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View Full Version : Shuttles and Taxis a necessary evil?



grysmn
01-31-2008, 23:13
Origionlly the Appalachian Trail was routed through towns, making resupply easy. There were people who thought that the AT should be routed away from towns to induce a wilderness experiance. Many of these same people belong to oaganizations such as ALDA (American Long Distance Hiking Association), ALDA members help each other out by providing shuttles for it's members.
The same people who routed the AT away from towns destest buisness operating at trailheads,This is an easy position to take when you belong to organizations which provides shuttle services for it's members.
Generaly Shuttle operators are sometimes allowed to descretly post thier services at trail heads. Taxi's are never allowed to do this. It can be argued that a list of Taxis along the AT would benifit Hikers. One of the comments that I hear from Women hikers is that they have never hitch hiked before and ask for pointers. Are the people who reroute The AT out of towns and then discourage shuttles and/or Taxis elitists who want the trail kept to themselves?

Ron Haven
01-31-2008, 23:59
Origionlly the Appalachian Trail was routed through towns, making resupply easy. There were people who thought that the AT should be routed away from towns to induce a wilderness experiance. Many of these same people belong to oaganizations such as ALDA (American Long Distance Hiking Association), ALDA members help each other out by providing shuttles for it's members.
The same people who routed the AT away from towns destest buisness operating at trailheads,This is an easy position to take when you belong to organizations which provides shuttle services for it's members.
Generaly Shuttle operators are sometimes allowed to descretly post thier services at trail heads. Taxi's are never allowed to do this. It can be argued that a list of Taxis along the AT would benifit Hikers. One of the comments that I hear from Women hikers is that they have never hitch hiked before and ask for pointers. Are the people who reroute The AT out of towns and then discourage shuttles and/or Taxis elitists who want the trail kept to themselves?Grysmn,I list on my trail services site many taxi services,I know many trail clubs list them to.Most taxi's have no earthly idea where the trail is or at what trailhead you are at.There are 25% of the hikers call for a ride are not really sure where they are.

Most all shuttlers I know have trail knowledge or experience with all the area.Taxi's are usually more expensive.As a shuttler in my area and experience of 35 years in these mountains.There is many times I have walked the trails hunting the hikers lost or disoriented for no extra charge and many times free.You should imagine what that would cost with a taxi and the meter running doing something like this.

When the roads are slick or snowy I use a 4 wheel drive to rescue hikers.No offence toward taxi's but we have one here who has an orgasimn when a hiker calls.I give hikers year around a free ride to and from 3 trail heads to Franklin.This cab I'm speaking of charges $20 from Franklin to Winding Stair Gap only 7 miles away.

Many trail crossings are on old rough forest service road that are not even passable to taxi cars anyway.Please don't think I am being sacastic in any way but if you check it out in most situations shuttlers are your best bet by a long shot.

Frosty
02-01-2008, 00:17
Generaly Shuttle operators are sometimes allowed to descretly post thier services at trail heads. Taxi's are never allowed to do this.The ATC shuttle list has many taxis in it. I suspect that it contains all those who asked to be included. I don't know about posting notices at trailheads, and why taxis would be singled out.



Generaly Shuttle operators are sometimes allowed to descretly post thier services at trail heads. Taxi's are never allowed to do this. It can be argued that a list of Taxis along the AT would benifit Hikers. I'd be interested in hearing your argument on this subject. The only time I used a taxi was at Front Royal, and it was pretty expensive, a lot more per mile than any shuttler ever charged me.

rafe
02-01-2008, 01:03
Are the people who reroute The AT out of towns and then discourage shuttles and/or Taxis elitists who want the trail kept to themselves?

Is this the official Troll Day on Whiteblaze, or what?

Appalachian Tater
02-01-2008, 01:46
Many of the times the A.T. goes through a town it is because that is where the bridge over the river is.

And $20 for 7 miles in a taxi is about the going rate. It's $2.50 to $3.50 to get in depending on the time of day and then $0.40 every 0.20 miles or each minute depending upon how fast you're going.

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 01:54
ron? do you ever stop searving us?sit down and let us searve you! i matthewski declaire next hiking season,...year to give ron haven peanut m&m's! i want the lobby of the budget inn filled with bags of candy. i want him to break an axel delivering our donated candy to some charity. have we ever realy appreciated ron and his wife enough? imagine when his kids are grown up and shutteling us?! they'll say," my dad is ron haven" and a hush will come over the back of the van!

mweinstone
02-01-2008, 01:58
you do see the orbs protecting him dont you? of course you do.those are my minner orbs. from room 23 at the doyal. they travel with me. protecting my friends.

bfitz
02-01-2008, 02:39
Hitchhiking is like an AT tradition.

Blue Jay
02-01-2008, 08:52
Are the people who reroute The AT out of towns and then discourage shuttles and/or Taxis elitists who want the trail kept to themselves?

What difference could this possibly make? What's done is done and it's not going back to the way it was. If you don't like it, don't hike it.

Lone Wolf
02-01-2008, 08:58
Origionlly the Appalachian Trail was routed through towns, making resupply easy. There were people who thought that the AT should be routed away from towns to induce a wilderness experiance. Many of these same people belong to oaganizations such as ALDA (American Long Distance Hiking Association), ALDA members help each other out by providing shuttles for it's members.
The same people who routed the AT away from towns destest buisness operating at trailheads,This is an easy position to take when you belong to organizations which provides shuttle services for it's members.
Generaly Shuttle operators are sometimes allowed to descretly post thier services at trail heads. Taxi's are never allowed to do this. It can be argued that a list of Taxis along the AT would benifit Hikers. One of the comments that I hear from Women hikers is that they have never hitch hiked before and ask for pointers. Are the people who reroute The AT out of towns and then discourage shuttles and/or Taxis elitists who want the trail kept to themselves?
The US forest service has gotten most of the AT off roads. I've never heard of the American Long Distance Hiking Association :-? hitching is fun and easy.

Ron Haven
02-01-2008, 10:09
ron? do you ever stop searving us?sit down and let us searve you! i matthewski declaire next hiking season,...year to give ron haven peanut m&m's! i want the lobby of the budget inn filled with bags of candy. i want him to break an axel delivering our donated candy to some charity. have we ever realy appreciated ron and his wife enough? imagine when his kids are grown up and shutteling us?! they'll say," my dad is ron haven" and a hush will come over the back of the van!Matty,that picture looks like I drunk all the beer and I was sober :D Come south this year and I'll eat the M&Ms.

CaseyB
02-01-2008, 10:11
Is this the official Troll Day on Whiteblaze, or what?
Yes


Many of the times the A.T. goes through a town it is because that is where the bridge over the river is.

And $20 for 7 miles in a taxi is about the going rate. It's $2.50 to $3.50 to get in depending on the time of day and then $0.40 every 0.20 miles or each minute depending upon how fast you're going.
Also, a lot of small towns can't support a taxi service. For the ones that can, I would imagine that the trail is pretty far out of thier way.

you do see the orbs protecting him dont you? of course you do.those are my minner orbs. from room 23 at the doyal. they travel with me. protecting my friends.
He's back!

Blissful
02-01-2008, 10:14
I've not heard of people discouraging shuttles or taxis...but maybe it's a thread I skipped. You take what you take to get your business done off trail so you can get back on (walk, hitch, shuttle or otherwise. I never took a taxi).