Close Encounter

[holeshot]

There's a little (illegal) riding area off the 60 near Pyrite in Riverside that I had never ridden before, so I decide to give it a try on Friday (it's real close to me).

A few people were there, play riding in those small four wheel buggy things, so I stopped and asked them the scoop.

"We've never been ticketed here, but local police kick everyone out occasionally. There aren't any No Trespassing signs, just No Littering, so it's OK".

This is contrary to what I've been reading, but it's not a weekend, so I decide to chance it.

After three attempts at a small, not too steep, not too difficult hill (only one successful try), I picked the bike off the little hill and rode down.

Guess who was standing at the bottom of the hill waiting for me? One of Riverside's uniformed finest. :yikes:

I was informed that someone in a silver F-150 had been driving through the area and was firing a gun. One of the buggy guys called the cops on his cell phone (he must have thought he was immune to ticketing). :joke:

Riverside cop: "You're not really supposed to be riding here, so maybe you should leave pretty soon. We do give tickets out here, but I ride too, so I'm not giving you a ticket".

That riding area sucked anyway. :nener:

 

[BSWIFT]

Cool response though.:cool:

 

[a454elk]

I think I tried that area before too, just North of the freeway. It DID suck, but it was close so we gave it a go. Riverside is really pissing some peeps off. They have a great area to open an offroad park but there sorry excuse for one is on the top of the Ortega. It's sad to see that they don't really understand or see that probably near 40% of it's population rides, or wants to. And 90% of the riders in Orange County would fill their areas if opened. I'm happy to hear your outcome, I've done the same to folks hauling bikes down the 91, there's a certain brotherhood spot in your heart for fellow riders, trust me.

 

[Ol'89r]

Riverside is really pissing some peeps off. They have a great area to open an offroad park but there sorry excuse for one is on the top of the Ortega. It's sad to see that they don't really understand or see that probably near 40% of it's population rides, or wants to. And 90% of the riders in Orange County would fill their areas if opened. QUOTE]


Glad you didn't get a ticket hogsnot. :ohmy:

Officer elkerillo is correct. Riverside County has the second largest amount of registered off road vehicles in all of Kalifornia. Yet, we have the most piss poor excuse for a off road park in the whole state. :bang:

WE ALL have to get involved and start writing letters to our political representives and our local newspapers. Although, the Inland Empire newspaper, The Press Enterprise, does not always print your letter. Maybe, if enough of us write to them, they will start printing our letters.

Elk, you will notice, your letter never came out in print.

The current trend is for law inforcement agencys to use our green sticker money for their own advantage. Like the Elsinore Sheriff Dept's recient aquisition of $160,000 of our green sticker moneys to purchase several overpriced quads, a very large enclosed trailer and a brand new Ford truck to pull it all. Now they get paid to ride the hills and kick us out of the riding areas. This is why we did not have our annual Corona ride this year. We still ride it, but we did not want to chance some of you getting busted.

Seems to me the most logical thing to do would be to use the money for what it was intended for. Opening and maintaining new legal riding areas. Then they could legally use this money to patrol the parks instead of stealing it from us and using it against us. Common sense would dictate that but, common sense isn't very common anymore.

This sucks to high heaven and the only reason they are allowed to do it is because we do nothing about it. We all have to become active to stop this. Instead of whining on the internet about it, send a letter. Join the BRC, AMA, ORBA, or whoever is activley fighting this. Send them as much money as you can afford to so they can fight this in court.

For God's sake, do sumthin. :ugg:

 

[a454elk]

damn the man!

 

[holeshot]

The area at 20th street in Rubidoux is much larger (but not quite large enough for a DRN group ride). Unfortunately, this area is also taboo.

Regardless, you'll see many people there on the weekend. It's OK if you don't mind dodging old mattresses and abandoned refrigerators.

Even if a real riding area were to open, I'd be a candidate for the old folks home by the time they cut through all the red tape :moon: