ATVs try to shed 'nuisance' image
BY BRYAN BRASHER
Staff Writer
The very term "all-terrain vehicle" suggests the hulking, four-wheeled monsters are built to go anywhere.
But while the massive machines are plenty capable of blazing new trails, they are still governed by certain legal and common-sense parameters. And riders who venture outside those parameters paint a bad picture of all ATV owners.
"A few bad apples mess things up for everybody," said Shane Jones, an avid ATV rider from Columbus. "You never hear anything good about four-wheelers. It's all negative. People think we're all bad -- and they're wrong."
With huge tires, mighty engines and compact frames, ATVs give people a feeling of power and accessibility that goes far beyond that of the standard four-wheel-drive pickup truck. But those rugged tires and the sheer weight of the vehicles (more than 1,200 pounds in some cases) leave tracks that do little for forest decor.
It's that damage that causes many to take a dim view of ATVs.
In 2001, when the Georgia Department of Natural Resources proposed giving deer hunters access to Standing Boy Creek State Park in Columbus, residents of nearby Green Island Hills protested vehemently. They listed possible damage by ATVs as one of their chief concerns, and ATVs were ultimately disallowed on the property.
Just last week, residents of Seale, Ala., met at the Uchee Creek Volunteer Fire Department about disturbances created by riders from the nearby Dirty Dogg ATV track. Riders venturing off the track and trespassing onto their properties were among the homeowners' complaints.
Riders' reply
Local hunters have long argued that the ATV ban at Standing Boy Creek was unfair
. Those who have hunted there during the past three deer seasons say the experience is far less enjoyable because deer killed on remote stretches of the property often have to be dragged great distances. 
Just how hard is it to pack a dinky Georgia Whitetail back to the road??? The Fat-Assed Crowd sure is lazy.... 
The owners at Dirty Dogg ATV track believe their customers are being unfairly characterized as hooligans because of a few lawbreakers.
"They're causing problems for us, too," said co-owner Mike McLaney. "They're trespassing after we're closed and vandalizing our stuff. We're not interested in that kind of clientele -- but people shouldn't just assume all of our customers are like that because they're not."
McLaney and fellow owner Matt Murphy pledged Tuesday night to catch those intentionally breaking the law in the areas near their track. But law enforcement officials say laws are also often broken accidentally by people who don't understand the laws governing ATVs.
Smart and legal
To avoid falling into that trap, it's important for riders to remember a few simple rules.
"First and foremost, you have to respect the landowners' right and wishes," said Ray Metzler, hunter education coordinator for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
"There's no law that says you have to have written permission to ride on someone's property. But you should certainly ask permission before you go onto someone's property, or else you're trespassing."
Metzler said simple acts of courtesy are also important when riding on private property.
"If you have to go through a closed gate, you open it and then you close it back," he said. "Stay out of the creeks and fields -- areas that might be damaged by ATVs. Don't be making new roads on a man's property. Stay on the roads that are already there."
Mike Mount of the ATV Safety Institute said it's important for riders to remember that it's illegal to ride ATVs on paved roads in many states, including Alabama and Georgia. He also said that parents of ATV riders shouldn't take it for granted that their children will ride legally and safely.
"Riders under the age of 16 have to be supervised," Mount said. "ATVs have keys. You may not be able to watch your kids 24 hours a day, but you can certainly keep those keys out of their reach."
