Illegal Ole Dirt Bike Letter
The following Letter to the Editor was published Dec 22, 1999 in The Avenue, right after (then) 2nd District Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich's, who is now of course the old Governor.
Illegal Dirt Bikes
Last Christmas my pedestrian stroll along the narrow paved footpath across the BGE power line property in Middle River was impeded by at least a dozen unlicensed personal-adventure motorized vehicles, from mini 2-wheelers to almost-road-size dirt bikes, driven and ridden by more than a dozen mostly male kids from about second-grade to high-school size, and even a helmetless mother on a 4-wheel go-cart, with a toddler unrestrained on the seat in front of her. A few fathers stood by and disdained my protests.
In the past year I have been a party to many more unpleasant and/or dangerous encounters with dirt bikers which have affected my safe enjoyment of this semi-rural neighborhood.
Once I was nearly run into by 2 young boys on dirt bikes zipping recklessly around the end of a line of small trees perpendicular to the power line gravel path. They didn't even slow down, and neither did the middle-aged male biker who followed them, although he looked startled for a second.
One 30-year-old who was decent enough to stop his engine and discuss the issue, told me that he and others come from distant neighborhoods to 5 terrain areas in the County, only 2 of which are legal, and that he doesn't carry his written permissions because of sweat. He seemed to think it was MY responsibility to protect my own safety interests by arranging a place for THEM to ride.
Another grade-schooler related how he had once broken his wrist in a dirt bike accident, but had managed all by himself to make it home to his mother, who is a nurse.
When I tried to get a teen biker to appreciate indigenous bird species such as Bobwhites (which have become silent here in the past several years) he opined "Well F--K da environmint!"
My inquiries with BGE's Customer Service and Forestry/ Right-of-Way Division informed me that dirt bikes and other vehicles are NOT ALLOWED on BGE property. BGE posted more signs with clear prohibitions and law citations, but most of these have disappeared. I guess the struggling bikers have taken them home to study with the aid of their pocket dictionaries and hornbooks.
Baltimore County Police have confirmed that dirt bike trespass activity is punishable by measures ranging from ticket fines to arrest and confiscation for repeat offenders. Police at Essex Precinct Community Outreach suggest that anyone may simply call 911 to report illegal dirt bike activity. Captain James W. Johnson has sent me a letter on this matter, a copy of which I carry, protected from sweat.
One large construction property executive complained that he had experienced retaliatory vandalism for taking police action against trespassers. I suggested that private property owners could set some aside for a dirt bike course, such as I had seen in a competition broadcast by NBC from Providence, Rhode Island. But he shirked "Let the County do it-- they can't be sued." He also said "At least if they're trespassing you have some protection against liability." The next day there were 3 holes in his fence, including the 2 I had told him about, and bikers on his dirt during normal work operation hours.
Parents DON'T REALLY CARE about their kids if they spend hundreds-to-thousands of dollars for bikes and even helmets and kneepads, but don't spend a few dollars and hours more to make sure the kids have a legal, safe and supervised place to ride, with emergency medical help on standby. Nor do these parents respect other adults in their community. And, like the jerks who throw trash in the woods, they are spoiling their own families' natural vistas.
Janet Granofsky
Middle River
This is an old letter, and I didn't hear many dirt bikes around there later, and it doesn't really relate to Ms. Dinkins and her 7-year-old son's problems in Baltimore City in March 2007. But Wesley likes it, or rather liked it. Here's some newer editorial stuff intended to be published in the same neighborhood newspaper, but not.
This Old Illegal Dirt Letter first published as a version of my Index file
See also Janet Granofsky's (My)
main Index,
Janet Granofsky's (My)
My Comments on 9/11, terrorism, war, bush, etc.
Note: I throw out almost all emails I get here, without opening. Try to be exceptional. And remember that everything is probbly being eavesdropped, especially ours.
