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It’s not big or clever, but if someone challenges me about riding somewhere, i only ever reply with ‘**** off’
And I don’t even slow down to interact, because I’m not interested in whatever bollocks they’re spouting.
Life really is too short.
slowol "If the guy is a park keeper then inform the council....." the guy causing grief isn't the park keeper, he was saying that the park keeper told him it was no longer a bridleway but I have no idea if that is true or not.
I agree with the general voice of responses, in that the system of having several possible designations for paths (footpath, bridleway and perhaps green lane) is the cause of many problems. People just don't know what the designation is sometimes. In this case I feel one of the contributing factors is that in the 30 years I've lived near said bridleway, I can't remember ever seeing horses on it, which may be due to it having a tricky (for a horse) little decent, I also very rarely saw any cyclists though I have always been aware that it was a bridleway. I started using it 6 or so years ago when I got back into mountain biking but this last year with what's been going on many more cyclists have found it and are using it and some people such as the individual in question, are possibly just not used to that and assume it's not a bridleway as they have never seen horses on it and not many cyclists. The big problem for me was the inability to listen to the evidence that shows otherwise and the rather stupid arguments in response.
As some have said, It would be much simpler if much more (or all) paths were open to cyclists then everyone would know that if they had a right to be there then so did a cyclist and they just couldn't argue. That might have other unforseen problems though such as trying to cycle or ride a horse down inappropriately small paths.
Whatever, it feels like the system does need a major overhaul and more opening up to cyclists.
Fart in his general direction.
There was a thread on here a few weeks ago where someone was accosted by an individual claiming to be some sort of council ranger type - a phone call to the council revealed that no such position of authority existed but it wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to claim such a thing. And actually a random member of the public has less right to tell you off for using a trail than you have for riding it - the only person who can legitimately tell you to leave is the landowner.
It’s not big or clever, but if someone challenges me about riding somewhere, i only ever reply with ‘**** off’
I don't go that far but I do tend towards the "I know, silly isn't it?!" response.
It's pathetic really - since there's no rational distinction between a BW and a FP other than some signage, you could be in a situation where you're riding on a 5ft wide grassy track and accosted because it's FP and riding on a 5ft wide grassy track and no-one says a word because it's BW.
It's not just cyclists singled out by this kind of Brexit supporter.
Seeing as it was nice at the weekend we went swimming in a local river. We've been going to the spot for years but over lockdown it's gotten busy on sunny days, which is pretty understandable.
Although it was busy on Saturday, particularly with youngsters, everyone was being well behaved, nobody being a dick, no lighting fires, no litter, no loud music etc.
The local fun police were all out in force. Two people berating people for making their way along the ROW to the river. One person hiding in the bushes taking photos. One person called the cops claiming it was a rave (we spoke to the police - who were sound - and saw it as a gigantic waste of their time).
No basis for any one of them to be acting in the way they were.
Unfortunately the truth is that these people just like spoiling for a fight and making other people's lives unpleasant. So don't give them what they want.
"You must be one of those rare people who really are as stupid as they look. Didn't your mother teach you not to tell lies?"
“You must be one of those rare people who really are as stupid as they look. Didn’t your mother teach you not to tell lies?”
That’s no way to talk about the OP. Bit harsh 😂
these people just like spoiling for a fight and making other people’s lives unpleasant. So don’t give them what they want.
I think you're right, a good while back a chap stopped me (on a FP TBF) and we went through the normal rigmaroll of establishing he wasn't the land owner, when he said I was spoiling his walk, "Righty-ho" I said, I'll just sit here and have a biscuit, on you go" It was a short descent, by the time I'd have finished my break he would've been away on the road below, but no...He kept on at me for a good 5 minutes while I sat and ate, when I'd finished, I just said "I'll go first then?" and rode off.
Bizarre behaviour
It’s pathetic really – since there’s no rational distinction between a BW and a FP other than some signage, you could be in a situation where you’re riding on a 5ft wide grassy track and accosted because it’s FP and riding on a 5ft wide grassy track and no-one says a word because it’s BW.
Bridleways are technically highway and need to be passable by horses so stiles don't appear on them.
Personally I think that a change to allow human powered pedal cycles on to footpaths with a "give way" obligation is the way forward. If your ebike is too heavy to get over the stile then it's tough and if you have modded it it should be subject to the same laws that motorcrossers are and at risk of confiscation and crushing
Unfortunately the truth is that these people just like spoiling for a fight and making other people’s lives unpleasant. So don’t give them what they want.
Basically this. These people have been fed a narrative that 'this country is going to the dogs' for years and they have lapped it up. They want to feel like they are 'stemming the tide', but are basically cowards, so they wouldn't do anything about real crime or issues.... enter someone riding a bike, perhaps where they technically shouldn't and (worse crime of all) enjoying themselves.
A couple of years ago I had run-ins with an officious prat. We had established he wasn't the land owner the first time. The second time he started all 'basic' then escalated in a flash...
