Mountain bikers abusing their privileges


August 12, 2010 · 10:09 AM

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

You can’t reward illegal and destructive building of personal extreme toys just to suit one group.

If the bikers are now the principal users of Banner Forest, it’s because their presence and dangerous thrill-seeking activities have driven other, more passive, users away.

“Multi-use” trails are a mountain bike lie as they quickly become the exclusive use of the bikers while other users abandon the trails due to safety and quality-of-life considerations.

That mountain bikers want the public to finance their recreation while putting the public safety at risk is outrageous.

They need to pay to have their own private areas just for them. Equestrians don’t practice rodeo, pole-bending, calf-roping or cross-country jumping on public lands at public expense. They form clubs and pay to rent areas to do their extreme sports.

Likewise, BMX bikers and ORV people pay to have their own spaces.

It doesn’t belong in a peaceful park setting.

LYNN BROWN

Port Orchard

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus