Legal Camping [Was -- Re: [at-l] Authority in the Whites]

[daveh@psknet.com (Dave Hicks)]

This thread brought to mine an experience from my past -- albeit in a
different area.

Once when my kids were young (so it must have been more than 20 years ago) I
had an experience in the SNP.  The kids were making even less time than I
had anticipated.  So, as dark approached I need to find a camp site well
short of where I was suppose to stop.  I bushwhacked well off the AT, found
a suitable area, and set up camp.  When the light came up the next morning,
I discovered that although we were the required distance from the AT, I was
within a few yards of one of the blue blazed trails.  I tell the kids, "Lets
break camp and stop for breakfast later."  Sure enough, just as we are
strapping up, along come Park Service LI.  Two violations -- wrong place and
too close to a trail.  Believe it or not, after I politely explained the
situation, I got off with a warning.  Reason given: 1) Politeness, 2) Having
cleaned up/ restored natural look, 3) the "emergency" and unintentional
nature of the violation.

What's my point?

Maybe telling someone  "Smoke you.",  could have more consequences than just
feeling like a jerk ;-)}  You sure couldn't plead lack of intent /
misunderstanding / etc after that.

Chainsaw