DSettahr
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2005
- Messages
- 981
- Reaction score
- 142
It certainly sounds like he overstepped his bounds in terms of his actions towards you.
Not to defend his actions in this specific instance, but it can't hurt to also put ourselves in his shoes. I'm sure that he has to deal with a lot of yahoos as part of his every day job. Hikers who don't realize that the AMR is private land, or realize it but ignore that fact anyways, are a common problem in the area. There have been repeated issues with people illegally camping on AMR land, trying to sneak in their dogs, and bushwhacking off trail, in violation of the rules that apply there. There are a lot of hikers who feel entitled in the AMR to the same freedoms they have on state land, and fail to respect the fact that they are hiking on private property whose owners have graciously opened up to the public.
Yes, because of the easement, the public does have a legal right to be there, but that doesn't excuse anyone from being respectful of the fact that they are visitors on someone else's property when they hike in the AMR. All too often, hikers fail to understand this, and it's the caretaker who is often forced to bear the brunt of that disrespect.
Not to defend his actions in this specific instance, but it can't hurt to also put ourselves in his shoes. I'm sure that he has to deal with a lot of yahoos as part of his every day job. Hikers who don't realize that the AMR is private land, or realize it but ignore that fact anyways, are a common problem in the area. There have been repeated issues with people illegally camping on AMR land, trying to sneak in their dogs, and bushwhacking off trail, in violation of the rules that apply there. There are a lot of hikers who feel entitled in the AMR to the same freedoms they have on state land, and fail to respect the fact that they are hiking on private property whose owners have graciously opened up to the public.
Yes, because of the easement, the public does have a legal right to be there, but that doesn't excuse anyone from being respectful of the fact that they are visitors on someone else's property when they hike in the AMR. All too often, hikers fail to understand this, and it's the caretaker who is often forced to bear the brunt of that disrespect.
