For what it's worth, I think the BLM and the Off-Highway Bureau in this article sound surprisingly non-kneejerked about the future of offroad motorsports in this country.

"Motorized recreation is an accepted use of public lands. And I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but we're here as a multiuse agency to provide recreation opportunities when appropriate," said Leo Drumm, coordinator for the Nevada office's off-highway vehicle program. "It's part of our mission. It's what we do. Some people would like us to stop it all together, but that is not what we intend to do."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-200-20100817,0,7823942.story?track=rss



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2010 09:43PM by gpbullock.

I agree. It seems the people being most level headed about this whole thing are the friggin BLM and public lands people!

I actually saw some dumbass desert 'racer' guy being interviewed on msnbc saying that the driver of the truck was going too fast for that area....yeah, um...it's a race dude. That's what people do, they drive fast.

A parallel to back up Moose's argument for getting in front of this before it bites us.

Back in 97, when Diana was killed by her drunken chauffeur and incompetent French surgeons, the president of the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) was dragged in front of the CNN cameras with no facts at hand where he castigated the "evil paparazzi" for their part in Diana's death. A bunch of us were screaming that the photographers in question would turn out to be legitimate newspaper/wire/magazine shooters on assignment for various publications -- not paparazzi, no-one listened. It didn't matter, we didn't scream loud enough or in the right places, the fact that they were photojournalists was quietly reported a week or so later, no-one noticed, the fact that all the photographers were absolved of blame by the French courts took a couple of years to come out, no-one noticed.

Perception is way more important than the truth. 99.9% of people still believe the paparazzi killed Diana. Carrying a camera in public is a giant pain in the ass now, I get jokingly called a paparazzi all the time by the public and every jumped up semi-official homeland insecurity/police/security-guard douche on the planet thinks it's his god given right to f$ck with a photographer any time they see one.

It's not about throwing desert racing under the bus, it's about assigning blame to the spectators who ignored the rules to their own peril. And maybe re-examining the cost/benefit of spectators to the sport.

Cheers, Ted

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Pure mathematics is the enemy of every truly creative man -- Sir Alec

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gpbullock
For what it's worth, I think the BLM and the Off-Highway Bureau in this article sound surprisingly non-kneejerked about the future of offroad motorsports in this country.

"Motorized recreation is an accepted use of public lands. And I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but we're here as a multiuse agency to provide recreation opportunities when appropriate," said Leo Drumm, coordinator for the Nevada office's off-highway vehicle program. "It's part of our mission. It's what we do. Some people would like us to stop it all together, but that is not what we intend to do."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-200-20100817,0,7823942.story?track=rss

Wish we could get that guys words printed and officiated and then sit down with the Obstructionists and Revanchists of the US Forest Service and ask---in front of cameras---"how do you justify your violation of your mission statement, and de facto ban a few piddly cars to drive down existing roads for recreation purposes---while of course allowing huge Multi-national corporations free hand to destroy full square miles at a time?
How? (slap across the chops)

How!? (slap back and forth across the chops)

HOW!!!?? (whipping out a Walther P-38 and shoving it up the nose pulling back momentarily to clop him across the kisser angain, this time with the P-38)

I like your style.....

What we need is a sort of Manchurian Candidate at these organizations.

Mika Häkkinen, perhaps? He has a tendency to just stare at you when you say something stupid, not letting on whether he understands you or is planning to have you eliminated.

Commenter: There are 400 spectators drinking beer and stumbling around in the outside of that R3> on SS17 and they're completely disregarding the instructions of the 2 marshals we've got out there.
Häkkinen: [cold, silent stare]

Of course, Marcus Grönholm would work too. He's more likely to tell you how much you suck and that, if things don't improve quickly, you will be eliminated.

Grönholm : 400 hundred spectators in the wrong place and only 2 marshals! This is terrible. I am very disappointed! Everything is wrong.
Commenter: [cry]

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

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john vanlandingham


HOW!!!?? (whipping out a Walther P-38 and shoving it up the nose pulling back momentarily to clop him across the kisser angain, this time with the P-38)

no John, you're doing it wrong.

Desert Eagle. Point five-oh.

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sagsert
Annnnnd I did get banned from SS.

No, you were not banned from SS.

Ben



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2010 05:33PM by BBRally.

I am either not banned / suspended or Unbanned/Unsuspended from SS.

Cheers
M.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2010 08:42AM by sagsert.

Quote
sagsert
I am either not banned / suspended or Unbanned/Unsuspended from SS.

Cheers
M.

HOORAY BEER!

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest