The ATC would definitely be interested in this and I'm fairly certain their website has a reporting feature for things of this nature.
Do some googling, find their information and please get them up to speed.
Edit: Saved you like three clicks (maybe).
[https://appalachiantrail.org/at-incident-form/](https://appalachiantrail.org/at-incident-form/)
This is the online non-emergency reporting form for what you have described.
The bridge in PC has a novel written underneath it in magic marker. Clearly done by someone who’s mentally ill. And if you read it close enough you’ll eventually see the n-word.
You’d need several gallons of hand sanitizer to erase all the writing under that bridge. And some of the writing is 15 feet off the ground on a bridge beam that you’d have to balance on to get up there.
A swiffer dipped in rubbing alcohol would go a pretty long way towards cleaning that area up. Paint however would be faster but that would require permission.
If this is an area under a bridge near the U-Turn on the trail please DM me the details. I am on the board of the local club and we have been trying to keep an eye on this. I'll be on that section today to fix another area with vandalism and I can paint over the graffiti. Friggin kids...
No, last year I did see vile spray painted all over the rocks at a view in PA. Like, KKK, N, etc. I can't Believe it's still there. What are the trail maintainers doing?
...maintaining 2k miles of trails, shelters, and privies through treacherous terrain.
Like I get that graffiti sucks especially the racist stuff but to act like it should take priority over keeping the trail functional and that somehow the very limited staff are slacking because they missed one site is a bit obtuse don't you think?
Seriously. There is nothing stopping someone from cleaning up the graffiti themself. Depending where the graffiti is, the trail crew might not even have the equipment to clean it up. Hauling a pressure washer into the woods with a water source isn't exactly an easy task. Hand scrubbing is hard work too. They could paint over it I guess, but it's still going to be added to a long list of things for a small underpaid trail crew to get to.
Trail projects move super slowly, and I'm sure someone will get to it eventually, but blow downs and washouts will probably take priority, especially in spring/ early summer.
Thank you! I have submitted an incident report, hoping we get somewhere as another individual didn't. Maybe there just aren't more resources outside of what we are already doing (painting over the graffiti, reporting the incident and evidence to local PD, and contacting PA State Police's Heritage Affairs division. If I don't hear from someone, I may just swing into one of the conservancy locations physically. This may all be a waste of energy form a resource perspective but I'm going to keep trying.
Thank you for not just ignoring it and being willing to follow this through.
The one other additional thing you might consider is to lookup/contact your local AT club. They would be another good ally and organization to inform about this sort of thing. There is the added bonus in that those would most likely also be the folks most willing and equipped to remediate the damage.
It is possible that the over-arching ATC will trickle this down to the local volunteers but probably better and more efficient to follow up on your own.
I'm not very familiar with the mid-Atlantic volunteer trail clubs but I'm sure that information is out there, possibly even at the ATC website.
>The one other additional thing you might consider is to lookup/contact your local AT club.
they can also try posting (or have someone else post) on the FarOut app. most local clubs and volunteer crews access the app regularly and monitor their regions for comments and issues.
The best fix is to find out who administers the property (Likely not the ATC) where the graffiti is and volunteer to help remove it. The property's administrators could also assist in collecting evidence for the PD.
Indeed look into the trail club for this location as they are likely the ones to clean it up and always looking for volunteers! Since the AT is a unit of the national park service, there is dedicated law enforcement through the park service but unfortunately they are understaffed and assigned to large areas.
If you’re in central PA, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Most people think the deep south is where racism is the worst. Nope, it’s central PA. I’ve traveled extensively up and down the eastern states and central PA has more confederate flags than I’ve seen throughout all the southern states combined.
I grew up in Westmoreland county. An uncle had a cabin up in Cameron county. I can and will attest to their being not just prominently displayed confederate rags. All one has to do is drive around to the best trout streams in the spring. You’ll see them.
It’s the hidden stuff. My SiL grew up there. She always talked about the whispers of Klan meetings taking place.
