Not in New Orleans

[Tom Dunlap]

This morning I scouted a nice looking live oak in Audubon Park right behind the New Orleans Zoo for a short rec climb. The tree has long, draping limbs that make LO's so beautiful.

After breakfast Fuzzy and I drove back and pulled our gear out of the Buzzmobile. Fuzzy threw his line a couple of times and then pinched something in his back so I started to throw. Since I'm not that great with a throwline it took several throws. As I was trying to get a stuck line unjammed we heard a loudspeaker from the road saying, "Do not climb the trees!" We looked over and saw a Parks pickup on the road. Fuzzy walked over to try and plead our case...no luck.

But!!! He was told that if we didn't use equipment we could climb...explain that to us???

We packed up and went to another tree...not as good but we didn't have to worry about getting the boot.

 

[easyphloem]

Too bad you got shooed away!


I guess the parks guy was just doing his job, if only he knew the amount of combined tree climbing skill he was dealing with!

Tell Fuzzy to come home!

SZ

 

[Colin]

At least you didn't get mugged!!!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Fuzzy is up ahead of me on I85 somewhere.

 

[jerseygirl]

welcome back home to all that are traveling - where ever home be.


SO how does one ask permissions?

or is it "it is easier to ask for forgiveness then permissions"

is climbing in such public places shunned on?

is that why we plan stealth/ninja or meet me at the corner and wade across the creek to climb a tree?

happy trails

jz

 

[fastlil1]

A bit of a side track, but has anyone ever been punished for climbing a tree recreationally?? I mean plenty of us have been kicked out of trees, but I am talking about fines or something harsh like that. If not, the line "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" kinda rings true on the situation, as noted before.
As for me, we had our company picnic in a forest preserve, had a zip line set up, but got the no go from the athurities. They where quite amazed by how we could get the friction saver out of the tree, but still no climbing allowed. Same situation though, no punishment, just told ta not to.

 

[moss]

[ QUOTE ]
A bit of a side track, but has anyone ever been punished for climbing a tree recreationally?? I mean plenty of us have been kicked out of trees, but I am talking about fines or something harsh like that. If not, the line "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" kinda rings true on the situation, as noted before.
As for me, we had our company picnic in a forest preserve, had a zip line set up, but got the no go from the athurities. They where quite amazed by how we could get the friction saver out of the tree, but still no climbing allowed. Same situation though, no punishment, just told ta not to.

[/ QUOTE ]

In city and town parks and on public land the no climbing rules were originally intendeed to prevent kids from hurting themselves and their parents from suing the town. So for most law enforcement (not talking about national redwood parks) an adult recreational climber is something they've never seen before. I doubt they're going to write you up unless they're having an extremely bad day. "Get out of the tree" is going to be about the worst treatment you're going to get.

I've never been ordered out of a tree but I have moved around the trunk to get out of the line of vision of a friendly officer of the law. My main rule in climbing on public land is "don't be a nuisance". That works well enough for me.
-moss

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I know two people who were told to stop climbing trees in Minneapolis city parks or risk getting a ticket for 'vegetation molestation'

 

[TLHamel]

If someone tells me to get out of a "public" tree, I'm telling them to %@&# off! Go ahead and call the cops. I am not aware of any law that prohibits citizens from climbing trees on public property. Gosh darnit!

 

[moss]

[ QUOTE ]
If someone tells me to get out of a "public" tree, I'm telling them to %@&# off! Go ahead and call the cops. I am not aware of any law that prohibits citizens from climbing trees on public property. Gosh darnit!

[/ QUOTE ]

If that someone is a cop then you have to think about what you say or do next. In my area there are laws on the books saying no tree climbing in public parks (unless you're a city arborist or contractor). If a "citizen" tells me to get out of a public tree, ummm... that's not going to happen. They never notice me in a tree anyway. Most people don't look above their eye level line when they're out walking in a park. My bird watching friends are the only ones who ever spot me. Dogs always notice me but not their owners. Dogs are hopeful that the noise they just heard in the tree is a squirrel.
-moss

 

[fastlil1]

Kinda funny that the dogs always see you and not the people. I agree with the "don't be a nucence" comment, and really try to go about most parts of my life that way. Often even if you are doing something wrong, but not being a pain in the @$$ about it, you'll get let off easy. I know rock climbers often get tresspassing tickets when they are climbing where they shouldn't be, but never heard of someone getting one for climbing a tree.

 

[Blinky]

[ QUOTE ]
I know two people who were told to stop climbing trees in Minneapolis city parks or risk getting a ticket for 'vegetation molestation'

[/ QUOTE ]

I love it... 'Taking indecent liberties with a tree.' I never did like the idea of 'body thrusting' up a tree. Does that put them on the national list of registered, ummmm... foliage offenders?

 

[moss]

[ QUOTE ]
I know two people who were told to stop climbing trees in Minneapolis city parks or risk getting a ticket for 'vegetation molestation'

[/ QUOTE ]

There must be a particularly dark corner of Hell for "vegetation molesters". They get what they deserve!

It would be fun to go to court on that one just to watch everyone laugh out loud when the charges are read.
-moss

 

[fuzzy]

yes, fuzzy is finally back home. i've never been so happy to be back in charlotte, NC before ( and i've come and gone many times) new orleans tree work was, uh, interesting - the show survivor comes to mind. but in the end the experience was beneficial and i made some new friends.
in reference to the incident in question.thus which follows is what happened via my headcam:
once mr. personality interupted our quest to climb what locals refer to as "the tree Of life", (which he did from his very own loudspeakers kickin from the lil ford ranger sitting far far away in the park o lot), tom sent me on a mission to negotiate. with great enthusiasm i set out on foot to seek peace with the elder of loudspeakers from the land of lil ford ranger. i approached him with a deeply thought out, animated plea or persuasion that got shot down like d.chaney's friend on a hunting trip. based on his "i'm miserable" countinance, i thought maybe i took the wrong approach. so i said to mr. loudspeakerman, immediately after his stressful rejection, "yeah nice! what am i gonna do about my tree fetish, now that i can't climb this tree of life. what if we didn't use climbing gear. that's when he mumbled about insurance claims and drove off in a fit of frinzy, puzzled by my foreign words like climbing gear and safety. anyhow, after we cleaned up i snuck up the back side of the tree for the satisfaction of defiance and a cool pic
keep on rockin in da tree world

 

[Leon]

Wow, awesome tree!