On 1 Sep 2003 16:20:37 -0700, [email hidden] (Corvus Corvax) blathered:
Quoted message said:No kidding there. You were also right about Ambleside being a total zoo this time of year. Traffic
was bumper-to-bumper for miles in both directions on the one road through town, every day.
Local bike shop take was up 40% on this time last year - busiest month ever. Why do you think I
spent the week in NW Scotland...?
Quoted message said:You folks in the UK really have the public right-of-way thing figured out.
Yes and no; in England & Wales the distinction between bridleway (yes bike) and footpath (no bike)
is often arbritrary and illogical. Tracks can change designation in the middle of nowhere when they
cross county boundaries, despite the actual path on the ground being unchanged in any way. Also,
Foot & Mouth in 2001 was an eye opener about just how many rights of access we have.
I tend to exercise a bit of common sense about it - a balance between rights & responsibilities.
There are bridleways I won't ride (too fragile/too many walkers) but some footpaths I will e.g. well
graded packhorse trade routes or mining tracks, that have been mysteriously designated as footpaths
by some map making penpusher. I don't have a legal leg to stand on, though - the system really needs
an overhaul.
It's different in Scotland, where if a track has any history of public use then a bike is OK too
(they're classed as 'walking accessories'😉.
Pete
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btinternet.com~peteajonesOpen ↗