Chabot Gun Club Threatened with Closure

[PaintItBlack]

That's great, It would close down right when I become a member.

This is F'n BS No one lives close enough to hear the shots from the range.
I bet you it's those damn bicyclist tired of the traffic on that road from the range.
Because if that range is gone that road will be pretty much all theirs. I hate them so much!

[TeddyBallgame]

reminds me of people who purchase their homes near an airport, or, other loud facility, then, decide to complain about the noise coming from it...


talk about lack of foresight

[Skidmark]

That's great, It would close down right when I become a member.

This is F'n BS No one lives close enough to hear the shots from the range. I bet you it's those damn bicyclist tired of the traffic on that road from the range. Because if that range is gone that road will be pretty much all theirs. I hate them so much!

Dude... calm down. I've ridden my bicycle to the range (to shoot), so have others. As for the mix of bikes, motos and cages on Redwood, it seems the latter two are usually the ones annoyed at the former.

[PaintItBlack]

Dude... calm down. I've ridden my bicycle to the range (to shoot), so have others. As for the mix of bikes, motos and cages on Redwood, it seems the latter two are usually the ones annoyed at the former.

I have yet to see a bicyclist with a rifle case/bag or even a place to put a handgun going up there. The ones I run into are the ones in groups taking up the whole lane and not moving. 1 or 2 bicyclist on the side is not a problem, I just have the luck to get the ones who don't give a damn whose behind them.

[Sohum63]

If CA really cared about the whiny busy bodies it'd let us all have suppressors...for the children.
But seriously, this is the nicest range in the East Bay and I don't want to lose it! If this bs gets past the online petition phase I'm ready to fight it.

Funny, looks like whoever wrote the petition spicificly says supressors should be required, I agree, everybody on either side of this should be rallying for legalization and no tax stamp for suppressors then everybody can be happy.

[zonerdck]

On a side note does anybody think these petitions are disgusting. You have the option to sign the petition but absolutely no option to disagree with the petition (without signing it to leave a comment). I mean how one sided can you get. If you allow people a voice to comment on an issue you should in turn at least allow both sides of the argument to get involved. I know you can create your own petition but its just not the same.

[skilletboy]

Looks like I need to make some more trips down to Chabot for some range time. Money talks.

This.

[Cylarz]

This is an interesting coincidence - finding this thread on CG.

I was hiking in the hilly area south of Concord/Martinez in mid-December, and heard popping noises off in the distance. It sounded like gunfire but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

Tonight I looked on the map on Chabot's website, and realized that the Chabot club is right about where it should be, given the direction of origin and noise level of the sounds I was hearing. I had no idea that the East Bay even had outdoor gun ranges, but it makes sense, being that there are so many of these little canyons where it'd be safe to shoot, just outside of the cities.

It's frustrating to read about someone trying to shut down the gun club because of the racket. (Who wants to bet that the complainers are people who have lived in the area LESS time than Chabot has been open?)

I don't live anywhere nearby, but I do frequently shoot at a range near Sacramento...and development seems to be encroaching on it from all directions. There's undeveloped land all around it, any of which could be sold to developers at any time, who will proceed to put in a subdivision. The residents, in turn, will almost certainly start whining about the racket and/or claim there's a potential safety issue of stray rounds landing in their back yards. So I will be watching this closely - if Chabot is shut down, my local outdoor range might be next.

It's the same reason I lobbied against all the attempts to stop gun shows at the Cow Palace - because if they pass, then Cal Expo will be next. Etc.

[dfletcher]

Funny, looks like whoever wrote the petition spicificly says supressors should be required, I agree, everybody on either side of this should be rallying for legalization and no tax stamp for suppressors then everybody can be happy.

Actually that looks like an older one:

http://www.change.org/petitions/oakland-park-recreation-chabot-gun-club-end-noise-pollution-by-providing-and-or-requiring-silencers-on-guns-fired

The author of that petition takes the position shooters ought to be equipped with silencers. Do we really need to quote comedian Ron White on this one?

The more current one is found under a "MoveOn.org" site. I think this is a great opportunity for our more liberal members to help out and demonstrate, as we are oft reminded, that "liberals own guns too"?

The author of the petition can be contacted via the site, there's no requirement to vote - just click on his name.

[dfletcher]

It's frustrating to read about someone trying to shut down the gun club because of the racket. (Who wants to bet that the complainers are people who have lived in the area LESS time than Chabot has been open?)

Reading some of the responses it's clear that even without noise some people don't want the gun range to exist at all.

I have some experience dealing with similar situations. My concern is that restrictions will be incrementally put in place until over the long term public use of the range drops to a point sufficiently low that no real opposition to closure can be marshalled. Restrictions on days or time of use, number of shooters present or lanes available, perhaps even on calibers used, would have the effect over time of making the range less popular and eventually - well there will be no one left to object to closing it entirely.

I hope all are aware there's no satisfying these folks. They'll whittle away a bit at a time and ask for more. There will be the temptation to give in on some "reasonable" measures however I hope whomever our "powers that be" will oppose this from the start.

[SJ-Chris]

This is like people who move next door to an airport and then complain about the sounds of jetliners that fly overhead.

One of my favorites is people who buy homes right on the golf course and then get angry if a ball hits their home or if someone is looking for a ball near their yard...

[Bsandoc40]

One of my favorites is people who buy homes right on the golf course and then get angry if a ball hits their home or if someone is looking for a ball near their yard...

In the end, these types of people truly believe their lives are more important than everyone else's lives. Chabot has been around for decades. Most of want it closed aren't even from the area...

"It's for the children.... well for the hikers!!!"

[dfletcher]

In the end, these types of people truly believe their lives are more important than everyone else's lives. Chabot has been around for decades. Most of want it closed aren't even from the area...

"It's for the children.... well for the hikers!!!"

One of the petition signers wrote -

"The noise from the range travels far, and disturbs both the human and animal users of the hills."

I was previously and blissfully unaware of Dr. Doolittle as a resident of the involved area ....

[Bsandoc40]

I especially like this one...

"Why on earth does a park have a gun range to begin with? Aren't we trying to get rid of guns? Good heavens! I don't live near the park, but the idea of having to live in the sound range of gunshots is nightmare enough for people in other neighborhoods of Oakland. What a crazy idea to allow it in a park!"

So because people in Oakland are killing each other with illegally bought firearms and have no respect of life. Chabot should be closed and that will, somehow, make the killing streets of Oakland a better place...

Comments like that just shows how idiotically selfish people can get... because they walk to have some mediating sessions with nature no one else can enjoy their hobbies. Especially since Chabot have been there for decades... it is just NOW they feel that it should be closed because of the noise?

[Tac driver]

Whenever I am driving to Chabot (about twice a month) I only hear shooting on one particular stretch of the road that is directly above the target line. This is ridiculous!