Motorcycles & Parks. Activism

[Buzztail]

Originally Posted by Visigoth

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

This is where we seem to differ. I am happy to pay a fee to enter a park in Florida and avoid State Tax. This way If I don't WANT to enter the park I don't HAVE to enter a park. If it was free admission then that revenue would have to come in the form of an income tax, and EVERYONE would pay to enter a park wether they entered a park or not. Sorry but I can not get behind a cause that I see the potential to do harm.

[waybill]

This is Ga. but they're the same as Fla, i.e, not all on the exact same page when it comes to motorcycles. This one made sure they got $5. from each motorcycle, but the one we stayed at the night before didn't charge us for each bike over and above the $25. camping fee. So one night's stay was $25. for six people and another was $55., I know it's a stretch for KLR riders but jeez.




The point is 5 bucks is cheap, national and particularly state parks are a bargain, I wouldn't rock the boat. Sometimes not having all the facts or leaving rules open for interpretation can be a good thing.

In the next photos the game warden was positive we weren't allowed to ride in this Fla. state forest but I argued that I'd called the posted ph. number (main ranger station) and got a reference no. and the gate code to do so. Then he gets out his (thick) handbook and eventually finds the section that says no motorcycles under 60" wheelbase are allowed in there. So then we convince him that some of our bikes are slightly less than 60" but some are definitely more than that. Finally we had had him laughing real good and he just said, go have some fun.







I'm with Buzztail and Jaydee, will gladly pay the $5. entry and hope they stay a little confused about the status of motorcycles, a lot worse could happen.

I'm just glad the warden pulled up after you-know-who was done humping the gate.

[ineptizoid]

Originally Posted by jaydee1445

Fish and Wildlife already banned motorcycles from wildlife management areas.
We get our dual sport motorcycles in those areas because they are regstered Motor Vehicles
Reclassifying motorcycles as their own separate class could set a precedent To allow them to keep are dual sport motorcycles out of the areas that motorcycles are already banned from.

THIS.

I like the fact that my DS bikes are seen the same way as cars/trucks for this very reason...the fact that all tagged/street-legal vehicles are classified in the same category is what keeps my local wildlife mgmt. area open for me to ride in. I have no doubt that reclassifying motorcycles would mean that these areas would be closed to us. If not immediately, it would just be a matter of time.

Hey lookit, I'm a KLR rider and fit the cheap bastard KLR rider stereotype to a T--and even I wouldn't mind payin a $5 entry fee to a state park, if that's what the cage drivers are payin. I just don't wanna pay more than they do!

[Buzztail]

If Inept is willing to pay a fee hell ANYONE should.. He's the Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

[Mugwest]

Got busy today and didn't have time to add on to my "the Park-in protest sounds lame" comment, Visigoth

You sound savvy enough to dig the perception from non-bikers to such a stunt-- while the proactive Civic Duty heart is acknowledged and honored, i can fully see you guys Occupying the park-lot and getting some cagers to start murmuring, "There oughta be a Law against those things! Harrumph!!"

Not as far-fetched as it might seem. Up here on Federal/DoD land with full rights and permits we are hassled every damn season by hunters with fire in their bellies about how we bikers aren't legal to be there. We win every argument with a reg-map whipped out and some judicious Pointing, but i assure you those guys want us banned. And yes, Virginia, they make calls to every Ear they can to make that happen.

We must chose wisely the hills we want to die on. Figuratively and otherwise

[motomike14]

One park visit = $5

State income tax at 5-9% of money earned over $30,000 = $1,500 = $2,700 per year

Pointing a finger for the hell of it to stick to the man? = free.

Think I know the 2 options I'd select.

Kudos for speaking up, but be careful what you wish for. We dual sport/motorcycle riders are a rare breed, and I'd hate for all of us to go extinct and end up in the concrete jungle.

[Vico1]

I am all for MC rights. Fought for it hard!
For over 40 years I rode/raced dirt bikes. It was a constant hassell. Never any land and if you did find a park it was very costly. In 2008 I gave up and strated riding DS because it was legal. I was treated like any other bubba in a cage. I have had a BLAST since then with a whole new world out there to explore.

I LIKE being classified the same as a car.

