A Dream of Trespass
by Jeff Potter
I just had a dream about trespassing. It really bummed me out. Here goes….
Martha and I wanted to go out bird-watching. So we went to this farm field, with some corn growing in it, that had a nice pond in the middle of it. I noticed a well-driven farm lane cutting off the road into it, so I pulled the car in. There was a well-worn area where tractors were turned around, etc., so I parked there. And we walked to the pond, with our binocs to see what we could see. In the distance was a farm house. After awhile a carload of people came driving out. These looked like modern, educated people, not too much older than ourselves, with a young man with them. They were in a fit, but trying to stay calm. The short, stout dad, with glasses, balding, sweating a bit asked, kind of smugly, “So may I ask what you are doing here?” I said “Well, the frogs are hatching this time of year and we were wanting to watch the birds around this pond. We were just going to hang out awhile and saw there was a good place to pull in. Is there a problem?” “Is there a problem? I just can’t believe your nerve. You come onto our property and ask that.” The lady butted in, calmly, slowly shaking her head “You know, you’re lucky we’re friendly people and that we didn’t just have our boy here come smash your car with a sledgehammer, or call the cops and have you hauled away. What were you thinking?” She clearly thought she was being generous and had our best interests in mind. And that we were a bit daft to be doing something so outrageous. “Now, you all get out of here.” We were lucky to get off so easy. Martha said Let’s go, there has to be a better place around here somewhere. So we left.
That’s the dream. I awoke with a start. It gave me the willies. It made me think, maybe I am the one in the wrong. I’m so far out of it. You can’t just go onto someone’s property. Everyone knows that. It would be crazy.
When everyone thinks differently from you, it’s easy to doubt yourself.
But that doesn’t mean they’re right.
Just 20 years ago, it would’ve been fine to wander around most any vacant or crop land. How do people account for the change? What wasn’t crazy now is? Why? Crop is crop, land is land. The only change I see is that far fewer people are wanting to walk around or explore in the first place.
The things that people do to land can’t be much crazier than before. Laws across the board are tougher. People used to leave trash everywhere and no one minded. Unless a piece of land was being landscaped and manicured and put up for sale at that time, what does trash, firepits or tire-tracks matter?
I suppose the idea is that people are indeed crazier. Maybe there’s more crop damage done. We used to drive our car across alfalfa fields, when we were kids, to practice driving, while my dad drove a tractor on some rented land nearby. Tiretracks don’t hurt alfalfa. Of course we wouldn’t consider driving thru corn. And we didn’t skid around. Maybe instead of firerings, people will burn whole woodlots. It has never happened around here, though. But hooligans are different from regular people and are easily distinguished. They come at night in groups and are loud, for starters. You generally don’t get the chance to catch them. When someone parks a car and goes for a stroll, this is not a worry or in the same league.
I suppose the idea is also that the law today actually gives trespassers more rights. One who walks your land can sue you if their experience isn’t just so, and win. So you’re obliged to prevent them.
Is that really the case? I’m not sure. I know that signed release waivers don’t protect event promoters. Posted property hasn’t reduced lawsuits. If one stubs their toe, even on posted property, I believe they sue all the time. But perhaps one must do their best.
It’s really something. The people are off the land. The farmer is in his enclosed cab, driving his fast tractor and is gone. No one else ever sets foot there. It’s a sad state.
Sometimes people say they’re sad to kick their friendly, upright neighbors off the land, but that they must. Their insurance says so. It is a pity. The loss of western civ, like that.
Civilization is based on freedom, after all. It requires civic spaces. The land. The whole land for all the people. When that’s gone, you have nothing.
Land used to be sold based on use. You didn’t sell the planet but the use you were going to make of part of the planet. You couldn’t sell the air either. You could sell mineral rights, farming rights, hunting rights. Of course, you still can. And maybe you can even sell air *space* now.
The air itself may well be next. “We had to sell it to save it. It was the only way. Get with the program. We know best.” You think I’m joking? The people who are in charge today have totally decided that buying land is the best way to preserve it and that buying hunting rights is the best way to keep them. The air is next. Mark my words.
Anyway, hikers, campers, painters—people *as such*—don’t really interfere with any of those other rights and uses. (Except for that air part.) Of course you need common sense. You don’t picnic in front of a deer blind. Or while a lot is being clear-cut. But they’re people, too. What does having freedom mean? The freedom to purchase, I guess. Of course, being human is the rub. Animals are allowed to stand alongside the farm pond and watch the birds. But humans, they’re a special case. They need to be prevented (and killed, in the end) for their own good. Never forget that caveat. That need for vital trust. We know best. Just step this way and line up over there, yes that’s right, very good, thank you.
Maybe life is getting crowded. Lots of people want to hunt. Lots of money wants to hunt, anyway. Sell the rights to the highest bidder. One rich guy can buy all all the hunt-lease rights, just to make sure he and his pals have a nice place to go, even if they never get around to it. Sorry folks, I’d like to let you on but I can’t. Of course, those are just the hunting rights. But maybe hikers hurt the hunting. Somehow. Impact it, as they say. Animals adapt and don’t mind people. They live in subdivisions as densely as anywhere. They come and go as they please. But if the trophy buck gets spooked and leaves the property the leaser might be peeved. If he ever shows up. You better stay off.
In Europe you can walk where you like, camp where you like. Everyone goes everywhere. Of course, hunting is organized. Not free. You don’t do it for food, and probably can’t really even try to. It’s been turned into a part of city culture. A ritual.
In England, I think you can buy a river and prevent people from canoeing. We’re lucky in that our waterways are open. The last remaining open spaces maybe? Ha…I hear that out west, farmers are fighting to keep people from paddling thru their land. Crowded rivers have permit systems. But thankfully, most rivers are ignored and one can go as you please on them, at any time of day. There are no gates. They are free. It’s shocking, really.
Well, so Europe and England and some rivers here are crowded. Europe at least seems to have a nice way of handling the crowd and preserving a sense of culture and freedom for the citizenry. And, thankfully, we still have plenty of open land. Again, there seems to be nobody out there. …Nobody but money and the fear of it and the potential of it. And that seems to make all the difference to us. Humans become the enemy as a result. No hard feelings, in the jail you go.
Is it me who’s crazy?
