Cannot believe there are no replies!!

freespirit1 wrote:Finally

freespirit1 wrote:

Finally Sideburn and Bikeboy do not live in Surrey, therefore they have as much right to tell me how to live and run my life in Surrey, as I do to tell them how to live theirs in Manchester and Devon.

You come here for a visit and a days enjoyment those of us that HAVE to go to work still need to do so.

I live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and have as much right as you do to come down to Surrey and go for a bike, as you have a right to drive up here and partake of some of the lovely cafes and pubs in Didsbury. You are welcome.

What a Muppet!

genuine question, have you
genuine question, have you considered riding a bike to work for that day. You can wheel it along pavements to get around closed roads and then cycle the rest of the way. As a Londoner I have to put up with blocked up/ closed roads for much of the year. A crash on the trunk roads causes all other roads to get blocked. I’m only late for work on a bike if it’s sunny.

I try not to watch too much
I try not to watch too much television, but when I do there seem to be a lot of programs dedicated to obesity, lack of exercise along with their health related problems of heart disease, diabetes. Then of course over-reliance on motor vehicles, people killed by motor vehicles etc. Even Jeremy Clarkson is saying that the country would be better if more people rode bikes.
The people in government put on an event that attracts and hopefully inspires 10’s of thousands of people…
and a few hundred whinge that they -might- be inconvenienced?
I may live in Devon but I used to live near to part of the route; your 20 mile diversion statement does not add up to me. Or are you saying you would have to push your motorbike 20 miles?

You still sound a lot like a
You still sound a lot like a nimby 😕 I think you sum up your attitude when you say about the marathon, “It does not affect me so who cares?” I live in Devon so why should I care?
Anyone know how much this event raised for charity this year?

To pick up on this point you
To pick up on this point you made in the previous thread (freespirit1):

2. Like most Surrey residents I was extremely pleased about the route being used for the Olympics as a one off and for a rehearsal. At no point were residents consulted about an annual event.

The council (belive it or not) is actually under no obligation to consult it’s residents whatsoever – they can shut roads for any reason (well, anything they deem “necessary”) without any prior notice at all – it’ll be in your council tax info (hiding somewhere in very tiny print!).

As a general rule though, they will notify residents – exceptions obviously include things like major incidents (burst water main, fire, bomb threat etc) but for things like marathons, cycling events, it’s usually regarded as polite to let people know – there are however not obliged to ask your opinion at all!

As I posted in that previous thread, I’m genuinely curious as to how many people were actually affected – people who simply had no other option at all? As I mentioned, my Dad lives right on the route of the London Marathon and for one weekend a year, he can’t access his car, can’t walk to the shops – so he plans ahead and makes alternative arrangements (or buys in his supplies in advance).

Once a year, there’s a funfair held on the park opposite my house which causes a lot of noise, a lot of traffic congestion etc. Personally I hate it but I can see the good it does for the area, can see how many people enjoy it so again, I make alternative plans that weekend.

I’m not saying that’s an option for everyone – obviously there will be people who can’t just jump in a car and go away for a weekend, just curious as to what options there were in place to cater for that?

Not having a go, genuine question – something you might want to feed back to the organisers?

I am inconvenienced for two
I am inconvenienced for two weeks a year with tennis at Wimbledon and the resultant traffic (the Olympics were even worse with road blocks). Hundreds participate, thousands come and millions enjoy watching it. Sometimes you just have to plan and compromise for the greater good. I know when the tournament will be and adjust accordingly.

You sound like you are saying
You sound like you are saying you might be inconvenienced not will?
I had a road closed near me, (subsidence, which I realise is a lot different) I was awkward especially as it was closed for weeks but meant I had to walk a bit. It was not the end of the world.
Working nights is s**t; I know because I work them, even a minor irritation becomes a major one, but this event has raised thousands for charity and could go on to raise thousands more. I suspect a lot of local businesses are rubbing their hands with expectation
Do people complain about the London Marathon? Or is this just an anti-cyclist thing?