Got busted in Lee County

[Thrumud]

There has been a "Hot Spot" for a long time in east Ft Myers off of 82, and it's now official, NO MORE RIDING. Out of no where a Lee County Sheriff Officer showed up as we were unloading our quads and gave us a verbal warning.  " NO MORE RIDING IN LEE COUNTY PERIOD".  If you are caught riding in Lee County after a warning,  second time you get stopped they have the right to 1. Arrest you 2. Take your quad/quads/dirtbike. 3 the truck that hauled your bikes. 

It was a matter of time.  Maybe this will get some of South West FL riders to wake up !   

[ScooterB]

Does Lee county have an ordinace banning  off road riding???

[UncleRico]

That sucks dude. 

[qt314nfla]

Welcome to southwest florida now take your redneck azz somewhere else.  We don't take kindly to Florida Crackers here.  Move some place like New York so we have more room for them to bring their money down.

[Thrumud]

Does Lee county have an ordinace banning  off road riding???

Off roading, yes.  ATV's, no.

[Thrumud]

Welcome to southwest florida now take your redneck azz somewhere else.  We don't take kindly to Florida Crackers here.  Move some place like New York so we have more room for them to bring their money down.

QT,   I know the Yankees (some Yankees not all) are causing the BS with ATV'ers.  But this one is with the South Florida Water Management.   The officer said "SFWM contacted us and requested for us to remove all riders off the land"  The officer said himself, " I don't know why they don't let you ride here".  He said himself, " You guys need to unite and take this to a higher level, mean while I have to do my job". 

QT, what county do you live in ?

[Dr.Dirt]

There has been a "Hot Spot" for a long time in east Ft Myers off of 82, and it's now official, NO MORE RIDING. Out of no where a Lee County Sheriff Officer showed up as we were unloading our quads and gave us a verbal warning.  " NO MORE RIDING IN LEE COUNTY PERIOD".  If you are caught riding in Lee County after a warning,  second time you get stopped they have the right to 1. Arrest you 2. Take your quad/quads/dirtbike. 3 the truck that hauled your bikes. 

It was a matter of time.  Maybe this will get some of South West FL riders to wake up !   

Were you out at Leehigh?

[Thrumud]

There has been a "Hot Spot" for a long time in east Ft Myers off of 82, and it's now official, NO MORE RIDING. Out of no where a Lee County Sheriff Officer showed up as we were unloading our quads and gave us a verbal warning.  " NO MORE RIDING IN LEE COUNTY PERIOD".  If you are caught riding in Lee County after a warning,  second time you get stopped they have the right to 1. Arrest you 2. Take your quad/quads/dirtbike. 3 the truck that hauled your bikes. 

It was a matter of time.  Maybe this will get some of South West FL riders to wake up !   

YES

Were you out at Leehigh?

[qt314nfla]

Snootysota oh I mean Sarasota.  There will never be any riding in Sarasota County either.  Yankees and treehuggers seem to have more control up here.  They put a stop to the Myakka State Forest location for one of the ATV parks.

[Dr.Dirt]

This sucks, that was the only place we had left...

[UncleRico]

It's odd that American Government claims to be a representative democracy. 


Looks like you guys don't have any representation.  Why is that?

[Thrumud]

This sucks, that was the only place we had left...

I know.  After seeing that chopper fly over the past two weekends I said, that's it for this place.  Please show up at the meeting Sept 28th.

[Thrumud]

At the meeting in Miami,  state officials said that Lee County is in the process of receiving a grant for OHV.  We just have to wake up county officials.

[qt314nfla]

It'd be nice to have something in Lee county.  I just hope they'll go w/ the northern portion of it.   Otherwise I'll still be in the same place as I am now.  Where the closest place will still be 2 hrs away.   Oh well I hope they get something for y'all.  It's a start in the right direction for sure!

[UncleRico]

I'd like to know exactly where all the tax money goes, and what the government does with it? Don't we have a right to know?

Oh, we don't have the technology for that. You'd have to enter all that information into a computer, and then that wouldn't be any good because only those couple of people with computers could access it. Then we'd have to have some magical system to connect all the computers so that everyone could view it when we finally do get the technology. And besides, what would we call it? We'd have to come up with a name for it, and that would be a lot of extra work.


Actually, big government doesn't want you to know how much money they raise and what they spend it on. That would make them accountable for spending, and no one wants that kind of oversight.

Hell, they don't even want you to know the laws, why do you think they make them so arcane and write them in language that the common man typically doesn't understand.

Do you know how much money the State of Florida makes per day in simple parking tickets alone? Of course you don't because if you saw that number you'd be like "Why the hell do I have to pay taxes when they collect that much money in one day?"

You don't even want to know the total for speeding tickets.

[Thrumud]

Want to know how much the state collects ?  Want to know how much each county collected on ATV registration fees ?    Here it is.  http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/html/revpub/revpubthruAPR2006.pdf

Look for "Off Road 1"  --- takes a few seconds to open.

[Smoknbanshee]

I am curious on how much money the government funds to the space missions and testing that NASA is doing. I agree that satellites are the future, but the space station NO.  I think we have more natural resources below the surface and in the ocean that the government should be focusing more on instead of the space explorations.  IMO.

