To my friends who own ATVs

There's something fascinating about an engine and big tires, the idea of speed, the noise. It's like human catnip. My friends who ATV swear it's the most fun they've had with their clothes on.

Some of us have the motor gene, and some of us don't. I guess I was passed over. I've been out on snowmobiles and found them exhilarating, deafening and smelly. I've been on motor scooters and found them stimulating, noisy and disconcertingly tippy. I've permanently wrecked my knee on a motorcycle. I've seen young children, mere tots, drive ATVs while standing, much like a rider posting in the stirrups of a horse, ripping along at stunning speeds, having the time of their lives...and I've been terrified for them. Nope, the motor gene has passed me by.

When I think about ATVs, I worry that someone young will zoom unexpectedly in front of me on an ATV I don't clearly see because it lacks bright running lights. I'm afraid an ATV'er is going to be driving on the road at a slower speed than permitted, causing an irritating delay, or be driving on the shoulder raising dust that clouds my vision, or suddenly be popping up out of a ditch in a way that startles me and makes me jerk into the oncoming lane, or be zipping in front of a summer tourist who's least expecting it. You can dismiss me as neurotic, but these kinds of things happen all the time. I'd hate to see someone crippled for life or worse.

I think it's important that there are guidelines for ATV use on the roads, just as there is for cars. Perhaps these exist already and I'm just ignorant of them. I think ATVs should be licensed, there should be a driver age limit, helmets should be mandatory like motorcycles, and the driver should have to pass a test. The ATVs should be brightly lit, night or day, for easy visibility. I don't want to have any contact beyond a friendly wave.

And lastly, I live on the North Shore for the tranquil beauty of the Lake, the quiet, and the sweet smell of the woods. I think you should have your fun on some prescribed system of trails or roads, at certain times during the day, and not just have free rein to disturb my enjoyment of nature. Common courtesy is a dying trait -- no one seems to have it any more -- so courtesy and safety need to be legally outlined. Just as you would not appreciate my revving my chainsaw outside your bedroom window at the crack of dawn, so I would not appreciate having you roar down my road while I'm savoring my morning coffee. Just as you'd be irritated if I set up my easel, my umbrella, my paint box, and my radio in the middle of your ATV trail, so too would I not be pleased to have you rocket past me as I leisurely walk my old dogs (never mind the old people) down my road.

Surely with the size of Cook County there is some way to find a middle ground. I think you have every right to enjoy your ATV, but I have some rights as well, so we need to figure out where the boundaries are and work together for a reasonable solution. We need to find some way to compromise so you can enjoy yourself, and I can maintain peace and quiet in my environment. And we both need to ensure safety on the roadways.

Pam Dorris
Cascade Beach Road
Lutsen