Where are all the members support?

[1FasterBlaster]

I have seen some members on here trying to gain support for our riding area's.I have not seen too many responses.Where are all you so called members?
I went to two more riding spots yesterday; one in Sarasota, and one in Englewood...both were officially shut down.Police are patrolling these area's now and will be arresting you for trespassing.And yes, they have the authority.There have been signs posted.It doesn't matter if someone takes them down, they have on record of these being posted.They no longer have to give warnings.I am tired of not having somewhere to ride!!
  You can come to the protest, or you can keep going to your riding spots and hope you don't get run off , or arrested.
  There is a post on here for a protest on the 29th of this month...who is a member on here and who isn't? If you don't support this, then you might as well put your rides in a museum!!

[JackL]

I have seen some members on here trying to gain support for our riding area's.I have not seen too many responses.Where are all you so called members?
I went to two more riding spots yesterday; one in Sarasota, and one in Englewood...both were officially shut down.Police are patrolling these area's now and will be arresting you for trespassing.And yes, they have the authority.There have been signs posted.It doesn't matter if someone takes them down, they have on record of these being posted.They no longer have to give warnings.I am tired of not having somewhere to ride!!
  You can come to the protest, or you can keep going to your riding spots and hope you don't get run off , or arrested.
  There is a post on here for a protest on the 29th of this month...who is a member on here and who isn't? If you don't support this, then you might as well put your rides in a museum!!

You know, honestly it has been like this for the 30 years I have
been riding South Florida.
It wasn't nearly as bad when we were on ATC's and dirt bikes
because there was only a few people doing it, and no one was afraid to stop for
the police. Rude sport quad riders have done this hobby a big disservice IMO.

Sure I cried when they closed up McNab. I cried when they closed exit 99.
I cried when they closed lost lake, I cried when they built the sawgrass.
I cried when they built Fern Forest and extended 31ave to Atlantic.
The reality is, these areas were private property and we were just borrowing them,
probably like the areas you are talking about above.
When you are cool with the police, they are cool with you. I have been stopped more
times than I can count and have never been arrested and they only ever made me push my
dirtbike home once when I was 9.

I am mad about BadLuck/Squares and feel we did get the shaft on that one, but can't
help but wonder If they did reopen it. How long would it even last with the antics I see
going on out there sometimes.

My answer was to buy land at River Ranch and ride the Holey Lands, so my bike will
eventually end up rusting in my back yard like all the rest when they were done.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, but those are the facts as I see em.

I will be at the protest, because I love the Squares/Badluck.
I certainly hope if we do succeed in getting watermanagement to uphold their promise,
it doesn't get undone by the morons out there.

[1FasterBlaster]

I know a lot of these places were private property.The point is, if they had given recreational area's to ride, we wouldn't be on these properties.More and more people are playing golf, and they get bigger fields.Where are our fields to ride?
   They have no problems with riders on these lands until some developer comes along and wants to make them some money.Well, we pay for our sport just like anyone else does.I live here and I will be damned if I'm gonna sit by and watch homes be built for people that don't even live here, and my lifestyle be pushed aside for someone else!!
  Go down to Englewood and look at all the new 5 story complexes being built where we use to ride.I know people have to have somewhere to live, but we have to have our recreation too!!

[Anoriginal]

I know a lot of these places were private property.The point is, if they had given recreational area's to ride, we wouldn't be on these properties.More and more people are playing golf, and they get bigger fields.Where are our fields to ride?
   They have no problems with riders on these lands until some developer comes along and wants to make them some money.Well, we pay for our sport just like anyone else does.I live here and I will be damned if I'm gonna sit by and watch homes be built for people that don't even live here, and my lifestyle be pushed aside for someone else!!
  Go down to Englewood and look at all the new 5 story complexes being built where we use to ride.I know people have to have somewhere to live, but we have to have our recreation too!!

You make some great points!! Tell you what, since you're not going to sit by and watch the homes being built there is an easy solution. Just buy the property like the builders are doing. I mean, it is private property to begin with and we never had permission to be there in the first place. So, just buy it and ride on it. I mean, people pay millions to live on a golf course. Maybe you can build condos on an ATV area??

Also, we don't "have to have our recreation too". We have no "right" to ride. Riding is a privilege that is abused when we ride on areas we don't own without permission. The sense of entitlement many of us have is ill founded. Many buy a bike with no place to ride it and then complain about it. That's like me buying a snow mobile in Florida and then complaining that the public ice skating rink won't let me ride in it.

Regarding River Ranch, I've gone on and on about it. I hope it never goes away and people are allowed to ride there forever. But, the truth is 95% or better of the land we ride on in River Ranch does not belong to us nor anyone else associated with River Ranch. I fear it is just a matter of time before it's gone too.

Holeylands??? That place is going away fast for us. I spent quite some time this weekend talking to some FWC higher-ups and a few WMD guys. All of them said the number one complaint and problem they are having in Holeylands is the ATV crowd. Trash, reckless behavior, foolishness and poor attitude seemed to be the biggest complaints. Get ready to kiss it good bye because it is coming too. 

As far as Badluck/The Squares go, I completely agree with JackL. Lets say they do open it up again or give us the 640 acres they promised. How long do you think it will last with the activities that used to go on at Badluck? Not long.

