B*cycles not allowed - NOT

THE STORY
Today around noon I initiated a web search for the Dekalb County Georgia
Parks Department. I wanted to contact them to learn how this park was
regulated. While surfing the Parks Department Website, I found exactly
what I wanted: 'This gem detailing the governing ordinances for Dekalb
County Parks.' (http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/parks/rules.htm) I did not
yet have the pictures, and I didn't even know for certain that Dekalb
County Parks had indeed posted the sign. So I was feeling my way in the
dark to some extent. (I took the picture late this afternoon.)

However, it's clear from the 'governing codes'
(http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/parks/rules.htm) that b*cycles are not
forbidden from most Dekalb County parks, and when they are it's a
function of a specific ordinance -- none of which apply to Mason Mills.
In fact, the only provision for banning b*cycles at all in DeKalb County
Code is -Book Code Section 19-32 Special Prohibitions- which bans
b*cycles in certain portions of Arabia Mountain.

Armed with this knowledge, I called the Parks Department. I first spoke
with a woman who, while helpful enough, needed to get some more
information. My pitch, which I repeated frequently over the next couple
of hours in the most genial and polite way possible, was this:

-"I'm interested in information on the trails at Mason Mills Park, where
a sign was posted yesterday banning b*cycles. I have reviewed the
governing ordinances on the Dekalb County Parks Department Website, and
I can't detemine which ordinance might have been used to designate this
park off-limits to cyclists."-

A couple of times someone asked me if I was a mountain b*ker. I politely
explained that, no, I was a unicyclist, and thereby uncertain if any of
the ordinances were pertinent to me at all. But what I really wanted to
know was what code was being applied...

It took the very helpful staff at the Parks Department several
iterations:

a) to know exactly which park and entrance I was referring, and
b) to find someone from the field who knew something about the sign.

This is somewhat understandable since, at that time, I still wasn't sure
that Dekalk County Parks Department were responsible for the sign.
Everyone I spoke with asked me if I was sure. I said no, sorry. I'm not
sure. (My ignorance, while unintentional, may have been disarming and
thereby helful.)

I spoke with three people, including a Deputy Director, each of whom was
very cordial and tried to be helpful, before I received a call from the
Security Coordinator. The Security Coordinator also, like everyone
before, politely asked me if I had read the details on the sign. I
apologetically said no yet again. Then he began his explanation.

He indicated that the sign was from *Arabia Mountain*, the relevant code
was Section 19-32 but that *it only applied to Arabia Mountain*, that
the b*cycle ban was *not in effect* in Mason Mills, that the Parks
Department *did not want to discourage legal use* of Dekalb County
parks, and that *the sign would be altered or changed to remove the
languange baning bi*cycles*.

I silently screamed *YES!* and pumped my arm in victory to my wife who
passed by in the hall!

I spoke with him briefly about the problematic neighbor. He most
professionally declined to comment on who may or may not have
complained, but politely enquired as to why I didn't use one of the
other entrances. I said I lived in the neighborhood only a few blocks
away, and it was the most accessible entrance by far for me. He agreed
it was most reasonable for me to expect unfettered access.

I thanked him as graciously as I could for getting back to me so
promptly, and for giving me his time. He made sure I had his name and
phone number, and said that I should call him if I had any additional
concerns or issues accessing the park.

--
munipsycho - CrashTestDummies are us.

=====================
'Victory belongs now to this small tree.'
(http://munipsycho.com/stories/a_little_tree.jsp)

'The UniSkills Assessment' (http://www.munipsycho.com/uniskills_2.jsp)

