TV program about greenlaning

[che2318]

[QUOTE=Apache;742288]Dunno why everyone cant just get on...

Years back, when I lived in North West Wales, I was mountain biking with a couple of locals somewhere well off the beaten track in the Rhinogs. We did it a lot and never saw a soul up there. One saturday we came towards a bloke on his own with a map and the long socks, ski poles etc.

He waved us down and then started laying into us for riding on a footpath. Funny thing was, he was shouting the odds in a broad brummie accent, having turned up for a walking holiday. My Welsh mate said very calmly to him 'my father owns this land, this is not a footpath, now get off my land before I kick your '******* arse off it'

Much fumbling of maps and mutterings he wandered off down the track. It *was* a footpath, and my mate didn't own the land, but how dare he moan about 3 bikers riding a track that was barely ever used except by us!

My point is, we were all ready to shout a cheery hello, maybe have a chat, and expect the same back. What would have been the issue? Some folk aren't happy unless they're whining about something.


I should hope most people would have just said hello and been cheerful, but you do get some that go over the top. When there is barely a soul around like the place you pictured, it does strike me as odd how someone would go off on one. Maybe you should have offered him a jam sandwich.

It just annoys me how 4x4s get demonised by walkers, even though byways are for use of everyone. If they want to walk, then there are far more walking paths and hills and moors to walk on than there are for vehicles to drive on.

[Wolfracer]

Yes, to answer your q Wolf, i would like to go for a ride out to Chirpit!! Just say the word!!

The Word

Oneidadan?
Rustinho?
Animal?
Growler?
Any others?

Can we stop at that pub they have their meetings at as well please?

[VidaMusic]

The Word

Oneidadan?
Rustinho?
Animal?
Growler?
Any others?

Can we stop at that pub they have their meetings at as well please?

Mate i know exactly where the pub is since i've had food/drink there before, i used to see a chick yrs ago who lived in that village.
Lets all meet there, fill car park with Surf's, then go and find this Chirpit lane. Yes, Yes, Yes i am available at the drop of a hat - for this esp!!

[che2318]

would be quite a nice day out, we could all get fish and chips and go park up for the views.

[madmanc]

I have to admit that i agree with the statement that the program content was heavily biast towards the walkers and the Village people!!! When you watch some of the footage there are walks that are untouched by Mechanical vehicle but yet they see one little lane as theirs to own.

I wanted to see more green laninig!!

I to had the thought or going to the village and having a nice quiet meet in the local pub and making sure we had enough Surfs to take over the car park... But we need to get other off road clubs involved so that we are not singled out as trouble makers.

But if you let me know when you are planning on going i will see what we are doing and join the meet.

[VidaMusic]

well me and a couple mates, defo in..

2 x Surfs
2 x Landys
1 x Maverick
2 x Paj's

[Karma Supra]

If a horse is going down the lane, the walkers get out the way and stand to the side, but when the motox bike came down they just stood all over the lane and tried getting in front of it! it just seems like they willingly get in the way and dont stand aside just so they can complain.

They would love that wouldn't they, these sort of people would happily put them self in harm in the hope of an injury.... so they can kick up a huge fuss and give them more "ammo" for getting things closed off....

I love the idea of a mass convoy up that lane!

[Esilvester]

Regardless of who is right or wrong in the argument for and against green laning, I think that 4x4 users need to be more open to compromise; Taking a hardline often leads to hard responses and public opinion may not be on your side. You may loose rights access completely and legally and when its gone its gone for good.

Tread lightly and appease these people as if you antagonise them you create more groups, more lobbying and more calls for closure. Look for compromises, gain some moral high-ground and look to become the good guys in the argument.

[che2318]

Regardless of who is right or wrong in the argument for and against green laning, I think that 4x4 users need to be more open to compromise; Taking a hardline often leads to hard responses and public opinion may not be on your side. You may loose rights access completely and legally and when its gone its gone for good.

Tread lightly and appease these people as if you antagonise them you create more groups, more lobbying and more calls for closure. Look for compromises, gain some moral high-ground and look to become the good guys in the argument.

That goes without saying, but when you have a group like themselves, they wont compromise, they just use the same battered arguements about environment and safety and more TRO's are put into place. Before long, there will be no Byways left for motorvehicle access.


I am always curtious and friendly to people I come across but alot of them still look at you with disgust.

One way round the restricted access is to tow a horse trailer to the Byway, take the horse out and connect it to the front of the truck then have the horse tow you greenlaning.

[Esilvester]

"Before long, there will be no Byways left for motorvehicle access. "

This is why its important to throw them a fish now.

[Karma Supra]

I did chuckle when the 4x4 guys decided to offer to cut back some vegitation....

Somehow I have kind of guessed the response from the conservationist types....

[che2318]

lol, they did not look to impressed with that offer did they.

I know they said that the Byways were becomming uneven and 'dangerous' to walk, but surely when you walk in the countryside the landscape is uneven and can be tricky at times? You would not go and walk the countryside if it was laid with asphalt and grit.


What sort of offer could you give/arrange with people like that? They seem to want a complete ban, no negotiating or offers.
Maybe create a website or email address for advanced notice of intentions to ride the Byway with a motorvehicle?
Anything needing too much money expenditure will incur costs and people will not be willing to pay to use what is essentially a Byway for everyone to use legally and free in the first place.



It is indeed a tricky one.

[Esilvester]

It is a tricky one - and its only a right of way while the law is on our side. - it can change and I think it will.

The day trip above, although fun, could do more harm than good in the long term. GLASS needs to think long and hard about some compromises that will protect the long term access to these lanes.

An offer to finance erosion issues caused by car AND other lane users would make the ramblers and riders reliant on the 4x4 drivers to upkeep the lanes and secure their long-term access. A new 4x4 off road tax disk. This would not be popular but its the sort of compromise that needs to be considered as it would balance the argument in our favour. At the moment they are winning the moral argument and public opinion but if banning us meant that the roads would loose their maintenance, they'd have to put up or shut up. The parks would back this as currently the upkeep is on their books; money talks.

What ever is decided its not going to be popular on either side, but I fear without compromise we will loose access to these roads in time.

[che2318]

The tax disc idea might sway some, but I am not sure how that would work in regards to covering all Byways open to motor trafiic across the country. If you were to introduce a off road tax then the amount of motor traffic using the Byway would increase, due to people wanting to get their moneys worth out of the tax disc, therefore increasing the amount of erosion.

It does seem like an endless situation, but to put it simply, the law was put there to allow anyone to use these Byways, the fact that they are willing to make the law easily changeable to prevent motor traffic access should be the issue that is addressed. There are ample footpaths, hills, moors, lowlands, woodlands and mountains that are restricted for motor vehicle use and available for walkers, ramblers etc, but only a small number of Byways with permission for motor vehicles.

We could argue that walkers/ramblers should not use asphalt roads that have no paths stating that they are for motor vehicles only, imagine the uproar from that one.

[Maverick]

None of the sugestions would work, because for compromise to happen you require reasonable people. These are zealots. They would take the crumbling paths in preference to allow us to use them. Remember the ramblers got most of their power by using force.

My firm made the mistake of sending an anti 4x4 person to my site to be trained. I ended up sending him home early and advising them to send someone else. They can't see sense, even if it is fired up them with a rocket.

Never let facts get in the way of opinion!