The Webb/Babcock area is a prime example. Open to ORV use but no ATV's. Why? Because of the actions of ATV riders (sport and utility) that ruined it for everyone. Big Cypress already has huge restrictions on ATV use and I know for an absolute fact they are getting ready to implement a much more strict policy toward ATV's. Chances are, ATV's will be a thing of the past in the Big Cypress very very soon.

Why? Once again, look at the actions of the ATV riders. In Big Cypress and in Badluck you had/have droves of ATV riders coming to ride. Not registering, not checking in, riding off trail, riding too fast in designated speed areas, etc. etc. Yeah, sure, a buggy may do more harm, the horse people may do more harm, whatever. The perception is still the same in that people attribute the problems to ATV riders. Granted, the majority of the people in this site are not to blame directly. However, indirectly how many times are we to blame when we didn't take the time to stop someone from riding reckless or in the wrong spot or failing to act respectful to the authorities??

Time to get proactive folks.

[1FasterBlaster]

You must be one of the politicians working against riding!! And your condescending comments aren't appreciated, I'm not an idiot!!Once again I have to reiterate that we don't want to ride on someone else's private property, we want legal riding area's.If I went 5 miles an hour on my quad, somone that doesn't like quads would say it's inapropriate use.
  I pay for my priviliges just like the next  person. You don't take someone's money and give them nothing!!Thanks for your support.
  To stereotype ATV riders as reckless is ignorant.We don't all ride the same.How many people cause accidents everyday while driving cars, you don't call all car drivers reckless do you?Maybe you should stop riding because you seem to have a negative view of anyone who rides!
  There are those who like what we do, and those who don't like what we do because there boring...it's a never ending battle.I won't stop riding, or looking for places to ride and will support it always!!

[Anoriginal]

You must be one of the politicians working against riding!! And your condescending comments aren't appreciated, I'm not an idiot!!Once again I have to reiterate that we don't want to ride on someone else's private property, we want legal riding area's.If I went 5 miles an hour on my quad, somone that doesn't like quads would say it's inapropriate use.
  I pay for my priviliges just like the next  person. You don't take someone's money and give them nothing!!Thanks for your support.
  To stereotype ATV riders as reckless is ignorant.We don't all ride the same.How many people cause accidents everyday while driving cars, you don't call all car drivers reckless do you?Maybe you should stop riding because you seem to have a negative view of anyone who rides!
  There are those who like what we do, and those who don't like what we do because there boring...it's a never ending battle.I won't stop riding, or looking for places to ride and will support it always!!

Easy there little man. Don't get our panties in a bunch. Take some deep breaths and cool off. The whole reading comprehension thing evades you doesn't it?

First, I am anything but one who is anti ATV and definitely someone you want on your side. I'll leave it at that.
I did not and do not sterotype ATV riders. Please read my previous post again, only this time with a level head. You'll see that I specifically said that the complaints were relative to reckless riders, etc. I did not say that all ATV riders are reckless.

Second, as I said before, the number one complaint the authorities have deals with ATV use. That's not being sterotypical. It's just reporting the facts. I know as well as the next guy that the majority of the ATV crowd is not the problem. As I stated before, the majority of the people on this site (probably 99.9%) are not part of the problem. However, as with most things, 5% of the people ruin it for the 95% who act properly.

Finally, I'm interested to hear your proposed solutions to: (a) obtaining more designated riding areas; (b) improving our image as a sport; and (c) educating the 5% that are ruining it for the rest of us. Come on man, like you said, you're not an idiot and I believe it. So, lets see what we can come up with together.

[1FasterBlaster]

First off, stop speaking to me like I'm a kid...that would be appreciated.You want mature conversation, speak to me like you respect me as an adult.
 I spoke to Dennis and thought he had a good idea.Get small fee's from members and possibly arrange gatherings to get support and money.Maybe hire an attorney to look into the officials efforts.I think we could start with a presents at Croom and try to get more support by educating the riders that don't know what's going on.
  We need to organize a meeting and have somoene represent us as an official that knows what their doing.I'm just a voice, I don't do all the leg work that I'm sure someone has already been doing.

[duroc825]

Whoa now guys! Chino you didn't deserve to be called "little man" or deserve the comment about "panties". Seems someone may be just looking for an argument(anoriginal). You both have very good points in my mind, therefore these points would be better served by putting them together and coming up with ideas that are constructive. Anoriginal, well I guess ya didn't deserve to be called a politician either but your point about just going out and buying his own piece of land to ride on is ridiculous and I think you know that. Most of us from this site are regular working class people and buying land from under the developers isn't possible. Maybe we should all look at the evolution of "bikers" and Harleys. Ya have to admit that most people look down at ATV's because the only thing they ever hear about them are the negative things. We need to all help promote ATV's in a more positive way to those that know nothing or little about them. We all need to be more responsible in the way we ride and where we ride (my self included). Just my two cents. And if ya just want to insult someone I don't think this is the Forum is for that. I know Chino and ya might want to think about what ya say when insulting someone for he may be the one you need to help you when riding someday???

[Bigscrb15]

Anoriginal, I always knew you were just an atv hating politician!!! lol


I agree with Anoriginals posts. As a man in his position he knows how the system works a little bit better than most of us.