M
Mike Vandeman
Guest
At 02:28 PM 4/12/04 -0500, Jonathan Fogel <[email protected]> wrote:
July 2, 1993
>>Auto-Free Bay Area Coalition / 510-849-0770
>>P.O. Box 10141
>>Berkeley, California 94709
>Dear Dr. Vandeman,
>I recently read your letter to the Auto-Free Bay Area Coalition, (Re:
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Bicycle; Promoting Bicycling)
written July 2, 1993. Despite the fact that this letter was written over 10
years ago, I found it difficult to restrain myself from throwing rotten
vegetables at my monitor. From your retro-grouch stance, I'm willing to bet
that you are still to this day, of the same opinion in regards to trail
usage.
>I consider myself an environmentalist and a road cyclist / mountain biker /
hiker.
That's a contradiction. Mountain bikers are NOT environmentalists.
>I'm also a progressive, open minded individual who is able to roll
with the issues at hand and not afraid to change my opinions if it benefits
the whole.
>Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to address a few points of
your letter. Judging from your extreme leftist slant, I'd be willing to bet
you're not a fan of President Bush and his dogmatic rhetoric. I just wanted
to point out to you how similar your style is.
>>"However, a bicycle is still a tool of technology, and like all such tools
can be used for good or "evil"."
>Isn't it a little sociocentric, and overzealous to assume that mountain
biking his inherently "evil"
I don't assume it. I prove it.
>I know of things happening in the world right
now that are truly evil, and let me tell you, mountain biking isn't one of
them. I found it quite childish and smacking of the religious right, not to
mention cheap and quite frankly, unintelligent.
Tell that to the wildlife you have killed by crusing them.
>We Mountain bikers are trail users. What we take from the trail is
enjoyment, just like anyone else.
As well as accelerating erosion and driving away other trail users and wildlife.
> Unlike most user groups we give back. Here
In Missouri and all over the country, our mountain bike culture is defined
by an ethic of responsibility. Most of us here engage in trail maintenance
on a regular basis.
Trail maintenance, like trail construdtion, is a destructive activity. You also
forgot to mention that you HAVE to do trail maintenance, because you destroy the
trails.
> We do it because we realize we use the trail more than
most.
And do most of the DAMAGE. Be honest!
Despite this we don't do a lot of finger pointing. We don't complain
that we are the only private user group here improving and maintaining our
trail system for everyone.
>The idea that a mountain bike could be responsible for the extinction of
wildlife is quite honestly preposterous.
I never said that. But it has contributed.
> Quite honestly, I've never heard a
more narrow-minded argument. In fact it wasn't much of , just a weak,
unsubstantiated slant. As for getting out into the backcountry, here in
Missouri, we're not going anywhere a hiker can't get to. Besides, trails
require usage...they don't maintain themselves.
Trails only require maintenance if mountai bikers ruin them.
>I'm sure if you had it your way we would be looking at nature from behind a
glass wall, protected as it where in a sterile environment. It's perfectly
fine with me if you want to exercise your right to abstain from a hike in
the backcountry, but don't put our right to appreciate nature in jeopardy.
So it is impossible for you to appreciate nature without being on a bike?! Can't
you WALK?
>With lack of appreciation comes lack of caring and commitment. It's the one
of the founding principles of our National Park system.
If mountain bikers appreciated nature, they wouldn't ride around it on knobby
tires, ripping up the trails and killing the wildlife.
>Sincerely,
>Jonathan Fogel
>P.S. When was the last time you physically did anything to improve your
local trail system? Deeds not words.
I pick up the trash whenever it needs it.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
July 2, 1993
>>Auto-Free Bay Area Coalition / 510-849-0770
>>P.O. Box 10141
>>Berkeley, California 94709
>Dear Dr. Vandeman,
>I recently read your letter to the Auto-Free Bay Area Coalition, (Re:
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Bicycle; Promoting Bicycling)
written July 2, 1993. Despite the fact that this letter was written over 10
years ago, I found it difficult to restrain myself from throwing rotten
vegetables at my monitor. From your retro-grouch stance, I'm willing to bet
that you are still to this day, of the same opinion in regards to trail
usage.
>I consider myself an environmentalist and a road cyclist / mountain biker /
hiker.
That's a contradiction. Mountain bikers are NOT environmentalists.
>I'm also a progressive, open minded individual who is able to roll
with the issues at hand and not afraid to change my opinions if it benefits
the whole.
>Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to address a few points of
your letter. Judging from your extreme leftist slant, I'd be willing to bet
you're not a fan of President Bush and his dogmatic rhetoric. I just wanted
to point out to you how similar your style is.
>>"However, a bicycle is still a tool of technology, and like all such tools
can be used for good or "evil"."
>Isn't it a little sociocentric, and overzealous to assume that mountain
biking his inherently "evil"
I don't assume it. I prove it.
>I know of things happening in the world right
now that are truly evil, and let me tell you, mountain biking isn't one of
them. I found it quite childish and smacking of the religious right, not to
mention cheap and quite frankly, unintelligent.
Tell that to the wildlife you have killed by crusing them.
>We Mountain bikers are trail users. What we take from the trail is
enjoyment, just like anyone else.
As well as accelerating erosion and driving away other trail users and wildlife.
> Unlike most user groups we give back. Here
In Missouri and all over the country, our mountain bike culture is defined
by an ethic of responsibility. Most of us here engage in trail maintenance
on a regular basis.
Trail maintenance, like trail construdtion, is a destructive activity. You also
forgot to mention that you HAVE to do trail maintenance, because you destroy the
trails.
> We do it because we realize we use the trail more than
most.
And do most of the DAMAGE. Be honest!
Despite this we don't do a lot of finger pointing. We don't complain
that we are the only private user group here improving and maintaining our
trail system for everyone.
>The idea that a mountain bike could be responsible for the extinction of
wildlife is quite honestly preposterous.
I never said that. But it has contributed.
> Quite honestly, I've never heard a
more narrow-minded argument. In fact it wasn't much of , just a weak,
unsubstantiated slant. As for getting out into the backcountry, here in
Missouri, we're not going anywhere a hiker can't get to. Besides, trails
require usage...they don't maintain themselves.
Trails only require maintenance if mountai bikers ruin them.
>I'm sure if you had it your way we would be looking at nature from behind a
glass wall, protected as it where in a sterile environment. It's perfectly
fine with me if you want to exercise your right to abstain from a hike in
the backcountry, but don't put our right to appreciate nature in jeopardy.
So it is impossible for you to appreciate nature without being on a bike?! Can't
you WALK?
>With lack of appreciation comes lack of caring and commitment. It's the one
of the founding principles of our National Park system.
If mountain bikers appreciated nature, they wouldn't ride around it on knobby
tires, ripping up the trails and killing the wildlife.
>Sincerely,
>Jonathan Fogel
>P.S. When was the last time you physically did anything to improve your
local trail system? Deeds not words.
I pick up the trash whenever it needs it.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande