[at-l] Re: Problems with thru hikers

[bamaherb at hotmail.com (Michael S. McNair)]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Saunterer. I try to stay away from
groups of thru hikers when I do my section hikes.
BamaHerb

>>
I just did read her last post moments ago. Until then the only 'information'
I had to go on was her prior post. If her comment was only her speculation
then I was mislead by that information we were given. In any case,
excalating the violence would be the wrong solution. The hikers who subdued
FUBAR did the right thing. The cops who restrained him did the right thing.
Wendy, who calmed Michael (in spite of her desire to respond otherwise) did
the right thing and she is to be commended for that. Escalating the
violence, especially in the situation with FUBAR, had the potential for
turning into a free-for-all where many more people would have gotten hurt.
Since I also said at the time that none of us had enough information to pass
judgement and I have yet to see any situation of this type that was
producively resolved by escalation of the violence, I stand by what I said.

I have dealt close up and personal with loved ones that suffered from mental
illness, also family, friends and co-workers who were alcoholics. I've never
encountered a situation that was imporved by physical beatings of anyone.
I'm sure that the stigma and misunderstanding of mental illness that I have
seen toward people I care about affects my attitude just as certainly as
your childhood experience of seeing your mother beaten affects yours toward
those who beat up on women. I make no apology for that.

Jim, I confess that I too wondered why these folks stayed at the hostel.
Given that they were already aware of the problems with the Rat Pack, I sure
as hell wouldn't have. I don't know what the camping opportunities would
have been a mile or so down the trail but I would have put on foot in front
of the other and found out. This may have been another good situation for a
hammock instead of a tent. I also share your inner urge to strike out at
those who would hurt people I love but I have learned that beyond the level
of force to stop an attack, violence is not the solution.

Felix, I also thought that a sarcastic remark to an obnoxious drunk was less
than prudent, not that that places blame on the victim or excuses FUBAR in
any way. It absolutely does not.

I've been on AT-L off and on (mostly on) for several years and was told at
the start of the growing tendency to treat a thru-hike on the AT as a
movable party. There has always been an element that saw the woods as a
place to go and behave in a manner that would get them in trouble if done in
'civilization'. I saw isolated incidents of it in my shelter maintenance. It
saddens me to see it increasing on the AT and convinces me even more that if
I do the whole trail it will be in sections timed to avoid the peaks of
thru-hikers. Nothing against y'all but I don't go to the woods for a social
experience, especially the sort we've been discussing here.

Saunterer>>