Him: You do know you aren't supposed to ride a bike on this footpath, don't you?
Me: Are you the landowner or his or her appointed agent?
Him (screaming): YOU ARE A C---!
It was so unexpected I just creased up laughing. He looked like he was going to explode. I carried on riding. Nothing changed. I haven't seen him since - maybe he's given up hassling grown men riding bikes and moved onto something easier like yelling at kids kicking a ball around on a patch of grass somewhere. Frankly I don't give a shit. 🙊
Although it was busy on Saturday, particularly with youngsters, everyone was being well behaved, nobody being a dick, no lighting fires, no litter, no loud music etc.
The local fun police were all out in force. Two people berating people for making their way along the ROW to the river. One person hiding in the bushes taking photos.
I would have thought the police take a dim view of people hiding in bushes and taking photos of children, might be worth pointing this out if you find yourself in this same situation again!
Personally I think that a change to allow human powered pedal cycles on to footpaths with a “give way” obligation is the way forward. If your ebike is too heavy to get over the stile then it’s tough and if you have modded it it should be subject to the same laws that motorcrossers are and at risk of confiscation and crushing
That seems a sensible way forward
Two people berating people for making their way along the ROW to the river. One person hiding in the bushes taking photos. One person called the cops claiming it was a rave (we spoke to the police – who were sound – and saw it as a gigantic waste of their time).
That's completely nuts. Whoever it was hiding in the bushes with a camera needs their harddrive looking at.
I hope that the others were b*****ed for wasting police time.
I've had this discussion on some nice little singletrack lines that have developed to the side of a local ex-railway line path, the Whitegate Way in mid Cheshire for those that know it. "These are footpaths, you should be on the main path" etc.
After the first time, on the off chance the curmudgeonly old coffin dodger was correct I looked at the definitive map and was surprised to see that even the main track has no designation. The second time I tried to explain all this to, what I think was the same fun sponge to no avail so now I just make sympathetic noises, give them plenty of room to pass carry on enjoying my day.
Ignore him.
If it’s posted as a BW then that’s all the justification you need. Ridiculous ROW in England any way..
came scampering over to berate me for something that I hadn’t yet done, but “might conceivably do”
I've had a "i hope you're staying on the bridlepaths" from a group of hoorays who were clearly fox hunting.
Personally I think that a change to allow human powered pedal cycles on to footpaths with a “give way” obligation is the way forward.
I don't think this will have the desired effect as it still creates a 'them and us' scenario and puts demands on cyclists that aren't on other path users. Equal rights and responsibilities for all non-motorised users is the only way to go.
I don’t think this will have the desired effect as it still creates a ‘them and us’ scenario and puts demands on cyclists that aren’t on other path users.
Give way with an equally weighted "do not obstruct" could work.
That seems a sensible way forward
It does, but have your read "Walk" recently? (It's the magazine of the Ramblers). Every edition has a moany letter about cyclist's access rights. nearly every letter is legally incorrect...and the Ramblers must know that, but they publish them anyway. They're happy to feed their membership a drip-drip of misinformation and indignation rather than try to actually do anything constructive.
I don't expect access right to change for the better anytime soon
Whoever came up with the access laws in England played an absolute blinder.
The peasants argue among themselves about who is allowed what from the the meagre access scraps thrown to them while the gentry sit in their mansions counting their money.
while the gentry sit in their mansions counting their money.
*OUR* money...
https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/access-or-answers-both-are-elusive-bolton-abbey-estate-row-goes?
I ride my bike through a park on the way to work (tarmac path, I'm very considerate blah blah blah) and I occasionally get an indignant "this is a footpath you know!".
My default response is a smile and an "I know, silly isn't it?".
Depending on my mood and their demeanour.
I’ve used “I know, silly isn’t it”, “Sorry, I don’t speak English” and “Sorry, I don’t speak dickhead”.
Now that the OP has the email of confirmation from the Highway Authority, can I suggest if he ever meets that nutter again that he offers to forward the email to him, rather than show him a paper copy. Being a helpful kind of chap. Once you've got his email address, I am sure he would appreciate you signing him up to various specialist websites;)
I do tend towards the “I know, silly isn’t it?!” response.
I would highly recommend this approach to anyone who hasn't yet tried it.
I used it in the lakes when arguing with some prick about whether it was better for my 7 year old kid to be riding the footpath or the A593.
We discussed the various rights and wrongs of it and he had nothing remotely persuasive to say apart from permutations on " But this is a footpath, you are not allowed to ride on it"
“I know, silly isn’t it?!”
At which point he'd try again to come up with done actual reasons, but couldn't. So he'd revert to saying it againz even louder.
At which point I'd reply in complete agreement even louder " YES, I KNOW, ITS TOTALLY BARMY ISNT IT"
It really does work excellently.
“Sorry, I don’t speak English” and “Sorry, I don’t speak dickhead”.
I am totally using those 😂
" I ride where I *ing well please and I don't give a * about anyone except myself" usually gets them fired up. Childish I know, but cheers me up for the rest of the ride without getting angry.
