Green laning

[Chas]

I hate to rain on any ones parade, But, I don't think it is a good idea to post pictures of vehicles clearly driving off-track and spinning aggressive tyres on what are already severely deteriorated tracks, it does nothing to improve relations with the non off-road fraternity. Maybe the spinning tyres was not intentional, but the same cannot be said of off-track driving. OK off now.

 

[karl webster]

(NO) areas that were drove were off track chas.

I agree the road in the pics is the worst one for grip due to it being clay/mud.

Thanks karl

 

[Ben]

there was one lane that we did that was very muddy. it is a very short byway possibly a few hundred yards long, and has been in that state for the past 4 years and hasnt got any worse.
it is very muddy as Karl said the ground is clay and the water never drains off the lane properly.
if no one drove it it would still be very rutted and muddy. i think it will probably get filled in and graded soon like has happend to a lot of the other lanes around shropshire.

Chas where do you think we went off the track?

all the lanes we drove were byways and UCR's and we had a right to drive them.

 

[Chris]

A good point well made Chas and one that we have debated before. I can assure you also that at no point did anyone go off-piste on this trip. The lane in question was in a very poor state and could rightly be described as off road, but on the road if you follow. We came across this section a hundred meters down a perfect innocent looking leafy lane where turning around would have been difficult. It was a short section then back onto relatively good ground. I don't know why it was like that. Maybe high water table or something. A bypass route had appeared along side which was NOT part of the route. However after agreement, it was decided that some of the vehicles would be best to use this to avoid further erosion and also damage to the vehicles themselves. Those that could propel themselves through there did so but there was some spinning, agreed. Where it was clear that no further progress could be made without great difficult, a snatch strap was used and they were pulled through to minimise any further damage.

Chris

 

[karl webster]

I find it very hard at times because people get threats of there cars being crushed because they are off the tracks. Yet drive the track and that isnt correct.

As chris says,It was talked about what we would do. He can word it correctly as he has explained well.

Its a shame that people have seen this how they have. Out of a full weekends lanning in some beautiful shropshire country side, Half an hour of passing a tricky lane has brought ill feeling.

We arranged a nice weekend and had a good time with a good bunch of lads.

Sorry for any problems that anyone has.

 

[Ben]

just looked through every single pic, and yes there are pics of wheels spinning, but..............................

i cant find a single pic of any vehicles not on the right of way.

even the bit that Chris is referring to in his post above, i cant see any pics of that.

it would be a shame if people stopped posting pics of there laning trips on the forum, but if people are getting offended then that might be the best thing to do.

 

[karl webster]

I don't think I will bother posting any on here again ben. And any future trip where any ground is wet I will ask others not to bother as well. It is a shame!

karl

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

I don't think it is a good idea to post pictures of vehicles clearly driving off-track

Any chance you could point us in the directions of those pics? I have also had a good going through and I can't find any

 

[Chas]

Sorry chaps, I seem to have opened a can of worms here, I was not trying to criticize people but point out what it would look like to an outsider. I'm sure many of us have either deliberately or accidentally gone off-track in their time.
Obviously those who were there know whether or not you went off-track, but what was trying to say is some of the pictures looked as if the vehicle was off-track, this is just two that looked that way, if I as a relatively experienced off-roader thought that, do you see what I mean?

Any member of the public who was looking at the pictures on this site might think that. That is what I was trying to point out, it’s pictures like that where perhaps a bit more judgement should be used before posting.
Don't give the antis any more ammunition.

 

[Ben]

point taken Chas, but i guarantee you those pics were taken on a legal public right of way, and wernt off piste. id happily show you or anyone else that lane to prove that the right of way cross's that big mound of soil which has been deliberately placed across the right of way.

(i really like that lane so wouldnt need any excuse to get out there and drive it again! )

i know what your saying about how it looks to outsiders, but it is a right of way. i dont see a way of enjoying are hobby and taking and posting pics without some of them looking like that?

as has happend here, to people who dont know the lane, it looks off piste.

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

Hey chas,

I'm always up for being pointed in the right direction if some thing has been done that shouldn't have. It's the only way to learn. But I can assure that both those pics and the rest of them were definitely on the track.

