sdsnocop

[BadgerND]

I have to support Duane here as well. I've ridden very little in SD, but I've enjoyed reading his posts in the past. This has been the only real place that you can get info on the Black Hills. If he decides not to come back, I hope somebody that's local to the area will step up and take his place. Let the court decide who's right.

 

[polarisedge]

I'm not going to argue your opinion. My gripe is that we now have a bunch of low posters and outsiders who have come on here and turned it into a personal bash based on one incident. What you don't know - and probably don't care to know - is that for every incident like this, there are 20, 50 or 100 of Duane going out of his way to help sledders when he didn't have to. I was personally involved in an incident where a friend got lost in the dark on a four stroke, got very stuck and had to leave the sled over night. When we went out the next morning to rescue the sled Duane came out and helped. I don't know why he rode out to help but I appreciated it as did my friend. He has been invaluable on this forum, providing us with snow reports and giving us advice on the law. He very clearly cares about snowmobiling and snowmobilers. He gets paid squat to do his job. He's not perfect. Neither are you. Neither am I. I know enough of him that I'm willing to give him a pass. However, you and those like you have very likely chased him off this forum leaving those like me with a serious loss of information. And for doing that I will always think less of you.

Thats fine... but im wrong i can admit it, he doesnt seem to be able to

 

[BOOT-N-AS]

I am not going to make any comments on the right or wrong about this, I can see both sides of the matter. I have been snowmobiling in the hills since 1978 and have seen many changes in our sport some for the good and some not so. The trail system in the hills is for every ones use to enjoy and see the beauty of the winter including first time riders, familys and the sesoned riders who enjoy speed and off trail riding. the one thing we all need to get out of this is we enjoy the fact that there are no speed limits, we can ride off trail in the national forest and enjoy our sport with out many restriction. so lets let everyone enjoy these privileges , and wait till we get away from traffic to give it hell and cut up some snow. I would hate to see our sport turn into speed limits and trail only riding, and also giving the environmentalest more fuel for there aguments. and by the way I do plan on riding in the hills, bighorns, snowes,the ditchs at home for at lest 10 more years so hope to see you next winter.

 

[polaris dude]

Thats fine... but im wrong i can admit it, he doesnt seem to be able to

Who are you to decide if he is wrong or not?? Do you know the laws and regulations? Another person who doesn't have any authority trying to turn their opinion into facts.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

I have a GoPro also and I can see a vid looking slower on a track where there isn't much going on as far as background but I know that my gopro footage reflects my speed when I'm ripping through tress.

IMO, those two weren't going fast and he was very unjustified. He also looked borderline out of control when he motioned them to pull over. Just sayin.

I was bored and browsing and happened to see this thread, so I commented. It seems that some are bent outta shape because there are two posters in this thread from Colorado. That's bad? But it's ok for flatlanders from SD, ND, MN, NE to jump in the CO section and ask silly questions? Geez, talk about whining.

 

[snowmobiler]

stop them duke boys.LOL.

 

[vdo1948]

I was bored and browsing and happened to see this thread, so I commented. It seems that some are bent outta shape because there are two posters in this thread from Colorado. That's bad? But it's ok for flatlanders from SD, ND, MN, NE to jump in the CO section and ask silly questions? Geez, talk about whining.

I have no problem with you browsing the Dakotas site and adding comments. My problem is that while doing that you jumped on a situation you don't fully know, regarding a person you know nothing about, made assumptions that you treated as gospel, then turned it into a personal attack. If you want to come to the Dakotas forum and talk sleds, trail conditions, riding skills and the like, please do so. Just keep it civil and don't turn it into a bash fest. The statements below from you hardly constitute useful and civil discourse.

"Sounds like Duane is a real douche bucket. And Mr. SNOCOP, NMFH!!!

 

[polarisedge]

Who are you to decide if he is wrong or not?? Do you know the laws and regulations? Another person who doesn't have any authority trying to turn their opinion into facts.

Read post #35... FACT is I saw and heard only one snowmobiler riding wreckless... and it wasnt the first two sleds that came by me

 

[92 coupe]

Read post #35... FACT is I saw and heard only one snowmobiler riding wreckless... and it wasnt the first two sleds that came by me

FACT is you didn't see whatever happened before they came by you. Whatever he saw based off his judgement warranted his actions and only the court can decide if he was in the wrong.

I've never been to the hills or met duane but seems like a stand up guy and a true ambassador of the sport. Id like to get out there based off reading his reviews/updates and will be disappointed if he does not return.