Keep those names and phone numbers of all you contracted... you may need them again when they start looking to ban anything on two wheels....

[Visigoth]

Thanx for all the comments. I must admit I posted here looking for any and all oppinions and even healthy debate. What I never expected from ADV was for the vast majority of the input to be of the "lay low, eat your scraps, and hope the owners of the house dont notice you" kind. I am certain that if we all supported each other any time motorcyclists were being descriminated or being taken advantage of then we would not have to act like an occupied population skirting along the edges of walls in hope that the real citizens dont throw us in internment camps. If we were more unified and proactive we would actually have trails created and maintained with the millions of dollars the state has collected from offroad motorcycle titles. If we worked together they would not dare treat us like second class citizens and let motorist go with a slap on the wrist when they kill or mame us simply because "it is their fault for riding one of those things". I don't do well in the cockroach role and will continue fighting for us any time I believe our government or any other group is taking advantage of us or screwing us. I spoke to one of the commisioners who worked on the fee mandate last night and he was baffled we were being charged because apparently motorcycles had been specifically discussed at lenght and deemed not required to pay parking due to size and lower enviromental impact. He is trying to get the minutes of those metting for me to help me "reeducate" the Parks people. Apparently a ride to the park will be unnecesary...

[Wlfman]

$5 parking. park your bike taking up a full spot and get over it.

[Vico1]

Originally Posted by Visigoth

. If we were more unified and proactive we would actually have trails created and maintained with the millions of dollars the state has collected from offroad motorcycle titles. If we worked together they would not dare treat us like second class citizens and let motorist go with a slap on the wrist when they kill or mame us simply because "it is their fault for riding one of those things".

You might want to hear about a bunch of P-cola locals (about 25 or more) who have banded together to start an OHV site with said money. Its been about 11 years now and we are still fighting the good fight. Meetings, hearings, email campaigns, letters to REPs etc. There is actually land set aside and some buildings there for public use but NO riding .... maybe in another 10 years our hard PAID tax money will do some good. Oh BTW the Governer of our fair state had voted against using this money for Motorcycle Parks and has given it back to the general fund! Go figure.

[Visigoth]

Thank you for letting me know Vico1. That fund has been a sore spot for me ever since I bought the CRF450R to race FTR on the first year they started forcing us to buy titles. I spent several years trying to make some headway including one serving on the board of FTR but was not able to get any traction with the state. I'm glad one group was able to get together and make something happen. If you ever need some assistance of a software/data nature or anything else please make sure and PM me. Please let me know if there is some kind of website for the ridding area or a way to find it. The only legal place to ride down here is a motocross track. There use to be two, Air Dania, but they closed it down due to noise. Ironic considering it was half a mile from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport directly below the flight path among warehouses and empty lots.

Originally Posted by Vico1

You might want to hear about a bunch of P-cola locals (about 25 or more) who have banded together to start an OHV site with said money. Its been about 11 years now and we are still fighting the good fight. Meetings, hearings, email campaigns, letters to REPs etc. There is actually land set aside and some buildings there for public use but NO riding .... maybe in another 10 years our hard PAID tax money will do some good. Oh BTW the Governer of our fair state had voted against using this money for Motorcycle Parks and has given it back to the general fund! Go figure.

[Vico1]

Originally Posted by Visigoth

Please let me know if there is some kind of website for the ridding area or a way to find it. The only legal place to ride down here is a motocross track. There use to be two, Air Dania, but they closed it down due to noise. Ironic considering it was half a mile from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport directly below the flight path among warehouses and empty lots.

Here is one link there may be others... or even a web site...

http://www.floridaforestservice.com/...tion_news.html

But remember... this place is still NOT OPEN to the public or even workers at this point.

You might also try Hard Labor Creek Park near Chiply... they are pretty good trails as I understand it.

[Visigoth]

That is fantastic. Thank you for the info. I have a few friends that will be stoked to hear that something finally came from their ridding fund. Even if it's all the way out there. Hopefully they will use this as a model as suggested by that website. The Chipley area, is that the one close to the correctional facility? I think I raced a few harescrambles there.

[Area51]

I can vouch for Hard Labor Creek Park. Great trails, good people.