SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Off-Road Riders Fined while Riding on their Own Property:
Four teens in Hampden, Massachusetts, were fined $750 each by the Massachusetts Environmental Police while riding on their own property. The teens were riding on land owned by the parents of one of the boys, with the parents' permission, when the environmental police arrived and questioned them for two and a half hours. In the end, each teen received a $250 fine for operating an unregistered recreational vehicle, and a $500 fine for the operation of a recreational vehicle without a safety certification.
Speaking to 22News, Melanie Beck said her son and three friends were riding around her wooded yard, with her permission, when Massachusetts Environmental Police arrived and questioned the boys before handing out the fines. Beck wondered why the boys were not given a warning instead of a fine, considering the laws that they broke are apparently not well known in the area. She says other parents in the area have taken to social media to express their displeasure with the fines.
One of the teens told 22News that they were just trying to have fun, in contrast to other teens "doing drugs and vaping" instead of participating in outdoor activities.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Environmental Police, Craig Gilvarg, told 22News that safety education requirements for young riders have been in place since 2010. Additionally, the state of Massachusetts requires all recreational vehicles operated on public and private lands to be registered through the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
Earlier in February, 22News reported that ATV and dirt bike riders riding on city streets have been an ongoing issue in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts, saying that they had received multiple viewer complaints about the illegal activity. Police there have used undercover cars, motorcycles, and cameras to attempt to stop the problem, and have asked the public to keep an eye out for where the riders might be storing their vehicles.
See also: Four teens fined $750 for violating dirt bike laws in Hampden; What are the rules?
Environmental police? Huh? They're just jealous because they can't get it up, let alone up on two!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 23 2020, @07:45PM (5 children)
If the land is in any way deemed "environmentally sensitive" (qualifications include: trees, "important" plants, animal nesting sites, animal migration routes, watersheds, wetlands, sensitive drylands, etc.) then, your elected representatives in the state and federal legislatures have passed laws granting the state/feds jurisdiction over private lands to protect these valuable environmental resources.
If they would protect the commons with nearly as much zeal as they go after the violations on private land, I might almost approve of the efforts - but, instead, they grant logging rights in the national forests, rape and plunder of the seas and rivers, exploitation of the tundra, etc.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Monday March 23 2020, @08:06PM
Under the US Constitution the States are suppose to have whatever power they choose to take to deal with local matter. About the only real regulation that's supposed to happen is that the states are required to have a republican form of government.
That states have usually held private property beyond their normal jurisdiction isn't because of federal law....or at least it didn't used to be. Things like some of the amendments have legally changed things a bit, but the real change is rapid communication and people living in closer contact. (If it took someone a hour or two to file a complaint by walking to the police station, there'd be less inclination to do so.)
Now your local state constitution may provide different protections. In Louisiana I believe you are presumed guilty if officially accused. (Code Napoleon.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23 2020, @08:10PM
Yard riding is/was ok here as long as it's your own yard. If you're driving up on someone else's front lawn and doing a full throttle burnout on the nicely manicured grass it could be a problem. Especially if the tires dig in too far and you get stuck. (I saw a guy do that once)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23 2020, @08:15PM (2 children)
Environmentally sensitive? This is Massachusetts. The state bird is a mosquito! I've seen it on a T-shirt!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 23 2020, @09:14PM (1 child)
"Environmentally sensitive" is the statute language for "excuse to meddle."
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Spamalope on Tuesday March 24 2020, @04:28AM
Yep. Whatever we say it is...