Excessive graffiti by thru hiker Chopsticks. How to report him & get him off trail?

[Slacks]

Lone Wolf lives right on the AT and has tons of posts on WB WIAPilot. Don't you realize that means everything he says is right and if you agree you are stupid?

The pilot is right, this is accepted because we accept it

[WIAPilot]

graffitti in shelters ain't a big deal

You might have to wait until Monday when the ATC staff has recovered from the holiday/storm time off. Then threaten them that you will write your Senator and Congressman because the issue is important to you, send them email after email to remind them. If they don't respond within two days then start a petition.

Or you could sit on your ass and do nothing like WM & LW. Both were against Parkside receiving this honor in the first place. Thankfully, others disagreed and let their voices be heard.

[Coffee Rules!]

Here are the pics I received from Nick&Bruce.


1.jpeg2.jpeg3.jpeg4.jpeg5.jpeg6.jpeg7.jpeg

[rocketsocks]

It would appear that chopsticks is a blue blazer.hehehe

[Iceaxe]

There is "tagging" a register, which we all do.
There is even "tagging" certain things along the trail, where 300 people before us have tagged. (Monarch Pass, CDT)
There are certain places we are invited to tag by a host. (the door of Shorrt supply in Hood River, Oregon.)
Isn't it obvious where it is inappropriate to tag?
Apparently not.

[Coffee Rules!]

Or it IS apparent and certain idiots choose not to care.

[rocketsocks]

I gotta believe that surely someone on trail has said to him, hey dude what the hell!, maybe not?

[Bronk]

The law enforcement perspective is going to look like this:

(1) Is there anyone who saw him do it that can make a report in person to the police in the locale where it happened? Most law enforcement agencies won't take an official report over the phone because they have no way of knowing who you are and what you are saying is true. Given the transient nature of hikers, this one is going to be a huge hurdle.
(2) Is the owner of the property willing to sign a complaint?
(3) Assuming you have 1 and 2, this is going to be a very minor charge, and even if a ticket could be issued, or even as much as a warrant for destruction of property, given the minor nature of it they will be unwilling to extradite any further then probably the next county...if the guy never comes back to the area and comes in contact with law enforcement, he will never answer for it anyway.
(4) This is small potatoes...cops have better things to do...file this under "the guy's an idiot but he's gone and there's not much we can do about it now." Given 1, 2 and 3, the chances of it going anywhere are pretty slim and its really not worth the effort. And keep in mind that any local authority you report it to is going to view this as one petty isolated incident because it only happened once in their jurisdiction.

This is an issue better solved with peer pressure, as in a verbal confrontation around a campfire about how stupid this is...unless he wants to alienate himself from other hikers he'll probably see the reason of it and knock it off. The bubble he's hiking in probably doesn't even know he's doing this because he's leaving a trail of grafitti behind them.

Might also consider the possibility that if nobody saw him do it, then maybe it isn't him doing it.

[Coffee Rules!]

All excellent points, Bronk.

[rocketsocks]

A mystery, It was Mr. chopsticks with the marker in the out house.

He who writes these words of wit, rolls his balls a little bit.

[Iceaxe]

The bubble he's hiking in probably doesn't even know he's doing this because he's leaving a trail of grafitti behind them.

Might also consider the possibility that if nobody saw him do it, then maybe it isn't him doing it.

Very good points Bronk.

[rocketsocks]

+! Bronk, a verbal lashing may be all that is needed here, embarrassment is a great motivator.

[Coffee Rules!]

Might also consider the possibility that if nobody saw him do it, then maybe it isn't him doing it.

This makes me think of a great story from my Marine Corps days. My squadron was out on a boat (those big gray taxis provided by the Navy), and we had a Cobra pilot who was being messed with by a couple of other pilots who changed his call sign on the ready room board from some macho name to "Fluffy." Had he just seen it and laughed, it would've been over and done, and his original call sign put back in its place. Instead, he went ballistic and made a huge deal of it. Next thing you know it was all over the squadron, and very shortly after that, all over the boat. Before you knew it, there were both signs and graffiti appearing everywhere, with everything from "Fluffy sleeps here" (creatively posted on the ship's Captain's stateroom as well as Fluffy's own stateroom) to "Fluffy *****s here" in just about every head on the boat. Even got so bad that some creative folks on the flight deck painted "Fluffy lands here" on said flight deck while he was out on a flight. The more he complained, the deeper it got, until eventually that became his call sign.

[Nick&Bruce]

Sorry I don't have any pictures of the natural spots. Those blue blazes that are tagged are usually along the AT at water or shelter junctions.

I also heard from a friend that he tagged a rock at the Audie Murphy memorial but a friend that got there before me chucked the rock off the side of the mountain when he saw it.

[AndyB]

"Mouse" was the tagger in 95..I forget how far he made it. I think his sharpie ran out before harpers ferry..I don't remember who it was in 96 but there was one then too...must happen a lot like LW says. I'd guess these guys all fit the same profile. I can't figure out how they have time to right on so much stuff and still make miles...........

[fiddlehead]

I remember the "Mouse" signatures everywhere in '95 too. Bugged the hikers more than anyone I guess.
Local cops aren't gonna waste their time. Park service guys might. report to them if anyone.


So, this "Chopsticks" guy seems to always use a Sharpie.
Here's an idea: Get a look-a-like Sharpie with invisible ink. (or one of those whiteboard markers that can be rubbed off easily)
The dude can deface all the public property he wants, his ego will be up there on the pedestal he desperately needs and no one but him will ever know.

[Hairbear]

great ive spent alot of time getting ready for my 2013 attempt and your telling me ive got tons of unburried crap ,litter,and train graffiti to look forward to.man people are so freakin stupid.

[Velvet Gooch]

At least he's not girdling trees

[OzJacko]

Any chance that ATC can refuse to acknowledge his hike if they become aware of it?

Unfortunately graffiti is a problem everywhere. Peer pressure and ridicule are the best weapons.

[rocketsocks]

Any chance that ATC can refuse to acknowledge his hike if they become aware of it?

Unfortunately graffiti is a problem everywhere. Peer pressure and ridicule are the best weapons.

ooooh that's good, and might could work.And would that really be a motivator for someone who doesn't care about LNT.