The act of trespassing fascinated me. My hike took me through rarely-visited terrain, to places that no one gets to see or go to for fear of offending – or getting shot at by – landowners. The act of trespassing, by its very nature, is an act of transgression, but one in which the transgressor often feels no guilt, as he's done little more than harmlessly place his feet atop grass within someone else's property lines.
But more fascinating to me was the concept of ownership, and how America thinks of private property, the environment, and man's relationship with the earth. In the U.S., private property can be a dangerous, unwelcoming no man's land. But in Europe, there are laws guaranteeing rights to walkers, allowing them to walk and camp where they wish. In Finland, it's called "jokamiehenoikeus." In Sweden, "allemansrätten." In Scotland, "The Right to Roam."
In America, the "No Trespassing" culture is everywhere. It's in our cities, our suburbs, and especially our rural areas. Apart from designated public spaces (like city parks and wilderness areas), one is more or less forbidden from walking through his town's neighboring forests and fields. Sorry is the state of sauntering in 21st Century America, indeed.
I've learned that there are many reasons to put up a "No Trespassing" sign. It can be a facade of toughness to hide a face of fear; a token of xenophobia; a brash disavowal of society; the motto of a country that worships the act of possessing as much as that which it possesses; the notion that we ought not wander past cultural boundaries or color outside of socially-prescribed lines; the idea that something as un-ownable as grass, water, land and life can not only be owned, but withheld from everyone else. And sometimes, more simply, it's a hopeful attempt to keep out would-be criminals and hunters.
In an effort to better understand America's "No Trespassing" culture, I've started this photo blog, for which I'll seek out and share photos of "No Trespassing" signs wherever I can find them. Submissions, national and international, are welcomed and encouraged. (See the "How to submit" page for details.) – Ken Ilgunas