 

[polarisedge]

FACT is you didn't see whatever happened before they came by you. Whatever he saw based off his judgement warranted his actions and only the court can decide if he was in the wrong.

I've never been to the hills or met duane but seems like a stand up guy and a true ambassador of the sport. Id like to get out there based off reading his reviews/updates and will be disappointed if he does not return.

Ill still go snowmobiling in the Black Hills wether snocop returns or not... i could care less one way or the other... no need for him to ride as wreckless as he did just to make a "bust".. like i said before if he would of clipped my son he would of had more problems than tryin to fill his quota

 

[Mafesto]

Any law enforcement officer has a difficult job. Very rarely does the recipient of a citation feel it is justified.
Duane has a job that not many of us would be willing or able to do.
Like any one here, I am sure if he had "do overs", some decisions would be different. However he has to make his judgment calls relatively quickly & live with those decisions.
This is why we have the judicial process, an opportunity for to right what may be deemed a wrong.

I only watched the video until he stopped the riders.
What I saw was typical riding....slowing down when encountering others & limited long range visibility and kicking butt on the straights.
I did not see anything that warranted a citation, and when stopped it appeared that the riders were respectful (couldn't comprehend the dialogue though).

If in fact Duane would have been willing to overturn the ticket, this thread likely killed that opportunity.

I don't think anything is gained by condemning the riders for riding too fast or bad mouthing the man who was doing his job.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Same thing as an umpire blowing a call, IMO.

 

[Rockpicker]

Where is the rest of the footage?

Surely the Go Pro was not turned on just as they passed Duane.

Could it be they were a little out of control as they came upon him and slowed down after passing him?

Footage seems edited to me.

 

[bankshot]

maybe the hills needs to have speed limits, be over 16, AND have a snowmobile safety certificate.......that'd make his job alot easier, and would get rid of alot of bitchin, especially from the colorado idiot......IMO

 

[polaris dude]

why should we have any of those rules? The hills are an excellent place to learn how to ride because of the easy terrain and how well the trails are kept. The problem doesn't come from the young kids or the people going fast on the flats its the "pro racers" who think that winding trails are the place to try and show off how fast they can go. People just have to show some respect to the others using the trails and that goes for all riders especially those who park their darn sleds on the trail or on the edge, but right next to a hard turn. I realize the snow gets pretty deep out in the hills, but I think you can move a few feet from the trail and still not have to worry about getting stuck

 

[Steelman]

Any law enforcement officer has a difficult job. Very rarely does the recipient of a citation feel it is justified.
Duane has a job that not many of us would be willing or able to do.
Like any one here, I am sure if he had "do overs", some decisions would be different. However he has to make his judgment calls relatively quickly & live with those decisions.
This is why we have the judicial process, an opportunity for to right what may be deemed a wrong.

I only watched the video until he stopped the riders.
What I saw was typical riding....slowing down when encountering others & limited long range visibility and kicking butt on the straights.
I did not see anything that warranted a citation, and when stopped it appeared that the riders were respectful (couldn't comprehend the dialogue though).

If in fact Duane would have been willing to overturn the ticket, this thread likely killed that opportunity.

I don't think anything is gained by condemning the riders for riding too fast or bad mouthing the man who was doing his job.

I to have watched the video. Duane was doing what he felt was right. He does a lot of work for the Dakotas section and does not have to. I understand the guys that got caught do not feel it is right, but I'm sure if you would have talked to Duane as men he would have maybe done different. I would not blame him to stick to his guns now. I feel we need to layoff him on this or we will close the post.

 

[X2Freeride]

Nothing in the post has crossed the line yet IMO. I don't see a reason to close this thread.

Each side has expressed their opinion on the matter and has maintained civility. Snowest will take no side in this argument what so ever. This is up to the individuals involved to solve on their own accord. Opinions each way may freely be give as long as they are not of a bashing nature.

There is one comment that comes close to crossing the line from PJ but it doesn't warrant an infraction.

Keep it clean and it will stay open.

 

[JWilliams54]

If I were the two of you I would fight this ticket. Our group last year ended up getting a trespassing charge, and we took it to court and told our side of the story and the judge dropped the charges. Showing up dressed professionally also helped us out, due to the fact that there were people wearing sweatpants. We ended up paying 92$ in court costs and sheriff fees, which was better than the class 2 misdemeanor with a fine and possible jail time. The judge was very understanding after we told our story.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Raff_9001M]

The joys of being a government employee. You get to take the good with the bad.