Just a FYI for those of you on the trail passing through NYS. A month ago I was prevented, by Bridge Authority Employees, from walking across the Bear Mountain Bridge due to the orange alert here in NYS. I hear that they now are going to be searching everyone’s backs before they let you cross.(from article published in the TRAILWALKER). There was a police cruiser posted on the east side of the river. Heads up!
Donnabeth Stewart
…In the National Government’s furthering efforts to keep our country safe (and doing thus by forcing us to give up an increasing amount of our liberties and free time for searches), President Shrub has decided that it is in “Amaracaz” best interest to strip search those radical rogue wicken AT hikers at major road crossings, bridges, and dams where they are most likely to come into contact with good god-fearing oil-loving war-mongering Texans in their enormous SUV’s. These radicals should be considered stinky and dangerous. It is the National Government’s opinion that they are hording large quantities of chemical and biological weapons known as “stink bombs” for use against the good god-fearing oil-loving war-mongering public in their enormous SUV’s.
Ok, so you’ve just been hired to search through thruhikers’ backpacks. You’ve just gotten your first customer…Cough…cough… What do you think the turnover is for that job? THey’ve gotta go through five a week!
Yes officer, that is a tuna can. Yes, officer, I cook my food on that. Yes, officer, those are my dirty socks… I wore them for 17 days straight. Yes, officer, it is warm outside. No officer, I haven’t had a shower yet this state…
-Howie
Hungry Howie
During my thru in “01” I crossed the Bear Mt. Bridge as a SOBO on Sept.26th. All cars driving across were being stopped by police. I started across when someone yelled to me; “Stop and don’t go any further”. An officer came over and asked, where I was going and what I was carrying. I told him that I was hiking the AT and had all my gear inside my pack. I told him he could look if he wanted. He declined and let me pass. Part way over the bridge several guys that I thought were painters were over the side. I asked what they were doing and they said “we are looking for explosives.”
When I completed my crossing, I realized the state the country was in because of 9-11.
Grampie
I had the great misfortune to cross Bear Mt. Bridge SOBO on September 12, 2001 (the day after). The bridge was shut down to all vehicular traffic. I was told by the nice national guardsman (with rifle and walkie-talkie) that I would be allowed to cross. I was to “haul ass to the other side” however, if I so much as scratched myself, snipers we tracking me and would turn my head into so much “pink mist”. Needless to say, you CAN actually sprint across that bridge with a 70lb pack if so motivated. I would much rather have just had my pack searched. I can understand their motivation, but the whole experience was a bit of a “bowel loosener”.
Double Stuff
It is easy to see that Hungry Howie has never been in the military and little or no respect for our country. That is the way the free loaders are. I have read some of the things he has said and they seem to be worth taking heed to, but now I realize that it was only garbage.
No trail name
Being critical of the government is as American as Apple Pie, Mr. Too Scared to have a Name.
Blue Jay
I would hope that by your neo-mccarthyist post, what you mean by “…country” is that I have little to no respect for our current political representatives nor for the descisions they’ve made in our name. If this is what you mean to imply, you are certainly correct. And as a free, voting, tax-paying, United States citizen, it is my incontestable right to express this opinion.
To infer that I have no respect for my country is completely out of line. As far as I know, you have no idea who I am, nor do you know anything more about me than what you have seen displayed on this website. Do not be so quick to dismiss and deal out judgement on what you do not know.
And as far as my advice goes, deciding to dismiss viable advice because of a difference in unrelated political opinion is childish at best.
Exressing your opinion is welcome, but I do not appreciate your unjustified reproachment. Please do not attack my integrity without cause in the future.
-Hungry Howie
Hungry Howie
It’s interesting that people are will to talk about other hikers/ people posting on this site but won’t post their own name. I agree with bluejay on this issue. A democracy is built upon everyone having their own view point and being able to express it. If we don’t allow other views then we lose our independence and gain a totalitarian dictatorship. Gee isn’t that why we went to war in Iraq?
Check you own views before you put down some one else.
H H did have an entertianing point. I recently would like search thru-hikers back packs all day. Especially mine since I like to pack those dirty socks on the top.
Darth Pacman
attaboy Howie…Hey dude how many times do you have to hike it, before"you know it all".
chef
That’s it, you guys are booted off this site! :happy
Hehehe, man those were the days :cheers
Sweeper