I get this shmight here too on occasions. Even “not a bridleways”. I ask what a bridle way is. Got a plague of no cycling signs to ignore as well(East Lothian)
Last trip to Herefordshire I got grief while walking and taking photos (I do a lot of geograph stuff) in a wood by trail diggers.
Get off somebody else’s land
How about "we can ride on paths now the EU can't tell us what to do."
That should lead to some serious gammon mind melt.
Say hello in French, German, Spanish, whichever takes your fancy. I find it confuses the **** out of them. Especially handy when oncoming fellow cyclists seem to forget which side of the road we drive on.
How about “we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
the reverse psychology of this is genius 🙂
How about “we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
That should lead to some serious gammon mind melt.
Brilliant!!
How about “we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
That should lead to some serious gammon mind melt.
Excellent 👍
“Sorry, I don’t speak dickhead”.
Totally using that!
“we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
Needs a bit of finessing but need to work the Brexit angle in somehow too.
Told a ranty gammon golfer to take it up with Dominic Cummings about a year ago in the days after the Rose Garden Pinocchio session. He shouted "**** off!" which I'm pretty sure is against club rules. 😅
🍆💦
“we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
Post of the year 😂😂😂😂😂
“ Personally I think that a change to allow human powered pedal cycles on to footpaths with a “give way” obligation is the way forward. If your ebike is too heavy to get over the stile then it’s tough and if you have modded it it should be subject to the same laws that motorcrossers are and at risk of confiscation and crushing”
Mainly agreed (and as I understand it if it is modded improperly it jumps from ebike/bicycle to motorbike anyway) but I’d like to see ‘share considerately’ as opposed to giveaway (at this point in time cyclists seem to be lesser than dogs where I am , even on formal cycle paths).
Also, having done a lot of walking recently we’ve come up against rather too many ‘difficult’ stiles (*missus is 4ft 10, aged 67 and has a damaged shoulder, meaning one arm doesn’t work properly), some of which is clearly malicious (e,g a narrow 2 step stile with a very heavily sprung 3ft high gate on top of the fence, 4 in a row in < 1/4 mile), some which I suspect is ‘cost efficiency’ (just one step to get over standard height fence with no high support pole) and rather a lot of badly maintained step missing, support missing, wobbly as hell as post/s rotted jobs, so I’d be up for a bit more stile standardisation/design consentency - especially if we want to encourage families/people with prams/small kids, the elderly and less fit to do more walking.
*edited re below - and kissing gates that a 60kg regular exercise woman has to take a 15l daypack off to get through.
If your ebike is too heavy to get over the stile then it’s tough
What about folks who can't lift standard bikes over stiles? I'm not really sure my wife at 5'1" and 50kg or daughter at the same height, could lift their bikes over many of the kissing gates I come across.
I was pleased with myself a couple of summers ago when one of a group of bobblehats standing around on a trail (defo a bridleway) told me I couldn't ride my bike here; I reminded her that not only could I, but that she had just seen me do so and left her to her confusion
The point about stiles is that any requirement to put gates in will kill the principle that nothing needs to change
As for poor stiles/gates just report them, I do
I was pleased with myself a couple of summers ago when one of a group of bobblehats standing around on a trail (defo a bridleway) told me I couldn’t ride my bike here; I reminded her that not only could I, but that she had just seen me do so and left her to her confusion
"You can't cycle along here"
"Yes I can. Want me to show you. Again?"
I've had a PDNP ranger telling me I'm on a footpath, when, in fact, I was on a very well-used bridleway (Stanage plantation). He didn't care to look at a map. He was kind of polite and definitely not threatening, but he was treating me as if I was in the wrong.
I find it ironic that people are willing to commit a criminal offence (blocking a public highway) to try and stop others committing a civil one (trespass) when they have no standing. You can try pointing that irony out, but IME most people aren't too tuned in to irony when they're angry.
“we can ride on paths now the EU can’t tell us what to do.”
Needs a bit of finessing but need to work the Brexit angle in somehow too.
After my bare-knuckle near death experience I dreamt up "No. Not now Boris is in - I've taken back control" for the next time I get the same ol' shit
We had it a few years ago on Helvellyn. Heading from the top towards Sticks & some redsock shouts, 'you shouldn't be on here!', to which we replied, 'It's a bridleway', 'well you shouldn't be on it', 'But It's a bridleway', 'well you shouldn't be on it', 'It's a bridleway though, so we're allowed on it, 'well you shouldn't be' etc etc etc. Went on for ages.
most people aren’t too tuned in to irony when they’re angry
And it is the 'why?' that is important* here.
When it boils down to it, unless you've ridden into them, you are doing them no harm whatsoever. So what are they angry at? The usual answer, when you really get to it, is 'life in general'. At which point you tend to realise that they will be angry at anything they happen to take a dislike to. At which point.... well.... **** 'em.🤷♂️
*Important yet totally in the 'life is too short to really find out' file.