Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 90 total)
  • Moral dillema
  • barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    I'm blushing whilst writing this, but here goes – a few weeks ago, I was riding along the canal bank, about twenty miles into an all day run, when I had to stop for a group of blokes setting up their fishing gear for a match. After having to do this about four or five times, it was starting to wear a bit thin. Anyhow, the next group I got to were young lads (probably about 15 -16). I braked, and shouted excuse me, one of them started moving his gear out of the way, but the rest ignored me. I set off again, but didnt notice, due to the low sun directly in my eyes, that one of them had left a carbon fibre rod across the path. I know it was carbon because of the noise it made as it went under my front wheel! I began apologising / remonstrating with them (an odd mix, I know), but then thought '**** em' and rode off with the jolly taunts of 'w***er' ringing in my ears. Still feeling uncomfortable about this, and was wondering what anybody else would have done under the circumstances.

    snowslave
    Full Member

    You should have offered to pay for what you broke?

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Part of me says you should have paid for his pole (now thats something I never thought I'd say) but part of me suggests that he should keep his pole under control and not obstruct pathways etc and that if he's going to do so he accepts there's risks involved.

    IT could just as easily have been a fibreglass one BTW, not that that helps.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    IanMunro
    Free Member
    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    I decided to do just that, but they'd gone by the time I got back.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    What exactly do they use those poles for, and why do they get so uppity when they lay them across the pathway as a tripping/ride-overing hazard anyway?

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    Because theyre fish bothering ba****ds, thats why! (actually just taking the p**s, I used to go fishing myself when I was a young 'un)

    Jujuuk68
    Free Member

    If it had been the other way round, and you were in some sort of competition, at a place freely available to you, but because you were a bit slow for someone else who you needed to share space with, they picked up your expensive mountainbike and tossed it in the river, would you praise them for their public spiritedness?

    It's a crowded place we all have the right to enjoy, sometimes its best to keep calm. Couldn't you have just varied your route?

    woodsman
    Free Member

    Pay up! 🙂

    But also giving them a bollocking for leaving it there – something like that I think.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    If you really want to make amends find the name of the local fishing club and contact them explainign that you want to pay for a new rod and do they know who the kid was that had his one broken?

    danger of that is that it is a £2500 one, not some £50 cheapie…

    In future – if you see people setting up for a fishing match then take a different route?

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    I actually did stay calm – I rode over his rod (ooer missus) accidentally, its the fact that I rode away that makes me feel like a t**t.

    ski
    Free Member

    Some of those poles they use can cost thousands, might have been a cheap whip or a landing net pole.

    Bet the next cyclist they came across got a catapult load of maggots 😉

    Pook
    Full Member

    If i was a young lad, who'd probably saved up to get that rod, I'd be gutted, knowing that it might take me a few years to save up for a new one.

    However, you're in barnsley. So he's probably already nicked his replacement.

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    Ouch.

    firestarter
    Free Member

    ouch my mate does pole fishing and just had two of his poles pinched from his van over 5grand to replace the two ;-(

    BlingBling
    Free Member

    Psychology student in acting a w@nker shocker.

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    I think it is very decent of you to feel bad about it rather than getting ratty with fisherfolk, but I'm not sure there's much you can reliably do about compensating the correct person for what (if anything) you broke.

    Used to ride out a lot along the Lee in North London, and it was pretty hopeless when there was fishing on. Just got quite used to walking a lot of sections. 🙂

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    What i can never grasp is why those huge 15ft poles are used to catch something the size of a fish finger?
    Why spend all that time and money to prove you are only slightly smarter than a fish?

    Having said that, you did break someones kit so you really should make an offer to pay up.

    sobriety
    Free Member

    Contact them (via the angling club) and offer to go halves?

    simonfbarnes
    Free Member

    I've always wanted to do that – if you went fast enough you could get half a dozen 🙂 Crunchtastic!

    [edit] but of course I never would!

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    It was a rod, not a pole – think I would feel even worse if it had been, as theyre even more bloody expensive. I suppose I'm just trying to justify myself here, but I did ask them to shift their gear, and they did ignore me, and it was accidental, and oh b***ocks to it, I still feel like sh*t. I'll probably follow wwaswas' sugestion and contact the local fishing club. Then again maybe not, I'll still have my guilt to keep me warm – can you tell I'm a (lapsed) Catholic?

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    "Psychology student in acting a w@nker shocker."

    Qualified actually bling. Welcome back, tossbag.

    BlingBling
    Free Member

    Mitch next time I'm in my car and you're on the road riding your bike I'll beep to let you know you should move, if you dont you'll be under my wheels 😈

    snowslave
    Full Member

    A play, set in Barnsley:

    Tiny Barnsley Tim: Daddy, today I am going to take the nice fishing rod down to the canal with my friends. Hopefully we can catch a few fish, and maybe I'll even win a prize, and oh daddy, you'll be so proud of me, for we'll have fresh fish for tea and maybe something to celebrate?

    Tiny Barnsley Tim's Dad: Why yes my son. Ever since your mother died when trying to rescue the kids from the orphanage fire, we've had things pretty tough. I know you understand I'm trying to do my best, but the TB I picked up from working in the mines means we have to eat food that can be delivered through the letter box. But hey, you go out and get some fresh air. I know it'll be the first time you've been out in months, what with all the time you spend caring for your sick grandfather. And maybe you'll win a cash prize, and we can treat ourselves to some potatoes to turn into chips and we can eat them with the nice fresh fish you catch. Good luck, son. And hey, remember to look after that rod – it was given to me in grateful recognition for my services to the community. Ah those were the days, when I could still get about…. [tears well up in his eyes].

