Would you please remove, “There's Been a Change of Plans”, as there isn't safe access? (2021-Feb-17)
MinusFive-ING
Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
Title of the Wayspot: There's Been a Change of Plans
Location: 36.466522,-121.91465
City: Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
Country: US
Additional Information:
I am submitting this appeal on behalf of Ingress Agent NamasteAtLOMB. The rejection email is from NamasteAtLOMB. Please consider removing this wayspot. It is in Garrapata State Park, on a trail that's been closed since 2016 due to safety issues. The reasons for closure have been cited as fires, “trail entrenchment”, and “loss of trail infrastructure.” Additionally, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has indicated that the issues, "present a clear health and safety issue to visitors". Please see the following news release URL from the California Parks as the source for quotes above.
California Parks News Release
https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/705
Also, the following URL suggests that the safety issues and closures are still ongoing.
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/BigSur/Garrapata.html
Photos to support your claim:
I’ll add the rejection email photo in a subsequent comment.
Comments
Its appeal is based only on game strategy, just because an ingress agent has been holding the portal for several months. There is no indication that the candidate is no longer valid, if he wants to destroy the links that come out of him, adventure into the forest and reach the wayspot like anyone else.
The agent who holds the portal in question hasn’t been active in many, many years according to local Intel. It was captured before the portal became inaccessible. It hasn’t just been “a few months”.
If what the original poster says is accurate, that the area has been closed due in part to safety concerns, that would seem like the meaning of "no safe pedestrian access." That said, I am not sure whether Niantic will agree, or if they will want a request from the park management.
For the trolls that can't be bothered to take the time to follow a links and read, let me give you the tl;dr
From the California State Park webpage:
What is currently closed?
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=579
From a California Redwood Hiker's Guide website:
Soberanes Fire
Most of Garrapata State Park has been closed since the 2016 Soberanes Fire. The first 1.25 miles of the Soberanes Canyon Trail has been re-opened, but rest of the trail and the Rocky Ridge Trail are closed indefinitely.
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/BigSur/Garrapata.html
Long story, short: The trail is CLOSED, if not gone. This portal is inaccessible to EVERYONE.
The park is closed ... You don't have access, curiously, all 3 who are complaining about the wayspot in question are from the resistance team and whoever uses the wayspot in question is from the Enl team, the question is clear, it is pure strategic interest the removal of the valid wayspot, until a person from the area comes to comment that he agrees, I see only a strategic move.
The park is closed *for safety reasons*. This is a hugely important distinction from wayspots that simply have restricted access (at least it seems so to me).
You can argue team politics all you like, but bipartisan evidence has been presented that shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the portal in question is entirely inaccessible unless you're lucky enough to own some sort of aircraft.
The only reason this is coming into question now of all times is because the portal--once a guardian for a retired agent--has now been used for the purpose of throwing durable blockers to stop players in Santa Cruz (both ENL and RES alike) from throwing any fields. Which is fine! But the problem here is Change of Plans is inaccessible so no one--not even ENL--can physically visit the portal. Not even with a BGAN and all of the physical endurance to make it down there. Durable blockers are fine, but blockers rendered invincible by natural disasters? That isn't. It doesn't matter what team you're on.
The park/trail the portal is a part of is closed by the CA government for safety issues. It doesn't get more bipartisan than that. Just because one team would ostensibly benefit (very little, because there's still Point Sur and that's very durable) from the portal's removal doesn't render this issue moot.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation indicated in their news release that the trail problems, “present a clear health and safety issue to visitors". There is no safe pedestrian access. Therefore, the location is ineligible by the following rule:
"adventure into the forest and reach the wayspot like anyone else."
Though I believe you meant "venture into the forest", there is no forest left to venture into.
From Wikipedia:
The Soberanes Fire was a large wildfire that burned 57 homes and killed a bulldozer operator, and cost about $260 million to suppress, making it at the time the most expensive wildfire to fight in United States history. The Soberanes Fire was the result of an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park. The fire burned 132,127 acres (53,470 ha) along the Big Sur coast in the Los Padres National Forest, Ventana Wilderness, and adjacent private and public land in Monterey County, California. At the fire's peak, over 5,000 personnel were assigned to the blaze. At the time that it was extinguished, the Soberanes fire ranked 18th on the list of the top 20 largest California wildfires, in terms of acreage burned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soberanes_Fire
You can see below, a profile of the hike. After the vegetation was burned off, subsequent rains have washed away the trail. Someone will attempt to climb this mountain, an there's a good chance they will be injured, or worse yet, killed. It's only a matter of time.
Maybe some of the objecting parties need to “venture into the wilderness” and prove that there is still safe access, however it sounds to me that an attempt should not be made due to dangerous conditions.
Appeal Accepted - Thanks for the appeal, Agent. We gave this a second look and after reviewing the additional evidence provided, we've decided to retire the Portal in question.
Thank-you Niantic. The world is now a safer place, since no one will be tempted to hike that closed and dangerous trail.
Thanks for your consideration, @NianticKK
This is the problem with WF. People turning valid appeals into faction warfare. If the trail has no acess, and has been closed by the Parks and Rec Department for being unsafe, it's because it's unsafe, it doesn't matter if it's Enl, Res, Obama or the Pope holding the portal. No access and unsafe location = removed. Niantic did the right thing here, and you and many others who have the same train of thought like you shouldn't be allowed to use the service. You're clearly misguided and have ill intentions.