Thoughts on MAR 2004

[cmondieyoung]

Another reason why Curtis' "West is Best" comment is right-on... Drinkin' and wheelin', sorry to say, goes hand in hand.

Nothing's better than burning down some BLM land with sunroofs open (and happily rattling), John Denver on the box, an American Spirit on your lips, and a Corona clinkin' around in the cupholder.

After all, if we were responsible people, we wouldn't spend a lot of money to consume copious amounts of irreplaceable natural resources whilst ultimately destroying land in the name of recreation.

 

[Eric N.]

Posted by cmondieyoung "Drinkin' and wheelin', sorry to say, goes hand in hand."

I hope that you are kidding.....

 

[Roverlady]

Cmon-it's a social event, people drink. Some people drink and drive, but shouldn't. Most people just drank while sitting around the fire and enjoying the company of others. I don't think "drinking and wheelin' go hand in hand" though.
OH-don't start getting all environmental on me when you TOO drive a gas guzzling SUV. There is a fine line between sport and responsibility and I think most people here do practice Tread Lightly.

As always with D-web....whatever I say will be wrong. I remember now why I stayed away for so long.

I'll be getting back to work now, thanks.

PS Don't knock American Spirits.

 

[cmondieyoung]

I'm not sure what I'm saying, actually. I probably shouldn't have gotten involved in this thread to begin with..

Only that I understood Curtis' remark, in my own way, and agree with it in the sense that I wouldn't attend an organized event because of the weird social dynamic of "responsibility" and "appropriateness" that seems to prevail. People like to decide who's doing what they're supposed to be doing, and who isn't. F that.

When I wheel, I have a goddamn cooler full of beer, because that's awesome. Responsibility is in the eye of the beholder, I think -- but these events seem to subsume that into some sort of 4 Wheeling doctrine.

I digress, though. I wasn't there, so I don't really know what I'm talking about.

 

[cmondieyoung]

Cmon-it's a social event, people drink. Some people drink and drive, but shouldn't. Most people just drank while sitting around the fire and enjoying the company of others. I don't think "drinking and wheelin' go hand in hand" though.
OH-don't start getting all environmental on me when you TOO drive a gas guzzling SUV. There is a fine line between sport and responsibility and I think most people here do practice Tread Lightly.

As always with D-web....whatever I say will be wrong. I remember now why I stayed away for so long.

I'll be getting back to work now, thanks.

PS Don't knock American Spirits.

I think you took me too seriously!

I just don't see why guzzling gas is any less responsible than having a couple beers on the road, on a case-by-case basis.

As for American Spirits, I wasn't knocking them at all. I've been a pack-a-dayer for, jesus f'ing christ, like 7 years now.

 

[RoverChic]

Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse ( I think were on the same wave length here.. I always take DWeb Cum grano salis... with a GRAIN OF SALT..

 

[syoung]

Some people wheel in groups and events and prefer it- some people like to wheel more low-key. Some people would never consider something like MAR, but some people don't wheel except for at MAR.
Unfortunately, it seems that most people have to bitch about the other people who have a different preference. If people didn't want to bitch, this (and other) internet forums would be really really empty.

 

[cmondieyoung]

Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse.. I always take DWeb Cum grano salis...

Bigus f'in dickus. This here's America, toots, we speak in English.

Steve, you've got a point there about the forums being empty if no one bitched.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to encourage discussion about those aforementioned preferences, though.

Anyway, I gotta go teach some snotnosed brats about King Tut.

 

[AndyThoma]

I have always wondered why we don't hear these same stories about the national land rover rally held out here in moab? I mean the stories about drinking and wheeling, 400 people on the same trail, the need to defend the events out come. I have been reading these MAR reports for 4 years now, which all seem to be the same (save last year the gwagons and guns, quite entertaining) and never read anything about the moab rally. Sorry I haven't been to either, MAR is far away, and timing has been a issue for the moab rally. Is it a size related issue? Is it a newbie issue? Maybe the west is best? You easterners ...

Curtis -- Maybe next year we can make our own MAR-tribute rally in Moab, I'll bring the beer!

 

[p m]

Andy, check out Easter Jeep Safari. That seems to be about the same size event as MAR, with the same "built-in features."

 

[Gumarcel]

Bigus f'in dickus. This here's America, toots, we speak in English.

Steve, you've got a point there about the forums being empty if no one bitched.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to encourage discussion about those aforementioned preferences, though.

Anyway, I gotta go teach some snotnosed brats about King Tut.

The Rover Chic--I agree, at least you should type in english, or if you don't at least put a translation.

young--Also, do you just hate kids and teaching them?

 

[Roverlady]

Cmondieyoung-
I may have misconstrued some of your comments, as inflection and tone aren't exactly translated well via internet. However, I don't condone drinking while wheeling any more than drinking and riding down the interstate. I did, however, smoke two packs of American Spirits while we were there!

I don't think being wreckless while driving is the same as driving a vehicle that was designed to waste gas....in a country that will not allow us to import anything that doesn't.

I'm not really sure why the talk of MAR here always gets out of hand. Maybe you WESTERNERS are jealous because you can't come? I don't think it matters where the hell you are from. It's a fun event...if you have something CONSTRUCTIVE to contribute, then go ahead. Otherwise, read on. I've been out West and I love the land....and I love the East too.....why do we have to get picked on for having a good weekend?!

