Etape Caledonia sabotaged
Comments
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This from the Dundee Courier, at the end of an article about local outrage at the terrorist o' tack:
Meanwhile, an alternative view was offered by Eveline Bright from Fortingall, Aberfeldy, who said while the incident could not be condoned, she did not feel the event brought anything to areas outwith Pitlochry.
“Aberfeldy, Glen Lyon and other rural areas do not find any benefit, merely a considerable amount of concern,” she said.
“The roads in the area are closed for half of the day of the race, preventing those in the Glen Lyon, Fortingall and Keltneyburn areas from leaving their homes at all.
“We may not leave our homes for any essential items and, much more importantly, the whole community is prevented from attending the Sunday Christian services.
“I wonder if the roads would be closed and the residents ‘restrained’ if we were of other faiths or nationalities.
“I was under the impression that we were attempting to fight discrimination. Perhaps not if you are white and Christian and don’t cycle.”
It seems I am party to house arrest, racisim and religious persecution. :roll:0 -
Well at least those of you who got a puncture will know who to sue pretty soon now!!!
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/05/19/man-62-charged-over-carpet-tack-sabotage-attack-on-bike-race-86908-21371904/
Not to worry, have already registered for the 2010 Etape Caledonia.Explore, Dream, Discover.0 -
Aberfeldy did get a benefit, Pitlochry is not big enough to hold all teh cyclists particiapting in the event.
Presumably you are not allowed to cycle to church on a sabbath?Explore, Dream, Discover.0 -
pneumatic wrote:This from the Dundee Courier, at the end of an article about local outrage at the terrorist o' tack:
Meanwhile, an alternative view was offered by Eveline Bright from Fortingall, Aberfeldy, who said while the incident could not be condoned, she did not feel the event brought anything to areas outwith Pitlochry.
<snap>
Eveline Bright? Funny that, Paul Bright (family by any chance?) from Fortingall told the BBC: "How refreshing to see that the public has taken direct action to halt an unwanted event forced on them by the local county council."
Edit: thought I should reference my source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8055240.stm
Edit2: sorry, can't help myself: Mr Bright is obviously not quite impressed with those devilish 'cycling machines' but rather spends his time running miniature war games at the Kirriemuir Wargames Club. Pretty good in what he does too: he won first price with a British Military Figure (Black Watch Quaich). Source: http://www.kirriemuirherald.co.uk/local-events/KIRRIE-WARGAMES-EVENT-VOTED-A.4656347.jp0 -
priceless!Sjaak wrote:Edit2: sorry, can't help myself: Mr Bright is obviously not quite impressed with those devilish 'cycling machines' but rather spends his time running miniature war games at the Kirriemuir Wargames Club. Pretty good in what he does too: he won first price with a British Military Figure (Black Watch Quaich).
so he stays in a lot, anyway, playing with his little man. Except on Sunday 17th May, when suddenly he has to rush out for a pot of Humbrol and, oh Lord!, he can't because he is under house arrest.0 -
Well, now we know who to sue:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/05/20/council-chief-charged-over-race-sabotage-86908-21373683/0 -
A pillar of the community.
Did he have a saltire painted across his face I wonder.
'You can close our roads, but you'll never take our freedom' Perhaps he was stood atop a peak in full 'Highlander' modeM.Rushton0 -
mrushton wrote:A pillar of the community.
Did he have a saltire painted across his face I wonder.
'You can close our roads, but you'll never take our freedom' Perhaps he was stood atop a peak in full 'Highlander' mode
Eh?.....whats a complete reckless d*ckhead got to do with being a Proud Scot?
Imagine the chairman of the local concil and a member of the rotary club being responsible for such a disgusting act?....aint that the kinda behaviour those type of fellas condemn?
Just shows how local feeling and pressure can turn 'supposedly noble decent people' into criminals.....imagine this halfwit being a role model for anyone else?0 -
btw, a Community Council is not the same as the official Regional Council. Anyone can set up a community council, and the people who do so are usually the ones who want to complain about EVERYTHING that happens. That's my experience with them in my area anyway.
