MTB Access e-petition...

cambo

Not sure if this has been posted already, but only 3,000 people have signed it. Get it done and get the topic discussed in parliament...

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/3508

mar_k

Done!

cooldad

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

stubs

e-petitions were set up by the government to try and give the impression that they gave a crap about what people wanted. I have signed but I feel it was a waste of electrons.

IBISMojoHDamon

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

cat_with_no_tail

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

cooldad

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

Can you count to potato?

Rankles

I'm not sure what the petition is asking for? Is it trying to allow cyclists to ride on pavements? In that case I'm not sure I'm for it...

chez_m356

Rankles wrote:

I'm not sure what the petition is asking for? Is it trying to allow cyclists to ride on pavements? In that case I'm not sure I'm for it...

(with the exception of roadside footways) does that give you a clue ?

bennett_346

I ride on public footpaths in the countryside anyway, so this will achieve nothing for me. About 1/50 people i see have a problem with it, and i just ignore them because i haven't done them any harm.

IBISMojoHDamon

cooldad wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

Can you count to potato?

No... Can you teach me...?

Anonymous

Yet another of the same petition and they get nowhere, and cost us the taxpayer money to discuss if it does manage to get enough signatures. Problem anyway is each new one of these dilutes the possible signatures.

Footpaths are the domain of the walkers and ramblers and many of these are councillors and MPs, or members of their constituency with powerful voices if not powerful influence. Their opinion of mountain bikers is very dim (as I often like to quote, we're all "drunken swearing hooligans").

In short, fat chance. The only thing the gov want to do with the countryside is sell it off anyway.

Personally I'm not fussed about footpaths. Like bridleways, boring and just a means of getting from A to B.

Give me the right to roam on common lands, moorlands and open forests on natural trails away from the walkers on their dedicated footpaths, at my own risk. That's the law change we need to convince land owners to allow access for all without liability to themselves.

That and more dedicated singletrack.

Not going to happen though. Cheeky it is then

cooldad

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

Can you count to potato?

No... Can you teach me...?

Don't have the time, but I'll talk to your care worker.

IBISMojoHDamon

cooldad wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

cooldad wrote:

e petitions are not worth the paper they're written on. IMHO.

It's not written on paper.... Hence it being an 'e petition'...

Can you count to potato?

No... Can you teach me...?

Don't have the time, but I'll talk to your care worker.

You need 'touching' in that special place again that only a care worker knows how to do?....

McWulf

bennett_346 wrote:

I ride on public footpaths in the countryside anyway, so this will achieve nothing for me. About 1/50 people i see have a problem with it, and i just ignore them because i haven't done them any harm.

Yes, me too. But as I'm also a walker, I can get irritated when a cyclist takes the view that the walker should be the one to shift out of the way. The walking lobby is probably bigger than the cycling lobby so legally allowing bikes to use footpaths will never happen. Better to fly under the radar I think.

bennett_346

McWulf wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

I ride on public footpaths in the countryside anyway, so this will achieve nothing for me. About 1/50 people i see have a problem with it, and i just ignore them because i haven't done them any harm.

Yes, me too. But as I'm also a walker, I can get irritated when a cyclist takes the view that the walker should be the one to shift out of the way.

Why? If you see them coming for a while, you have plenty of time to step out the way. Provided they arent doing a rediculous speed it shouldn't cause any problems.

I can see it being annoying if cyclists are taking the mick, barreling along without regard for anyone else but the majority give plenty of warning.

The reverse is true of cycle paths. Some (a minority) of walkers choose not to move out the way of bicycles/pay attention for ones coming from the front or behind even though they should know bikes will be coming as speed.

McWulf

bennett_346 wrote:

McWulf wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

I ride on public footpaths in the countryside anyway, so this will achieve nothing for me. About 1/50 people i see have a problem with it, and i just ignore them because i haven't done them any harm.

Yes, me too. But as I'm also a walker, I can get irritated when a cyclist takes the view that the walker should be the one to shift out of the way.

Why? If you see them coming for a while, you have plenty of time to step out the way. Provided they arent doing a rediculous speed it shouldn't cause any problems.

I can see it being annoying if cyclists are taking the mick, barreling along without regard for anyone else but the majority give plenty of warning.

The reverse is true of cycle paths. Some (a minority) of walkers choose not to move out the way of bicycles/pay attention for ones coming from the front or behind even though they should know bikes will be coming as speed.

Can't always see bikes coming, as these could be from behind. Then cyclist-with-ego-problems starts dinging repeatedly whilst closing in on you. Is it too much to ask for cyclist to slow down and (deep breath) veer off the path onto the grass in order to keep momentum? This is typical of canal paths in my area (central Scotland) and to be fair most cyclists and pedestrians act civilly towards each other. (Then there's dog walkers and the added hazard of the muts leaping across your bows at the last microsecond, but that's another problem).

Agree with what you say about pedestrians on cycle paths, and that's a problem here too. Happy to do a quick "___n___" shaped course around dopey students but when families with young kids are running around there's no alternative but to stop and, if still in a good mood, explain gently to parents that they're on a busy cycle path.

bompington

[sits smugly contemplating scottish access laws]

McWulf

bompington wrote:

[sits smugly contemplating scottish access laws]

You're right. Dunno why I got drawn into this one...

bennett_346

McWulf wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

McWulf wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

I ride on public footpaths in the countryside anyway, so this will achieve nothing for me. About 1/50 people i see have a problem with it, and i just ignore them because i haven't done them any harm.

Yes, me too. But as I'm also a walker, I can get irritated when a cyclist takes the view that the walker should be the one to shift out of the way.

Why? If you see them coming for a while, you have plenty of time to step out the way. Provided they arent doing a rediculous speed it shouldn't cause any problems.

I can see it being annoying if cyclists are taking the mick, barreling along without regard for anyone else but the majority give plenty of warning.

The reverse is true of cycle paths. Some (a minority) of walkers choose not to move out the way of bicycles/pay attention for ones coming from the front or behind even though they should know bikes will be coming as speed.

Can't always see bikes coming, as these could be from behind. Then cyclist-with-ego-problems starts dinging repeatedly whilst closing in on you. Is it too much to ask for cyclist to slow down and (deep breath) veer off the path onto the grass in order to keep momentum?

Yeah this is one of those times where the cyclist should accept its a footpath and slow down until the pedestrians notice. I've done this before though where the footpath was easily wide enough for a bike and a pedestrian alongside with space to give, and there were fences either side. We slowed down and rang the bells but the militant pedestrian refused point blank to walk single file and left us riding behind him at 3mph, completely ignoring us

We just slowly rode dragging the (noisy!) wet brakes till they got fed up and moved out the way.

Its times like those when we need to learn to cooperate and share access more openly!

tenfoot

Not trying to be divisive, but did you try a cheery "excuse me"?

Always works for me. Most people apologise and move out of the way, even though they don't have to.

bennett_346

tenfoot wrote:

Not trying to be divisive, but did you try a cheery "excuse me"?

Always works for me. Most people apologise and move out of the way, even though they don't have to.

Three times

tenfoot

What a tool. Guess there's just no reasoning with some people. Probably a traffic warden. ;-)

bennett_346

tenfoot wrote:

What a tool. Guess there's just no reasoning with some people. Probably a traffic warden. ;-)

stubs

Or deaf

bennett_346

stubs wrote:

Or deaf

i hope not