Originally posted by: squeege
I agree with half of what you are saying.
The "publics money" is really money pulled from the sale of a quad purchase and/or registration. That money is earmarked for trails, but is seldom used for them.
I'm certain that this is the case elsewhere (and am sorry to go off topic once again); yet not at the largest maintained system in the nation (Michigan).We have sticker money only; sales of same have been flat for years and there has been no increase in fees to properly support the resource for many years before that.
"...People have a right to be pissed. I'm sure most people would pay yearly fees on top of what they already pay to open up public trails for atv use...."
I'll have to respectfully disagree with that in the sense that 'most people' could just plain force their off-road leadership to indeed carry the pay-to-play flag and push HARD for the needed fee increases. For example, orv leadership here has promoted the creation of massive new mileage on the sides of our county roads through an inistence that no new fees need be created to properly maintain same over time.
Some may be willing to pay extra and indeed fight for same, including myself...yet you have the vast majority out there hoping to skate by with just as little spent in this area as possible...allowing orv leaders to get us into the underfunded massive closure mess that we are faced with today.
Off-road users will be willing to pay all right....as they have gotten themselves into a less-than-proactive purely defensive position through poor leadership choices....that has actually given them no choice but to do just that or lose what they seemingly refused to take care of throughout time.
Posted by: whereisthemud
I agree that the trespassing is a huge issue and should not happen. This is wrong and does give ammo to those who want to close down everything. Providing "real" trails will help alleviate this but will most likely never get rid of it entirely just due to the difference in human nature. What I mean by "real" trails are not the gravel roads that seem to be put in as ATV trails but trails that are only wide enough for 1 quad in spots, more so than not, has mud/rocks/trees and other complications in the way and allow for the use of the 4wd atv's qualities. I don't get my ATV out much anymore except in the winter to pull an ice house around simply due to the lack of trail systems with some diversity other than dirt/gravel/sand roadways.
I got out of my local ATV club a couple years ago due to personal issues but am going to be getting back in with them as I see our sport degrading to the point of not having anywhere to ride and if we do have somewhere to ride it will be in and offroad park only or on gravel roads so called "trails".
Posted by: CaptainQuint
Originally posted by: squeegeOur property is posted no trespassing now just for these reasons
Hate to break it to ya but that won't discourage most of them. The sad thing is (and to detriment of our sport) is that a large percentage of riders will not only blast right by that no trespassing sign but with rip it down. You see, what is yours is theirs. The only thing that matters is that you provide them a place to ride their ATV. And heaven help you if one of them gets hurt while they're trespassing, burglarizing, stealing and vandalizing on your land. They'll start placing calls to Larry H. Lawyer before the blood is dry and the ambulance has stopped rolling.
And that's why you have to write those large checks every 6 months for multimillion dollar liability coverage.
Posted by: CaptainQuint
Originally posted by: georgedYep. I've been criticized many times on this forum for going to great lengths to keep ATV, dirt bike and other trespassers off my property and impose serious fines for their destruction of public property or close it off for that very reason. And I still read posts by riders encouraging trespassing because public money hasn't provided a place for them to destroy.
It's that entitlement mentality that gets more restrictive legislation passed, gets more landowners and members of the general public to side against the sport. It just takes a small group of irresponsible riders to cause irreparable damage to the sport and eventually industry.
Many times you have parents buying ATVs for spoiled children and the kids have nowhere to ride and no supervision and they are just turned loose with them. other times you have adults who might as well be adolescents as they lack any sort of adult judgment or restraints on their behavior.
The best a landowner can do is to post and protect his property with every resource the law allows, including the filing of trespassing charges and getting those trespassing served with whatever restraining orders or injunctions are applicable in your state which provide even more legal repercussions if they're caught again. Once fines are imposed and legal papers get served the message gets across. It's worth it to hire an attorney to do it for you or if you're ambitious you can do it yourself.
We've got to clean up our sport and our image or we're not going to have anywhere left to ride and we'll only have ourselves to blame.