    Tiny Barnsley Tim: OK dad, so long as you're sure grandfather will be ok just for a few hours. I'll be especially careful, and I'll bring along Andrew and Julian too. They're awfully sensible, and between the three of us surely no harm can come to that fantastic rod we'll never be able to afford to replace?

    [Next scene: Barnsley canal. The chums have baited their lines, they've spotted a big fish, surely this will be their day, Tiny Barnsley Tim's family are going to eat like kings!]

    Tiny Barnsley Tim: Hey, Julian! Andrew! Look over there – if I can just lure that big trout I think I'll win the competition?

    Julian: How super for you Tiny Barnsley Tim, you're father will be so proud. But oh look, there's a man on a mountain bike coming our way, pretty jolly fast too. It looks a lovely bike, I bet he really enjoys getting out in the countryside with his friends, rather like us three do?

    Andrew: Why certainly – it's a beaut for sure.

    Barnsleymitch rides over Tiny Barnsley Tim's rod.

    The end…..

    Olly
    Free Member

    i see where your coming from, its a bit sh!t, them cluttering up the path that it there for everybodies use, and i would probably grumble on the way past.
    and it was was an accident.
    and if they cant be bothered to move thier crap out the way when someone wants to pass, then they havent much right to complain i dont think.

    i was erring towards offering to compensate the poor we tyke, but having re read it, stuff the scrote.

    be prepared to be pushed in the river on your commute home one day…..

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    I would try to find him and pay up – after all the poor lad had no opportunity to move it and you were clearly annoyed at the time and had run out of patience. They had every right to be there, although I agree they shouldn't have blocked the path, it would have taken no time for you to wait for it to be moved had you seen it. You were using a multi-use path and should have ridden with respect for all the other users.

    I once snapped a very expensive (for me at the time) rod when it was taped to my top tube on the way to the river and it somehow got caught in my spokes. 🙁

    BlingBling
    Free Member

    I notice how the psycology student didn't ride over any of the adults rods….but waited until he reached the kiddy section.

    What a LOSER.

    Olly
    Free Member

    love the play snowslave.

    i think it totally depends on whether they were "nice scrotes"

    or 'orrid scrotes for which you would drop a gear as a habit while passing, incase you felt the need to scarper as they happy slapped you, or grabbed at you ipod.

    simonfbarnes
    Free Member

    They had every right to be there

    and moreover, unless you have a permit your not supposed to be riding there 🙂

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I really can't believe you did that. You'd obviously worked out there was a match on, and yet you carried on riding? Personally, noting that, I'd have got off the towpath ASAP because you're never going to enjoy the ride

    Imagine you'd been doing an XC race and someone came the other way on a motorcrosser, and ran over your bike. Same thing.

    I'm glad you feel guilty, because you are.

    barnsleymitch
    Free Member

    snowslave – choked me up.
    blingbling – it's a shame that we'll probably never meet. You appear to hold me responsible for 'getting labrat banned' – I dont know if he actually did get banned, but stop for a minute and ask yourself what was so offensive about both his and your posts. Feel any different? Let it go, FFS.

    TerryWrist
    Free Member

    No way should you pay for it.

    You should sue them for everything they've got as it's quite likely that you will drop dead fairly soon as the slivers of carbon make their way towards your heart.

    Fishermen are murderers. I'm off to phone the Mail and start a campaign to ban this scum.

    BlingBling
    Free Member

    blingbling – it's a shame that we'll probably never meet.

    Why's that fella? 😈

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    BlingBling is labrat, and I claim my £5. And then walk away from this thread as BlingBling is making it a dull personal fight. 😆

    BlingBling
    Free Member

    BlingBling is labrat

    P*** off! 😉

    Pook
    Full Member

    While that play's good an' all – a kid called Julian in Barnsley would be in the canal, rather than fishing by it.

    😀

    DrJ
    Full Member

    danger of that is that it is a £2500 one, not some £50 cheapie…

    2500 quid? You could buy a car for that!

    hora
    Free Member

    sobriety – Member

    Contact them (via the angling club) and offer to go halves?

    Thats what I thought. Like on the road- its shared responsibility. He was setting up- its not a race track, he also has every right to be there as you do. If someone drove over your bike- you'd expect money back.

    druidh
    Free Member

    Did you have a permit for cycling on the canal bank?

    http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/cycling/permit

    Before cycling on some towpaths owned by British Waterways, you will usually need to obtain a free cycle permit. …..

    The Waterways Code aims to protect your own and other people's safety, to safeguard the environment, and to avoid disturbing the enjoyment of other users of the waterway and towpath. There is no public right of way for cyclists on canal towpaths, and British Waterways reserves the right to withdraw permission from users who disregard the rules.

    snowslave
    Full Member

    While that play's good an' all – a kid called Julian in Barnsley would be in the canal, rather than fishing by it.

    Which reminds me of a story someone told me when I worked in Liverpool. The bloke was about 10, walking through a park, and comes across a pond with a load of kids stood in the middle, still clothed but crying. He walks over to see what's happening, a big teenager jumps out from some bushes and says "get in the pond or I'll ****t you".

    His name was Neil.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 90 total)

The topic ‘Moral dillema’ is closed to new replies.