The U.S. Marines this past weekend set up roadblocks on a popular San Diego County trail to deliver a message to mountain bikers that trespassing will not be tolerated on military property.
On Saturday and Sunday, Marines issued 50 tickets and confiscated 45 mountain bikes within the eastern boundary of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in the Scripps Ranch area.
The encounters were somewhat intimidating, as the Marines wore flight suits and toted weapons.
Some warning signs in Sycamore Canyon are prominent. Photo: San Diego Mountain Biking Association
“At first I thought they were looking for someone or that it was a police raid,” mountain biker Damian Hiley told the San Diego Union Tribune. “I was blown away when they told us we had stepped into the eastern boundary of the base.”
Hiley and five friends had begun their ride on the West Sycamore Canyon trail in Scripps Ranch. The ride ended abruptly, though, after they rounded a bend and were stopped by a Marine.
Mountain bikers are ticketed and their bikes are confiscated. Photo: Gilberto Ra
The bikes — many of which are priced at $5,000 or more — were placed with others that had been confiscated.
Lt. Matthew Gregory told the Union-Tribune that trespassing has become a serious issue and that efforts have been stepped up to warn bikers and hikers about off-limits zones.
Because of frequent weapons activities, trespassers face “potentially life-threatening danger,” Gregory said.
Marines confiscating mountain bikes. Photo: Gilberto Ra
Gregory told the San Diego Reader: “I feel like we’ve done our due diligence. We’ve let people know, we put signs out there, and we’ve had patrols warning people to stay off our base. It’s a security issue for us, and a safety issue for them.”
The Marines claim that warning signs are placed prominently and strategically, but Hiley said his group did not see any signs.
“What’s really upsetting for us is that there are really no signs,” the Chula Vista resident said. “As first-time riders on that trail, we had no idea we were on [base].”
However, the San Diego Mountain Biking Association this week has posted a statement to Facebook informing bikers that “there are NO LEGAL TRAILS in Sycamore canyon,” which some bikers are accessing via Mission Trails Regional Park.
“Sycamore Canyon is not part of Mission Trails,” the SDMBA added. (SDMBA President Kevin Loomis speaks about the weekend incident in the video posted above.)
The SDMBA has for years tried to persuade the Marines to open Sycamore Canyon for riding and other recreation, to no avail.
Mountain biker rides in the Sycamore Canon area. Photo: Jose Galaz
Now they’re working with local government representatives in the hope of opening an alternative trail system through the area’s wilderness, beyond base property.
Meanwhile, those who have been ticketed and had their bikes confiscated have been told they will get their bikes back after they settle their tickets. That process could take up to 45 days.
Hiley said he and his group were forced to hike two miles back to their vehicles, wearing cycling shoes. He described to GrindTV that the trek was like a “the walk of shame.”
Read more at http://www.grindtv.com/bike/u-s-marines-crack-down-on-trespassers-confiscate-45-mountain-bikes/#UgrxM7OipUzGoe5f.99
If the trail is part of their base, it should be inside of a fence. This sounds a bit too much like Marines doing police work, when they shouldn’t be operating inside the US at all.
Some bikers claimed they saw no signs at all, so it’s doubtful that it was even clearly marked.
I can’t believe my tax dollars are paying for trained killers to take mountain bikes.
Unfkng believable. Well I sure hope they’re riding those mthrfkers!
Without a seat!
Those bicyclists were obviously terrorists. They were a clear threat to our national security. By confiscating the bikes and sending the riders packing, our brave U.S. Marines put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms. Hopefully they’ll smash the bikes before returning them. Scary times, but at least for a moment, the U.S. Marines have the upper hand.
That was just a test.
Next time they’ll have white turbans with 50 cals welded onto the bike frame.
Mountain bike terrorists.
Be afraid… be very afraid.
Now go into the fetal position and crap your drawers.
No one mentioned the signs are in SPANISH now not just English, you do not put up giant English/Spanish signs unless you are getting a whole lot of NON-AMERICANS.
As for the trails… Sounds like bikers got used to just using the trails and the marines never bothered to seal them off thus stopping it in the first place. As someone else said: just put up fences.
This is just one of the ways that “our” Marines defend our freedoms.
For what purpose do we even need the Marines and other infantry anymore? In the exceedingly unlikely event that a foreign military attacks US territory, it won’t be a ground attack. The attackers will use ICBMs, ships, and/or air power. We’ll retaliate in the same manner, most likely leading to a nuclear exchange. Where do ground troops fit into any of this?
The chief purpose of the Marines and other US infantry forces today is to invade and occupy other countries. They also serve as a backup to domestic police and will be called into action in the event of a citizen uprising. In other words, they’re a standing army that endangers our freedom. This army should be permanently disbanded.
“The bikes — many of which are priced at $5,000 or more — were placed with others that had been confiscated.”
Confiscated???
Let’s call a spade a spade… BLATANT THEFT!!!
With robots and drones. I would be very concerned about my future in the military.
You only need a small force to repair the robots.
I could easily design a robot police force to enforce policy.
So these flesh bots need to know their future.
Better get on board with us.
Cause once war goes into full techno robot.
They’ll only need the military people to basically repair and maintain them.
Plus maybe body bag what a bot missed when it malfunctioned.
Other… then that…. welcome to our fkng world.
Yeah… life with no purpose… because a machine can replace you.
Especially when all you have to do is program it to kill.
I wonder if any medals will be given out? LOL!
So if I was hiking, would they have stole my shoes???
No , they probably would interrogate you as to where your bike is and after you constantly tell them you didnt bring one, they will try to beat it out of you
When they get their bikes back they should up to the Groom Lake area in Nevada.
There’s plenty of beautiful wide open desert land there for mountain biking.
I’m sure they won’t run into trouble from the government out there 😉
Just some humor for Friday afternoon.
Yeah, let’s not even mention the fact that it is a Military base used for Military training.
Anybody ever hear of UXO, let them dumbass bikers find out what that means the hard way.
Wouldn’t it make sense for the bikers to know where they are riding and research any restricted areas to avoid these type of incidences. They make GPS devices now, so the average idiot can find their way. A $5000 bicycle but yet they are stupid enough to ride onto restricted Federal property.
I say let them ride through a live fire range, their friends will get the message during their, closed casket, funeral.