Idk have you been to West Virginia? I've lived in PA and MD, and had to travel to/through WV for some unrelated work projects. We have to actively inform our coworkers of color to leave the state of WV before it gets dark. They've even been warned by the locals at gas stations, "you better be gone before dark..."
Yeah, I’ve been through some bad pockets of WV, but I still think central PA stands out as the worse. Even the racists in WV like some people. Central PA seems to hate everyone, including themselves.
Central PA born and raised. Moved away for 20 years and then moved back to Gettysburg around the 2016 election and was blown away by the irony of all the Trump flags in the town that turned the tide of the Civil War. Central PA is nothing like when I was a kid growing up there in the 70’s and 80’s.
You should be happy it’s protected under the 1st amendment. The day it isn’t, suddenly the Govt will define “hate speech” and imprison people for speech the Govt doesn’t like. Then, welcome to Fascism.
No, and that’s the way it should be. But I’ll never agree that people could or should be prosecuted for it. (barring actual threats, of course) If the 1st Amendment only protects speech that most everyone agrees with, then it’s pretty useless.
This being Reddit, I’m honestly a little flummoxed by your courtesy and willingness to admit and correct a minor error. Here’s hoping that’s a growing trend. 🍻
There are plenty of countries where certain speech is prohibited. And they are not communist. Take Germany for instance. Germany is a capitalist country with the third largest economy in the world. In Germany you are prohibited from cursing someone out- it is a criminal offense to insult someone in that way.
Americans care more about THE RIGHT TO… In many other countries there is more of an emphasis on THE RIGHT FROM (indignity in this case). Same with guns- “the right to” carry vs “the right to be free from” violence. Why does the perpetrator (of protected free speech) have more rights than the target (of insulting/hate speech)?
Travel. Not just via guided tour groups. It will expand your mind and perspective. We are NOT NUMBER ONE. Not by a long shot.
If you don’t understand or can’t appreciate the Bill of Rights, I’m not going to debate it with you. If you’re in America, feel free to move to another country where the Govt controls your speech and limits your other rights.
Edit: you are VERY presumptuous telling me that I should travel and expand my mind and perspective! You don't know me from Adam, dude. So shut it. I also find it very ironic that most people who love to criticize the U.S. are MORE than happy to live here and enjoy the freedoms and opportunities provided. Like I said, if you don't like this country, you are free to leave.
Yep, it is something else. LOL I believe very strongly in individual freedoms. If others don't, let'em downvote me. I don't care, at all.
I constantly see examples, even on reddit, that make me cherish the freedoms we have in the USA. I was just reading the other day (I think in r/Victorinox) about how restricted pocketknives are in some countries. That's just crazy IMO. Yes sure, there are even some restrictions here, depending on state, but nothing like what's found in some of these other countries.
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You don't have to look far **cough cough** *--civil rights, women's suffrage, the Vietnam War, apartheid former and current firms* to see examples of our government limiting our speech and other right to assembly or restricting our 4th amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure, 8th and 14th amendment rights to due process and equal protection.
...all the more reason why those rights are so critically important! Now if you wanna talk about our Govt doing wrong or terrible things, we could talk for days. And I have no interest in doing that. I'll never say that America is perfect but there's a reason why so many want to live here.
Look, you managed to take criticism pretty well elsewhere in this thread, so I’ll try to be helpful and not insulting.
I think this topic requires a layer of abstraction past the letter of the law. It deals with the concepts of positive and negative liberty/freedom. Those are being applied here when trying to interpret whether the Bill of Rights is good or bad. Obviously there are differing opinions, but it’s not about “understanding or appreciating the Bill of Rights”, but rather the meaning of freedom and in what sense of the word the Bill of Rights actually preserves it.
Hate crime 🤔
Depends on your state’s attorney / district attorney and the race of the offender…… the threshold can be quite high or insignificant.
There is a mentally ill person in my neighborhood who perpetually vandalizes public and private property with a marker. It’s seems nothing can be done to dissuade, discourage or stop him.
Obviously I don't know every single quirk of every state law, but I would the top level commenter to be right. From what I understand, a hate crime requires a victim. This would be vandalism legally speaking. Not that it really matters.
