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Old 06-24-2021, 07:32 PM   #14
thinkxingu
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We dealt with this in my town last summer—out-of-towners destroyed two of our parks and made news. Town council was limited in what it could do because federal funds were used to secure and construct the land, structures, etc. and doing so requires that the spaces be open to the public.

It's a very hard line to walk: I use parks in nearby towns, myself, so I wouldn't want those going away, which is ultimately what happens down that road. Also, we run into adding staff to collect money and enforce rules, both of which create potential for confrontation—my town's police department had to call in reinforcements a few times.

The solution is for people to stop being jerks, but that takes education and a sense of greater purpose—models for that in politics, big business, social figures, etc. are rare and, frankly, I'm not confident the family system can overcome the social system any more.

I will say as a hiker, however, that the attitude hasn't *totally* invaded the woods. While there are people who will play Bluetooth speakers and talk on the phone, etc. it's still rare and the average person on the trail is still on board with the traditional culture.

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