It took him five to ten seconds to realize that he was on a road with a driving ban, explains Tyler Pearce, who shares his cycling adventures with his 150,000+ followers as a vegan cyclist. He lives near Yosemite National Park and knows how strongly it is protected.

These seconds would probably have remained without consequences had he not made them the content of a social media post. This earned him a police report. Disregarding the driving ban in the national park is a serious offense, the public prosecutor told him on the phone, recommending that he find a lawyer.

He was also told that the consequences could include a fine of 5,000 dollars and up to six months in prison, he explained in a post on Instagram about this life-changing episode. He has never seen his freedom questioned as much as at that moment.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by VC Adventure Time (@vcadventuretime)

The deal: free, but with a criminal record

In the end, he was able to avert the worst by pleading guilty and showing remorse - he had immediately dismounted and pushed his bike when he noticed the mistake. The full penalty would have ruined him and his family, he is convinced.

What remains is 12 months' probation, a three-month ban from Yosemite Park and a 350-dollar fine. And Tyler Pearce now has a criminal record. This is all part of the deal he made with the public prosecutor's office. He also had to delete all material relating to the incident, which is why the post of offense can no longer be viewed. He is now on a watch list and all his future publications will be reviewed.

The authorities obviously take the protection of Yosemite National Park very seriously, which is to be welcomed. In the case of the vegan, they are primarily concerned with deterring copycats. This is likely to work for those who live off social media posts.

The case is reminiscent of that of ride tour author Martin Depauli, who climbed the Grossvenediger (3657 m) in Tyrol by mountain bike and reported on it on his YouTube channel. There, it is the judge himself who trims the state's charges and reduces the required fine of 3,000 euros - per person for Martin Depauli and his girlfriend Vici - to 500 euros. Furthermore, "it cannot be assumed that the preservation of the natural landscape in its diversity, uniqueness, beauty and originality was significantly more endangered by the complainant's act than by hikers, mountaineers or ski tourers who use the same route as the complainant."

The same could probably have been said of gravel biking on a footpath in Yosemite. At least if the imitators had also descended as quickly as the vegan cyclist.