Runner Fined $100 At Valley Forge Amid Government Shutdown

[kytwell 179]

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/10/07/runner-fined-100-at-valley-forge-amid-shutdown/

A marathoner says he was fined $100 for running in Valley Forge National Historical Park during thegovernment shutdown.

John Bell, a 56-year-old realtor, said he parked his car on Sunday in a remote parking lot, not one blocked by a barrier.

Bell, of Chadds Ford, has competed in a marathon on every continent of the world, but one of his favorite places to run is Valley Forge.

“From a safety standpoint, I like running down there, along with the scenery,” he says.

But on Sunday, Bells says there were two rangers waiting with their car lights flashing when he returned. They slapped him with the $100 citation.

While Bell says he knew that national landmarks were closed, he didn’t realize Valley Forge would be affected.

“I’m not putting together that [the park is] closed. Even if it was, I’d be thinking, ‘Oh, they’re just closing the visitor center,’” he explains.

Bell says he saw many other runners and bikers in the park, and he plans to fight the ticket in federal court, along with his lawyer, Jeremy Ibrahim.

“Washington may have shut down the government, but due process is not shut down,” Ibrahim agrees.

He finds it ironic that one of the disagreements in Congress is the Affordable Care Act, “Yet we tell folks that we should all be healthy, we all should go online and sign up. He goes outside, does some running and gets a ticket for it,” Ibrahim says.

Meanwhile, Bell says he has received many calls and emails from other runners expressing their support, including a cyclist who heard his story.

“I believe he should fight it; it’s kind of a ridiculous scenario. Maybe the judge or whoever is in charge will see he was just using the land his tax dollars paid for,” Mike Festa, the cyclist, says.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Quite right he was arrested! If he had an accident or was murdered whilst jogging in a secluded area on national Park land, he would have caused lots of problems.

He was probably trying to find a partner to go dogging with.

Outraged.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

He was probably trying to find a partner to go dogging with.

How do you know he's a Republican?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/10/07/runner-fined-100-at-valley-forge-amid-shutdown/

A marathoner says he was fined $100 for running in Valley Forge National Historical Park during thegovernment shutdown.

John Bell, a 56-year-old realtor, said he parked his car on Sunday in a remote parking lot, not one blocked by a barrier.

Bell, of Chadds Ford, has competed in a marathon on every continent of the world, but one of his favorite places to run is Valley Forge.

“From a safety standpoint, I like running down there, along with the scenery,” he says.

But on Sunday, Bells says there were two rangers waiting with their car lights flashing when he returned. They slapped him with the $100 citation.

While Bell says he knew that national landmarks were closed, he didn’t realize Valley Forge would be affected.

“I’m not putting together that [the park is] closed. Even if it was, I’d be thinking, ‘Oh, they’re just closing the visitor center,’” he explains.

Bell says he saw many other runners and bikers in the park, and he plans to fight the ticket in federal court, along with his lawyer, Jeremy Ibrahim.

“Washington may have shut down the government, but due process is not shut down,” Ibrahim agrees.

He finds it ironic that one of the disagreements in Congress is the Affordable Care Act, “Yet we tell folks that we should all be healthy, we all should go online and sign up. He goes outside, does some running and gets a ticket for it,” Ibrahim says.

Meanwhile, Bell says he has received many calls and emails from other runners expressing their support, including a cyclist who heard his story.

“I believe he should fight it; it’s kind of a ridiculous scenario. Maybe the judge or whoever is in charge will see he was just using the land his tax dollars paid for,” Mike Festa, the cyclist, says.

But yet we have funds to arrest anyone who sets foot in the park

Would it not be just as cheap to have them run the park

[kytwell 179]

Quite right he was arrested! If he had an accident or was murdered whilst jogging in a secluded area on national Park land, he would have caused lots of problems.

He was probably trying to find a partner to go dogging with.

Outraged.

LMAO! "Secluded" VFNP. Rt. 252, Rt. 23, Pawlings Rd., Valley Forge Rd. are all major roads used in the area for daily commuters. King of Prussia area is one of the most traffic congested areas in Pennsylvania.

During the last gov't shutdown in the 90's we all went sledding there, there's was no issues at all with the park police.

Also parts of other regional trails cut through the park itself and link up with it. There's probably over 20 miles of trails that go through the park. Today I must have seen at least 20 Mom's with strollers walking along the trail at the park. Why they picked this guy out is beyond me, but something seems off.

[RGinWA 816]

If the park was closed who's paying the rangers to give out $100 tickets?

I thought they were closed because they couldn't pay the workers?

This country is nuts.

[lostinblue 1,989]

How many tickets are they handing out on our southern border? You have a lot of people "running" down there.

[Jacque67 7,328]

LMAO! "Secluded" VFNP. Rt. 252, Rt. 23, Pawlings Rd., Valley Forge Rd. are all major roads used in the area for daily commuters. King of Prussia area is one of the most traffic congested areas in Pennsylvania.

During the last gov't shutdown in the 90's we all went sledding there, there's was no issues at all with the park police.

Also parts of other regional trails cut through the park itself and link up with it. There's probably over 20 miles of trails that go through the park. Today I must have seen at least 20 Mom's with strollers walking along the trail at the park. Why they picked this guy out is beyond me, but something seems off.

He was doing a Richard Quest.

He was looking for male ###- hence the booking.

If the park was closed who's paying the rangers to give out $100 tickets?

I thought they were closed because they couldn't pay the workers?

This country is nuts.

The kind of people who hand out tickets often volunteer their services.