You bitch when they argue like schoolgirls on any other thread and then you come in and make a post like this?
To the guys threatening to take $$ away from any sled town, keep in mind that its about respect and how much trouble earning that extra revenue is for the businesses of these towns. Sure we bring in extra revenue, but if a hotel has to replace furniture or have the non-smoking room detoxed because someone got a little excited or thought the rules didn't apply to them, or hiring security to control people drinking in their rooms, or if the cops need to have extra staff on for the weekend because the sledders have been fighting in the bars with "other patrons" (often who are not into "mechanized" recreation), etc etc, then the extra revenue is simply not worth the hassle for them.
The extra "payout" from sledders is negated by the added expense they have of repairing damage or keeping us "in line".
It would be more of a threat if all sledders were respected and these businesses were showing real value for the $$$ we spent, our united voice would carry more weight, but if the hotel owner is getting yelled at every week because the residents across the street had to listen to 10 diesels with 5" exhausts and no restrictors, gargling away at high idle for 2 hrs for the past 3 mornings (for no reason), do you really wonder why they do not put a ton of stock in the threat of us taking our $$$ elsewhere? The extra $$$ is not worth the hassle.
By coping an attitude and acting aloof like we should be treated like royalty when we walk through the door, we also lose our propents in any given area, which are typically some of our biggest assets for keeping riding areas open.
Everyone seems to be condemning this "farmer" without any real proof about this BS that he is solely responsible for the smaller staging area. LIKE WTF??? if someone drove on your land and killed your dog you'd probably be pretty pissed off about it. I love how everyone blames the farmer, maybe his horse died, maybe it didn't....his horse sure is being downplayed like it had 3 hoofs in the grave already, so we basically did him a favour.......what gives sledders the right to ride on private property in the first place? Give your fawkin heads a shake, be a man stand up and take some responsbility, stop whining and looking for a scapegoat for someone's stupid actions. Maybe the other 3 landowners are just as angry but this guy is the only one with enough balls to stand up and say something.
How many of the people squawking have the balls to stand up and say to someone riding across his private property (or out of bounds) that what they are doing is wrong, write down their license plate and give it to the farmer (or cops) so he can report them?
If we spent as much time talking to the farmer as we have bitchin about him, the staging area might even be bigger this year, instead of smaller.
Show respect to get respect. Its a 2 way street.
All you new guys, welcome to whats is left of the sport I dont believe it will ever be as good as it was again. Respect goes along way,but it , Respect, seems to have been lost in this new age .