I can fly too. But I can only fly down.
-Little Bear

Imagine all the people
Riding on one wheel.
J. Lennon. (paraphrased)
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THE POST SCRIPT[/B]
THE LADY WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ACCESS POINT TO THE TRAILS HAS NOW
INADVERTANTLY LEGITIMIZED THIS ACCESS POINT BY CAUSING THE PARKS
DEPARTMENT TO POST VERY LARGE SIGNS ANNOUNCING IT. HER ATTEMPT TO HAVE
US / CYCLISTS BANNED HAS HAD QUITE THE OPPOSITE AFFECT. NOW MORE PEOPLE
THAN EVER WILL USE IT. (NOT NECESSARILY GOOD NEWS TO ME, BUT I ACCEPT
IT.) ALREADY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON - JUST HOURS AFTER THE SIGNS WENT UP -
CARS WERE PARKED ACROSS FROM HER DRIVEWAY BY FOLK ACCESSING THE TRAILS.
(I HAD NEVER SEEN A CAR THERE BEFORE, EXCEPT FOR MINE AND HITAROCK'S -
THE GUY I MUNI WITH.)

[B]THE MORAL
Sometimes the easy road is the road to victory. This feels really good!


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--
munipsycho - CrashTestDummies are us.

=====================
'Victory belongs now to this small tree.'
(http://munipsycho.com/stories/a_little_tree.jsp)

'The UniSkills Assessment' (http://www.munipsycho.com/uniskills_2.jsp)


I can fly too. But I can only fly down.
-Little Bear

Imagine all the people
Riding on one wheel.
J. Lennon. (paraphrased)
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THE POST SCRIPT[/B]
THE LADY WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ACCESS POINT TO THE TRAILS HAS NOW
INADVERTANTLY LEGITIMIZED THIS ACCESS POINT BY CAUSING THE PARKS
DEPARTMENT TO POST VERY LARGE SIGNS ANNOUNCING IT. HER ATTEMPT TO HAVE
US / CYCLISTS BANNED HAS HAD QUITE THE OPPOSITE AFFECT. NOW MORE PEOPLE
THAN EVER WILL USE IT. (NOT NECESSARILY GOOD NEWS TO ME, BUT I ACCEPT
IT.) ALREADY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON - JUST HOURS AFTER THE SIGNS WENT UP -
CARS WERE PARKED ACROSS FROM HER DRIVEWAY BY FOLK ACCESSING THE TRAILS.
(I HAD NEVER SEEN A CAR THERE BEFORE, EXCEPT FOR MINE AND HITAROCK'S -
THE GUY I MUNI WITH.)

[B]THE MORAL
Sometimes the easy road is the road to victory. This feels really good!


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| Attachment filename: sign_2.jpg |
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+----------------------------------------------------------------+

--
munipsycho - CrashTestDummies are us.

=====================
'Victory belongs now to this small tree.'
(http://munipsycho.com/stories/a_little_tree.jsp)

'The UniSkills Assessment' (http://www.munipsycho.com/uniskills_2.jsp)


I can fly too. But I can only fly down.
-Little Bear

Imagine all the people
Riding on one wheel.
J. Lennon. (paraphrased)
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Good work! Way to fight for justice!

I've often wondered how the unicycle works into the law. I figured it
would be technically exempt from bans on bicycles, but it wouldn't
functionally be the case. This summer there are some spots I'd like to
ride that I know bicycles can't ride on...I wonder if there's any room
to argue it. If there is room, it's something silly in the wording of
the law, but I'll go with that!

Justin

--
HistoricalGoof
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Well, I don't know about other countries, or heck, even the rest of
Canada, but our Highway Traffic Act only has a definition for bicycles.
As far as I can tell, anyone on a skateboard, rollerblades, or a
unicycle is effectively a pedestrian.

So for us, the anti-biking signs don't mean much 😄

Who needs the training wheel anyhow?

--
flyer - Level 3 Unicyclist
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Bi......uni...bi....uni, Sign didnt matter to you in hte first place.

--
caw89 - Cody

'Cody's Gallery' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Codys-Gallery)

'sixsixone' (http://sixsixone.com/)

AIM: unicaw89
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Cool Jeffrey,
I really have to get down there. How would she feel if 15-20 of us
came rolling through.😄 Trying to keep the man down, they can't keep
the man down. You da man Jeffrey.😄

Who is surfing the site as Birdknob? Coincidence?

