There are many "letter of the law" people in this world. You can't really argue with the fact that trespassing is illegal. And if the whole world practiced what they preached (and this poster may very well be a saint) it would be a better place. I think we all agree that the advice we should be giving is that stealth camping is mostly illegal, and we shouldn't do it. Bike touring has it's implicit challenges however. I have come danged close to being caught out a few times, often due to the campground that was supposed to be there was shut down for one reason or another. Before the days of cellphones, you put in a 100+ mile day against a headwind and find your legal spot does not exist, what are you going to do? I would never have set out on my first tour if I thought camping stealth in an "emergency" would get me executed on the spot.

People who speed in cars take their chances. They have a million ways to justify breaking the law, or give it zero thought. Speeders increase risk on the road for everyone. Strict enforcement does not even seem to help. It is not a great leap to go from wanton lawlessness on the highway by motorists to someone willing to risk a night in a poison ivy patch. It's all illegal, but should not be that difficult to understand the CONCEPT of breaking the law when it hurts no one.

I guess if you found some stranger sleeping in your car it might set you back a minute. I am trying to understand the aversion to occasional harmless "trespassing" myself. I guess this is as close as I can get to that feeling. If some dude(s) were camping for one night on my front lawn without permission I woudn't give a dang, much less under a shrub two miles from my house. Obviously, everyone is not like me and thankfully so. "What If" they get hurt on my property? What if the mailman gets hurt on my property? That guy/gal shows up every day. I have liability insurance.