Posted by: georged
Originally posted by: CaptainQuint
Originally posted by: squeegeOur property is posted no trespassing now just for these reasons
Hate to break it to ya but that won't discourage most of them. The sad thing is (and to detriment of our sport) is that a large percentage of riders will not only blast right by that no trespassing sign but with rip it down. You see, what is yours is theirs. The only thing that matters is that you provide them a place to ride their ATV. And heaven help you if one of them gets hurt while they're trespassing, burglarizing, stealing and vandalizing on your land. They'll start placing calls to Larry H. Lawyer before the blood is dry and the ambulance has stopped rolling.
And that's why you have to write those large checks every 6 months for multimillion dollar liability coverage.
Yep. I've been criticized many times on this forum for going to great lengths to keep ATV, dirt bike and other trespassers off my property and impose serious fines for their destruction of public property or close it off for that very reason. And I still read posts by riders encouraging trespassing because public money hasn't provided a place for them to destroy.
Posted by: Splat
XavierOnasis - so how are things going?? hope that she is healing well and quickly - have a good group of people behind ya and pulling for a complete recovery. sounds like her guardian angel was riding with you two that day and glad they where. let us know how things are going and tell the little lady that we are all pulling for her!! some seriously scary ____!!!!!!
Splat
Posted by: Splat
X - glad to hear it - seems the thread took a turn to land issues - big surprise - anyway - i am glad to hear about it - your wife sounds like one tough lady!!! Nothing is slowing her down - lol - that is good - hope the rest of the healing goes well too - tell her to keep it up!!!! So I am gonna guess that she is willing to jump back on the bike from the sound of things - that is too cool!!! well - just wanted to check in on ya and see how it was going - take care and good luck!!!
Splat
Posted by: Splat
X - weird - thought i replied but not seeing it - dunno if it will show or not - strange - very strange - anyway - glad to hear she is recovering quickly - she sounds like one tough lady for sure!!! seems like the thread went to land issues or something - big surprise there - anyhow - tell her to keep up the quick recovery!!! Also sounds like she might be willing to get back on the bike - too freakin cool!!! hope the rest of the recovery goes as well as it has up to now - sorry that she is putting the "gals" back in their cages downside to everything i guess - lol - but what can ya do - lol - well just wanted to check in and see how things where going and glad to hear it is going well - talk with ya later.
Splat
Posted by: Splat
DOI!!!! there I is - guess i had one (or several) to many head wounds growing up (hence the screen name - got it as a young man - was the sound i used to make when hitting the ground trying to skate board - lol) maybe someday i will quit hitting the old noodle on crap - if i am lucky that is - didnt notice this went to 2 pages - DDDEEERRRRRR!!!!
Posted by: squeege
"single unmarked strand of barbed wire strung across the trail"
Is this simply fenced off to keep livestock or? OR????
Posted by: squeege
This is not directed at XavierOnasis, but just an example "to raise awareness" while out enjoying the sport we all love so much.
Last weekend, I took my younger sibling out for a target practice lesson. We were just plunking at a target when I heard a quad coming. We quickly set the gun down and a man rode across about 15 feet behind our target.
Lucky for him, It was only a pellet gun.... Had it been a more dangerous gun, he may have heard it.....I don't know
Our property is posted no trespassing now just for these reasons...I don't mind 4 wheelers crossing the property, but you gotta cover your ass cause people don't always think about the dangers of riding on someone else's land
Take care and ride safe.....wish you the best XavierOnasis
Posted by: squeege
I agree with half of what you are saying.
The "publics money" is really money pulled from the sale of a quad purchase and/or registration. That money is earmarked for trails, but is seldom used for them.
People have a right to be pissed. I'm sure most people would pay yearly fees on top of what they already pay to open up public trails for atv use.
Posted by: RticKwad
Your wife, you and the family are in
our prayers! And thanks for caring
to share your personal family story
so we MAY all learn from this and
REMEMBER our saftey as number
one IMPORTANCE!
Thanks again and wish your
wife the fastest and painless
recovery!
R'
Posted by: WAATV
Looking for fence posts alone isn't enough. Around here lots of barbed wire fences are strung by notching trees and just running the wire through the notch. There is NOTHING but the barbed wire itself.
