Private property is everything but private

How wonderful it is to be back in Arizona, and wow, how things have changed, or not. Here we are in the wild, wild West, where there really are no acknowledged boundaries. This can be supported by the fact that private property is everything but private.

Many of the off‑roaders here in the far North Valley consider it their God‑given right to drive wherever they want to, regardless of signs that indicate private property.

These are the people that come upon a fence or a gate and make the decision to vandalize that property in order to continue their odyssey through the desert and residential areas. When confronted, they are sure to support their quest with fallacious statements such as, “I’ve been driving through here for ten years,” or questions like, “Who closed this gate?” and “Who did you talk to at the county?”

Of course if you are not around to challenge these criminals, they will simply take the cowardly route of tearing your property apart and continuing on their ever‑so‑manly quests.

Hey tough guys, instead of cursing me out, load your beer in your coolers, your Rhinos on a trailer (go buy one), and go out to state land specifically put aside for this activity.

Oh, and by the way, if you are on property that has a “for sale” sign on it, it’s probably not state land! That goes out to the dumbest trespasser response I’ve heard.

At this point, I don’t expect these people to get any smarter or more polite. I’m an avid four‑wheeler with numerous off‑road toys.

I choose to be a responsible citizen and not infringe on others’ rights, it’s really not that hard.

To those of you that choose to ignore the simple boundaries of others, beware!  I am one law‑abiding citizen that will challenge you at every opportunity, and my digital camera has worked well in helping the sheriff’s department locate your type.

Hank Cordaro
New River