Are the self-pay stations at state/national parks just to scare/intimidate the public?

Jesus Christ, you’ve reached a new level of stupid. I work for a national park, and can assure you that we would much rather staff the ticketing booths year round.Our president and our legislators, however, refuse to budget and allocate funds sufficiently to allow for year-round staffing of these positions.

The $35 some off entrance fee that you pay (or should pay, rather) at the booth gets thrown into a bucket over in D.C. and divided up between hundreds and hundreds of parks, monuments and historical sites. My park might get a few dimes from each entrance fee, as the funds are allocated based on visitation numbers. The overwhelming majority of entrance fee funds will ultimately end up funding salaries of patrol rangers at Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Lady Liberty, etc. to keep uneducated commonfolk like you in line. More importantly, staffing the entrances of our national parks year-round allows visitors up to date information on conditions, hazards, and other potentially dangerous threats that may or may not exist at the time.

Pay your damn fees. $30 to see some of the world’s most amazing natural beauty is a bargain. Keep you and your family at Disney World if you don’t find it worth your money or time, I’ll thank you for it.

I actually always use them because I like my government contributions going to beautiful things like parks instead of welfare. And people like you are ghetto and I know the park is going to need my donation to clean your cigarette butts and Doritos bags out of the park at some point.

Ok here’s the deal.

Don’t be a freeloader.

Pay Uncle Sam!

Truth Bomber wrote:

I actually always use them because I like my government contributions going to beautiful things like parks instead of welfare. And people like you are ghetto and I know the park is going to need my donation to clean your cigarette butts and Doritos bags out of the park at some point.

I smoke alot of cigars and pipes, especially when I'm at parks.

But I don't eat doritos or dognuts.

I am a good roll modle for my runners.

the430miler wrote:

Ok heres the deal.

I believe the self-pay stations at state/national parks exist just to scare/intimidate the public.

Let's face it. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY voluntarily puts money in those things. It's basically the parks that dont want to pay someone to sit in a booth and take your payment, so they write up a threatening sign that says you MUST put cash in the self pay station, or else the boogie man or some legal entity is gonna huntcha down and GITCHA.

-the430miler

mentality > physicality

head track coach and assistant cc coach

A college in San Antonio

You are breaking the law if you don't pay, even if the pay station is unstaffed. If you stop and get a parking pass and put it on your car, you probably won't get caught. However, some of these things have cameras. It can be a sizeable fine if you get caught and most of these places have a law enforcement ranger working 24/7, or at least whenever the gates are open.

I've been to one popular state park where parking was contracted out with a parking meter. You can not pay, but you'll find a nice ticket on your car when you come back. Another one I went to was in a small town and was unfrequented enough that I was the only car in the lot. Geez I wonder if the guy comes and checks the box - sees my car, sees no money - is he gonna be smart enough to put two and two together.

Its not just illegal to not pay, its immoral. These entrance fees go to the state or the national park service to pay all their employees. Even if they don't staff the entrance booth, someone has to maintain the park, clear the trails, deal with trash, clean the restrooms, etc.

Furthermore, since you are a coach, who's real name and employer have been posted, do you really want to be publicly suggesting illegal things are ok? That can cost you your job. What are you going to do when a rival coach or a letsrunner who doesn't like you emails a url to this thread to your employer?

Hmmmmmmmmmm wrote:

Pay your damn fees. $30 to see some of the world’s most amazing natural beauty is a bargain. Keep you and your family at Disney World if you don’t find it worth your money or time, I’ll thank you for it.

I wish more people would go to disney and stay out of my parks. 430 is the kind of moron who sees a sign prohibiting 4 wheelers on trails, but goes well if they really wanted me to follow this law they'd have someone at the trailhead watching.

What I do off the clock and off university grounds is really none of my boss (the athletic directors) business. I have extremely long philosophical motivation speeches to my runners and their parents. They know I'm a good coach.

However, i think my behavior and my athletes behavior outside of the running world is irrelevant. I have my own personal life and my runners have their own personal lives. My morals and their morals are really nobody else's business.