This particular kind of accident is one of my worst nightmares. So far we've always ridden slowly through areas at first, then we go back and speed around if we want to. Riding with my son, whose machine is limited to ~13 MPH, keeps us going slowly too. But I wouldn't want to get involved with barbed wire at ANY speed.
Keep your eyes open for anything and everything. Stuff happens fast when you're moving several feet every second.
Posted by: WAATV
Originally posted by: kansasbuggy
I don't want to sound harsh or insensative , but where was the trail ? on private property? area that has had problems with atvs? or public riding area? or public area that the trail crossed onto private ground.
The environ"mental" folks sometimes string things across perfectly legal trails. These types oppose motorized vehicles regardless of where they are riding.
Don't take anything for granted. Just because the trail was safe yesterday doesn't mean it's safe today. Check first, then open 'er up.
Posted by: ctateusa1
good luck and god grant a speedy recovery.
Posted by: kansasbuggy
I don't want to sound harsh or insensative , but where was the trail ? on private property? area that has had problems with atvs? or public riding area? or public area that the trail crossed onto private ground.
Posted by: XavierOnasis
Thursday @ 6:30 PM my wife hit a single unmarked strand of barbed wire strung across the trail and was clotheslined off her Polaris Hawkeye at approximately 20-25 MPH. I was following her at the time.
She will recover. She went by ambulance to the Trauma Center, spent 1 night in ICU and 1 night in the recovery ward. She has:
- 9 stitches in her left bicep
- a large area of abrasion on the right side of her neck.
- a 'hairline' fracture of the sternum (breastbone)
- misc minor scrapes and bruises
I KNOW how much worse it could have been. Others have been decapitated or permanently disabled.
We have a Police report and I am considering civil legal action, therefore I do not wish to be more specific about details.
My wife is a farm-and-country girl. She has raised and shown horses, and in her life she's been bucked and kicked and stepped on and scraped off. She's not the fearful type. Nevertheless I have told her clearly that if she chooses to never ride an ATV again I would respect that. Furthermore if she asked ME to stop riding forever I would comply. She didn't give any answer.
If she were to ask this of me I would miss the sport, but never speak a word. I will not intentionally cause her to have the kind of fear I felt that night.
Gentlemen, friends, brothers-in-sport ... be careful ... and please impress upon your loved ones how important it is to be aware of fence POSTS. The wire may be invisible, but you can usually see the post.
Even if they've heard it all before - say it again.
Posted by: XavierOnasis
Thanks, Splat, and all.
The first week was marked with recvery faster than could be hoped. She was up and around pretty quickly, taking care of her self and only troubled with pain from the sternum fracture. Then, things kinda stood still for a while and now in the last couple of days suddenly she's making big progress again. She can now wear a bra all day and drive herself about wearing a seatbelt without undue pain and she plans on returning to work next week.
Posted by: booboobear
wish you and the wife the best of luck
Posted by: Dufrane
wishing your wife a speedy recovery.........now you said your wife has been thrown from horses, seems like she's a tough lady.i just hope that she treats this like any other horse.give her time friend,i'm sure she'll climb back on this horse.
Posted by: staycalm
Best wishes to you, an in-law of mine was killed by a INTENTIONALLY strung cable across a trail. Its part of the reason i always go on point. Your in my prayers tonight.
Posted by: NK711
I'm glad that she is going to be ok. She is very fortunate to still be here with us. Things like this happen for those of us who travel paths that others don't. Be careful, keep safe, and be there for your wife. 1*
Posted by: Mr. Exceptional
I too ran into a barbed wire fence on my 400EX in fourth gear doing about 50mph. I slammed in to a small tree and then landed on a barbed fence. I don't know how, but I came out unharmed.
But just a few months ago I wrecked my F150 and my arm was slung out the window and a tree tore half of it off. The bone was popped out but I still managed to dry my self home and then to the hospital. I went through two surgeries, one putting the bone back in place, and then one where the doctors took skin from my leg and put it over my arm.
I know what you are going through, it will get better.
