Buy Bad; and Park Your Junk?

BUY BAD; AND PARK YOUR JUNK?

Love the one you’re with and let the others you’re not with know why!

By Del & Stacie Albright

If you buy off-road parts from a company that does not support landuse, trails, raffles or off-road organizations, you are buying “bad” and you might as well go green and park your junk!  I’m not being harsh here; I’m being real.  I’ve been off-roading for 50 years and working in landuse for 30. We’ve come far enough in the landuse world that EVERY club, business, group, virtual club, whatever, knows we are losing trails to enviro-exclusionary elitists and we have to fight back!  Companies not on the landuse team in some way (commensurate with their size) and merely making money from our love of our sports need to be brought to justice – the justice of our pocket books.

If you are buying from outfits merely because they’re cheap and not checking to see if they support landuse, you might as well give a similar amount of money to the Sierra Club or other anti-access groups trying EVERY DAY to shut us down.   It’s that simple.

Famous Red Jeep parked in garage....

So what can we  do to make sure we ARE buying from outfits that are in the game.  Here’s the simple process:

1. Ask them if and how they support landuse.
2. Find out what events they show up at and if they are donating to the event raffle --- that raffle hopefully supports landuse in some way and not just some warm and fuzzy cause solely.
3. Look at their website to see what links they offer in the landuse world (United 4WDA, BlueRibbon Coalition, state organizations, AMA, ASA, etc.); and…
4. Check out your state association and regional off-road groups to see what businesses THEY claim as members and supporters (on their website and in their newsletter where some list levels of sponsorship even).

Now let’s say you really love a company but they failed on all the above checks….just get in touch and give them a chance to “convert” to supporting pro-access efforts.   Get a few buddies to jump in with you.  Be fair.  If they don’t covert, STOP buying from them and let them know why.  You will be helping  to SAVE our sports and keep our trails open by doing that.

On the other hand, let’s say you buy from an outfit that is ALWAYS showing up with product donations to raffles, giving to landuse organizations, supporting the cause of access on their website and in their newsletters…..GIVE THEM A HUG – publicly!  Say so on forums when it’s appropriate.  Let your buddies know about the “good guys.” Be outspoken why YOU buy from the businesses who support keeping our trails open.  This has to go two ways  -- love the one you’re with and let the others you’re not with know WHY!

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