George
Your note made me quite sad. I am also against the invasion of buses (I worked
in London where, believe me, those exhaust fumes soon get to you) and against
the commercialisation of a National Park.
But, how else do you change from what is clearly an unsatisfactory situation?
Should it be backpackers only? Better still, *ban backpackers* and re-instil
the idea of adventure by having to break the law to enter the beautiful Yosemite
(I'm only half-joking BTW ;-)). I don't know the answer. You should see
Rothenberg in Germany (on the Romantische Strasse), a beautiful small walled
town in Bavaria which allows no cars (good), but allows all the huge buses with
tourists to disgorge their passengers to their hotels with their engines running
(100%) in the centre of the town. The streets are tiny...
We have only visited a few NPs in the West (saw Yellowstone in May 1990, still
black in places), but one of our dreams is to save up for a holiday visiting the
NPs that we missed first time round. Can anyone assure me that that will be
possible in 3-5 years' time? Is the North-West (Washington) any easier?
Sadly
Chris
> Yeah, it can be. I'm sure it'll be much better, though, after the "Grand
> Plan" goes into effect.
>
> Let's see, get rid of the cars, bring in the buses. The smelly, noisy,
> stinking, polluting, diesel-exhaust spewing buses. Yeah, that's the ticket.
> And we'll need lots of em, we're replacing a lot of cars.
>
> And we'll need staging areas - need lots of room for those buses. In fact,
> one is already planned to be built in El Capitan meadow. What's that, use
> existing parking lots? No, we're gonna let those go back to nature. But El
> Capitan Meadow is already natural. Well it's a good location. And we'll
> require that only 1/2 of the buses there at any one time have their engines
> idling. Gotta be able to see the climbers thru the haze, eh?
>
> Next question? Bus breakdowns? Maybe we'll need a maintenance garage here
> in the valley. No? We'll just tow em back to Mariposa? Yeah, right, in the
> winter? Well, we'll just have to restrict visitation in the winter. We're
> gonna pull out the inexpensive, rustic tent cabins anyway. The ice rink
> too. Why would people want to ice skate in Yosemite with a view of Half Dome
> anyway? That's for the bourgoise. We've already decided that 3 of the
> flood-damaged campgrounds will never be reopened. Well, that leaves
> Yosemite Lodge and The Ahwanee for winter visitors. Can you say BIG
> $$$$$$$$$$?
>
> Gee, I wonder how your average Ahwanee guest will enjoy transferring to a
> bus 30 to 60 miles from Yosemite? Not having a car available to them while
> they're in this majestic place? Hey, what are we gonna do with all those
> cars the visitors are forced to leave behind, anyway? Well, we'll just have
> to build huge parking garages at some staging areas on the three routes into
> Yosemite. Yeah, big garages, that's it. Nice and neat. $20 a day or so per
> car oughta do it. And orderly, too. When a bus that carries 30 people shows
> up, there'll never be 100 or more waiting, will there?
>
> No, we'll use a reservation system. Maybe BASS or Ticketron. They'll only
> charge a $20 or so surcharge on every bus ticket. Good for the economy, you
> know.
>
> Wait! You! Where do you think you're going with that photo backpack? You've
> already got a suitcase. You can't bring that too! These buses have a
> limited capacity. And it's gonna get worse when we switchover to the
> electric ones. It'll take 2 1/2 hours to go the 30 miles to the park. And
> you'll only bring one carry-on.
>
> Besides, have you got a photography permit from Mr Ranger, sir? You know
> you can't use anything but a point'nshoot in Yosemite without a permit.
> $1600 the permits cost, I believe. Just fill out these forms and mail em
> in.
>
> For this visit, just leave your camera gear here. The motel handyman, Mr
> Staynor, will take good care of it. Yeah, the guy who was by the pool
> talking to your wife this morning. Where is my wife anyway, she oughtta be
> ready by now. Honey! Where are you anyway? Still in the pool?....
>
> George, who doesnt think its a good idea.
>
>
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~~ ><>
Chris Barker
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