Snowmobiles

[grampster]

A bunch of snowmobilers have cut themselves a nice oval on the lake and are racing their machines.  I think I'll go out and spud me a hole in the lake down in front and see how much ice we have.  I'm betting less than 4 inches.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

its all good so long as you keep moving  break down or stall out   its a good thing they are fairly waterproof

[Tallpine]

My observation is that snowmobiles have some sort of force field that repels all common sense 

I know that the steering is totally unreliable.  I have seen them leave a perfectly good trail and go straight up the side of a mountain until they get stuck or start an avalanche. 

[charby]

My observation is that snowmobiles have some sort of force field that repels all common sense 

I know that the steering is totally unreliable.  I have seen them leave a perfectly good trail and go straight up the side of a mountain until they get stuck or start an avalanche. 

Or pull out onto 65 mph traffic.

[French G.]

When I was in the northland, a dude made the paper for his 7th DUI. Stopped because he got his snowmobile stuck on the side of a 4 lane highway near a pretty big town. Cop stopped to help and smelled what turned out to be four times the legal limit. Predictably, the offender did not have a driver's license, so this was how he was getting to his watering holes.

a forcefield that repels all common sense. I like that, one of the most succinct and accurate descriptions I've heard.

P.S. I want a snowmobile. 

[Boomhauer]

a forcefield that repels all common sense. I like that, one of the most succinct and accurate descriptions I've heard.

The four-wheelers down here must have the same forcefield, too.

"Hold my beer and watch this!" is a mandatory statement before climbing onto one.

[Stand_watie]

Or pull out onto 65 mph traffic.

Or hit a parked car at 100 mph.

Yeah, snowmobile + on the road + booze + snowy January night is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

[Stand_watie]

When I was in the northland, a dude made the paper for his 7th DUI. Stopped because he got his snowmobile stuck on the side of a 4 lane highway near a pretty big town. Cop stopped to help and smelled what turned out to be four times the legal limit. Predictably, the offender did not have a driver's license, so this was how he was getting to his watering holes.

a forcefield that repels all common sense. I like that, one of the most succinct and accurate descriptions I've heard.

P.S. I want a snowmobile. 

      Actually in west Michigan they used to have booze run snowmobile trails that went from watering hole to watering hole. Don't know if they do anymore. D.N.R. has started patrolling via snowmobile and writing D.U.I.'s

[drewtam]

On private property or public roads?

Can such laws be authoritative on private property?

[Sergeant Bob]

      Actually in west Michigan they used to have booze run snowmobile trails that went from watering hole to watering hole. Don't know if they do anymore. D.N.R. has started patrolling via snowmobile and writing D.U.I.'s

I think that was pretty common all over Michigan. We had them in SE MI, central (Gaylord, Grayling, Houghton Lake) and even the Yoopers (whooda thunkit?) had booze runs (not that I ever rode them ).

[Standing Wolf]

I never had a snowmobile when I lived in the upper peninsula. I was too cheap to pay for a gadget I could use only nine months of the year.

[charby]

On private property or public roads?

Can such laws be authoritative on private property?

In Iowa you can be charged for DUI on Private Property.

i.e. You own a large tract of land, you drink a bottle of Jack Daniels and decide that it would be fun to go off roading on your own property. Law enforcement sees you driving irratic and checks it our, officer Friday notices booze on your breath, administers beathalizer, you blow over .08 and you are arrested for DUI.

[Sergeant Bob]

I never had a snowmobile when I lived in the upper peninsula. I was too cheap to pay for a gadget I could use only nine months of the year.

That's pretty funny! The other three months a year were just bad ice skating.

[stevelyn]

My observation is that snowmobiles have some sort of force field that repels all common sense 

I know that the steering is totally unreliable.  I have seen them leave a perfectly good trail and go straight up the side of a mountain until they get stuck or start an avalanche.  

It's called highmarking.

In Iowa you can be charged for DUI on Private Property.

Same in Alaska.

I've dinged a lot of sno-go DUIs on roads, private property, public trails and on the Yukon River ice.

[Tallpine]

Steve, notice I didn't say "snow machines" so I wasn't (necessarily) including Alaskans in my comment 

Besides, why risk your life on a snow-go/machine/mobile when you can land a SuperCub on 10 feet of relatively smooth ice on a glacier? 

[Sergeant Bob]

I think any police department which enters private property to issue a summons for behavior which occurs only on said property, should be sued, with the offenders being held personally liable.

No, I don't include murder in that.

[Tallpine]

I scraped a car in a parking lot, and the police said don't bother us about it.

I left a note and let my insurance take care of it.

[zahc]

There's probably not much money in parking lot car-scrapes.

[stevelyn]

Steve, notice I didn't say "snow machines" so I wasn't (necessarily) including Alaskans in my comment 

Besides, why risk your life on a snow-go/machine/mobile when you can land a SuperCub on 10 feet of relatively smooth ice on a glacier? 

One, because it's fun (you should check out Arctic Man one of these days). Two, because I ......... uhhhhh haven't quite mastered landing a SuperCub on anything. 

I think any police department which enters private property to issue a summons for behavior which occurs only on said property, should be sued, with the offenders being held personally liable.

Such arrests are rare and only occur when police are summoned onto the property by the property owner and most time there are other issues involved. No one that I know of would arbitrarily enter onto private property just to make a case load. You have to have a legal and legitimate reason for being there.

[Stand_watie]

On private property or public roads?

Can such laws be authoritative on private property?

As of 1993 the Michigan law was "property open to the public".

[coppertales]

A Yooper drinking and riding a snow machine?  You are funnin' me aren
't you.....................When I lived in the UP, 1968-91, the trails between bars were groomed to make it easier to race to the next bar.......chris3

[grampster]

Well the motorcycle ice racers found the track and were having fun all day yesterday.  Did I mention that the track is cut about 100' offshore from Smuggler's Cove, the local lake watering hole?

[Sergeant Bob]

We used to do a lot of ice racing in our cars, got pretty proficient at driving on slick surfaces that way. One time, after the yearly ice fishing and snowmobile festival, we even had a big Jay's Potato Chip step van out there racing with us. There's not many things you can do in a car that are more fun than driving 70 mph across a lake and grabbing a handful of parking brake.  I sure loved driving on the lakes.

[MicroBalrog]

Wait wait. Snowmobiles don't require a driver's license?

[Regolith]

Wait wait. Snowmobiles don't require a driver's license?

Driver's licenses (and also vehicle registration) are only required if you want to operate a vehicle on public roads.