Just thought I’d share this video I came across of 2 off road motorcyclists and the excellent way in which he handles the situation when a woman tries to stop them.

[video]http://youtu.be/CK0vG48YlWQ[/video]

Impressive patience on the part of the rider.

Nice work, know your facts, be assertive not aggressive and kill them with kindness

The way he handled it is the standard I’d expect from all of who us who are privileged to have rights of way, but I confess the thank you card was a lovely touch. I’m glad he got a successful resolution. I’ve been in a similar situation myself but in my instance I retreated and went back with my map another day to prove the RoW exists (I was not far from home).

These situations can and do arise because sometimes maps are wrong or are changed. I have 2 copies of OS24 that show a local trail to be a footpath in one and a bridle way on the other. It’s important that in these situations we don’t lose access for what may be little more than a mapping or signage error. Which reminds me I must check the definitive map…

Be patient and diplomatic with landowners; don’t be drawn into conflict. Thanks for posting

and from the other side I’ve been with my dad when we have found people away from a right of way wandering off, it took them 4 goes to work out where they were adopting the “on the path” for the first few goes (trying to point to their map). It wouldn’t have been so embarrassing had they worked out the section of woods they had just walked through and with the stream they were walking beside were clearly marked on the map, about a mile from the path….

In your example Mike it’s a very different situation but it does point out that for every RoW user who is polite, diplomatic and knows how to read a map, there are many who aren’t and don’t. This is why the word “right” in right of way is an unfortunate word because it makes people defensive of those rights, whether they have the facts on their side or not.

Another reason that it’s good to live in Scotland

Which activities are excluded from access rights?
Access rights don’t extend to:

Any form of motorised recreation or passage (except by people with a disability using a vehicle or vessel adapted for their use)
except….. read the link first 🙂
Access on trail bikes etc. is probably the most contentious form of access. The potential damage caused by the irresponsible is plain to see in some areas so you can understand a resistance to having them on your land.

Good lad. More conversation like this when folk shouty shout at you.

All good, except you need to see/reference the definitive map held by the local authority and not rely on any version of an os map.

Mirrors on a trail bike? 😮

They were softroaders so would have mirrors

lol @ that woman, just realised at 00.36 she says ‘it IS a bridleway, get the effing map out’ she’s no door mat.

Her reaction is typical of somebody who sees their territory invaded. In the end when she realises the motorcyclists mean no harm she relents and is almost welcoming.

In a fantasy I hope he has a job in conflict resolution or is at least a manager. V good work.
In reality I suspect he has small children and knows how to deal with events such as this.

Very well handled.

Proper job on both sides I think.
I can see her point of view. If I had land with a path across it I’d not want to encourage bikers to use it – and I’ve got a trials bike and would LOVE to have a couple of miles of paths to go play on.

I suspect he’s done this more than once.

Do we know where it is and who was right about the path?

Theres a real anomaly within the system where the list of streets/list of highways maintainable at public expense does not tally with the definitive map of public rights of way

ORPA on a map does not necessarily support the existence of a right of access for any particular class of access, a lot of councils are trying to work out this mess at the moment, as they run the risk of some of their rights of way being isolated by gaps between the highway network and PROW. Some councils have admitted their list of streets is pretty much a work of fiction (in come cases it was even a deliberate ploy to claim extra mileage out of the government road funding years ago)

Pretty good that, he’s definitely been doing it for a while!

I’ll have to track him down and borrow him for a while as unfortunately over the last year whenever I speak to “there’s no path ‘ere” landowners I’ve developed a 1000 yard stare which looks pretty much like …