[at-l] Palmerton Hostel

[daveh at psknet.com (David Hicks)]

I wish I knew a "non-confrontational" way to deal with this sort of boorish 
behavior.

What I have seen on the trail is that any attempt to point out that "X" 
behavior adversely effects the future of the trail meets with either hostile 
reaction, or opining about how, in the perp's opinion, the problem is really 
the "anal, puritan, restrictive, etc" values/opinions/etc of the  hostel 
owner, land owner, motel owner, etc who the perp sees as restricting the 
perp's freedom.  These people think the whole world revolves around them and 
their values, desires, freedom always trump other folks' values, desires, 
freedom, etc.

Even other hikers are so into the "live and let live" value set that they 
assume that boorish/illegal behavior only offends some folk and unimportant 
social norms.  They are only "concerned" when they see someone (the hostel 
host or fellow hikers) being directly hurt by the behavior.  Or worst, the 
only time they are willing to step up to the plate and let it be known that 
the behavior isn't acceptable is when they see themselves being hurt -- such 
as a hostel closing.

I have made this point before, but I will repeat it again.

If you want to kill the AT as an uninterrupted foot path for your kids and
grandkids, thumb your nose at regulations, ethics, convention, standard good
taste, etc.

That way, you will be part of the movement that kills it.

I am no prude.  I posture no superior ethic.  I am grabbing no moral high
ground.  I am just stating the facts as I see them.

The impact goes far beyond the simple issue of an individual hostel deciding 
that AT community is no longer the sort of community they want/can afford to 
support.

My observations are based on the following: I attend more "government
partner" meetings about the AT and other trails, outdoor recreational
projects, etc. than I would like. I'm retired from the Government. I have
watched how government decisions get made, for many years.

We in the hiking / trail community are under attack. It is not necessarily
just by the vicious, "I-hate-you" type attack. Rather it is the
"you-are-in-competition-with-me-for-resources,
so-I'll-cut-you-off-at-the-knees-to-get-what-I-want-funded" type of attack.
Many other groups see us in the trail community as the king-of-the-hill, who
they think have far too big a slice of the resource pie.

Anyone who supports boorish/illegal/etc behavior, is just handing ammunition 
to those who would take from us what we need -- funds, and trails. The horse 
folk,
the ATV's, the snowmobiles, the four-wheelers, the bicyclers, etc want your 
the Trail to ride on.  Everyone want the $s for another pet project.  And
they are our friends, or at a minimum groups with which we sometimes have some 
common ground.

Then there are those who really hate us, those want to "develop" the area
that they see as "wasted" on a few undeserving hikers.  Car racing, ski 
resorts, condos, etc all win points in the court of public opinion when we 
tarnish our image as a clean healthy activity.

Will the boorish/illegal/etc behavior encounters, personal or reported, change 
folk, who have already made up their mind?  I doubt it.

But there are a lot of decision makers who do not know, or understand, us or
the Trail, etc.

Good press, good vibes help us. The reverse hurts us.  The degree to which
we tarnish the typical person's image (or stereotype, if you will) of what
the AT is all about we erode our much-needed support.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Mathews" <mathews@uga.edu>
To: "John O" <johno@monmouth.com>
Cc: "At-list" <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 7:19 PM
Subject: Re: [at-l] Palmerton Hostel


>>
In some cases this different behavior has no impact on
anyone but that person, bey when it impacts others in the present or in the
future, I wonder if its not up to the rest of us to deal with it.  Not in a
confrontational way, but let those involved that its not going to be
tolerated.  If we do not, then are we not letting a few dictate to the rest
of us and we then have to pay the price.  A rude, belligerent, alcohol
abusive individual makes a hostel owner, land owner, motel owner, etc mad
and who pays for that?  The next hikers that happens to come along. And we
did nothing wrong so we pay the price.  Peer pressure works great, but a
moving hiker who may never see people again can be a loose cannon.
<<