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Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 6th 03, 07:08 PM
Skinord
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

In Fairbanks the state troopers have decided to pursue rollerskiers. A
little over a week ago one rollerskier was ticketed after an off duty
trooper passed him and his pole swung out to the side. There were two
of them rollerskiing and the citation was obstructing traffic.
Unfortunately the off duty trooper was the Capt. of the local
detachment. Fortunately one of the rollerskiers is a lawyer. The
following day three troopers stopped the UAF ski team during a
workout. The students were ordered to take off their rollerskis.
Apparently there is an law that states: "No person may operate a
unicycle, coaster, roller skates or a similar device on the roadway."
The troopers are interpreting rollerskis to be a "similar device". The
troopers say that the two incidents are not related. The summer before
last the coach of a summer training group was spoken to by the
troopers after a complaint and was told the rollerskiers should be
sure to ski single file, but nothing about it being illegal.

Here's a link to a newspaper article describing the incidents:

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,...676677,00.html

This is a setback for the UAF ski team and other skiers such as the
high school ski team members.

Is rollerskiing illegal anywhere else and actually enforced, other
than obvious places such as freeways? Anyone else had to fight this
battle?
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  #2  
Old October 7th 03, 03:58 AM
Eric W. Chandler
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

I was rollerskiing in a mall parking lot in San Diego near Xmas one year. A
rent-a-cop came out and told me, "You can't do that here." I said, "Do what?"
and he said, "That." He'd probably never seen snow before. Luckily, I was
leaving anyway.

I thought it was funny.

It's too bad that the cops see it that way. I used to live up there and have a
hard time believing that most people would be upset at it. I used to battle
with the Security Police at the Air Force Academy when my cycling team (road;
about 30 guys) used to ride around the base. They had it out for us and there
wasn't much you could do but do your ride and grin and bear the harassment.
Luckily we were bikes and it was harder to eliminate us from the road. Not so
easily said about rollerskiing.
Eric "Shmo" Chandler
Duluth, MN

  #4  
Old October 7th 03, 10:18 PM
J999w
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

We used to have all kinds of trouble here in Wisconsin. Some guys used to carry
a copy of the law in their pocket in case they were pulled over. I don't think
it's been much of a problem in the last 5 years as long as you behave yourself
and ski single file, and stay out of the way.

The only time I had trouble was while almost cresting a steep climb, probably a
half dozen pushes from the top, I hear BEEP BEEP BEEP behind. I mutter a few
curse words to myself as I struggle over the top (who's going to pass on a
blind up hill anyway???) .... WHIRRRRR WHOOP WHOOOP !!!

Yup, officer friendly couldn't pass on the blind uphill and got mad. Beet red,
spittin', and a big 'ol vein popping out of the side of his neck, he gives us
the lecture "what the heck do we think we're doing out here in HIS county on
HIS roads so early on a sunday morning blocking traffic ???!!". (yeah, all
these soy farmers are having a hard time getting to their fields at 8am
sunday).

He give his lecture, we played 'yes sir' and all continued on their way. No
tickets involved.

John Wilke
Milwaukee

  #6  
Old October 8th 03, 12:05 AM
Gary Jacobson
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

Here is the progressive and nordic ski friendly state of New York, roller
skiers are (probably) afforded all the rights enjoyed by bicycles.
The caveat is that the law discusses in line skaters as having the same
broad rights to the road as bicyclists, but roller skiing is not mentioned
as an entity. I think that an arguement that roller skis are in line skates
probably would hold up in court.

In New York State motor vehicles have no greater legal rights to the road
than human powered wheeled travelers. In fact motor vehicle users are
specifically warned to pass non motorized wheeled users safely.

The courtesy I am given by drivers while I roller ski and bicycle has been
remarkable of late. Seems that if there is any choice anMV user could make
about a situation involving me on roller skis or cycling, the drivers have
yielded or given my a wide berth with courtesy. Can't figure it out, and I'm
not complaining.

Regarding the police: Rosendale used to be a major biathlon center. As
biathlon involves fire arms, and it just so happens that a guy who is now a
local law officer was on the brink of making the National Biathlon team many
years back, it seems that the police have a keen interest in not harassing
us. I get nods and supportive comments every once in a while by the guys in
blue.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY


  #7  
Old October 8th 03, 12:59 AM
revyakin
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

the concept of "rollerskates and similar devices" is widely used in
state parks here in NJ and Long Island, NY. So before I rollerski in a
state park I go to the headqauters and check with their policies. I
usually take "the similar device" with me, and I load them with b.s.
about me being the only XCskier around (Pete Minde and John Hart would
kick my butt for that) and remember to smile - and in 50% of cases
that say OK.

