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Spandex wearing granolas need to stop whining

Spandex-wearing granolas need to stop whining I wish I could be writing this letter from a nonstereotypical point of view, but seeing as over the last year all ATV and snowmobile users have been put into the same category, I will do the same with all ped

I wish I could be writing this letter from a nonstereotypical point of view, but seeing as over the last year all ATV and snowmobile users have been put into the same category, I will do the same with all pedal bikers and skiers. You are all in the same boat. Whiners.

Have you ever asked yourself why the general public continues to put up with pesky road relays every weekend throughout the whole summer? They constantly congest the highways, making it unsafe for everyone. How many times have I had to come to a dead stop and wait for pedal bikers to cross the road? Will it finally take a biker to get run over before anyone will put an end to this nonsense?

We, the general public, including all ATVers, have a lot of patience for these ignorant people. We have for many years. You don’t hear us speaking out and costing taxpayers money to put these people in their place. We don’t whine, we just deal with the fact there are people out there that like to pedal-bike and ski.

But yet, I have had skiers yelling at me for walking on their ski trail, outside city limits, seen rocks thrown at ATVers and now government law is being imposed on the many that obey the laws on the trail. The majority of ATVers and snowmobilers obey the laws. We have consideration for other trail users. Just because you choose to explore the Yukon by pedal-bike or skis does not give you the right to tell other people how to explore the Yukon.

These spandex-wearing granolas need to stop their whining. If the government gives into every grievance the public has, it will open the doors for many other problems. If my rights are going to be jeopardized for riding on the trails, I don’t see any reason why the general public shouldn’t start pushing for laws regulating road relays and pedal bikers using the downtown core. It is a constant road hazard and it’s very frustrating to live with on a day-to-day basis. Why should these bikers be allowed on the roads without insurance or registration?

My main point here is, fair is fair. If the general public has found tolerance for you and your bikes, you should have the same tolerance for ATV and snowmobile users. So you have to hear the odd snow machine go through your greenbelt, so what? Seriously, the noise lasts for all of a few seconds. People’s dogs bark, chainsaws and lawnmowers are going constantly. It is just a bit of noise. We still live in a peaceful place. It is a way of life up here and people just need to stop whining and find a hobby. It’s a wilderness city. People want to explore.

I don’t see any reason why the public shouldn’t start speaking up against road relays. They’re dangerous and I know many, many people that are sick and tired of it. Trying to get out of town on a Saturday morning to go boating is a hassle now, as it takes to twice as long to get there because of all the ridiculous road relays congesting up the highways. The public puts up with it, but if the bikers don’t give the same respect, I, for one, will speak against them. We tolerate you. It is not too much to ask for you to do the same.

Rita Smith

Whitehorse