Yet another attempt...

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 14:19:58 +0000, Fred Labrosse scribbled the following nonsense:

Its all part of the NERC bill, been going on for a while now, just the TRF managed to get a press release published by one of the better paper!

I'm past caring now. If they ban it I shall take a leaf out of the pro-hunt lobby's book and ignore it.

Alex

Alex came up with the following;:

We already often do, though we do make sure that the lanes _are_ real green-lanes or by-ways ... Not that I'm condoning anyone else doing it (that's the legal get-out clause covered) but I figure I make less impact on the lanes we drive with the Landrover than my bicycle so why not?

... and consider what a mess horses make on soft ground.

Indeed, I've seen lanes that are completely unusable either by vehicle or by pedestrian because they've been chewed into a quagmire by horses.

Alex

The Rambliars Manifesto that used to be on their website used to state that where horse users impacted on a bridleway that Rambliars Association users liked, they'd petition the council to ban horses from it. They tend not to publicise that one so much any more as horses are cuddly and "natural" to the idle do-as-I-say types.

Falling for the old 'divide and conquer' routine that govt's. have been using for centuries, to keep the peasants at each others throats, while ignoring the fact it is the lawmakers who 'created' the problem in the first place (by trying to restrict access).

Rather than try and ban each other from your chosen pastimes, why not work together and make sure that access for all is gauranteed for future generations?

Iv'e already watched as firearms restrictions crippled that sport, and hunting restrictions cause an uproar, but the bill was passed. Surely it's time for all outdoors types to get together to try and save what little rights you have left, and become one big lobby group, rather than lots of little 'special interest' groups that get ignored?

Just wondering.....

Brian NZ

SI LWB SII LWB S11A LWB x 2 SIII SWB (Nissan LD28 Diesel conversion) (None going, but on the 'to-do' list)

Wouldn't that be nice? Unfortunately it won't happen, as an example I read an article in "The Field" magazine about off-roading where it talked about hordes of 4x4 users causing massive damage all over the countryside, likened the sound of 4x4s to "a low-flying jet plane" and said that to all 4x4 users, it's "all about the mud" and so on. This is a magazine aimed at farmers, shooters and country wannabe types. You'll not find a single soul who wants to team up with fat blokes in diesel trucks!

Thats a real shame. All the farmers I know are only too willing to let you drive/shoot on their property, as long as I phone them to make sure no-one else is planning the same thing on the same day. Some of them will even point you in the direction of their 'mud' to play in.

Next Wednesday I'm grabbing an old flatdeck Landcruiser and heading out for some spotlight rabbit/possum shooting, across farmland.It should be a fun night out with my boys (11 & 12) and a couple of mate's.

But I suppose NZ is years behind the UK when it comes to 4x4 access.

Like you say, it's inflammitory articles in magazines that people read that give the wrong impression about 4x4's. People that write that type of article often play the devil's advocate, just to try and get a reaction, and have no 'real life' experiences of the things they write about. Maybe you could contact the writer of the article and invite him out to a 4x4 meeting, so he/she could see for themselves how much fun it can be?

I'd love a landie that sounded like a low flying aircraft....I must remember to remove any mufflers during a re-build.

You'll find heaps of company down here, where everyone teams up with fat blokes in diesel trucks!

Brian NZ

People try that kind of thing from time to time, what tends to happen is that you'll tootle along for ages through nice lanes and across hard ground, with the occasional picture being taken, but when you get to a muddy bit those pictures are the ones that get printed in the magazine.

There was also an article in a recent GLASS magazine in which the article talked about a piece that had been written for a local newspaper about damage on a lane, accompanied in the newspaper by pictures of a heavily rutted and deeply gouged piece of land with muddy banks etc, but the pictures were from a dedicated off-road site and weren't from the lane at all. The chap from the GLASS magazine contacted the local paper and they admitted that an "error" had been made but no correction was printed.

It seems to be best to try to keep well away from the press and to hope that they'll forget we exist, otherwise they just make up crap stories and we don't have any means to compensate for their dishonesty as there's too few of us and no-one believes us. Pictures of people standing in foot-deep ruts that are too deep for a 4x4 aren't uncommon under headings about damage caused by off-roaders. I do find it extremely irritating and deeply unfair but at the moment have more pressing matters on hand, I haven't even been off-road for many months.

A bit far to come unfortunately ;-)

Ian Rawlings wrote in news:slrndn5416.dni.news05 @gate-int.tarcus.org.uk:

Sorry, I am totally unsympathetic!

Misreporting ought to be followed up. Tell the editor you will be making a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission if they do not publish a correction.

If you don't complain, you really have no right to grumble about a bad press.

Derry

And they formed an "alliance" with the BDS (British Driving Society) to allow horse-drawn vehicles to use some unsurfaced rights of way (some new catagory - can't remember what they call it), this prevented the carriage driving fraternatity having to support other off-road users.

Richard

Minority special interest groups only get a look in if those they represent are of non-European background, are children or, to selected extent, disabled - and "the Arts". That might seem cynical, but it's true as far as I can see.

Whether we like it or not, off-roaders (that is, those of us who enjoy off-road driving) are unpopular with the general public. We have a severe image problem, which we seem unwilling to address.

Richard

Well what with driving 4x4s so we get lumped in with the Chelsea Tractor crowd, being white, grown-up and male I think we've not got much of a chance ;-)

We could shave and lose weight I suppose... Naah!

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 08:50:19 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd scribbled the following nonsense:

restricted byway is the term you are looking for

That's the baby....

Richard

So if I am in 2wd mode I am ok then?

Even Blind Jack of Knaresborough could have told you that.

Hey I'm a disabled artist am I exempt (though I have to come clean and admit I am not a one legged lesbian)