What To Do

This morning I felt an urge to write. I started a story. I did not finish. I looked at the Ayn Rand Institute's Atlas Shrugged essay contest. I liked one topic, but I decided I am too old for book reports.

Then I found this post in ML's blogosphere. I am not commenting directly on the blog partly because I am misinterpreting the post, partly because I have no courage, and partly because I wanted to write something at length.

It angers me when "fair weather exercisers" do not put their weights back properly. It angers me they do not respect the weight room.

But the "fair weather exercisers" are not the problem in the gym or on the trail. When I lifted at Gold's, I payed $50 a month, but the weights were arranged properly. I saw fewer "fair weather exercisers." Of course there were some, but the $50 a month kept many away. (The explicit and implicit rules [big guys] of the gym forced the "fair weather exercisers" to respect the weight room.)

Now I do not pay any monthly dues. Every taxpayer pays the same. The "fair weather exercisers" pay the same as everyday exercisers. Their taxes have purchased the right to put weights wherever they please. Everyday exercisers cannot cancel their memberships. They do not have any mechanism to force respect. The "fair weather exercisers" are subsidizing everyday exercisers.

I am stealing from those people who do not use the weight room.

The trail is the same way. I have never been on the trail, but I have helped pay for it.

Here is a dialogue from Atlas Shrugged:

"Ragnar Danneskjold: I've chosen a special mission of my own. I'm after a man whom I want to destroy. He died many centuries ago, but until the last trace of him is wiped out of men's minds, we will not have a decent world to live in."

Hank Rearden: "What man?"

Danneskjold: "Robin Hood.""

The modern world is trying to be both the poor peasants and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham with government acting as Robin Hood. We take from gym rats and give to trail blazers. Then we take from trail blazers and give to gym rats. Then we take from the lazy and those who prefer private memberships and give to both the rats and the blazers. Even if it all evens out, it still does not make sense.

We as a society do not need trails and gyms. Some individuals within our society want trails and gyms. Only those individuals should pay for the gym and trails. Then they can enforce whatever rules they want. Then everyday exercisers could avoid "fair weather exercisers." Everyone would be happier.