Bikers, Their Anger and Their SMART Train

September 24, 2008- Marin County

SMART train opponents had one of their signs spat on and their posters blocked and tampered with by train supporters (mainly MCBC bikers) at a rally that was held today at Larkspur California’s Cal-Park tunnel to celebrate the commencement of the construction work on the tunnel. Present at the meeting were representatives of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Assemlyman 6th District, Jared Huffman, former Marin Supervisor, Cynthia Murray and SMART chair, Marin Supervisor, Charles McGlashan. Both McGlashan and Huffman downplayed the significance of potential harm to endangered species living along one of the trains Marin corridors, Gallinas Creek. Train opponents site traffic congestion,
increased development and spiraling costs as problems minimized by train supporters.

For more information on the “real” impacts and costs of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, see http://notsmart.org
Fact No. 2: The train would be an enormous expense, considering the few riders projected to take it. SMART's Project Funding Plan indicates that SMART would spend
$1.3 Billion over 20 years. Based on the projected number of riders, SMART would spend $50 per one-way ride.

By contrast, Golden Gate Transit's capital and operating costs per rider were $9 in 2006. In 2008 GGT and Marin County Transit provided 32,000 passenger-trips per day. Compare this to SMART’s estimate of 5,650 per day by 2025. .

Fact No. 3: Express buses would work far better in Marin and Sonoma than rail. Jobs are dispersed throughout the north bay, rather than in one or two economic centers. Ask yourself how you would get from a rail station to a job a mile from the station. Bus service would be far more convenient and would cost far less.

Fact No.4: SMART will compete with existing bus systems both for riders and funding. In many areas in which rail service has been introduced, bus service was reduced or realigned to promote rail use. In Los Angeles overall transit use declined after rail service began because bus routes were eliminated or realigned and bus fares were raised.

Rail backers want you to ignore these facts. Don't be railroaded by the slick literature you're sure to get this fall. The North Bay has much to lose if this measure passes.


30 million autos & trucks cross the Richmond San Rafael bridge every year making trips into Marin County. The train will have no impact on this traffic pattern. In-fill housing will add about 50,000 units along the trains length....think about the number of car trips that this will add. SMART is a developers' dream. Clapper rail habitat will be permanently lost if the train is allowed to cross the Gallinas Creek wetland.

Trains usually require a 3/4% tax, not a 1/2% tax as SMART is proposing. Trains in general are good ideas, however, this train is trying to cram itself into an infrastructure that will be severely effected in a stressful manner. The negatives far outweigh the positives on the train. Alternative fueled mass transit busing is the way to go in Marin and Sonoma.

Marin County Bicycle Coalition's Publicity Stunt Patrol

Why is the MCBC's China Camp bike patrol ineffective? For starters it does little to address the main problems with bikes in China Camp;

• namely that there is too much bike travel there that's taking a serious toll on trail conditions, especially during rain days,
  
• it does nothing to address the fact of illegal trail riding on off limits narrow trails in the park,
• Is there reportage to China Camp Rangers of jump ramps and worn hillsides?
  
• MCBC does nothing to advocate for increasing fines for illegal bike riding or
  
• for advocating for some type of fee structure for park use. This is particularly disturbing as the main user of China Camp are bikers and right now, they ride FOR FREE.

It seems clear from the above that the MCBC bike patrol is therefore a smokescreen to foster an image of concern for the open space and thereby create in the public mind the impression that mountain biking advocates are actually doing something positive for the trails that they destroy.

Here's some recent photographic evidence of trail destruction at China Camp.















There are numerous spots like these at China Camp.


















The next set of photos reveal an actively used illegal bike trail at China Camp. There are a number of these throughout the State Park.






























If you are disturbed by the continued destruction by bikes of the trail system in China Camp State Park, please call the Marin District manager for the California State Parks, Danita Rodriguez at, 415-898-4362 ex 15

Warning: Mountain Biking Harmful to Male Fertility

Bicycling. Bicycling has been linked to impotence in men and also may affect fertility. Pressure from the bike seat may damage blood vessels and nerves that are responsible for erections. Mountain biking, which involves riding on off-road terrain, exposes the perineum (the region between the scrotum and the anus) to more extreme shocks and vibrations and increases the risk for injuries to the scrotum. One study found that men who mountain bike are far more likely to have scrotal abnormalities, including calcium deposits, cysts, and twisted veins. Men who cycle can reduce such risks by:

• Taking frequent rests while biking
• Wearing padded bike shorts
• Using a padded or specially contoured bike seat that is raised high enough and sits at the proper angle

The rest of the story...



