watched program again still makes me fum end of program how meny protesters able to walk up that hill and protest not meny ? mature lady Q/ it makes me so so upset and emotional to see whats going on ? FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS love there have been tracks used to move accross the country side some god forbid made into A=B roads the rights of way behind your house hasnt thats lucky for you dear ? tracktors landrovers bikes delivery vans etc have used these ways before you were born ?
RANGER putting temp closure on erodded lane due to weather and vehicles ok so protesters further erode the banks because they dont want to get there feet wet cheers ? for that ! walkers can walk any part of the park everywere and still ??? next on there list will be those cyclist and wayward out of control horsy types ? i think David Attenbough recently said on one of his programs if we wish we can change things but in the end nature will claim it back million years from now the nature reserve open to all will be prob underwater ? so lets all enjoy it now what say you lost
I have just watched the program and I'm also fairly new to using the green lanes, the main point I found to offensive about the program was that all of the motorists on there where described as "off roaders" when filmed using the lanes which they also stated as being class as roads so if programs like that are to show two sides of the same story perhaps they should get their terminology straight first "off roader" gives a far more negative impression of someone than a "motoring enthusiast" when it comes to judging a book by its cover .
I also agree that in certain circumstances a TRO either permanent or temporary must be established if the use of the lane is affecting the surrounding environment or for any other valid reason, however something that these groups trying ban all motorists using the countryside haven't thought about or choose to ignore is that this action will in the future encourage groups of people using unregistered, uninsured machines to ride/drive any where they see fit, given the choice would they prefer an established group most of which will be ridding/driving responsibly using registered and insured vehicles using a defined route of official lanes through the country who also maintain these lanes voluntarily or would they prefer groups of unregistered and untraceable machines ripping it up over moorland, fields, woodland & rivers ect. with little or no care for the environment .
Also does anybody have the contact details for the lovely old dear that was picking up and collecting the debris from vehicles through out the program, I was going to see if she had any KTM EXC plastics/parts that she wanted to get rid of cheap .
-- Edited by Gripper on Saturday 14th of April 2012 01:11:14 PM
Do the ramblers even know what they are fighting for?
They do the tresspass type thing only with alot less people, then stand at the top of a hill and say they walked here to exercise their right to freely use the peaks just like they did back in the day. Then they contradict themselves buy saying they have walked up there to stop other people from exercising their rights to use the peaks!!!! WTF!!!!
I can uderstand the temporary closure of one lane to assess the damage, also to repair it ,as it is (so it seemed) affecting the area around it, but then it should then be repaired and reopened, also liked the way that the ramblers jumped on the band wagon and claimed it as a victory for themselves! even though the park authority had probably been looking at it for some time and were deciding the best course of action.
the old woman that nearly got ran over!!! i sadly watched that bit over a few times and the motorbike is almost stopped! he was in a rut! and what a shame that she had to step on the bank next to her friend who had cleverly thought, 'there's a motorbike coming i'll step out the way!', yes he could of changed ruts but it would have been a lot easier if she just moved out the way, and as for nearly being run over! I think she needs her eyes testing or atleast watch the footage again!
And calling the police! what a waste of time and money! whats the rozzer gonna do? well you are on a public highway you should be more carefull and on closer inspection of the footage they are not speeding and slow down appropriately when approaching you!!! Have a word with yourself and stop wasting police time and tax payers money!!! bloody coffin dodgers!!!
although my favorite bit was the fish and chips guy with his slightly rotund missus with the bottle of vineger. sure thats what they use it for
I dont think that the programme tried to be the middle man and sided on the local villagers and walkers.
As has been mentioned on here before and probably will again, we are not 'off roaders' we are 'green laners'
well thats my rant over feel free to pick it to pieces and tell me i'm wrong but thats just they way i see it.
I'm a novice at this greenlaning and TRF but I watched that programme for the first time last week and two things struck me, apart from the programme's bias.
Although the ramblers banded together, the 'off roaders' (4x4s) and the greenlaners stayed separate. It seems to me to be obvious that 4x4s cause far more damage than motorbikes and there could/should be different laws for them, as I can see why there are complaints about them going down narrow lanes with no room for walkers/horse & bike riders to go other than in a hedge.
Which brings me on to my second thought. Most areas with rights of way are large and walkers can go anywhere, but there are those who choose to go where they know they may encounter a motorised vehicle oa any sort. Just so they can complain, I presume. Most of these areas have 'proper' roads for cars etc, but do these walkers stroll down them? Of course not! So in most cases, they are looking for trouble (notice how they all appear retired with nothing else to do?)
Perhaps there should be separate rights of way for all categories of transport, whether motorised or on foot/hoof. Places where ramblers are subject to a TRO! That would give them something to think about,
Now I admit again I am a total newbie here and don't know much, but I thought I would express my opinions and this seems such a good place for it.
What an utterly bland, wishy washy piece of television last night's BBC4 Tales from the National Parks documentary on 4x4s in the Peak District was. How on earth can a BBC team film for a year and yet still manage to completely avoid the central issue of the programme?
It beats me. It really does. And it was such a shame after the excellent, thought-provoking opener about the Honister Zip-wire project in the Lakes. The central issue, if you weren't aware of it, isn't that nice little old ladies in quaint Peak District villages don't like the noise that 4x4s make or think that trail riders look and sound like Darth Vader, it is that motorised vehicular recreation and its associated destruction of tracks and paths in the Peak is utterly at odds with everyone else's right to quiet enjoyment of the outdoors.
Yes, they have a legal right - mostly - to be there, but it's a damning indictment of the absurdities of our anachronistis rights of way system that this is the case. The 'roads' which 4x4s destroy just through their use, are really nothing of the sort. They were never designed for use by motorised vehicles and by and large are completely unsuitable for 4x4s and motorcycles. Full stop.
That's the nub of it. And it's an issue the BBC team utterly shirked besides a few brief glimpses. Instead we were treated to every cliche they could drag out of their bucket of well-worn, easily comprehensible stereotypes; NIMBY cottage dwellers, eccentric old ramblers versus those nice chaps who drive around terribly politely in their 4x4s.
The reality, BBC, is nothing like that. The reality is hooligan trail bikers screaming down trails with precious little regard for the safety of others, spraying rocks and gravel into people's faces as they pass and carving new ruts into virgin hillsides. The reality is 4x4s winching their way up eroded tracks like the Roych and Rushup Edge with their wheels causing more damage in minutes than a decade's worth of walkers and mountain bikers.
The reality is people who are out in the outdoors because they like the thrill of controlling a vehicle in difficult terrain. Not because they feel any kinship with the outdoors or other outdoor users, instead they hide inside their 4x4s and their full-face helmet so in reality they're as far away from the wilderness as they can be.
How could the BBC not even touch on most of this? How could they never even mention how motorised vehicles impact on other people as well as their environment?
Meanwhile, back in BBC land, the Peak Park folk came across as squirming, fence sitters, utterly hamstrung by their legal duty to allow people to damage the environment they're supposed to be protecting. And they didn't even look embarassed to be doing it, just exasperated that the NIMBY villagers didn't understand.
Somewhere in the middle of all the cliched, sombre mood music and the stereotypes, there was a vibrant, kicking, passionate film waiting to be made about our ridiculous rights of way system and the legalised vandalism it vindicates. But this wasn't it. Please someone, ban the BBC from the Peak Park.
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