Also, the article in the Daily Record gets more wrong than right.
1. Roads closed for eight hours (They could have checked this easily)
2, 4000 competitors (about 3000 started)
3. Race started and finished in Aberfeldy???
Now I know why I don't read newspapers.0 -
There's also a Bill Bright on the rotary club that Alex Grosset's a member of. Coincidence? I feel a conspiracy theory coming on.pneumatic wrote:... Eveline Bright? Funny that, Paul Bright (family by any chance?) from Fortingall told the BBC: "How refreshing to see that the public has taken direct action to halt an unwanted event forced on them by the local county council." ...A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill0 -
johna101 wrote:btw, a Community Council is not the same as the official Regional Council. Anyone can set up a community council, and the people who do so are usually the ones who want to complain about EVERYTHING that happens. That's my experience with them in my area anyway.
I was going to make the same point. The guy's involved with a community council which is maybe one step up from a school parent-teacher association. It serves no purpose other than to provide a forum for people with an over-inflated sense of their own importance.
Some of the reports calling him a 'council chief' are grossly exaggerating things.0 -
The question is, though, can they charge him with anything serious enough? Littering?0
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suggest this as a personalized shirt for next year
Instead of ACRE – ie Anti Closed Road Events
How about
CART –ie Cyclists Against Road Tacks (geddit?)older, balder, faster, slimmer, better0 -
A Grosset
[deleted - don't do this - John Stevenson]
Information already in the public domain...
[Doesn't matter - posting it *here* can't be seen as anything but an invite to vigilantism]0 -
Glad to see that our politicians continue to uphold their high standards of conduct as ever. Perhaps he ought to standard as candidate for the Westminster Parliament.0
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The Tacksman has spent a night in prison before appearing, in private, before the Sherriff in Perth.
He has chosen not to plead and has been released on bail.
I note that he is the Chairman of a Local Community Council.0 -
There is an interesting irony in Alex Grossett's alleged actions.
According to the BBC,
"The charge states that the road was being used for a closed road cycle event and that Mr Grosset's actions caused damage to bicycles, emergency service vehicles and other associated vehicles."
The irony originates from his work as a community councillor. He has been campaigning for faster response times from the emergency services in Rannoch. Placing tacks under emergency service vehicle wheels is not widely regarded as a mechanism for improving response times - assuming that the allegations are wellfounded.. Perhaps he has not thought this policy through very well?
For more on his splendid work at improving emergency response times, see:
http://www.commentonline.co.uk/health/R ... Matter.htm
Now if Mr Grosset is innocent, and there is nothing to suggest otherwise until a court verdict, then this will not be ironic at all. On the standing issue of campaigning for emergency response times then his action will naturally be inline with a community advocate. Let us hope that this work is not undermined by some silly protest actions..0 -
And another irony, assuming that the facts are correct (above)
Mr Grosset appears to be a member of the Rotary Club. Now I thought that Rotary Clubs were committed to raising funds for charitable means; so too does the Etapa Caledonia. I doubt that the objectives of both the Etape and the Rotary Club are at odds, so perhaps Mr Grosset does understand the respective organisations' remits? Furthermore, does he object to the Rotary Club as well?
Of course these will not be ironies if Mr Grosset is cleared by the Court. Until that point we should assume that he is innocent. I do find it difficult to believe that somebody holding public office would commit such an act - so let us hope that he is in fact innocent. Though the guilty party would still need to be caught!0 -
sam-antha wrote:The Tacksman has spent a night in prison before appearing, in private, before the Sherriff in Perth.
He has chosen not to plead and has been released on bail.
I note that he is the Chairman of a Local Community Council.
chosen not to plead? What does that mean? Surely he has to plead either guilty or not guilty? Although I realise the Scots have a different legal system0 -
Philip Whiteman wrote:There is an interesting irony in Alex Grossett's actions.
According to the BBC,
"The charge states that the road was being used for a closed road cycle event and that Mr Grosset's actions caused damage to bicycles, emergency service vehicles and other associated vehicles."
