understood! Let me ask you this, do you ride with the mindset that the idea is bad and you are looking for discrepancies in the signage or are you riding the trail like normally and finding that these sign caused you some inconvenience or other mishap. Have you personally missed a corner? Are people riding to fast to miss a corner? Still at a loss how lack of sign can trump an ability to adjust to new conditions? No signs means we die?
This post may be a bit lengthy, and for that I apologize. Those reading may wish to get an extra beverage and popcorn in advance!
Lenny, when I first heard about the changes coming, I thought it was a bad idea. My wife was even more apprehensive. Nonetheless, I wasn't going to let it stop me from riding and that I would give it a fair shake. So no, I didn't approach the season with the mindset that it was a bad idea. As far as discrepancies, I honestly didn't think about them or that there might be some. And just to back up a little, when I speak of discrepancies I'm specifically referring to discrepancies between different trail systems. Within a particular system things seem to be as consistent as can be expected.
I have not personally missed a corner because of any of the changes. I'm not going to say I've never missed a corner, but it has been a long time and not very often. I'm also not boasting of my riding abilities. It has more to do with how I ride -- like I've said before, I'm not a speed guy and when I'm riding with my wife (which has been most of my riding for the past 3 or 4 years), I'm even less so. Are other people riding too fast to miss corners? Well yeah, it happens. It's still happening with the changes. I've had a couple guys come around corners or curves on my side of the trail. And all my riding is done during the week when there's less traffic, so I can only imagine that such incidents would be more numerous on the weekends. Personally, the signs I pay the most attention to (other than stop signs) are the curve signs -- more to warn me of what might be coming through that curve or turn than anything else.
5 years ago the big problem was over signage,,,, do you remember all the complaints and controversy? 3 signs in a corner, arrows for slight bends. Honestly, all you are missing now that were useful are the slight corners, bridge, although the bridges do have reflectors on them and you can see them coming up.
I honestly don't remember a problem with oversignage, nor do I remember the complaints and controversy. I'm not saying it didn't exist, I'm just saying I don't remember it so I can't offer any comment on that.
Do you agree that a slower speed at times will allow better decisions and prevent bad things from happening. This may not be what many call the ideal approach but it does require more from those who operate a sled and that is something good for the operator. Take the responsibility seriously and protect yourself with your own actions. No more passing the buck and blaming other.
I couldn't agree with this more. What I disagree with is how it is accomplished, or if it even can be accomplished. If it can, I don't believe it's with signs, either taking some down or putting more up, and I don't think it will have much effect on the riders it really needs to affect. I think the change has to come from within the rider. It's all about common sense, respect for your fellow riders, being honest about knowing your riding abilities, and riding within them. Let's look at it this way (and I'm not looking to spark a gun control debate, I'm simply using it as an analogy). In Michigan, those of us with a CPL know that schools are off-limits with regards to concealed carry. Nonetheless, many in Michigan and other states (maybe most or all, I don't know) have signs saying "Gun-free school zone". Has that stopped some nuts from disobeying them? No. So are they really effective? Similarly....if somebody is riding a snowmobile with a selfish mentality that he's a great rider, always in control, don't need no stinking signs to tell him how to ride, rides with little to no regard for others on the trail, loves blowing the snow out of curves and corners, and salivates at the opportunity to tear up that fresh ribbon you just laid down, do you think a sign -- or lack of sign -- is really going to change his behavior? Obviously many do. Call me a pessimist, but I don't.
More than anything, the biggest problems I have with the change is not that they took some signs down. I'm in agreement with most of them (with the exception of "bridge ahead" signs in certain cases) and in fact, I think there are others that could come down as well (is a "wet area" sign really of benefit or affect anybody's safety?) What I take issue with is how it was conceived and implemented, and what appears to be a "one size fits all" mentality.
As I've stated in other posts, I believe MSA should have solicited ideas and opinions from its membership on how to accomplish the goal of slowing riders down. As far as I know, it didn't. Yes, I know they formed a Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup, but it appears that this group was formed largely of MSA officials and already had a notion of what it wanted to do and did not consider other options.
Secondly, don't believe that every 90* turn or every bridge should be treated equal with regards to signage. A curve or turn in an open area where visibility is good is nowhere near the same thing as a curve or turn in heavily wooded (especially if coniferous) areas. Similary, a bridge on a rail grade or other straightaway can usually be seen from a fair distance; not so when that bridge appears just on the other side of a turn or curve (and yes, it happens; maybe not often but it does happen). I believe that each should be evaluated (and signed or not signed accordingly) on a case-by-case basis. Problem is, I know it would be considerably more labor-intensive and likely more costly.
Last, in order to minimalize the impact I feel the best way to implement a major change (and I do consider this a major change) would have been to implement it over the course of several season. As I stated before, the speed problem did not pop up in one season; why the need to try and cure it in one?
Not that this really means anything, but.....several people have noted that there are more positive comments about the change than negative. While that may be true here on JD, I know of another site that has far more negative comments than positive. How many of those are based on actual riding experience, I can't say. I'm just saying it's still a divided issue.
The doom and gloom I thought would happen so far does not appear to have materialized. I don't mind being wrong about that, although I don't know that we can come to a firm conclusion based on one season. The change has not really affected my riding or riding enjoyment. I'm happy about that, too. But if nothing else, it has sparked some interesting debate and dialogue!
