A hearing on new regulations for off-highway vehicles drew a crowd to Shrewsbury High School last night that was heavy on enjoyment of recreational vehicular use of the outdoors and light on government regulation.

The folks overflowed the 150 seats provided, standing along walls, sitting on the floor, some of them children in shoulder-to-toe protective gear they wear while whizzing through the woods on dirt bikes or other off-road vehicles. It was a crowd aghast at some of the regulations placed in effect on an emergency basis March 24 to comply with a law that they said was an overreaction to the deaths of children on off-road vehicles, and they were not hesitant in telling that to the Massachusetts Environmental Police who conducted the hearing.

A working group will continue to tweak the emergency regulations, with a 90-day comment period expiring June 18.

While David Carlson of Webster said the government was supposed to be “for the people, by the people...” another man seemed to capture the flavor — and group applause — when he completed the quote with “to screw the people.”

The single most-voiced complaint was the regulation banning any child under age 10 from operating a snowmobile or recreational vehicle. Environmental Police Capt. Chris Baker repeatedly told the crowd that that has been the rule since 1987.