The Editor,
Why does a skiff of snow invite so many to hop on their ATVs and snowmobiles, and tear around the streets and school yards?
I was enjoying the last snowfall with my daughters by tobogganing down the hill at Montgomery middle school, along with scores of others. We all had to put our guard up, however, as a man began doing doughnuts on the field on an ATV, racing up and down the slope, and around the track.
As he approached us, I glared at him. He stopped in front of me. It wasn't some risk-taking kid but a man in his 40s. I told him to "get out of here with that thing" and he asked me if I was a cop. I told him that this is a school yard and that he should know better, and to go away. He looked at me for a minute, then told me I was going to "die miserable." A bit ironic, I thought, because I had been having fun. He tore around a bit more, then left.
I was prepared to forget this little incident except that once the snow melted, he had left burn-out marks all over the soccer fields. I noticed recently that a school district crew was dispatched to repair the damage he had done - a sports field needs to be smooth or it can cause injury.
Ask yourself this, Mr. ATV: How much tax money do you think it cost to dispatch a crew of school district workers for a couple hours to repair the damage from your "fun"? Perhaps the next time it snows, you can find a way to enjoy it without the machine.
Glenn Ross, Coquitlam