In another Austrian study: Sometimes a man's hobbies can interfere with infertility. According to a small study conducted in Austria, frequent mountain biking may contribute to a man's infertility. The study looked at 55 avid mountain bikers and found that nearly 90 percent had low sperm counts and abnormalities in their scrotums. In contrast only 26 percent of 35 non-bike riders had similar damage. The study, presented in December 2002 at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, suggests that the frequent jolts and vibration associated with riding over rough terrain may be to blame. Infertility problems were most common in frequent bike riders who rode about 60 miles a week.

KPIX-5 San Franciso News Story

KPIX interview with John Parulis

Top Story: MarinIJ July 3, 2008

Trail Blogger Gets Death Threats

Mark Prado's story on the death threats issued here on TrailKillerz

New Death Threats Issued to John Parulis

The District Attorney's office and RCMP are being contacted regarding this recent posting....
This latest from so called Bay Area Anti-Bike Hatred
http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=34063&pagenum=5






ktown-rider
STARTING TO RIDE AGAIN> BLAAA




June 29. comment posted here as well as below on comment tab:
Blogger evilbiker said...

John, we know who you are. We know where you live. We are coming to get you.

BOO!!

Don't stand next to any windows.

BWAAHAHAHAHA!!!!

June 29, 2008


THIS SITE FROM MASSACHUSETTS WAS TAKEN DOWN BECAUSE OF THREATS TO ITS CREATOR
Wheeled-Locusts.org
This web site was taken down because of treats to its creator from illegal bikers. The site here is stored on the Internet Archive from April 5, 2004

Michael More, Repeat Criminal

(I've been involved in numerous issues to preserve Open Space and environmentally sensitive areas from developers. I've returned to this blog because of the serious nature of the trail destruction that continues in our open spaces)


Michael More is an unrepentant criminal. He destroys fragile ecosystems in the belief that these areas need more extreme downhill biking lanes. This is the second time he's been arrested for illegal trail building and if given the chance, he'll do it again. I would submit the heads of access4bikes, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, IMBA, Patrick Seidler and Jim Jacobsen to lie detector tests with the question "do you support the illegal trail building of Michael More and have you sent monies to him to help him pay the costs of the huge fines his illegal actions have merited?"

Increased patrols and fourfold increases in fines are just a few measures needed to address these types of crimes. Here's a sample of the kind of support postings Michael More is getting from the illegal mountain bike community:

"Such a shame! Here we have someone who puts their time and effort into making our parks a better place, and he gets arrested?

We constantly hear that money isn't available for parks, and yet someone volunteers their time and gives to our community, and look what we do.

We should laud this person's efforts, not arrest him."

from Topix.com


CBS-5 Video of Michael More

I invite Marin Municipal Water Department personnel, China Camp ranger staff and Marin County Open Space staff to look through this blog and read some of the malicious, hateful comments I've attracted by voicing strong concern for protecting our valuable and fragile open space environment. I have been on the receiving end of numerous death threats. Because of my citizen's arrest of an illegal biker who broke into my vehicle a couple of years ago near a San Pedro Mountain Open Space trail, vigilante bikers have published my address on their blogs with invitations to their warped friends to do something about me. These idiots don't realize how their comments and actions further alienate them from sensible trail policy and sensible citizens. They are in fact cowards who talk tough on the internet, but who have always backed down from personal confrontations with me on the illegal trails.

Here's a letter I sent to the MarinIJ regarding Michael's recent arrest. Get tough Open Space managers. This illegal mountain bike faction will never go away until you deal with them with the severity they so rightly deserve.





Promises Promises

I was not surprised to see illegal mountain bike trail builder, Michael More in trouble with the law again. Last year I went to the China Camp ranger office to report illegal off trail riding in the park, when I noticed Michael was there, at a meeting for park trail maintenance personnel. This was one of the conditions for his parole resulting from his indictment in 2001 for illegal trail building in the GGNRA on endangered species habitat. I told the ranger on duty that having Michael working in China Camp was like having the fox guarding the hen house. How true this turned out to be. The problem with this offense is that it is extensive, deeply embedded in the culture of mountain bike riding and tacitly approved of by the local bike advocacy groups. MCBC president, Jim Jacobsen is a friend of Michael’s. People on the mountain bike blogs, applaud this type of illegal activity and look upon Michael as a hero. Shame on Judge Heubach for the inappropriate light sentence for a determined repeat offender. More promised not to do it again. Sure.