Creative No-Entry Gate in Iceland

Another recent sighting in Iceland, will include pic when I get my camera hooked up: Metal gate to a restricted area is anchored by huge dozer blade from possibly a big Komatsu. The blade sits face-down off to one side, with big piece of I beam welded into it as upright support for gate hinges. The metal gate itself looks quite flimsy compared to everything supporting it. BTW the area beyond the gate is just a borrow-pit for rocks and gravel, not sure why they don't want anyone going back there. If you want to steal a rock, there are plenty on this side of the gate.

In N MN gravel pits seem to attract folks who want to dump garbage, shoot up a bunch of glass bottles and then leave a mess. I understand the
gate, it's not about stealing rocks!

Maybe they're kleptomaniacal petrologists. Like JonF eluded to.

Gravel pits around here all have a half million dollars worth of machinery and trucks sitting back there.
If it were my property, I wouldn't want anyone plucking around back there either.

RedMF40--I've been enjoying your pictures and descriptions of Iceland--certainly a different landscape than what most of us are used to! Worked with an old gent many years ago who had been stationed in Iceland--said the land was beautiful, if often harsh, though there was enough volcanic activity that many areas were actually warmer than he was used to having grown up here in northern NY. Also said the women were beautiful and very friendly, but the men were big enough that you were VERY careful about who you were friendly with, especially as the long nights and winters led to lots of drinking.

Here in NY, gravel pits tend to attract all sorts of activities that the owners don't like, and I can't blame them for discouraging trespassing. Problems I've seen include using them for target ranges with the associated mess and possibilities for ricochets, windows shot out, and other problems, garbage dumping, parties with bonfires and broken bottles, unauthorized use of equipment, vandalism, ATV and 4x4 hill climbing, fishing and swimming in the ponds that are often on the property for washing gravel, and lots of similar problems besides the obvious theft of materials.

Maybe trespassing is a crime in Iceland but here in the US an unsecured gravel pit is called an "attractive nusiance" when people trespass, hurt themselves, and sue the owner for a big payoff.

Heck, even a secured gravel pit can land the owner in the poor house. They can jump the fence (personal injury lawyer says, should've built it higher), or tear down the gate (personal injury lawyer says, should've built it stronger), run inside, get hurt, and sue.

TimV--thank you, glad you enjoy. It's a place I've been to many times, spent one winter in the wild northwest and had snow like you wouldn't believe. Avalanches over the one road, town cut off for couple days, just a wild time. But the nature here is from another time, as lots of earth forces at work still shaping the landscape. Very dangerous place for those who come unprepared. Tragically a german woman was swept out into the ocean right off the beach in front of her family who almost drowned as well. Not an isolated incident.
For Icelandic women, yes--some of most beautiful in the world from what I've seen. Everyone very friendly here, I should add--men and women ;-)
For the gravel pit--yes I saw some evidence of dumping. Old tv set, something burnt. On the other side of the gate was just more rocks and gravel. That area wasn't being used anymore. Good idea for the gate, as it keeps vehicles and mischief-makers out. Thanks for the comments, I'll post more pics when I have a moment.

Back when I was in high school, the weekend hobby one heard in the halls was 'what time do we meet at the quarry and who's bringing the keg?'.

Across the river, so the next county, was/is a red stone quarry, and it had a nice gravel road but quiet and secluded, big enough area for a bonfire and parking.

Attitudes about drinking and kids behaviors were a little different, think the cops and sheriffs let it go on so as to know where the kids were weekend to weekend.

Surprised the quarry owners let it happen without getting serious about it.

Paul