

DICK PARSONS, San Clemente

I, like many who live in this wonderful community, loved the Beach Trail when it opened—the fresh air, exercise, the smell of the Pacific and the sound of the waves. Now, I hardly ever use it.

Why? Because of the motor bikes that speed along up to 30 mph whizzing by you. If you are looking ahead, no problem; you can see them coming. If they come up behind you, you hope they are good drivers.

I can’t remember the number of actual times they have missed me by just a few inches coming from the rear, but it is at least 20 or more. So, I no longer use the trail, but walk along the beach.

There are no speed-limit signs posted. The only “walk your bikes” signs are right at the pier entrance—none anywhere else. Since this problem is public knowledge, and has been written many times in San Clemente Times’ Letters to the Editor section, if someone gets hit and is injured, the city is facing liability, and we, as taxpayers, will foot the bill.

The city council will clearly be found negligent, because they have known about this issue beforehand. While the injured party might try to sue the biker who hit them—if they can catch him—the injured will go where the deep pockets are, and that is the city.

The city needs to address this issue now before it becomes a legal problem. Posting and enforcing speed limits (to the best that one can) will protect all the people who live in San Clemente and use the trail.


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