Kyle made a good point; he seems to pipe in when it's necessary and ask good questions about an event he chose not to attend. I haven't heard anyone else that was THERE say that it was a drunk-fest on wheels...so let's get back to the good discussions.

 

[AndyThoma]

Andy, check out Easter Jeep Safari. That seems to be about the same size event as MAR, with the same "built-in features."

I have been to that one, you right about the "built in features". What's interesting every year I live here in Utah the opposition to the event gets bigger. Last year they downsized the event and still had groups pissed off as they ran lower helldorado, which was closed at the time. Only real reason it continues is it brings lots of $ to Moab city.

 

[Kyle]

Die young ? Why arent you dead yet ? Please follow through or change your user name.... Sus , the talk about the event is good.. You see that there was magically a gun ban after that last nice thread we had.... Its not picking on you and then again it is. You have been here this long , I am sure your skin is thick enough to handle a little of that...
Steve Young is right and very wrong. As Peter mentions there are many many events each year all acrost the country that not even one peep is said about. Many trips are run with the same end.. When something is funky it smells and people get wind of it and say something. Steve seems to have this same tactic about everything. He figures that if he reduces its validity somehow then everyone else will see it that same way. Steve , you are the MAR wheeler you mention and thereofre you will defend it to the end , you rolled your "truck" for christs sake at the MAR , you have to defend it dont you ????????


Kyle

 

[curtis]

Well, I can see where my comments might be misconstrued. I am sure there were lots of people who went, had fun, and were responsible on the trail. However, year after year we hear the same things about MAR: People too drunk, flipping vehicles, underage gals too drunk & hanging out with adult male Dwebbers, the need for armed marshals. Hell, even Randy (who was so quick to say he was glad I was not there) then goes on to talk about how RUDE and impolite people were. This sounds like a tremendous amount of fun. Here in Utah we have an even worse abomination: EJS ? Easter Jeep Safari. Think of it is a MAR X 1000. I harp on it even more so don?t think I am being discriminatory against the East coast.

The reason I despise these events? Quite simple: 95% of the ?shock? video, photos, or stories in our little four wheeling world stem from huge events like this. People don?t stop to think what kind of impression they are leaving about us with the general public. Like Kyle alluded to, a great way to get your local trails shut down is to show that your group is not responsible enough to use it. Not all events are like this. Some are quite fun with great camaraderie and good wheeling. But it seems that there is a point where events get too big and start to get uncontrollable. MAR is definitely at that point and has been for at least a few years.

Sus ? thanks for the polite invite, but I would rather host you and your husband out West

Melissa ? I thought your rig was hauled off to the dump? Now there is an assumption for you. Ooops ? that?s right. I was just basing that on what you said. I guess with you all one can do is assume?

 

[curtis]

Andy, check out Easter Jeep Safari. That seems to be about the same size event as MAR, with the same "built-in features."

Peter - point well taken, but EJL pulls in 20,000 rigs or something absurd like that.

 

[LRover]

The last thing the organizers of the MAR want is people to have an unhappy or unsafe experience at the Rally. The event is supposed to bring fellow Rover owners together in family atmosphere and the trails are provided so folks that wish to do so can have a ?taste? of the local terrain. We stress responsible wheeling and ROAV is a member of Tread Lightly. We had Bill Burke at the rally giving numerous tech sessions on safety and off-road diving including trail rides that he led. We in no way condone drinking and driving but when you have over 1000 people at the largest LR event in North America the odds are that one or two may go over-board and we do our best to prevent that kind of behavior. We hope that those that attended had a good time despite the wet conditions here on the East coast and hope that ya?all will come back next year.

 

[p m]

Peter - point well taken, but EJL pulls in 20,000 rigs or something absurd like that.

holy shit, Curtis, I didn't know it was _that_ bad

 

[Kyle]

And just like last year Mikes post here shows you that its read by the people that need to be reading it. You do want to hear the good AND the bad impressions about the event , right Mike ?

Kyle

 

[AndyThoma]

...

I may have I'm not really sure why the talk of MAR here always gets out of hand. Maybe you WESTERNERS are jealous because you can't come? I don't think it matters where the hell you are from. It's a fun event...if you have something CONSTRUCTIVE to contribute, then go ahead. Otherwise, read on. I've been out West and I love the land....and I love the East too.....why do we have to get picked on for having a good weekend?! ...

Actually being an ex-eastern, born and raised, I feel I can give an opinion on what I have read here for the last 4 years. I'll drive for a good cause, hell I drove 8K miles to Alaska from SLC just because I thought it would be fun. I am not attacking the event, what ever someone wants to do, do it. But most of the negative comments stem from MAR attendees. Reread this thread from the start, the drunk truck rolling, the overcrowded trails, even thought your all at an enthustist event no ones waving. I am trying to be constructive, I want to understand why I should drive to next years event. But after reading these posts from various years, the attendees seem to say it was great, except for ... The Moab Jeep Safari is quite the spectical, you learn not to go to moab when it's in town because of all the baggage that comes with it. All I can tell is MAR has that baggage too. Talk to me about singing around the camp fire, or the stories about helping fellow drivers (like the ones in this thread), sharing beer with strangers after wheeling. Like Kyle said, its about impressions of the event from what people say about it in public forums. That can leave a longer lasting impact than the ruts that were dug into those fields by 400 rovers.