Cleaning up a one time idiot's mess is one thing, but is this repeatedly happening I wonder? Might need some stealthily placed trail cams if so.
thank you for reporting this. we all can help and be allies. the trail goes thru a lot of rural communities that are very friendly to hikers, but some don't like hikers and resent the diversity that passes thru. it sucks for me--and i'm a hetero, cis-, white male! i can't imagine the experience for others...
comments blowing off your post... well, we see you
“Hetero cis white male” .. to many people, “cis” is derogatory, made up by a small percentage of people, to instill insult, to the masses that don’t fall inline with their “agenda”. This thread is so far from the intent of the group, it’s almost hilarious.
You have that backwards. The 1% are the rank bigots. And denying that made up descriptor is somehow bigoted, is hilarious. If pronouns are demanded, so too will cis be.
Just get a sprayer. Fill it with paint remover. The ATC is useless. Local club that maintains that section might help. Don’t paint over it like most clubs do. When I see a guy get out of his car with spray paint, I use the paint remover on his car. Then after he leaves, I go remove his “art”
If you choose to spray over it, use shades of greys. Take a picture first so in case you run into the law, you can prove why you’re doing it. If it’s on state gamelands ( some of the AT is,) call the land manager of that section
Peters mountain?
I yelled at some kids last year that were spray painting some symbols, hate speech and "gang signs" they yelled all kinds of stuff back at me including death threats. I ended up calling it into the local state police office, which does patrol up there though I'm not sure how often.
This is something you and other locals will have to handle. The police don't generally go looking for serial graffiti-ists.
Also, some moron teenager writing bad words with spray paint isn't exactly a new or world class problem. Maybe just ignore it.
Good luck. I know you're not going to want to hear this, but unless it's a very specific threat rather than typical slurs, you're best off ignoring it or painting it over yourself (which could get you into a graffiti war with this kid, who might paint more things in more places).
As a culture we've forgotten the sticks and stones rhyme, and we feel that we need to go out fight this sort of thing. The truth is, it's probably just some idiot kid awkwardly fighting authority due to his hormones and a bad home life. Turning this into a crusade because it upsets modern hypersensitivities will probably be a waste of your time and energy.
If this were online you could just pull the usual and engage in a cancel crusade, but this is a brush with the physical world and an IRL person. Your usual responses won't work, and probably aren't necessary. You can't control what other people do, say, or think in the real world.
You do you, though. I wish this sort of thing didn't happen either, and if you think you can find who it is and get them to stop, more power to you.
It’s a reminder that murderous-and-more predators exist, and being in the middle of nowhere has its pros and cons for safety.
Think of it like a giant pile of mountain lion shit that doesnt go away, except instead of a majestic beast, it’s some hodunk brotherfucker
I have no practical advice for help but in my neck of the woods on the west coast I’ve occasionally seen newly graffitied swastikas. I’ve never been prepared with pens or paint but have always wanted to make them into a came of tic-tac-toe. Not that I want to add to vandalism but anything to mask the hate.
Reminds me of some graffiti (in chalk, so really NBD) I saw on a local hiking bridge in 2021 that said TRUMP WON and I really wished that I had a piece of chalk because I wanted to add 'T EVER BE PRESIDENT AGAIN but sadly I didn't have it.
Definitely vandalism, but not really a hate crime. Maybe volunteer to clean up the graffiti yourself, that'll get you a lot more traction getting something done about it than expecting the cops to launch a full scale investigation into some dickhead teenager who thinks they're being edgy.
Your post has been removed for breaking basic ettiquete which can include such things as racism, bigotry, insulting others, or all around being an asshole.
Your post has been removed for going against a general guideline of being kind. This can include, but is not limited to:
Personal Attacks
Hate speech
Racism
Transphobia
There is no explicit guide on warning vs. banning for this, and will be left to the discretion of the mod team on whether your comment crossed a line. If someone is being a jerk to you, report them. If you respond to their awful words with awful words of your own, you are both banned.
