Threats on the trail....
Forget the southern thing, does anyone have stories of violence or antagonistic behavior towards hikers by locals or townies? How hiker-unfriendly can a town be?
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred. And hatred leads to the dark side.
another pointless threadOriginally Posted by longshank
neo
The most unfriendly town I ran into was Port Clinton; nearly every business seemed to want us gone. I gather that is not everyone's experience there; maybe it was a bad day?
That was the only real problem spot I ran into in 2004. Oops, that is in towns, shelters near roads were another matter, especially the Governor Clement Shelter in Vermont. A woman stayed there alone a couple nights before and found herself in the middle of drunks in pickups driving around the shelter and throwing bottles. I looked at the tire tracks and kept right on going.
i did not like port clinton either,i waited and waited to get served at the portclinton hotel resturant,finally i left hungry without being served so i ate at another place
portclinton sucks
Not a useless thread at all, neo. I've heard stories of and experienced firsthand unfriendly towns on the trail. It would be helpfull to know in advance if there are problem areas.
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred. And hatred leads to the dark side.
There is a guy in The Fontana area called "The Diddler", he bother me and some other male hikers in 2000. I reported him to the TVA police and turns out he is a registered sex offender in NC. He is on their website and has done time for sex crimes.
Also beware of Drunken Cherokees.
If you conduct yourself in public the way you have on this BBS, you are sure to encounter problems just about anywhere.
You live in NYC ... Use the same common sense on the AT as one hopes you would at home and you'll be fine. Of course, there will always be drunken losers looking to start crap with anyone and everyone, but it's little different than the LES at 2 am on a Saturday. The biggest difference is that on the AT, chances are, you'll find yourself alone more often than not, without the relative safety of taxi cabs, all night restaurants, and police patrolling the area. Minimize your risks by being respectful and keeping a low profile.
you left to walk the appalachian trail
you can feel your heart as smooth as a snail
the mountains your darlings
but better to love than have something to scale
-Girlyman, "Hold It All At Bay"
The 'diddler'!! Are you serious? What exactly did he do, and why didn't you stomp his guts out?
Throwing pearls to swine.
I actually think that this thread is much, much better than the southern thing because it's not singling out the south unfairly based on prejudice. Still a pretty negative thread and not all sunny-happy, but not entirely without merit.
Personally, never felt threatened on the trail by people.
Don't take anything I say seriously... I certainly don't.
Thank you for the sage wisdom, but I wasn't asking for advice on how I should or should not behave.
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred. And hatred leads to the dark side.
Showoman, your advice is helpful but still full codescension, it appeared to be a blow aimed at longshanks who has not acted any worse than others that have attacked him. Its a step in the right direction, and definitly better than the name calling that has been going on
Throwing pearls to swine.
I finfd the Port Clinton Reference Strange. The only business that I know of that is hostel to hikers is the bed and breakfast. Several years ago a thru hiker stiffed them. The PortClinton hotel depends on the thru hikers, the Peanut shop is owned by a former thru hiker, and the 3 C's Diner go out of their way. I don'tknow about the out fitter there.
Grey Owl
A distrustful story:
Once a friend and I hitched into town to get something at a Rite Aid. My friend used a traveler's check and had signed it in front of the check-out girl and the manager comes over and wouldn't let the check be used. It wasn't like Rite Aid would lose money if it was stolen. The manager just didn't trust a scruffy hiker for some reason.
Fortunately, we told the bank next door the story and they let my friend cash the check even though it was already signed.
I think that was in 1994 in Abingdon, VA which should have been used to hikers.
I am just calling it as I see it. From his first days on this BBS, Longshank conducted himself in an inappropriate manner, which resulted in some of his posts being edited or deleted. This is all I am referring to, not the ridiculous back and forth flame war that has ensued.
Now, let's put this all in AT context ... say you are in a town somewhere along the trail that isn't particularly friendly to hikers to begin with. You amble into the local watering hole, stinking and dirty, and some toothless local mutters something about "filthly hiker trash."
Now, if Longshank were to respond the way in which he has responded to others on this BBS when taunted, he might say something like "At least I am not some toothless hillbilly ... why don't you go home and ***** your sister..." That would not be my choice of words to stay out of trouble in unfamiliar surroundings.
The only good way I can think of to handle a situation like that would be to turn around and leave. Yeah, under other circumstances, I might be inclined to stand my ground, have my drink,and ignore their taunts ... but not when I am alone, on foot, in a town I am unfamiliar with.
you left to walk the appalachian trail
you can feel your heart as smooth as a snail
the mountains your darlings
but better to love than have something to scale
-Girlyman, "Hold It All At Bay"
I've had the feeling that when some people see a 'scruffy' hiker they assume that your homeless. Many people that live near the trail still have no idea what it is, or they are at best suspicious of who would be on it
Throwing pearls to swine.
I agree with most of what your saying. In regards to longshanks, though, I feel your not 100% fair. Yes, he has responded harshly to offenses (as have I), but you can't punch someone in the face, then point your finger when he hits you back. Your disapproval would be much more efficiently aimed at the original offenders.
Anyway, yes, by wisely guiding our own actions we might avoid most dangerous situations.
Throwing pearls to swine.
the bed and breafast was were i ate
this is not a thread about your unsolicited opinions on my behavior. Please start a new thread if that is what you wish to discuss. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred. And hatred leads to the dark side.
trolls anoy me
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