Quiet walk in the country - ruined by these idiots

[Mon Ami Mate]

Ruining everything for all of us

Had a really unpleasant experience while out with my wife and our three dogs yesterday at Erlestoke Woods, which is halfway between Devizes and Westbury in Wiltshire.

I used to walk in these woods all the time with my mother when I was a kid. She died recently and it had been on my mind for a while to go back and walk there – hadn’t been there for 30 years.

The woods are owned by the MOD and have a couple of pathways through them, but they are not open to vehicles and never have been. There are lots of signs up to remind people of this. As soon as we arrived a military Police Hilux appeared and we were told to be careful because there were illegal vehicles using the pathways. As we were talking two Moto X bikes appeared and the disappeared off after them.

The walk was a total disaster. The woods were full of bikes and a couple of Discos and we spent the whole time dodging them. They passed close by us on several occasions not bothering to slow down or show us any consideration at all. The pathways are deeply rutted in places and verging on the impassable. We met several other walkers, many of them quite elderly, some of whom were genuinely shocked and upset.

Eventually I had had enough. A couple of bikes came up behind us on a metalled road between the paths - not registered, therefore not taxed and not insured. I stood in front of them, forced them to stop and made myself pretty unpleasant. I’m not a small person and I’m not afraid to get involved. We videoed them and I refused to let them pass – eventually they were forced to turn around and go back.

We took several other videos of the bikes and the Land Rovers and I have sent these to the Military Police this morning.

I love green laning in my Land Rover, and I know there are plenty of legal byways open within a few miles of Erlestoke where you can fill your boots. These idiots, through their selfishness, stupidity and arrogance, are ruining everything for all of us and they must be stopped.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

http://www.youtube.com/user/mcupis?feature=mhum#p/...

[Toby Le Rone]

You need to get out more....oh, er, hang on......

Seriously though, despite the rights and wrongs you were putting yourself on offer big time there (yes, I watched the videos). Couple of their mates turn up, nobody can be identified (well, officer, he was on a green/blue/red bike and covered from head to toe in protective gear) and all you have for backup is the wife (who you're also exposing to a level of danger) and a terrified dog.

I'm not condoning their actions, but maybe walk elsewhere, for the sake of your own blood pressure and your family's safety?

Edited by Toby Le Rone on Monday 28th February 11:51

[hornetrider]

Do offroad bikes need insurance and tax to ride offroad?

[pbickerd]

I love offroading and live pretty near that area. There isnt an excuse really. This is probably one of the best parts of the country for offroading. There are so many byways where you can legally ride / drive offroad. We are out in our disco most weekends doing it. We have Salisbury plain even right here..

[y2blade]

[redacted]

[y2blade]

hornetrider said:

Do offroad bikes need insurance and tax to ride offroad?

yes, if they are on a public byway..it is no different to a road

if they are on private land "with" permission then no they don't need tax or insurance

[Raize]

Do you by any chance happen to have a goatee?

[y2blade]

Raize said:

Do you by any chance happen to have a goatee?

...and a bobble hat?

[zakelwe]

yammyfan said:

depends on location really. If its a byway - techincally yes but not many anpr's about there.

They have numberplates on by the looks of things so have every right to ride on the by ways and roads.

Go walk your dog somewhere else.

He does say

"The woods are owned by the MOD and have a couple of pathways through them, but they are not open to vehicles and never have been. There are lots of signs up to remind people of this. As soon as we arrived a military Police Hilux appeared and we were told to be careful because there were illegal vehicles using the pathways."

I can see this being a good 17 pages long.

Andy

[Mon Ami Mate]

The road where I stopped the bikes is a public highway that leads up to the paths. The bikes weren't registered, taxed or insured.

[Mon Ami Mate]

Have a look at the first video to see what the military Police think of these people. I really thought there was going to be a dead biker to deal with.

[thinfourth2]

Sadly the response will be as follows.

See those folk over here causing damage by doing something illegal we are going to stop them by making those folk over there who are legal and causing no damage illegal.

[Fartgalen]

What about that psycho in the 1st clip ? Nearly knocks one of them off when he steams off in the pickup.

[supertouring]

You don't appear to like anyone on 2 wheels

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

You have a serious problem!

[y2blade]

supertouring said:

You don't appear to like anyone on 2 wheels

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

You have a serious problem!

he's a bobble hat commando

[BliarOut]

Mon Ami Mate said:

Have a look at the first video to see what the military Police think of these people. I really thought there was going to be a dead biker to deal with.

Whoever was driving that white thing wants prosecuting for Dangerous Driving.

[HellDiver]

y2blade said:

edit to add..the horse is insured

TPFT or Fully Comp?

[Mon Ami Mate]

supertouring said:

You don't appear to like anyone on 2 wheels

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

You have a serious problem!

I have a serious problem with bullies and people who treat others with contempt.

And I'm a biker myself.

[Muzzer]

supertouring said:

You don't appear to like anyone on 2 wheels

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

You have a serious problem!

How is an incident, with a cyclist, last year, in somewhere completely different, in any way relevant to this?

And why does he have a "serious problem" because he doesn't want bikers, who it seems have several legal spots locally to do their stuff, riding illegally where he walks his dog?

[Mon Ami Mate]

BliarOut said:

Whoever was driving that white thing wants prosecuting for Dangerous Driving.

That is the military Police. The guy was spending his whole day chasing these idiots around the woods.