According to the Speed Trap Bible site, Mr Meacher has written to all National Park Authorities to seek ways of banning motorcycles in National Parks.
Ban ban ban. Wot next
More here.
In a leaked letter from the Environment Minister, Mr Meacher he is asking the Police and local/park authorities to look at how motorcycles might be banned from the public ROADS in National Parks. A copy of the letter and details on how you may register your objections are at:
www.speed-trap.co.uk/news.htm
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I can understand his attitude, having watched a trials biker ride straight across a sown field last Sunday, on a bike that sounded as if it had no silencer.
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It's all down to national parks being a playground isn't it.
Motorcyclists tend to like razzing round the rural roads in the parks and other rural area. They tend to be more challenging (fun).
Other park users eg walkers climbers ect generally find this off-putting and would prefer thier playground to be a quiet tranquil beuatiful spot.
Can't see anything but the status quo. However I used to live in Matlock. Bikers used to congregate at Matlock Bath. Police started to strictly enforce speed limits, check tax disks etc. Biker attendance levels did fall off after a while of this treatment so it can be done. National parks are a lot bigger than the Matlock Bath strip though.
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But isn't this another example of the decent majority being punished because of yobbish behaviour by a minority?
I'm sure most bikers simply want to ride safely through these areas, but the odd eejit makes a big impression.
What next - ban everyone from walking the streets because one or two of them drop litter?
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Weeelll, maybe. As a biker, I'm tiddled off by thoughtless speedsters, often with illegal cans. Nothing against speed, or even noisy cans, but there's a time and place, etc...........I'm sure that bikers wouldn't be under threat if the 'yobbish minority' hadn't spoilt it for others - we all get tarred with the same brush. Can we 'silent majority' police the yobs? I'm not sure I'll risk a hospital stay to find out.
That doesn't let thoughtless car and 4x4 drivers off the hook, by the way.
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Andy,
Couldn't agree with you more, whilst there are clearly a minority of lunatics who attract this sort of attention, how can a Government minister seriously think that this is a solution. The problem will simply re-emerge elsewhere, why should the majority of law abiding bikers become banned from these roads because another user group wishes to enjoy a somewhat mythical peace and tranquility. I live next door to the Lake District NP and it's rarely peaceful, low flying jets, noisy townies slipping clutches and crashing into walls, bleating sheep, ...........................
The DETR have denied that they are anti-biking in a written reply to the British Motorcycle Federation after the BMF demanded an explanantion of Meachers comments, see www.bmf.co.uk.
It's just another example of too many people living on this small island!
Rob S
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Andy,
"Yobbish behaviour". Exactly.
I hate to hear screaming engines in the countryside. Revs for no reason except "Look at me, I can turn a twist -grip" Noise is usually inversely proportional to brains, methinks.
Equally, last year I went to Prestatyn seafront and there was a kid of about 12 with a radio controlled car powered by some sort of motor making a huge noise in teh car park on what should have been a peaceful Sunday afternoon of strolling and watching sea birds.
He and his dad thought it was great , totally oblivious to the din and anti-social behaviour. It's the sod-you society.
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Meacher is saying that a blanket ban on motorbikes would be difficult to justify and suggests that the problem would have to be dealt with by enforcement of existing legislation on speeding and dangerous driving.
Which is difficult to argue against.
We may see a rash of lower speed limits in the affected areas, though, backed up by the one-eyed monsters.
I have seen a couple of examples of what he is talking about in Derbyshire, but nothing like a Sunday afternoon in Austria where the world and his wife were doing the ton up and down the passes!.
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The 'minority' - and I'm not convinced it's that small - of bikers do spoil it for others, but their behaviour is disgaceful. I'm not surprised a ban in NPs is on the cards, it's just another nuisance and DANGER we could do without when on holiday etc.
Of course the police are never around to see them doing 60+ through a 30 limit, or do a wheelie for about 50 yards on a busy road! In the States they're known as organ donors, so I suppose they do serve some useful function in society. I saw a bike a couple of years ago actually embedded as far as the back wheel into a Cavalier - how fast must it have been going? Don't know what happened to the rider but it didn't look good.
Not a fan of bikers, as you may have guessed!
Pat
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Pat, dare you to reproduce your last on the MCN (that's Motorcycle News) site. Dare you, go on, dare you!
Love,
A biker.
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Pat,
Fair enough ifyou don't like bikes, I just hope you're not one of those holiday makers who drive along looking at the scenery and sheep instead of the road, parking in the most ridiculous and dangerous places to take your snaps and generally causing a nuisance to those of us who have to get around the place to do our jobs!
I'm sure you aren't but those who are create far more of a danger than bikes. And Meacher was contemplating an outright ban in his original letter but was pressing the police to take greater steps to crack down on poor riding etc. to see if this would work initially.
If you hadn't already guessed I have a bike!
Rob S
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Bikers don't like cage-drivers either. There's more of 'em and a tidy percentage are dumb as hell.
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Wasn't it in the Matlock area where the locals were complaining about outsiders on bikes spoiling their peaceful way of life.
And when the police had a speeding clampdown it was all locals, and almost all cars, that were speeding?!
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I have a bike. And 2 cars. I ride reasonably quick, and drive the car likewise. Whats the problem?
Meacher is a bigotted fool. If he picked on "purple people" because they allegedly comitted more crime than "green people", he would be accused of being racist.
(colours changed to protect all parties)
My personal hatred is dumb car drivers who do 40mph when they could be doing 60mph. Where does that leave us? everyone wants to do what suits them, except Meacher doesn't like bikes. Boo hoo. Tough on him, 'cos we will ride where we want to as long as we aren't harming anyone.
My car does more harm than my bike, so how can the MAN justify this blatent bit of prejudice?
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Meacher is supposed to be the Environment Minister - I don't supposed it has occurred to him that bikes use far fewer resources than cars?
BTW, I'm not excusing the lunatic fringe, but at least they tend to eliminate themselves...
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I never cease to be amazed at the lack of joined-up thinking in government.
For example:
Treasury cuts tax relief on elderly's private medicine: NHS complains that more elderly come to them.
Treasury puts up tax on tobacco, alcohol and fuel: Customs complain about extra smuggling.
Local authorities cut road maintenance: police complain about increase in accidents.
Treasury cuts VAT on fuel: environment dept. complains about extra fuel consumption.
Regulations make private nursing homes uneconomic: NHS complains about bed blocking.
Plenty more examples every day!
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I have two bikes and two cars; I do most mileage on the bike. Its quicker all round, less polluting when running, less resources to make, takes up less room on the road. One of the bikes is my day to day Blackbird, the other is a nutter mental Harris Magnum weekend bike I built 16 years ago still as fast as the B'bird and handles better, absolutely cracking on those roads in the NP's. I used to have a race pipe on it but took it off and put the road pipe back on because it was to noisy to ride for any great distance. I don't know why people use race cans now the extra power is minimal and it makes no sense on the road. The B'bird is great to ride fast as its so quiet it doesn't really attract much attention.
I'm not generally antisocial at all but I have to agree with Biker that cars doing 40 when they could do 60 get right up my nose. On the bike your past and gone before they know it, in the car 2.5 Mondeo it take somewhat longer and you get the look of hooligan as you try to get past as safely as possible. In the Panda it just takes for ever and then they speed up on you. But sometimes they may be holding up great queues of traffic that's when the temptation to wheelie past or spin the wheel takes hold.
Bill
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Some nice examples of the Law of Unintended Consequences being QED'd by gov't actions.
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