🚀 go-pugleaf

Mike Vandeman (mjvande@pbhye.PacBell.COM) wrote:

: >[a long bit about mountain biking] 

: 1. Why do you allow activities that you know to be dangerous?
: 2. Why do you only mention "solo" accidents? These bikes have the potential
:    of killing and maiming bystanders, also.
: 3. Why do you say that closing public lands to bikes would deprive "these
:    recreationists access to many public lands"? This is obviously not true,
:    since it is only the bikes, not the "recreationists" that would be banned.
: 4. Why do you want to allow the biking to go on, knowing it is dangerous, but
:    then try to escape responsibility for your action? That seems like the
:    height of irresponsibility! If you allow MTBing, then you are obviously
:    an accomplice, and should take full responsibility. If your aim is to
:    protect the parks and their visitors, it seems to me that you MUST ban
:    MTBing.

I am not an avid mountain biker, but I am an avid whitewater kayaker and 
rock climber. And, I am tired of park officials outlawing these 
activities because they perceive them to be dangerous. Individuals should 
be allowed to assume such risk as they like in order to pursue the outdoor 
sports that they enjoy.

With regard to mountain bikes, is there evidence that hikers or other 
bystanders have been injured by mountain bikers? Do riders of mountain 
bikes present a true risk to other trail users or only a perceived risk?

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Richard Penny
2499 Los Altos Avenue
Clovis, CA 93611

email: rikpenny@cybergate.com
    
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