More barriers pop up every year and their distances from the water increases.
At the age of 69, I really don't want to hike a mile or more to fish a river, stream of lake that I used to be able drive within a 100 yards or so. These barriers basically eliminates me taking my grand kids in with me to most parks, forests and other so called public places. For their safety, I don't want to be very far away from my vehicle with my firs aid kits or the need to transport them to an ER if they fall and/or injure themselves.
My son, the father of my grandkids is facing this problem now. Both kids like to fish, and the lake where he has been taking them now requires a mile walk in. He has them ride their bikes and he hikes and carries the gear. For Christmas, we will be buying the 6 year old a mountain bike with gears like his sister's and hydration packs for both of them so they can carry water and snacks. Their Dad will carry the fishing poles, gear, tackle, chains and locks for the bikes and other stuff for a couple of hours of fishing or just watching the lake.
I just renewed my yearly Sacramento Park Pass so I won't get a ticket for parking while the bicyclers and horsie people get into the park free. You park your vehicle and walk a mile or more into fish, when you get back your vehicles may have been broken into. A friend had his right front truck window broken into, and the perps stole 4 cans of Coke, he had left on the front floor. Several friends leave their car windows down and doors unlocked.
This past week I discussed this discrimination against those of who drive with a park ranger, a good guy. I asked after 1 October, when the new and higher daily and yearly rates went into effect, if there were less people with vehicles using the park/parks. He said yes and brought up global warming as if lower attendance was a good thing. I asked him how old he was, and he said 40 something. Then, I told him, he would be out of a job soon as drivers like me will stop coming to the park and paying fees and fines and having to walk long distances just to fish. That will leave he and his peers with the free loading bicyclers and horsie people like Freeploaders on this site using the parks and not paying a daily fee or yearly fee. Then he will join the unemployed loggers and other victims of the closing of our outdoors. As he was stammering, I asked if he thought the higher gas prices would cut into driver use of the park/parks. He said probably. I smiled and said, "I hope that you have at least 6 months salary saved in case, you get laid off!"