Runner Fined for Using Trail During Gov. Shutdown; ‘Essential’ Congressional Gym Still Open

A jogger in Pennsylvania has been issued a $100 fine for using a public trail at the Valley Forge National Historical Park, because the park was actually closed as a result of the government shutdown. John Bell, who is fighting the fine with the help of a lawyer to raise awareness about the shutdown of public land, says that there were no posted notices, notifications regarding the closure or barricades at the park’s trailhead. Bell told Runner’s World magazine, “After the shock wore off, I thought ‘this isn’t right,’ they shouldn’t restrict people from exercising and trying to stay healthy in a public park.” In other news, the taxpayer funded gym for members of Congress will stay open during the government shutdown, because, obviously, a personal luxury for the very lawmakers who closed the government has been deemed “essential”. Let them eat Clif Bars …