Nose Hill Park - Fools

Give Our Opponents Equal Time
And They Will Make Fools of Themselves

Some of the arguments as to why cyclists should be banned from Nose Hill Park:

You can't golf in Riley Park so you shouldn't be able to ride in Nose Hill.

This argument suggests that it is okay to take not allow people to do things in a Park if it is in the public interest. Golfing in Riley Park (and all other Parks) is banned due to the obvious hazard caused by flying golf balls. They also ban archery and the discharge of hand guns for a similar reason.

Cycling in Nose Hill Park does not present a safety hazard to others and in fact has a very low level of user conflict. The above statement, made by the Calgary Field Naturalists, implies that only behaviours approved by them are acceptable. Activities not favored by naturalists will not tolerated, in spite of the fact that it may just be someone else's way of appreciating nature.

If it's good enough for dogs then its good enough for cyclists.

One person has stated that cyclist will be subject to exactly the same restrictions that dog walkers face. It is true that trail restrictions are placed on both dogs and cyclists unless they are within the disturbed area on the top of the hill. However, there is a significant difference as to how cyclists and dogs are treated on the escarpment. Cyclists are banished to only 18 'segments' while 882 remain for dogs as long as their owners are on a leash. In other words this person is saying that, dogs and dog walkers having almost full access to any trail on the hill as long as the dog is on a leash is equivalent to banning cyclists from all but 18 trail segments.

It would be great if cyclists were treated like dogs but we obviously fall into a lower class.

Walkers being 87% of the users have a right to sole use of most of the trails.

This little exercise in logic and sensitivity suggests that people should be categorized by visible traits and then limited in their access to the Park in strict ratio to their numbers. In other words, each user group should be given a set of trails based on their numbers. Runners make up 10% of the Park users; they get 100 trails. Cyclists make up 13% of the Park users; they get 130 trails. But lets not be literal here lets give cyclists only 18 trails and allow walkers to use the cyclists trails too. And oh yea, it would only be fair to charge cyclists a $150 fine if they get caught on a hikers trail.

Why do people will go to such ridiculous lengths to push us out of the Park?

The answer is that there is a very small contingent of intolerant people that believe that Nose Hill Park belongs to them. They feel that they have the god given right to use it and, given that they have preserved their right to walk anywhere, anytime, abuse it. They feel that they can dictate the way that all other taxpayers experience the Park. Apparently, City Hall agrees with them.

 
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