The irony originates from his work as a community councillor. He has been campaigning for faster response times from the emergency services in Rannoch. Placing tacks under emergency service vehicle wheels is not widely regarded as a mechanism for improving response times. Perhaps he has not thought this policy through very well.
For more on his splendid work at improving emergency response times, see:
http://www.commentonline.co.uk/health/R ... Matter.htm
I would say he simply doesn't know what is involved in a cycle event and what backup and support is provided therefore it is not a matter of not considering it as it wouldn't even have been known to him probably
Secondly the emergency vehicles they are talking about were probably those involved in the sportive and being paid for through the Etape and such they wouldn't have been of the slightest bit of use to any member of the local community for which he was campaigning. As someone else seems to think that 3500 are such overwhelming numbers that it requires road closures then the cycle race itself could have hindered emergency responses in the area.0 -
Philip Whiteman wrote:And yet another irony.
Mr Grosset appears to be a member of the Rotary Club. Now I thought that Rotary Clubs were committed to raising funds for charitable means; so too does the Etapa Caledonia. I doubt that the objectives of both the Etape and the Rotary Club are at odds, so perhaps Mr Grosset does understand the respective organisations' remits? Furthermore, does he object to the Rotary Club as well?
It has never been particularly unusual for people to have competing views or opinions. Just look at the response of Sustrans to the proposed reopening of the Waverley Line a few years back which in taking fare paying passengers on trains would be something that would generally be welcomed by oganisation who had sustainable transport at its core. That's jus the first example that came into my head. I'm sure I could dredge many more up.0 -
Ladies and Gents the toys are well and truly oot the pram.
I refer you to one of the last comments here by one Mr Bright
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=355349Boardman Team Carbon
Cube LTD Race
Knackered old Mountain Bike of indeterminate origin.0 -
Leodhasach wrote:Ladies and Gents the toys are well and truly oot the pram.
I refer you to one of the last comments here by one Mr Bright
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=355349
Well, I think that if I were Mr Bright, I would be none too happy either. The person charged by the Police for this act is somebody completely different.0 -
MegaCycle wrote:athomson wrote:A Grosset
[edited]
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...and just what are you suggesting we do with this information? :-/
Megacycle, moderator & others
Fair enough to remove the details but I am appalled to think some might find this an invite to do anything.... my intention was simply to show that this chap does indeed live on the route, and that given the vague talk of local anger it helps us all to understand where that local anger is concentrated....
Indeed, I had already suggested to Etape Caledonia by email that they consider switching the route to avoid Loch Rannoch every other year. Perhaps the odd gesture like that might win over most opponents and improve the overall atmosphere around what is otherwise a real highlight of the cycling year.0 -
Firstly dont be daft enough to propose any action that is not legal against the alleged person responsible for wrecking the Etape. Guilt is for a criminal court to decide - certainly not a kangaroo court of cyclists. (He wrecked my etape too)
IF he is found guilty there must be the question of civil liability in addition to any criminal fines etc. If a defendant has no money there is no point in taking civil action - BUT if he has funds he could be ordered by a civil court to pay compensation for losses.
I am not familiar with the Scottish legal system - do we have a lawyer in the house who can advise on making a small claim - for tubes certainly - maybe the entry fee and more - (and costs naturally) it would be good to hit the guily party with dozens of civil actions - it would cost him thousands and he would have little prospect of defending a civil claim if found guily by a crimial court that had established the facts of the case.
And getting the cullprit to buy you replacement inner tubes and your costs does help to bring about some justice.0 -
This article names and addresses his home and workplaceDr U Idh wrote:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 328018.ece0 -
It just gets crazier and crazier:
Appearing from cells in beige slacks and a lilac shirt, Mr Grosset was granted bail. He was represented by solicitor Sally McKenzie, who declined afterwards to say whether or not he was still practising with the Fife-based personal injury legal firm which bears his family name. (Times online)
Maybe he was trying to drum up some business?0
