Went out to Silver Springs State Park to my usual spot far off in a field to see if the sunset would amount to anything.
I first heard the buzz of their little engines far off to the southwest. I assumed the landowners on the edge of the state park were out running around their fields.
I soon realized they were circling around me, off to the south, then off to the east. I knew they would be coming down the same trail I was standing in. I decided, the hell with them, I’m not moving.
Four of them came around the bend. I couldn’t see their faces because of the full helmets they were wearing, but their body language said “oh shit.”
I refused to move, they barely slowed down as I made them brush up against the tall grass.
As they went by I raised my camera and took a picture, then realized I still had the lens out to 300 mm and I knew it didn’t work. One of them saw me take the picture.
I fixed the lens to 55 and raised the camera. The one that saw me take the picture had turned around, stopped and was now facing me. I had the feeling he was going to come back to say something I had no interest in, so I called his bluff and stuck my hand in my pocket.
He had a decision to make. Am I going to take my hand out of my pocket with nothing more than my Little Dicky and car keys in my hand, all that I had in there, or, in this day and age of concealed carry, was I going to take something out of my pocket that could kill him. I would have preferred the latter, but me carrying a gun around is probably not a good idea.
The bluff worked, he spun around and I snapped off another shot as he left.
Every day it’s proven to me that the world is full of assholes that think the laws and rules don’t apply to them.
I didn’t think I would run into them out here, out in the middle of nowhere.
I come here to get away from the assholes.
bob
6 Sep 2015perhaps a little concealed carry wouldn’t hurt ya’ none. Tough luck on those who may incur the Ken G wrath. Maybe an M1-Garand with a fixed bayonet. Just having it strapped across your back would be a rather eye-catching deterrent that says, “hey, lookit that. Best avoid that wacko.”
Ken G
6 Sep 2015Remember our conversation last night Bob about the temper I control?
Not sure mixing a hand gun in with that temper would be a good thing.
I always wanted an M1. Must have something to do with my life long fascination with all things WWII.
Then my joke of turning out like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino would come true.
I think we could all learn a lesson here from Israel. I’d settle for an UZI hanging off my shoulder all the time.
walt
6 Sep 2015Good for you, Ken. It takes some rocks to stand up to those crotch-rocket transgressors. A lot of them think that the rules of the trail don’t apply to them, if they bother to think at all. I hate the damned machines when used like this.
Ken G
6 Sep 2015I agree Walt, they don’t think.
Problem is, since I haven’t been seeing the CPO out there like I usually do, there’s no one to go to.
It was announced that because of state budget nonsense, 33 CPO’s were being let go. I haven’t seen him since May. I wonder if he was one of them. Contacting anyone else at the DNR would be a waste of time.
RK Henderson
6 Sep 2015Arrrgh! Right up there with jet skis on my “who decided we needed that?” list.
Robin
Rusty Ring: Reflections of an Old-Timey Hermit
Ken G
6 Sep 2015That was the thing that annoyed me the most about it all Robin. The dead quiet they took away that I go out there for. They did high tail it off to the southwest pretty fast, back where they came from, so I did get my quiet back.
RK Henderson
6 Sep 2015Exactly. I don’t know why we tolerate having one or two people destroy the enjoyment of everyone else. In the case of jet skis, there can be hundreds of people put out.
Robin
Rusty Ring: Reflections of an Old-Timey Hermit
Ken G
7 Sep 2015Years ago I was out fishing on the Fox River when a jet ski kept going up and down the river. This river is not made for that, so eventually he grounded it on a big gravel bar with some pretty impressive crunching noises. The thing was too heavy for him to dislodge it and he saw me standing out there in my waders, asked if I would help. I told him… No, if I do that, you might come back and do this again. I don’t want you to come back.
He stomped off in a huff. I knew he had a good mile hike back to the launch. Never saw a jet ski on the river in that stretch again.
Dan
6 Sep 2015Send a man outdoors and you don’t hear from him for a while. Give him a boat or vehicle with a loud motor and he will annoy everyone else out there.
I hate when my quite space is invaded. Funny how much more it gets invaded on holiday weekends. Too bad you couldn’t get a shot of their tags. I’d still pass this on to the DFG.
Ken G
6 Sep 2015I was thinking of the plates or something Dan, but it was all happening pretty quick and I can’t recall seeing any. Not even sure you have to have them on those things.
Dan
6 Sep 2015I just looked it up. Law abiding citizens are supposed to buy a stamp. You’d have to be much too close for comfort to see it. Hopefully they hit a stump and get flung off in the middle of the woods.
Ken G
7 Sep 2015I figured they need something for those to be out driving around on them Dan, but the signs all over the state park are pretty clear, All Motor Vehicles Prohibited. You can’t miss these signs. I have a pretty good idea where the back door is where they came in. I just might have to go take a look.
Howard Levett
6 Sep 2015Good job on the bluff Ken. But don’t bring a camera to a make believe gun fight!
Ken G
6 Sep 2015That was rattling around in my head at the time Howard. It was probably stupid, but I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment and I really didn’t want to hear this guys excuses.