Illegal ATV’ers ruin sport for all

Editorial

It’s about time.

Not only was the recent crackdown by Shenandoah police on all-terrain vehicle riders who thumb their noses at the law a welcome action, it was also long overdue.

On March 7 and 8, borough police issued 16 citations to riders for illegally going on municipal streets or on the parking lot at Redner’s Warehouse Market in the Gold Star Plaza.

For too long, arrogant ATV’ers — many who seem to think they have some sort of divine right to go wherever they please — have simply ignored the law. They not only go on streets, but also on private property without permission from owners.

And there have been more than a few instances where ATV drivers curse or make threatening gestures to property owners who have the audacity to tell them not to go on their land.

The crackdown is something for which ATV riders only have themselves to blame.

This isn’t the first time this space has been devoted to the issue of ATV riders flouting the law.

As was noted previously, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with people enjoying ATVs. No doubt it’s a delightful pastime.

But ATV riders may not go on public streets or parking lots and may not go on private property without permission.

And you can bet most ATV’ers are fully aware of this.

The problems are caused by riders who simply don’t care about the law or the rights of property owners, or who think the rules don’t apply to them,

They suffer from the affliction of arrogance, kind of like the people who persistently park in fire lanes. As a result, the rude, obnoxious ATV riders ruin things for everyone.

The Shenandoah area is by no means the only site of illegal ATV ventures. It occurs just about everywhere.

According to Whitecavage, borough officials and residents have complained about the problem, prompting the crackdown.

The mayor hopes the move sends a message to ATV riders that breaking the law isn’t going to be tolerated.

To reinforce that message, Whitecavage said the March 7-8 initiative is merely the first step.

“There are going to be some unhappy people,” he said, “but those are the people who are breaking the law.”

And pay no attention to anonymous whiners who suggest police should focus all of their attention only on drug users and sellers.

Of course, authorities should not ignore the local drug problem — and Shenandoah police in fact have not.

But it is idiotic to suggest that police enforce no other laws until all of the users and pushers have been collared or kicked out. That’s like suggesting Columbus shouldn’t have been provided with ships to sail to the New World until all of the rats in the harbor were apprehended. Heck, if that were the case, we’d probably be sitting somewhere in Europe now still thinking the world is flat.

Come to think of it, the anonymous whiners most likely are ATV law violators put off by the fact they are actually being challenged.

How arrogant are these people? Three of the riders cited by Shenandoah authorities received citations a second time — within 15 minutes of the first citations.

No one has a problem with ATV enthusiasts who ride in approved areas, stay off streets and respect private property. They simply must come to awareness that this is what they must do.

We say “Bravo!” to Shenandoah authorities for finally addressing an issue that’s been simmering for a long time. Authorities in other municipalities should follow the lead.

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