[SWFRider]

If anyone gets arrested for riding on unposted vacant land please post and i think all members here should help donate money for a good attorney, or we all file a class action suit baring law enforcemnet from harrasing us on un posted vacant lands. No officer has the right to make such a blanket statement that you cant ride in lee county ! They are frustrated because complaints are pouring in to the Sheriff office and pressure is being put on them. They must still represent the law properly. One day one of these deputys is gonna be charged with violation of civil rights if he arrests the wrong person , that under florida statues is not tresspassing . The land that has been a problem is a Water Management Preserve and people cut the fences to it and began riding in it. These idiots drew attention and because a few went in others stupidly thought it was ok. The fences were there still and morons went into the preserve. I rode upto a few people near the entrance (cut fence) one day angry and said "do you know you are in a preserve."They just shrugged and said others are in here" I have stated in an earlier post that the preserve was on 1/10 of the area rideable around it. But people gathered to it like magnets.  This area was a prime example of fencing and signs that said no tresspasing as it is suppose to look under the law. And if you are caught in the preserve then yes you can be arrested , since it was properly marked, even with the cut front fence there is still visible fence and signs around it. SWFWMA had the right to have people removed. I for one will not let my Quads sit for 2 yrs while a bunch of eco terrorist decide we cant use some public land promised to us ( Naples , still waiting ). WE MUST FIND PRIVATE LANDS TO RIDE or move to them.   

[SWFRider]

Proof of what Ive been saying is the appearance of signs about every 500'in the Yucapan. I'll bet the Judges threw out some cases involving trespassing due to it not meeting state statues. Dont get me wrong. If Iam asked to leave I will. I dont condone trespassing when the land has been clearly marked. If Iam arrested without just cause then I will sue the officer and agency for violation of my civil rights. All its gonna take is one of these cases to change things.

The question you need to ask your self is does the officer have the right to arrest me if Iam on foot, a bicycle or ATV on land that has no signs or fences or other man made barriers indicating it is trespassing.
Maybe if we are to give up this fight then we should force all florida land owners to properly meet the statues and post signs and put up fences. It is really your choice and doesnt mean the office wont arrest you. You may want to consult an attorney if you feel you have been wrongfully detained or arrested. its time we fight back like the eco terrorist do. With attorneys and law suits. The other solution is to make it so land owners cant be sued if you get hurt on vacant unmarked land.

[AmericanRobster]

Don't feel bad. The same thing happened to me in North Port when I drove all the way from St. Pete just to ride my atv.

[backwoods boy]

r yall stupid rednecks ur somethin we need to preserve the land so the rich old yankees can come down n build golf courses or condos duh

[AmericanRobster]

YUP!!

[qt314nfla]

There are a few groups that are gathering to try to get legal lands to ride in Southwest Florida.  There was a recent meeting in Miami were we were asked to show our numbers.  To which we did.  There is another meeting in Naples to do the same thing.  Lsjwth has done a phenomenal job of doing research and speaking from an educated stand point on the Yucapan.  He has kept the pressure on and has requested and posted on every site I'm involved w/ that attendance is needed.

I am also a part of Northportoffroad.com.  We have many objectives one of which is to find legal land to purchase for a park in Southwest Florida.  We need to ban together as a group.  Use our entity in numbers and stand strong.  As a group we can hire attorneys and lobbiests to help us.  As individuals we don't stand much of a chance because the entities we are fighting have much more financial backing than most of us do.

I agree that I you have been pulled over or ticket for atv use it needs to be posted.  Several reasons: The press is paying particular attention these days to atv use and lack of land from Miami to North Port.  It has become that way because we have educated ourselves, organized, and have leadership.  Prior to this it was a few ATVers complaining.  We are now suggesting to the state that we are a force that is growing larger by the months and years.  That we will not be silenced.

We have information on ATV sales, and monies collected by the state to back up what we are requesting and we are showing a despirate need for more legal riding areas.  If we had them we wouldn't be a nuissance to the public, or so they think we are.  The Everglades restoration project, as well as new golf communities, and other such things tear up the ecosystem.  Yet there is no penalty.  Why?  Because they have the financial backing to make others turn and look the other way.  And because they see these other entities as being more profitable to the communities.  We have shown that there are local and state financial benefits to creating a park.  IE- Croom.

I agree that it's crap that there are a few ppl that do not listen to, look for, or adhere to the no trespass signs.  I applaud you for letting them know what they are doing and why it is not a good idea.  Keep up the good work, it'll take a lot more like us standing up to these idiots.  Unfortunately, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil it for the whole bunch.  I will continue the fight as it seems you are doing.  Please join us in the political battles to get more legal areas as stated by the T. Mark Schmidt law.  We need everyone's help!

[raptor]

Hiring attorneys to help you - is probably a waste of money, you will never win. Florida 4 wheel drive associations was going to take the ONF to court at the tune of 120,000, and they felt that they didn't have a chance.

[SWFRider]

Has anyone contacted this group !

http://www.atvaonline.com/rights.asp