09-10-2014, 11:59 AM
[quote BS]'"Why can't they take out what they bring in? "
Have you ever been to Mexico? I have, several times. They treat thier own country like it's a dump. Why would they treat our country any different?[/quote]
[#0000FF]I have traveled, fished and dived all over Mexico. And yes, there are places where there is an ugly trash problem. But the same can be said for our country. There is always an element that simply doesn't care about doing their part to reduce the trash and pollution, regardless of what country you live in.
I am not a racist. Both of my sons are married to Hispanic ladies...and Spanish is a second language in our family. And I will have to defend the Mexican people by saying that throughout most of their country...and where they live in the USA...most of them take great pride in their surroundings and can set examples for all of us.
That being said, it seems that a high percentage of the littering and trash left at the Knolls is directly attributable to folks from Mexico. Some of them use (and leave behind) tin can handline fishing systems, with monofilament line all over the place and fouling the bottom out from the beach. Others set up large camps with multiple people and leave behind stacks of dirty diapers, empty cans of Mexican food items, Mexican beer bottles and cases, etc. I have watched several of these groups during a day of fishing and have observed them just throwing garbage around and leaving it when they go.
I speak fairly good Spanish and I first try to talk to them in English...but usually get the blank looks so I switch to Spanish to ask them to clean up their mess. Then I get hostility. Only being a big guy and "carrying" (CC permit) has kept me from being accosted a few times. And a couple of other times I have had to open my fishing vest to reveal my weapon to prevent being mugged by small groups of Hispanic males...who I could easily hear plotting their "hostile takeover" while out on the water.
There. I have vented. But I should also say that I have encountered far more Hispanic individuals and families down there who were neat, clean and responsible. There are a couple of the regular anglers with whom I often share my jigs...and tips about where the fishing is best. We enjoy talking "Spanglish" whenever we are both down there.
After all that, I must say that the absolute worst cases of trashing I have witnessed have been by "Anglos". Some are nothing more than white trash redneck goobers but I have also seen groups of "John and Mary Lunchbox" folks who left behind upscale beer containers, spendy bottled water empties, etc. One of those situations I waited until they were ready to drive off...leaving their trash...before I harshly confronted them. I told them that if they didn't remove that trash I would put it in a very uncomfortable place. The two guys in the group looked me over and decided I was big enough to cause some hurt even if they could take me. I didn't have my "45 friends" with me so it was pure bluff. But it worked. And I followed them all the way out to Hwy 68 to make sure they left with the trash.
The Knolls was closed off in the fall of 2012. There had been a group cooperative trash cleanup a few weeks before. The whole place looked great...for only a few days. Then, after a big camping weekend you would swear it was a dump down there and had never been cleaned up. That was it for the land owners. They had been threatening to close the area to the public for several years and that did it.
Now we are close to working out an agreement to get it reopened...with some DWR sponsored upgrades and improvements. But from some of the "evidence" I saw on my trip, we need some education or discrimination.
[inline EVIDENCE.jpg]
[inline "EVIDENCE 2.jpg"]
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Have you ever been to Mexico? I have, several times. They treat thier own country like it's a dump. Why would they treat our country any different?[/quote]
[#0000FF]I have traveled, fished and dived all over Mexico. And yes, there are places where there is an ugly trash problem. But the same can be said for our country. There is always an element that simply doesn't care about doing their part to reduce the trash and pollution, regardless of what country you live in.
I am not a racist. Both of my sons are married to Hispanic ladies...and Spanish is a second language in our family. And I will have to defend the Mexican people by saying that throughout most of their country...and where they live in the USA...most of them take great pride in their surroundings and can set examples for all of us.
That being said, it seems that a high percentage of the littering and trash left at the Knolls is directly attributable to folks from Mexico. Some of them use (and leave behind) tin can handline fishing systems, with monofilament line all over the place and fouling the bottom out from the beach. Others set up large camps with multiple people and leave behind stacks of dirty diapers, empty cans of Mexican food items, Mexican beer bottles and cases, etc. I have watched several of these groups during a day of fishing and have observed them just throwing garbage around and leaving it when they go.
I speak fairly good Spanish and I first try to talk to them in English...but usually get the blank looks so I switch to Spanish to ask them to clean up their mess. Then I get hostility. Only being a big guy and "carrying" (CC permit) has kept me from being accosted a few times. And a couple of other times I have had to open my fishing vest to reveal my weapon to prevent being mugged by small groups of Hispanic males...who I could easily hear plotting their "hostile takeover" while out on the water.
There. I have vented. But I should also say that I have encountered far more Hispanic individuals and families down there who were neat, clean and responsible. There are a couple of the regular anglers with whom I often share my jigs...and tips about where the fishing is best. We enjoy talking "Spanglish" whenever we are both down there.
After all that, I must say that the absolute worst cases of trashing I have witnessed have been by "Anglos". Some are nothing more than white trash redneck goobers but I have also seen groups of "John and Mary Lunchbox" folks who left behind upscale beer containers, spendy bottled water empties, etc. One of those situations I waited until they were ready to drive off...leaving their trash...before I harshly confronted them. I told them that if they didn't remove that trash I would put it in a very uncomfortable place. The two guys in the group looked me over and decided I was big enough to cause some hurt even if they could take me. I didn't have my "45 friends" with me so it was pure bluff. But it worked. And I followed them all the way out to Hwy 68 to make sure they left with the trash.
The Knolls was closed off in the fall of 2012. There had been a group cooperative trash cleanup a few weeks before. The whole place looked great...for only a few days. Then, after a big camping weekend you would swear it was a dump down there and had never been cleaned up. That was it for the land owners. They had been threatening to close the area to the public for several years and that did it.
Now we are close to working out an agreement to get it reopened...with some DWR sponsored upgrades and improvements. But from some of the "evidence" I saw on my trip, we need some education or discrimination.
[inline EVIDENCE.jpg]
[inline "EVIDENCE 2.jpg"]
[/#0000FF]
[signature]