Constable: ATVs a problem if -youre actin like an idiot-

[Mudtramp]

Kentucky

Published: June 22, 2009 10:27 am

Constable: ATVs a problem if ‘you’re actin like an idiot’

By Ivy Brashear / Staff Writer

A group of Knox County citizens want ordinances passed and tighter enforcements for ATV users who ignore or abuse laws that restrict the vehicles’ use on private property and public roadways.

The group held a meeting Thursday at Pershing Enterprises in Corbin to discuss the problems caused by ATVs. Most of the problems stemmed from ATV use in early morning hours and trespassing.

“No one really minds the four-wheelers, so long as they’re quiet, they stop at a reasonable hour of the night and they don’t go on property that doesn’t belong to them,” said Jackie Napier, owner of Pershing Enterprises and organizer of the meeting.

Napier said she hopes that police officers can catch the people who are “just out to aggravate,” and doesn’t like seeing anyone get hurt. She said people who want to ride ATVs should be required to take training courses on how to properly use them.

Napier just wants “peace in the neighborhood,” saying that she has had to twice shut down training classes she teaches because the ATV noise was too loud.

She warned the people at the meeting that they needed to take action and get their public officials involved.

“If we don’t get a handle on this thing, then everybody suffers,” Napier said.

Whitley County resident James Peterson said the problems created by ATVs come from one thing: respect.

“It seems like there’s a lack of respect from a lot of the younger people. I don’t know if they’re taught that way, raised up that way, but I don’t think it was that way years ago,” Peterson said.

He said he lives 100 yards from the Knox County line, and racing motorcycles use the stretch of road in front of his house as a drag strip. He even thinks they have people on either end of the road watching for police.

According to the current Knox County laws, it is legal to use ATVs for “farming, agriculture activities, mining or mining exploration activities, logging activities or any other business, commercial or industrial activities with the vehicle on private property.”

Knox County Constable Carl Bolton said there isn’t a problem with farmers riding their ATVs on the road for farming activities.

“If you’re running down the road at about 15-20 mph, there’s no issue; but, if you’re on back wheels, you’re not farming — you’re acting like an idiot,” Bolton said. He added that it wasn’t possible for him to catch those driving recklessly in his police car because they can outrun him off-road.

Guilio Cima, Knox County magistrate for the 5th district, spoke about the dangers of ATV abuse. He said his nephew is now handicapped because he wrecked his racing motorcycle at 100 mph, and that a boy was “mutilated” on a four lane highway after wrecking his four-wheeler.

Cima said the way law enforcement chases reckless ATV users and tries to control the problem needs to change. He suggests placing licenses on ATVs and giving police officers and deputies permission to chase offenders on ATVs.

“Carl (Bolton) ain’t gonna catch nobody, (Knox County Sheriff) John Pichard ain’t gonna catch nobody, the state police ain’t gonna catch nobody as long as they are driving a police car,” Cima said.

Knox County Magistrate Doyle Gibson offered a solution to the problem, that isn’t guaranteed, but has been promised to Knox County. He said Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo made a commitment to the county to create an ATV park from 1,000 acres of available land in the southern part of the county.

“I’m not against four-wheelers, there’s just a time and a place for everything,” Gibson said.

Napier said something needs to happen so the law can be enforced and people can be made safe.

“We need our public officials behind us on this to get anything done,” Napier said.

She says those who abuse the use of ATVs should be punished.

“If they (those who abuse ATV use) can’t respect people and they can’t keep the mufflers on their four-wheelers and things, then they’ve got no business being on these roads riding,” Napier said.

Article Reference: TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY - Constable: ATVs a problem if ‘you’re actin like an idiot’

[Mayhem]

A lot of truth to this article..

[diverboss]

SURE IS, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN NOT OUTLAW STUPIDITY

[SABINE RIVER RAT]

AS RON WHITE PUT IT.... YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID...

[diverboss]

bubba gump " stupid is as stupid does"

[Ccrane]

Originally Posted by diverboss

SURE IS, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN NOT OUTLAW STUPIDITY

Unfortunately, the way things are going in this country currently... when you can't "outlaw stupidity" then you just go ahead and outlaw every single thing you can.



Soon there will be so many laws against EVERYTHING that nothing is legal.