I’ve been wondering about this for a while but a mates incident today has got me fired up.

I understand that if ‘someone’ is to scratch a fresh trail into the land without permission, that is vandalism.
But if ‘someone else’ was to happen to be out riding and see a fresh line, and decide to follow it, is that then trespass?
If ‘Stickman’ wanders down this same fresh scratch, is he also trespassing?
And if ‘someone else’ is happily bimbling along the fresh scratch and happens to find ‘Stickmans’ trap under his wheels, is anyone liable for anything?

What’s the legal line on ‘Stickmans’ traps?
I guess what I really want to know is what I would say to Stickman if I caught him in the act, but knowing that his response is simply ‘well, you shouldn’t be here’, what, if any, is the Mountain Bicyclists defence to Stickman deliberately setting a trap to injure another person?

Wouldn’t worry about what you’d say to Stickman, should you ever catch him in the act. I think your actions would speak louder than words in that instance, if you know what I mean. Total clarity of expression can be anticipated – no grey areas in that ‘discussion’.

Agree though that it is an interesting question, legally speaking. Don’t know the answer there.

If stickman intentional booby traps a trail knowing someone could get hurt that would seriously trump any civil trespass issue.

Just to add to the mix, is Stickmans booby trap not also vandalism?

stickman?

isn’t this something that should be reported to the police

this^^ +1
im sure that the land owner would like to know about it. if it is the landowner then setting booby traps must surely be an offence. either way call the fuzz before something worse happens.

Would it come under the same “law” that says you can’t have broken glass on the top of wall. Something about casuing injury/endangering life and limb?

What would the Police or landowner do? Moniter the trail??
I’m sure whichever Bobbie was lucky enough to draw the short straw and sit in the woods waiting for Stickman would be handing out the high fives to all the ‘someone else’s’ enjoying the freedom of the woods.

As the person that Stany (you will have to explain that name) is talking about, in the most recent incident. Here are my thoughts.
In the cold light of day ( it happened yesterday) I still feel that I would probably do something foolhardy to the individual in question and I have considered several interesting things to do with said sticks.
However cowards are rarely around to see their deeds.

Someone is going to get hurt badly by this, I was lucky, I got a very last minute sight of the branches and managed to steer right as I went airborne off the ramp, I only snarled on one branch there were 3 set up to catch us out.
Surveillance like “Stany” said is not likely to happen and even if they used it how the hell do you prove who sabotaged any ride in question.

The reality will be that the police will get involved once someone gets hurts, they have a remit that means they have to respond to the publics concerns.
However they would struggle to prove who did it, even with fingerprints and the like it would be difficult in woodland to be sure the branch etc was planted.

If you could in some way prove it there would be legal ground to prosecute, it’s just getting it.

I think we’re stuck with them.

So I’m again going to hope I meet one in the woods, I’m off to check the law on being a vigilante! 🙂

report it, it is a criminal offence or deliberately try to kill / injury someone, whereas trespass is a civil offence, nothing to do with the police and they cannot arrest you for it.

We gets loads of trouble with several. I’d give him/them a round of f’s and would happily punch them in the face if they got aggressive, and if I suspected him of working for FC (which is entriely possible) I’d do everything possible to get him sacked. I’ve ridden into neck high logs jammed between trees and been out on rides where half the group got punctures due to nails hammered into roots then heads clipped off to leave spikes (reported to FC & plod). Some proper nutters about.

Go Pro type camera hidden in the trees with a timelapse mode?

I’m not a pooh stick, why can’t they see?!?!

At Cannock we have the anti-stickman as well.

Big fella – reminds me of Hagrid – with an obedient dark-coloured dog. Have seen him a few times clearing sticks and removing obstructions. No bike.