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Selfish Nitwits
By Dan Gould
February 2008
Normally, the sight of a sled carving through a fresh blanket of snow gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling, but a recent event boiled my blood. Dusk was fast approaching after another welcome snowstorm dropped about 6 inches of white on New Year’s Day. I had just finished plowing my driveway and went over to my neighbor’s to do the same. No sooner had I dropped the yellow blade to the ground, than I heard the unmistakable pitch of a two-stroke at full song. Looking to my right, I was horrified to see a sled slewing side-to-side as the operator tried to slow the machine down and avoid an intimate meeting with my 8,000-pound pick-up truck. I think it’s fair to say I wasn’t driving on a snowmobile trail and didn’t expect to see a sled, but wouldn’t you think that anyone foolish enough to operate a sled on a paved road might expect to see a motor vehicle? Never mind that riding on a street is completely illegal and just plain stupid! This guy buzzed the street a few times and then trespassed down a cart path behind some local homes. Steam was blowing out of my ears!
The sight of someone abusing our recreation, painting it in such an ugly light, really frosts my backside. Think about this for a minute… The average person in your neighborhood doesn’t know much about snowmobiles, maybe nothing. They are great neighbors, but they just don’t give a whit about snowmobiling or anything else to do with winter. Fair enough. Suddenly, some jughead starts tearing up and down the street in front of their home. What kind of picture does that paint? It sure ain’t pretty, is it? Would it be fair to assume that this neighbor now has an opinion about snowmobiles? Consider this… If that neighbor has a conversation about snowmobiles with friends, family or a local politician, will it be flattering? Could this affect how a club is treated in a community? Might it affect requests for future trails? The clubs of SAM work their fannies off all year long, and to think that a few selfish nitwits put it all in jeopardy is sickening. I simply cannot fathom why anyone would do this.
Ending this rant and writing about the many positive things that snowmobilers do might be more therapeutic but it’s not easy when raw emotions take over. I haven’t even had the opportunity to ride this year, but I’d sooner light my sled on fire before condoning that type of behavior. If you haven’t noticed, I’m still pretty miffed about this exposition of selfishness. The question remains: is a 15-minute thrill ride worth risking it all… your safety, the safety of the public, trail closures, and our reputation as a respectable recreation? I have to keep reminding myself that one bad apple will not spoil this bunch, but I know full well that the public-at-large won’t be as forgiving.
Dan Gould
President
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