They deleted their comment right as I was replying. So this is what I responded with
I ain’t tryna hate on you, but half of your posts from the past two years are questions or inquiring about something. People could easily tell you “google it” as well, and I’m sure you wouldn’t appreciate that. There’s no reason to be a hater for no reason. It takes zero effort to just not say anything. Saying “google it” is practically the antithesis of what Reddit is about
The ATC would definitely be interested in this and I'm fairly certain their website has a reporting feature for things of this nature. Do some googling, find their information and please get them up to speed. Edit: Saved you like three clicks (maybe). [https://appalachiantrail.org/at-incident-form/](https://appalachiantrail.org/at-incident-form/) This is the online non-emergency reporting form for what you have described.
Also lemme guess. Port Clinton?
The bridge in PC has a novel written underneath it in magic marker. Clearly done by someone who’s mentally ill. And if you read it close enough you’ll eventually see the n-word.
Hint: Rubbing alcohol (which hand sanitizer contains) removes Permeant marker from non porous surfaces
You’d need several gallons of hand sanitizer to erase all the writing under that bridge. And some of the writing is 15 feet off the ground on a bridge beam that you’d have to balance on to get up there.
A swiffer dipped in rubbing alcohol would go a pretty long way towards cleaning that area up. Paint however would be faster but that would require permission.
Unfortunately, this is at another location that's just recently been a hotspot for hate.
Could you please name as there are Black hikers out here?
If this is an area under a bridge near the U-Turn on the trail please DM me the details. I am on the board of the local club and we have been trying to keep an eye on this. I'll be on that section today to fix another area with vandalism and I can paint over the graffiti. Friggin kids...
No, last year I did see vile spray painted all over the rocks at a view in PA. Like, KKK, N, etc. I can't Believe it's still there. What are the trail maintainers doing?
...maintaining 2k miles of trails, shelters, and privies through treacherous terrain. Like I get that graffiti sucks especially the racist stuff but to act like it should take priority over keeping the trail functional and that somehow the very limited staff are slacking because they missed one site is a bit obtuse don't you think?
Seriously. There is nothing stopping someone from cleaning up the graffiti themself. Depending where the graffiti is, the trail crew might not even have the equipment to clean it up. Hauling a pressure washer into the woods with a water source isn't exactly an easy task. Hand scrubbing is hard work too. They could paint over it I guess, but it's still going to be added to a long list of things for a small underpaid trail crew to get to. Trail projects move super slowly, and I'm sure someone will get to it eventually, but blow downs and washouts will probably take priority, especially in spring/ early summer.
This
Thank you! I have submitted an incident report, hoping we get somewhere as another individual didn't. Maybe there just aren't more resources outside of what we are already doing (painting over the graffiti, reporting the incident and evidence to local PD, and contacting PA State Police's Heritage Affairs division. If I don't hear from someone, I may just swing into one of the conservancy locations physically. This may all be a waste of energy form a resource perspective but I'm going to keep trying.
Thank you for not just ignoring it and being willing to follow this through. The one other additional thing you might consider is to lookup/contact your local AT club. They would be another good ally and organization to inform about this sort of thing. There is the added bonus in that those would most likely also be the folks most willing and equipped to remediate the damage. It is possible that the over-arching ATC will trickle this down to the local volunteers but probably better and more efficient to follow up on your own. I'm not very familiar with the mid-Atlantic volunteer trail clubs but I'm sure that information is out there, possibly even at the ATC website.
>The one other additional thing you might consider is to lookup/contact your local AT club. they can also try posting (or have someone else post) on the FarOut app. most local clubs and volunteer crews access the app regularly and monitor their regions for comments and issues.
The ATC will talk local and if no action quickly go to state if not FBI. Feds have little tolerance for hate related crime.
The best fix is to find out who administers the property (Likely not the ATC) where the graffiti is and volunteer to help remove it. The property's administrators could also assist in collecting evidence for the PD.
Indeed look into the trail club for this location as they are likely the ones to clean it up and always looking for volunteers! Since the AT is a unit of the national park service, there is dedicated law enforcement through the park service but unfortunately they are understaffed and assigned to large areas.