Fair point though regarding those less in the know. But this forum is after all for enthusiasts not anti's.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

it would be a shame if people stopped posting pics of there laning trips on the forum, but if people are getting offended then that might be the best thing to do.

It is usually only a sub set of the pictures that cause a problem and the problem is how those pictures then get used to get lanes closed and create a more negative view of 'off roaders'. So many times in the past lanes have been closed using the photographic evidence of people on the trip that most people have realised it's better not to post the muddiest pictures and make life easy for the anti's. You may think that's not fair but it is unfortunately a reality we have to live with. I did voice that I wasn't comfortable with some of the pictures posted in the admin section but as I seemed to be the only person concerned it wouldn't have been right to do anything more than that.

Wether or not you should drive that lane at all has all sorts of pros and cons and I have done my fair share of driving lanes that not everyone would agree should be driven but the group size is something I don't agree with.

If there was much left to fight for I'd be hotter under the collar but it hardly seems worth getting worked up about, been there, done that and the lanes are closed (Clee St Margaret anyone?).

EDIT: P.S. Don't think I think I'm better than you, I'm not, I've posted stuff not everyone liked I just have the benefit of having been at it longer.

 

[Chas]

Hey chas,
Fair point though regarding those less in the know. But this forum is after all for enthusiasts not anti's.

But I bet the tree huggers peruse sights like ours in their quest to get us banished

 

[Chas]

Please, please, don't think for an instant I want to stop anyone doing the sport we love, all I wanted to do was keep our image nice and shiny, I'm really sorry if I've upset anyone

 

[Ben]

some good points have been made, and i will in future go through my pics first, and try not to post any that could be used as amo by the anti's.

one way to avoid people stumbling upon the pics would be to have it so only members could view pics on this forum, as is the case on some of the other forums.

ok it wouldnt stop some one from signing up and then hunting for pics, but it might discourage your average anti?

i understand your point about the size of the group John, and if im honest id have preferred 2 groups, as it was difficult at times not to loose anyone. we didnt encounter any other 4x4's, or many walkers on any of the green lanes, the roads were also very quite, we even got a few friendly waves from some groups of ramblers, and Chris stopped for a chat with one group.

i dont think youve upset anyone Chas and nor has John.

 

[Andrew Prince]

Just to echo what's been said - some of the pics raise a question mark. This is about perception rather than the hard facts - if antis seize on these pictures, then the onus would inevitably fall on us to prove our innocence, rather than them having to prove our guilt, as per the rule of law. I am pretty sure we don't want to go there!

The fact that the discussion has been had on this (open) thread is also good, as the question has been asked and answered and we as a club cannot be accused of condoning or ignoring illegal laning activities etc.

I wonder whether we should have a section limited to logged in members only for posting threads like this. Obviously the antis can join the club and could thus access a restricted section but at least our trip reports wouldn't be bared to the entire public It could also be used for sharing routes, waypoints and so on, both in the UK and abroad, where people don't want it broadcast to the whole world.

EDIT: I see Ben is on the same wave-length as me here

Cheers,

 

[Rob]

Limiting access to the trips reports section may not be the answer as some of us this section for trips other than laning trips which we may want to share with friends and family. How about a lanning only section or a option for the thread/post to be hidden to outsiders when posting?

 

[Ben]

how about as Rob suggested a green lane section, as opposed to a trip section.

also you could have it so that people can only see and access that part of the forum after say making 30 posts on the forum?

that way people cant sign up just to see and use our pics, theyd have to make a few posts first, by which point you would think we would be able to establish whether there anti's or not?

 

[Chas]

how about as Rob suggested a green lane section, as opposed to a trip section.

also you could have it so that people can only see and access that part of the forum after say making 30 posts on the forum?

that way people cant sign up just to see and use our pics, theyd have to make a few posts first, by which point you would think we would be able to establish whether there anti's or not?

That sounds like a good idea Ben

 

[Julian]

I have to say I agree with the idea of a section of the forum that is members only
The trips bit could leave members a bit open on a couple of fronts, the wrong interpretation of pics and perhaps when people are away from home on extended trips (This might be a bit OTT)