A Sick, Screwed-up World
It makes me sick to see how screwed up our world is, and the letter in last month's issue by "No name given" is proof of just how screwed up it really is. To those who want state legislative regulations on modified vehicles: There are so many more causes worth the time and effort of fighting than one that seeks to impede on our freedoms and rights. No name given is way off on all of his points, and it is anybody's guess what his motivation is.
Rocker and hunter Ted Nugent once said when asked how to fight antihunters, "Wear camo, hold doors, be courteous, and create a good image."
We as off-roaders must also do the same: Tread lightly, clean up after ourselves, and keep a clean rep, and we will beat foes of off-roading like this one in Texas.
Thanks to everyone at OFF-ROAD. I look forward to every issue. And thanks for fighting the good fight. See ya out there!
Chad Lovevia e-mail
One Anonymous Message Deserves Another
Wow! What an idiot. This is the kind of person who really makes me angry. Let me guess: He is a white-collar, liberal cubicle worker who drives either a Prius or a Taurus (boring, in other words). You were quite right in responding about how the people who build off-road rigs are usually very skilled drivers. I personally have very rarely seen these trucks and Jeeps wrecked on the side of the road. Instead, I usually see dorks like this crashed on the side of the road in their four-door sedans on the way to work in their suits and ties. Unlike No name, we off-roaders don't spend our days trying to pass pointless new laws. We actually get out and do things that are enjoyable, like building our trucks (the right way) or going wheelin' (where we are still allowed to do so). Yes, there are those who break the law and build their rigs unsafe, but they are very few.
Anonymousvia e-mail
Response From New Mexico
This letter is in response to the man from Abilene, Texas. I live one state over in New Mexico, and it is a very rural and poor state compared to most. Not a lot of people are too familiar with this great state of mine, but I do know that it is highly regarded by the off-road community as there are numerous off-highway events held here each year. Many people living here cannot afford a new truck, nor can they afford expensive custom modifications. Personally, I like the older trucks better. I do not want to be forced to pay to have modifications done to my truck and then have to take it over to some fancy office building so some bureaucrat can charge me an arm and a leg to inspect my vehicle. Some of these magazine staff members may have engineering backgrounds, but it doesn't take an engineer to understand what is safe and what is not - it takes common sense and a little bit of automotive homework.
I like the fact that the monster tires that I bought and put on my truck myself stick out past the fenders - I want to throw mud! That is one of a million rights that I will fight to protect. This is a free country. I believe I have every right to safely modify or upgrade my truck as I see fit. If such a law was passed, I would rather pay a ticket fee than be forced by some government bureaucracy to pay a large amount of money so an engineer, who may not have ever changed his own oil, to look over my vehicle and tell me it is not up to his "standards." It's my truck.
Daniel VaughanSan Antonio, New Mexico
Editor's Note: If you have anything you'd like to say to us or ask us, please feel free to write to: OFF-ROAD Magazine, Off-Road Mail, 2400 E. Katella Ave., Ste. 700, Anaheim, CA 92806. You can e-mail us at kevin.blumer@primedia.com.