Originally Posted by
bbbean
I have lost tens of thousands of dollars over the years to trespassers who have vandalized my farm, stolen equipment from my farm, damaged crops, interfered with equipment, created safety hazards, etc. People have used my farm for a variety of criminal activities. Many, if not most rural landowners can tell similar tales. YOU may only intend to pitch a tent and roll out in the roll out in the morning, but I can't tell that just from looking at you. None of that even addresses privacy, liability, or hazards you may not be aware of.
First, I agree with you 100%. I have friends who own weekend farms and drive there from the city. Farms are vacant all week. Theft is a huge problem, not to mention target practice aimed at valuable property including livestock. Do you imagine that even one of these crimes could be attributed to bicycle tourists? Speaking for myself, my load is big enough out there cycling self contained for months on end. Unless I came across a solid gold brick at the edge of your property, or paper money blowing down the road, I would not want to carry so much as an extra matchstick.
Originally Posted by
bbbean
But ultimately, all the considerations come down to one simple concept. The property isn't yours. It belongs to someone else, and they haven't invited you to use it. So don't use it. If you want to use it, ask permission. This isn't complicated.
Do you have signs surrounding your property with your phone number listed? If land has "No Trespassing" or "Posted" signs at legal distances along the roadside I certainly wouldn't go past them. I'm too allergic to poison ivy (not fond of tics and chiggers either) to stealth camp most places anyway but posted land would be bottom on my list. I would never cross a fence either. My biggest fear is the local kids out shooting coyotes or whatever after dark with a light and mistaking a reflector on my shoe for a varmint with 4-legs! It could happen. That would certainly put the landowner in a pickle. Farm dogs finding me a 3am wouldn't be too good either.
I can't argue with you because you are right. I also know that a savvy stealth camper could come and go from a carefully chosen location and no one would ever know.