--
bugman - Survivor 2004 Wolfman Duathalon

-* [ F O N T = c e n t u r y g o t h i c ] ' H e l p C u r e D i a
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bugman said:

*Who is surfing the site as Birdknob? Coincidence?*

I think it's an errant cookie from when I visited this site a long while
back - before "officially" registering. I've tried unsuccessfully to
kill it.

--
munipsycho - CrashTestDummies are us.

=====================
'Victory belongs now to this small tree.'
(http://munipsycho.com/stories/a_little_tree.jsp)

'The UniSkills Assessment' (http://www.munipsycho.com/uniskills_2.jsp)

I can fly too. But I can only fly down.
-Little Bear

Imagine all the people
Riding on one wheel.
J. Lennon. (paraphrased)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wow, what a wonderful story with such a happy ending! Thanks for
posting it.

Implied is the fact that you will obey the "spirit" of any
no-bikes-allowed regulation.

As I do more and more MUni, I am being faced with this decision. Do I
interpret "no bikes allowed" to mean "no wheels allowed"? And thus not
ride those trails?

I'm deciding that the answer is yes. There are plenty of trails where
bikes ARE allowed. Even if nobody saw me ride, and even if I caused no
damage, I would still leave tire tracks. This might "inspire" others to
ride the trails on their two-wheelers. And hikers might be offended by
such apparent or actual disregard for the regulations. And how would
the people who maintain the trail feel? (most people don't buy into the
"a unicycle is not a bike" argument -- to them, it is "functionally"
close enough to a bike -- a cycle -- to fall into that category)

You are a noble and wise man, munipsycho. I shall try to follow in your
tire track. And if anyone ever tries to take away my right to ride a
trail, I will re-read this thread and then investigate the matter.
Happy riding!

--
Dave Lowell - _
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"HistoricalGoof" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Good work! Way to fight for justice!

I've often wondered how the unicycle works into the law. I figured it
would be technically exempt from bans on bicycles, but it wouldn't
functionally be the case.

Probably needs looking at on an individual basis: if you read Psychos
posted rules they said something like
"B*cycles or other non-motorised vehicles".
So without the changes he has fought for he would have been stuffed. Well
done indeed, and perhaps an illustration to us all of how to best attack
these things.

Nao

munipsycho

You are hereby nominated as Unicycle Hero Of The Month.

BTW, In my book, "B*ke" is only a bad word in instances like "they
called my Unicycle a b*ke" or "b*cyclists that think unicycles are
inferior". Otherwise, nothing wrong with "bike".

--
UniBrier - Its Time to Ride

Steve DeKoekkoek

Hop Drop & Roll

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so what do you do when the sign says "no cycling"?

--
alexmay - 101 things to do with spanners

the other one's a stabiliser, mate
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Naomi said:

Probably needs looking at on an individual basis: if you read
Psychos posted rules they said something like

"B*cycles or other non-motorised vehicles".

So without the changes he has fought for he would have been stuffed.

Nao [/B]

Actually I would disagree...

Rules:
"Bicycles on athletic fields No person shall ride nor walk a bicycle or
other non-motorized vehicle in or on any athletic field owned or
operated by the county for recreation purposes.

Bicycles on Arabia Mountain No person shall ride, walk nor carry a
bicycle or other non-motorized vehicle in or on Davidson-Arabia Mountain
Park except in an area specifically dedicated and identified for such
use. "

It gives two situations in which bicycles are not to be used.
Neither of which would apply in Mills Park.

1. Athletic Fields (Baseball, Soccer, Football, etc...)
2. Arabia Mountain... Mills Park is not Arabia Mountain.

--
bugman - Survivor 2004 Wolfman Duathalon

-* [ F O N T = c e n t u r y g o t h i c ] ' H e l p C u r e D i a
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Arabia mountain, is that some sort of theme park?

--
alexmay

the other one's a stabiliser, mate
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