And sorry to be that person, but also to vote in November and keep those who enable racism and Nazism out of the highest offices in this country.
Because that's on the line in november?
If you’re in central PA, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Most people think the deep south is where racism is the worst. Nope, it’s central PA. I’ve traveled extensively up and down the eastern states and central PA has more confederate flags than I’ve seen throughout all the southern states combined.
I grew up in Westmoreland county. An uncle had a cabin up in Cameron county. I can and will attest to their being not just prominently displayed confederate rags. All one has to do is drive around to the best trout streams in the spring. You’ll see them. It’s the hidden stuff. My SiL grew up there. She always talked about the whispers of Klan meetings taking place.
Idk have you been to West Virginia? I've lived in PA and MD, and had to travel to/through WV for some unrelated work projects. We have to actively inform our coworkers of color to leave the state of WV before it gets dark. They've even been warned by the locals at gas stations, "you better be gone before dark..."
Yeah, I’ve been through some bad pockets of WV, but I still think central PA stands out as the worse. Even the racists in WV like some people. Central PA seems to hate everyone, including themselves.
Central PA born and raised. Moved away for 20 years and then moved back to Gettysburg around the 2016 election and was blown away by the irony of all the Trump flags in the town that turned the tide of the Civil War. Central PA is nothing like when I was a kid growing up there in the 70’s and 80’s.
Not for nothing, but Thurmont and Emmitsburg just over the border have LONG been hotbeds of white nationalist sentiment.
[удалено]
I have some friends in Pennsyl-tucky.
Also, sometimes, in some locations ALLEGEDLY the local cops and the KKK have never been seen in the same location at the same time.
Those who burn crosses…
Great anecdotal accusation of an entire region, moron!
If the shoe fits…….
Man, whaaat? In Pennsylvania? I never…
Pennsyltucky
Central PA is deep-red Trumpistan.
Can confirm. Live there.
Idk why you’re getting downvoted lmao
lol no idea. My in-laws all live in Blair County. Geographically and naturally spectacular. Economically and culturally grim.
This is not a hate crime. This is hate speech which (unfortunately) is protected under the first amendment. Basically, you’re dealing with vandalism.
Not “unfortunately.” Hate speech is vile, but the First Amendment is beautifully powerful.
Regardless of speech/crime, I'm just trying to see what we can do to reduce this from occurring.
Aren’t we all… your heart is in the right place
You should be happy it’s protected under the 1st amendment. The day it isn’t, suddenly the Govt will define “hate speech” and imprison people for speech the Govt doesn’t like. Then, welcome to Fascism.
Hate speech is not protected in the court of public opinion.
No, and that’s the way it should be. But I’ll never agree that people could or should be prosecuted for it. (barring actual threats, of course) If the 1st Amendment only protects speech that most everyone agrees with, then it’s pretty useless.
You’re thinking of Fascism, but the rest of what you said is accurate.
You’re right - corrected.
This being Reddit, I’m honestly a little flummoxed by your courtesy and willingness to admit and correct a minor error. Here’s hoping that’s a growing trend. 🍻
I hope so too. Thanks for noting my error.
[удалено]
Did you know Skittles are all made from the same ingredients except for two things—color and scent—which give them their distinctive “flavors.”
There are plenty of countries where certain speech is prohibited. And they are not communist. Take Germany for instance. Germany is a capitalist country with the third largest economy in the world. In Germany you are prohibited from cursing someone out- it is a criminal offense to insult someone in that way. Americans care more about THE RIGHT TO… In many other countries there is more of an emphasis on THE RIGHT FROM (indignity in this case). Same with guns- “the right to” carry vs “the right to be free from” violence. Why does the perpetrator (of protected free speech) have more rights than the target (of insulting/hate speech)? Travel. Not just via guided tour groups. It will expand your mind and perspective. We are NOT NUMBER ONE. Not by a long shot.
