Right to Roam

Alex:
Hey, is it legal/cool to just… walk across that field?

Riya:
That depends. In the U.S.? Probably not. In Scotland? Yes. In Sweden? They might offer you coffee.

Alex:
Yeah?

Riya:
Yeah. Scotland has a law from 2003 called the Land Reform Act that gives you broad rights to access most land as long as you're not being an idiot about it.

Alex:
What counts as “being an idiot”?

Riya:
Leaving trash, disturbing animals, setting fires, digging a big hole without asking. That sort of thing.

Alex:
Got it. What about Sweden?

Riya:
They have Allemansrätten—“Everyman’s Right.” You can walk, camp, forage, and basically be with nature almost anywhere. It’s less a law and more a deeply rooted social agreement that everyone seems to just honor.

Alex:
I assume the U.S. has something similar but somehow subscription-based?

Riya:
We have "trespassing." It’s a sacred tradition where landowners put up signs, and you get arrested for enjoying a tree that technically belongs to a telecommunications company.

Alex:
Wow. So where can I go here?

Riya:
Public lands, designated trails, national parks. Or private land where access is allowed or specifically granted.

Alex:
Does anyone try to change this?

Riya:
Yeah—various trail and access coalitions. But U.S. property law is basically a big billboard that says “No.”

Alex:
So in Sweden, land is sort of seen as something to share. And in America, it’s a dragon's hoard.

Riya:
Correct. And the dragon has a lawyer.