As for the roads, I usually ski in residential areas (like Oyster Bay,
LI) and remember to smile at every cop driving by, and at very
resident walking his/her dog (Ken Robert's advice), and to switch to
double poling every time I pass somebody or get passed by a car - and
so far everything was fine. Apparently, locals by now think of me as a
unique intersting feature of their neirborhood.
  #8  
Old October 11th 03, 12:32 AM
Karhu Germina
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

(revyakin) wrote in message . com...
BTW looks like there's not much going on in Fairbanks if inicidents
like that get published in local papers.


On the one hand, skiing is pretty huge in Fairbanks, so it's an issue
that a lot of people have interest in.

But on the other, you're completely right. Fairbanks is the deadest
town I've ever lived in. I mean, come on, they've got eight months of
winter; you'd think that four guys would be bored enough and have
enough time to start a band. But no …

I personally found the News-Miner article interesting because of who
Mowry interviewed and what they said. John Estle saying, "People have
been rollerskiing in Fairbanks for more than 20 years without a
problem," is a little off base. I distinctly recall having the cops
stop a workout on Murphy Dome Road in 1994. An important thing to
remember is that the best places to rollerski up there are on hilly,
newly paved roads, which, coincidentally, are on the outskirts of town
and sparsely populated. However, the population generally tends to be
crazy redneck back-to-basics types who don't want strange
athletic-types rolling by their tarpaper and log cabins. (Ironically,
despite their Luddite lifestyles, they all drive jacked-up Toyota King
Cabs and Ford F-150s.)

The cop who said it's a little stupid to put university athletes on
vehicles with no brakes and send them out on hilly asphalt does have a
pretty valid point though. I've spent thousands of hours on
rollerskis, 99 percent of the time without gloves or a helmet, and in
retrospect it's unbelievably amazing I never caved my dome in (though
I do have some great road rash scars). How V2/Pro-Ski/et al. can sell
these things without stock, reliable braking systems is beyond my
grasp, as is how they haven't been sued out of existence by one
litigious ******* who broke his wrist after hitting a patch of gravel.

Finally, my best, but not only, story about dealing with the irate
motorists while on rollerskis: Cruising around Lester River Road in
Duluth when a lady in a station wagon pulls over and starts yelling at
us. She says, "My children just got their licenses and aren't the best
drivers yet. You could get killed out here." Of course, the obvious
yet wiseass reply to her argument was to say, "If your kids aren't
smart enough to drive at the speed limit and pass people safely, maybe
they shouldn't be driving." Predictably, Officer Friendly was waiting
for us at the parking lot when we got to our cars …

Karhu Germina
  #9  
Old October 11th 03, 02:32 AM
Mitch Collinsworth
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003, Karhu Germina (or whoever this really is) wrote:

How V2/Pro-Ski/et al. can sell
these things without stock, reliable braking systems is beyond my
grasp, as is how they haven't been sued out of existence by one
litigious ******* who broke his wrist after hitting a patch of gravel.


Huh. I suppose you have a point, but there is another view on this,
too. Around the time V2 first started offering speed reducers and
those cord-pull brake things (do they still offer those?), I spoke
to Len about them and he specifically recommended NOT getting the
brake. Again this was years ago, but he said it's too easy to pull
the brake cable too hard, stop the wheel, and find yourself flying
forward with the ski no longer beneath you...

-Mitch




  #10  
Old October 11th 03, 08:33 PM
Karhu Germina
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Default Rollerskier in Fairbanks ticketed

Yes--the braking systems I've seen were all way more dangerous than
than helpful. (Besides the pull-cord one, didn't someone market a
brake that was activated by crouching down? Yeah, that's safe … and if
you're classical skiing and get a particularly deep leg compression it
stands to reason everything would come to an abrupt halt.) All I'm
saying is that it seems like it might be in the manufacturer's best
interest to develop something that actually works.

In the meantime, speed reducers on big hills. Or, uh, maybe walking
when you think things might be sketchy.

kgermina

(Mitch Collinsworth) wrote in message mr.cornell.edu...
On Fri, 10 Oct 2003, Karhu Germina (or whoever this really is) wrote:

How V2/Pro-Ski/et al. can sell
these things without stock, reliable braking systems is beyond my
grasp, as is how they haven't been sued out of existence by one
litigious ******* who broke his wrist after hitting a patch of gravel.


Huh. I suppose you have a point, but there is another view on this,
too. Around the time V2 first started offering speed reducers and
those cord-pull brake things (do they still offer those?), I spoke
to Len about them and he specifically recommended NOT getting the
brake. Again this was years ago, but he said it's too easy to pull
the brake cable too hard, stop the wheel, and find yourself flying
forward with the ski no longer beneath you...

-Mitch

 




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