$125 for a trinkle at Lincoln Woods.......

A few weeks back I did a trip up to Zealand from Lincoln Woods. Driving from Boston straight to the Lincoln Woods TH without stopping at the reststop turned out to be a bad idea.......I was in a real bad need of emptying the partysack so as soon as I parked my car ( I made sure no one was around first) I went to the snowdrift and did what seemed like a few others already had done behind the cars. A few lbs lighter and relieved I started to get my gear ready for take-off. A ranger approached me and asked me to come into the ranger station with him. He saw me through the window of the ranger station. After being photographed and identified he handed me a ticket for $125. Since I didn't exactly "swing it around publicly", as he put it, I couldn't be arrested for public nudity and therefore I avoided having to show up in court. I could have hold on for another minute and moved myself over to the public restroom.....that was my mistake I didn't.

So be real careful about doing business at the TH........it can be some gear money down the drain.....and don't wiggle it too much since it can be viewed as public nudity

I hear the fine is only $100 if you kick a little snow over it afterwards...

Isn't it scary that rangers might be secretly photographing us when we pee?

though its the 1st time I've ever heard of a fine.
....I guess that does about answer the etiquette question....

Whatever happened to Live free or Die?

Did the Ranger mistakenly think he was in Massachusetts?

Thank's Mats for your generous contribution towards maintaining the heated and open year-round restrooms at Lincoln-Woods.

Didn't I see a Seinfeld episode about this?

euromiosotisis or some such affliction that JS used in his defense.....

I think that the $125 will probably go to paying off the new bridge over the Ammi on the Zealand Road.......

...and what happens at the trailheads without a restroom? How far into the woods do we have to go before it's legal?

I can understand you being a bit pissed off. (surprised nobody said that one yet)

I wonder if the fee is higher for going number two?

psmart said:

...and what happens at the trailheads without a restroom? How far into the woods do we have to go before it's legal?

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Clearly this ranger was just making a (valid) point because real, open restrooms were less than a hundred yards away. I would imagine at other trailheads as long as you're off the trail and off the lot and out of sight it would not be a problem.

Remember, we just had a thread with dozens and dozens of complaints about yellow snow...

psmart said:

...and what happens at the trailheads without a restroom? How far into the woods do we have to go before it's legal?

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I'm suprised someone with a name like "psmart" doesn't know these answers?

psmart said:

...and what happens at the trailheads without a restroom? How far into the woods do we have to go before it's legal?

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200 ft off trail ...I believe is what the guide book says.

I must admit you have more sack than I would in even admiting that you had this experience. Thanks for piping up and I'm sure we will all be a bit more careful where we let it go.

Not saying what mats did was the right thing to do but....

$125 ticket for doing something natural?? I think a god damn warning would be enough. What a joke.

Not only would I fight the ticket - I would never hike in the WMNF again if I had to pay it.

I think an apology or written warning for a first offense is plenty penality.

Mats - you should fight this. Thats an excessive amount of a fine for the offense.

I mean - how many times have we pulled into a trailhead and went tinkle after a long drive. - The PC crowd had finally made it to NH.

giggy said:

Not saying what mats did was the right thing to do but....

$125 ticket for doing something natural?? I think a god damn warning would be enough. What a joke.

Not only would I fight the ticket - I would never hike in the WMNF again if I had to pay it.

I think an apology or written warning for a first offense is plenty penality.

Mats - you should fight this. Thats an excessive amount of a fine for the offense.

I mean - how many times have we pulled into a trailhead and went tinkle after a long drive. - The PC crowd had finally made it to NH.

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Just to add a few more details to the story. The Ranger's boss was there and I think the junior ranger got a lot of pressure from him to follow the law book. I was a bit stupid to remind him that he had to sign and date the violation notice at the bottom. Then he came running outside after me with a camera and asked me to pose next to my car (not with Petter-Niklas (Swedish term) hanging out though). He checked my eye color and weight, height etc. He said his boss told him he need to do this. It was pretty funny actually except when I thought of what gear I could have bought for the money. The violation is actually $100 but they add in another $25 admin fee. He gave me a compliment actually when guessing my weight at 190 which was 20 lbs lower than actual. I just hope the money goes to trail maintenance instead of feeding some fat gestapo-type rangers who wants revenge on society for one reason or the other. I believe the vast majority of the forest rangers are good people and I have a feeling I'll meet this ranger again and we'll talk about the incident with a smile

Cheers, Mats

I have to say that i am very happy that they got a picture of the offender and his car this time. Now when we go into the parking lots, we can tell if he is in the area, and if he may strike at any time. Forget stopping the car break-ins, we will now have clean snow year round! Or at least just in the winter....

Who decided on $125? I had the same question as Jamie, how much for #2? I might have just gone for the upgrade if the price hike isn't too much. More bang for the buck.

Mats Roing said:

Just to add a few more details to the story. The Ranger's boss was there and I think the junior ranger got a lot of pressure from him to follow the law book. I was a bit stupid to remind him that he had to sign and date the violation notice at the bottom. Then he came running outside after me with a camera and asked me to pose next to my car (not with Petter-Niklas (Swedish term) hanging out though). He checked my eye color and weight, height etc. He said his boss told him he need to do this. It was pretty funny actually except when I thought of what gear I could have bought for the money. The violation is actually $100 but they add in another $25 admin fee. He gave me a compliment actually when guessing my weight at 190 which was 20 lbs lower than actual. I just hope the money goes to trail maintenance instead of feeding some fat gestapo-type rangers who wants revenge on society for one reason or the other. I believe the vast majority of the forest rangers are good people and I have a feeling I'll meet this ranger again and we'll talk about the incident with a smile

Cheers, Mats

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Wow !!! Seems a bit harsh, no? A simple apology or a don't do it next time around warning would have sufficed . . . but $125, that sounds insane. Mats, it says a lot about your character that you can take it with a smile . . .

Mats Roing said:

. Then he came running outside after me with a camera and asked me to pose next to my car (not with Petter-Niklas (Swedish term) hanging out though).

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Purhaps the fine will pay for the camera and film. Maybe you should have asked him if you should reinact for the photo.

Was thinking, would there be a fine if ones dog was to take a piss on a rock?

king tut said:

I time. Forget stopping the car break-ins, w

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Good point. Why aren't they hiding in the bushes at trailheads with those cameras???

Just another example of how invasive and absurd our government has become....