- Coach Dahl aka 430miler

But you are correct that everyone knows exactly where I work at. I'm aware of that. Heres the deal....

If my runners need to go to a fancy park that requires a fee and have no money, I encourage them to still enter the park and get a good workout in.

If my runners (especially the shorter ones) must choose between buying a bottle water or paying a redundant non-monitored fee station, I encourage them to buy the water and still enjoy the park.

the430miler wrote:

Ok heres the deal.

I believe the self-pay stations at state/national parks exist just to scare/intimidate the public.

Let's face it. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY voluntarily puts money in those things. It's basically the parks that dont want to pay someone to sit in a booth and take your payment, so they write up a threatening sign that says you MUST put cash in the self pay station, or else the boogie man or some legal entity is gonna huntcha down and GITCHA.

-the430miler

-fake coach

People with integrity pay. People with true American values pay. People who don't tell lies on the internet pay. Entitled freeloaders don't pay.

I think you mean rich white overprivledged suburban holier than thou protestant Christian's pay the fee.

Minorities dont pay, and I teach my runners to put their SELF and their success above others demands.

the430miler wrote:

I think you mean rich white overprivledged suburban holier than thou protestant Christian's pay the fee.

Minorities dont pay, and I teach my runners to put their SELF and their success above others demands.

librul

Everything is negotiable . even park fees . Yellowstone was a disappointment , and a fair fee would be $12-$15. The Rangers there were lining up for hamburgers , not doing there job.

the430miler wrote:

What I do off the clock and off university grounds is really none of my boss (the athletic directors) business.

- Coach Dahl aka 430miler

You're totally wrong. You should probably have this thread deleted because you're promoting crimes and it seems like it's taking a turn towards racism.

I don't know you well enough to judge your coaching abilities, but you aren't competent enough to use the Internet.

Well I am DAM good coach

And I am confident enuff to use the internet

If you enjoy my material on katsrun, you can also follow me on.....

Facebook- barrett redskin love dahl

Instagram- sexyredskinboy4u

I guess I should have read past page 1 of that thread in July when you announced your new coaching position...

What did you do in Yellowstone? It's an incredible park with some of the most diverse and beautiful outdoors experiences you can find here in the US. Gotta get off the pavement though

Check out the buffalo bill museum in cody wyoming. Very close to Yellowstone, yet more impressive.

The best thing about Yellowstone is that yogi and boobs live there.

the430miler wrote:

What I do off the clock and off university grounds is really none of my boss (the athletic directors) business. I have extremely long philosophical motivation speeches to my runners and their parents. They know I'm a good coach.

However, i think my behavior and my athletes behavior outside of the running world is irrelevant. I have my own personal life and my runners have their own personal lives. My morals and their morals are really nobody else's business.

- Coach Dahl aka 430miler

Maybe you're the best coach in the NCAA, I don't know. What I do know is when you post publicly, what you say isn't private. If you tell your athletes bum'uck state park never has anyone at the gate before 8 am and hey there are some good fire roads in there, that's one thing. When you come on here and suggest that obeying the law is for the gullible and that you should be exempt from any consequences be they from not paying entrance fees or being nude in your yard, that's something else. Its a slippery slope from that guy is such a character with his shenanigans to getting in trouble for something - and because you are a public figure, that trouble could get aired in the press well before you have a chance to consult a lawyer and prepare.

the430miler wrote:

Ok heres the deal.

I believe the self-pay stations at state/national parks exist just to scare/intimidate the public.

Let's face it. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY voluntarily puts money in those things. It's basically the parks that dont want to pay someone to sit in a booth and take your payment, so they write up a threatening sign that says you MUST put cash in the self pay station, or else the boogie man or some legal entity is gonna huntcha down and GITCHA.

-the430miler

mentality > physicality

head track coach and assistant cc coach

A college in San Antonio

A county park that my family and I have camped at from time to time for many years has a self-pay/registration site for overnight campers. We've always paid when we camp. $20 for a nice quiet camping spot with a fire ring is not bad. If you don't want to pay to camp, find a national forest where it's free, but there are no amenities whatsoever.