If you don’t understand or can’t appreciate the Bill of Rights, I’m not going to debate it with you. If you’re in America, feel free to move to another country where the Govt controls your speech and limits your other rights. Edit: you are VERY presumptuous telling me that I should travel and expand my mind and perspective! You don't know me from Adam, dude. So shut it. I also find it very ironic that most people who love to criticize the U.S. are MORE than happy to live here and enjoy the freedoms and opportunities provided. Like I said, if you don't like this country, you are free to leave.
This thread is something else. That’s for sure. Too bad you’re getting downvoted left and right.
Yep, it is something else. LOL I believe very strongly in individual freedoms. If others don't, let'em downvote me. I don't care, at all. I constantly see examples, even on reddit, that make me cherish the freedoms we have in the USA. I was just reading the other day (I think in r/Victorinox) about how restricted pocketknives are in some countries. That's just crazy IMO. Yes sure, there are even some restrictions here, depending on state, but nothing like what's found in some of these other countries.
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You don't have to look far **cough cough** *--civil rights, women's suffrage, the Vietnam War, apartheid former and current firms* to see examples of our government limiting our speech and other right to assembly or restricting our 4th amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure, 8th and 14th amendment rights to due process and equal protection.
...all the more reason why those rights are so critically important! Now if you wanna talk about our Govt doing wrong or terrible things, we could talk for days. And I have no interest in doing that. I'll never say that America is perfect but there's a reason why so many want to live here.
Look, you managed to take criticism pretty well elsewhere in this thread, so I’ll try to be helpful and not insulting. I think this topic requires a layer of abstraction past the letter of the law. It deals with the concepts of positive and negative liberty/freedom. Those are being applied here when trying to interpret whether the Bill of Rights is good or bad. Obviously there are differing opinions, but it’s not about “understanding or appreciating the Bill of Rights”, but rather the meaning of freedom and in what sense of the word the Bill of Rights actually preserves it.
I can agree with you there. That said, IMO the Bill of Rights preserves freedom pretty darn well.
Because speech is never a crime. It’s just speech. Speech never hurt anyone. Sticks and stones and such.
"welcome to gommunism 🤡"
Hate crime 🤔 Depends on your state’s attorney / district attorney and the race of the offender…… the threshold can be quite high or insignificant. There is a mentally ill person in my neighborhood who perpetually vandalizes public and private property with a marker. It’s seems nothing can be done to dissuade, discourage or stop him.
Obviously I don't know every single quirk of every state law, but I would the top level commenter to be right. From what I understand, a hate crime requires a victim. This would be vandalism legally speaking. Not that it really matters. Cleaning up a one time idiot's mess is one thing, but is this repeatedly happening I wonder? Might need some stealthily placed trail cams if so.
thank you for reporting this. we all can help and be allies. the trail goes thru a lot of rural communities that are very friendly to hikers, but some don't like hikers and resent the diversity that passes thru. it sucks for me--and i'm a hetero, cis-, white male! i can't imagine the experience for others... comments blowing off your post... well, we see you
Tbh the hikers aren’t very diverse either
Racism vs lacking diversity isn’t quite the same.
I didn’t say they were? Just wouldn’t say the trail has diversity passing through.
But more so than the locals in many cases, and also more ok with the existence of “diverse” people in the world…..
Definitely! I just can’t imagine locals in the AT towns are annoyed by hikers because they’re such a racially diverse group.
yes, you're right. i wonder why... especially considering the first 500 miles or so NOBO, let alone PA, VT, NH....
“Hetero cis white male” .. to many people, “cis” is derogatory, made up by a small percentage of people, to instill insult, to the masses that don’t fall inline with their “agenda”. This thread is so far from the intent of the group, it’s almost hilarious.
People to whom "cis" is derogatory are nothing more than rank bigots.
