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[at-l] Policing at Trail Days
I don't see that as an opposite view. You didn't see
the things Ox was saying happened at previous Trail
Days...but they did happen. Could it be that because
of the police presence those things are becoming less
and less of a problem? I can only hope so. Just a
thought.
Sparrow
--- Gadog430 <gadog430@charter.net> wrote:
> An opposite view:
>
> This was my first Trail Days. I saw some illegal
> drugs (nothing hardcore). I
> saw illegal beverages.
> I didn't see any fights. I didn't hear of any
> fights. I didn't hear but of
> one theft of two backpacks. No one in our little
> group had any problems with
> someone (hiker or townie) being belligerent. We
> found the townies (in their
> extremely taxed state) to be very friendly and were
> willing to talk to us.
> We did spend a fair amount of time at the campground
> and in town. Everyone
> in our group drank a bit. Not one problem. None of
> our cars was bothered.
> Nothing was stolen.
>
> It seemed to be peaceful controlled total chaos to
> me.
>
> Dawg
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <ox97game@aol.com>
> To: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 5:07 PM
> Subject: [at-l] Policing at Trail Days
>
>
> > OK. For all those that have posted on this with
> all the varying opinions.
> This is America and everyone is entitled to their
> two cents worth on any
> topic. This isnt intended to bash or praise
> anyone, rather to give some
> insight and enlighten some of you to facts that have
> led to the situation
> being what it is at Trail Days.
> >
> > This year was my 9th year at Trail Days. I can
> say that there have been a
> tremendous amount of change over the years. The
> festival has grown
> significantly since my first time there. This can
> be accounted to the
> increased number of hikers on the trail each year,
> the increase in number of
> previous year hikers returning to the festival,
> publicity bringing in more
> non-hiking folks to the festival.
> >
> > With the increase in number of people, there can
> also be expected to be an
> increase in what we will call 'bottom feeders'.
> (folks that prey on others)
> >
> > When I first started attending, the size of the
> hiker crowd in 'tent city'
> was still manageable. You could camp near the river
> and have room to walk
> around to find your tent. In 2002, tent city had
> exceeded the size of the
> designated area, and hikers were pitching their
> tents in anyone's yards they
> could find (but not always ask permission to do so).
> This frustrated some
> of the locals who didnt like hikers 'watering' their
> at all hours of the day
> and night. The town started looking at areas to
> move the camping so that it
> was not becoming a problem for local folks.
> >
> > Another issue that led to moving the camping out
> to the new campground was
> the drum circle. The city had put a restriction on
> drumming past midnight,
> but the hikers kept drumming round the clock anyway.
> The options were to
> either ban all drums from the festival, enforce the
> quiet hours, or move the
> drum circle to a location where it wouldnt keep the
> local folks up all
> night.
> >
> > In past years there have been problems with crime
> at Trail Days. It
> started off as a few drunk and disordly charges and
> occassionally possion of
> drugs. Relatively harmless crimes that didnt need
> to be policed and
> monitored. In recent years however, the crimes had
> gotten more serious.
> There have been incidences of vandalism, robbery,
> beatings/stabbings, rape,
> as well as serious drug overdoses. Drunken/stoned
> hikers (or
> out-of-towners, who can tell the difference at TD)
> would just crawl into
> whatever tent they could find, or local's porch, and
> pass out. People would
> get out of control and had no respect for the rights
> of others. The
> reputation for Trail Days had become one of a drug
> enduced, drunken, orgy
> fest. It wasnt safe for hikers or locals alike.
> The law was brought in
> enmass to restore a little order and feeling of
> security in the town for
> those few days each year. The law is there to
> protect the towns people and
> the hikers.
> >
> > They have moved the festivities to the campground
> to buffer the townsfolks
> from the latenight noise and to allow the festival
> to grow in coming years
> by expanding the number of tentsites available.
> >
> > Yes, those that went to Trail Days this year for
> the first time probably
> saw things that they didnt like or wanted to
> question, and it may have
> appeared that the show of force was unnecessary or
> excessive. But, without
> rules and order, you end up with chaos. 15,000
> people in chaos is not a
> good thing. The objective of Trail Days is to
> celebrate the hikers that
> hike through each year. It was not designed to be
> an annual WoodStock,
> Greatful Dead, or Phish concert. If that is what
> you are looking for,
> then go elsewhere. I dont have an issue with folks
> partying, but they need
> to party responsibly. At TD, that isnt always the
> case.
> >
> > We must remember that the town puts on the
> festival FOR the hikers. They
> open their homes and businesses. They welcome us,
> and then deal with the
> mess we leave behind. It is their right to allow it
> to continue or not
> continue. It wasnt too many years back that the
> town was seriously
> considering cancelling Trail Days permenantly, and I
> cant say as I would
> have blamed them. Bottom line is that everyone
> that goes to an event such
> as Trail Days should act as if they were hosting the
> party in their own back
> yard. Damascus is trying to remain the
> 'Friendliest town on the Trail'.
> It is too bad that a few bad apples may ruin it for
> all of us, and the
> future generations of hikers that would hike along
> the long narrow footpath.
> >
> > Ox-97GaMe
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> >
>
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