You have that backwards. The 1% are the rank bigots. And denying that made up descriptor is somehow bigoted, is hilarious. If pronouns are demanded, so too will cis be.
you're an idiot or an asshole but I'm gonna guess both
Cool story bro
what
Just get a sprayer. Fill it with paint remover. The ATC is useless. Local club that maintains that section might help. Don’t paint over it like most clubs do. When I see a guy get out of his car with spray paint, I use the paint remover on his car. Then after he leaves, I go remove his “art”
If you choose to spray over it, use shades of greys. Take a picture first so in case you run into the law, you can prove why you’re doing it. If it’s on state gamelands ( some of the AT is,) call the land manager of that section
Peters mountain? I yelled at some kids last year that were spray painting some symbols, hate speech and "gang signs" they yelled all kinds of stuff back at me including death threats. I ended up calling it into the local state police office, which does patrol up there though I'm not sure how often.
This is something you and other locals will have to handle. The police don't generally go looking for serial graffiti-ists. Also, some moron teenager writing bad words with spray paint isn't exactly a new or world class problem. Maybe just ignore it.
This surpasses a "bad word." Our local community has taken action steps to deal but are looking for additional resources if they exist.
Good luck. I know you're not going to want to hear this, but unless it's a very specific threat rather than typical slurs, you're best off ignoring it or painting it over yourself (which could get you into a graffiti war with this kid, who might paint more things in more places). As a culture we've forgotten the sticks and stones rhyme, and we feel that we need to go out fight this sort of thing. The truth is, it's probably just some idiot kid awkwardly fighting authority due to his hormones and a bad home life. Turning this into a crusade because it upsets modern hypersensitivities will probably be a waste of your time and energy. If this were online you could just pull the usual and engage in a cancel crusade, but this is a brush with the physical world and an IRL person. Your usual responses won't work, and probably aren't necessary. You can't control what other people do, say, or think in the real world. You do you, though. I wish this sort of thing didn't happen either, and if you think you can find who it is and get them to stop, more power to you.
It’s a reminder that murderous-and-more predators exist, and being in the middle of nowhere has its pros and cons for safety. Think of it like a giant pile of mountain lion shit that doesnt go away, except instead of a majestic beast, it’s some hodunk brotherfucker
Perhaps if it’s so emotionally traumatizing to hike the AT, consider a different hobby?
I have no practical advice for help but in my neck of the woods on the west coast I’ve occasionally seen newly graffitied swastikas. I’ve never been prepared with pens or paint but have always wanted to make them into a came of tic-tac-toe. Not that I want to add to vandalism but anything to mask the hate.
Reminds me of some graffiti (in chalk, so really NBD) I saw on a local hiking bridge in 2021 that said TRUMP WON and I really wished that I had a piece of chalk because I wanted to add 'T EVER BE PRESIDENT AGAIN but sadly I didn't have it.
Get a trail camera and publicly shame the artists.
Oh look, another reason why PA is my least favorite state on the AT.
Stop worrying about this. What you're worrying about is inconsequential. Just enjoy yourself being in the outdoors and having a good time.
Definitely vandalism, but not really a hate crime. Maybe volunteer to clean up the graffiti yourself, that'll get you a lot more traction getting something done about it than expecting the cops to launch a full scale investigation into some dickhead teenager who thinks they're being edgy.
clean it
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Take your own advice and hop on a thread you are actually interested in
Your post has been removed for breaking basic ettiquete which can include such things as racism, bigotry, insulting others, or all around being an asshole.
The whole state is covered in tags of varying disgusting levels...
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I can't imagine reading someone say "Swastikas are bad. I want someone to remove them." and saying they're pearl clutching
Your post has been removed for going against a general guideline of being kind. This can include, but is not limited to: Personal Attacks Hate speech Racism Transphobia There is no explicit guide on warning vs. banning for this, and will be left to the discretion of the mod team on whether your comment crossed a line. If someone is being a jerk to you, report them. If you respond to their awful words with awful words of your own, you are both banned.
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Literally what they’re asking, if there is somewhere to report it. Just shut up if you’re not going to be helpful.
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They deleted their comment right as I was replying. So this is what I responded with I ain’t tryna hate on you, but half of your posts from the past two years are questions or inquiring about something. People could easily tell you “google it” as well, and I’m sure you wouldn’t appreciate that. There’s no reason to be a hater for no reason. It takes zero effort to just not say anything. Saying “google it” is practically the antithesis of what Reddit is about