AIBU to think this event should never have happened.

[DaisiesAreOurSilver]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mare-newborn-foal-die-because-15637103

Big cycle race of 100 miles in our area yesterday. Road closures from 5.30 am till 12.30 pm. Some streets were totally cut off for the whole time.

Residents were just told they should have parked outside the area the night before. For some that would mean a walk of a mile, given how many roads were closed. One family escorted through because they had a flight to catch but had to wait 25 minutes for an escort.

Carers were unable to visit the housebound clients, meals on wheels couldn't get through and the stewards didn't give a stuff. For some people it wasn't a question of finding a way around there were areas that were totally cut off for the duration.

But worst of all the stewards wouldn't let a emergency vet through and a mare and her foal died. The foal would have been worth a lot of money as was the mare. I hope the owner sues for every penny she can.

Residents are very angry and cannot understand why permission was granted for this to happen. If they try it again vigilantes have said they'll force the roads open if they try to close them. Feelings running very high.

Christ. Dragging up people’s peoples posts about their relationship problems to argue your case is a new low, even for mumsnet.

Have a look at yourself ffs.

Ivana - you do realise the way AIBU works? People post about a particular situation with their DH, MIL, friend or whoever, You can’t extrapolate from one scenario or question that someone “treats their family like shit.” Who on earth are you to presume anything about anyone?

I'm afraid I neglected to check with the organisers as to whether it inconvenienced anyone but judging by all the lovely folk lining the route, bringing out drinks and snacks they seemed pretty ok with it?

Disabled and elderly people who were unable to receive food/personal care/medication etc from their carers, people who were desperately trying to reach relatives in hospital (as described by a PP), people whose animals were denied urgent veterinary care as per the OP, and anybody else who was seriously affected are all pretty unlikely to be lining the route and cheering you on.

I wasn’t actually the first poster to bring that up and it seemed pertinent since OP herself literally said “my dh was at this. I had a post about it.”

Maybe relax the frothing since OP brought it up?

It's possible Londoners are smug and entitled, it's also possible they've developed a thicker skin wrt personal inconvenience, because a lot of threads tend to conclude it'd be intolerable to live here precisely because of how difficult it can be to get around. If there's a big event on you can't go about your normal business because the sheer numbers of people make public transport impossible, and traffic congestion and road closures make driving and buses impossible too.

I love how you make this point by describing a situation that's about 150 times less of a problem than being unable to pass through the only routes to/from your home, business, patients in a vehicle in the countryside as ...a terrible thing that gets you a thick skin.

The tube can often make you late for work, but there are usually at least two other ways to make any given journey (often more). Complete lockdown of an area, of the sort imposed by large poorly organised events in the countryside is extremely rare.

“Relax the frothing” - yes indeed Ivana.

Ratatouille funnily enough there are thousands of these events held up and down the country all year every year and the one I'm talking about hasn't received any bad publicity in all the years it's been operational so no I don't think there were people lying in their own filth cussing me on the day as it happens.

You sound mad as a brush Daisies. Just read what your coming out with.

A little attempt at humour. I forgot lycra loons and their acolytes have no sense of irony.

But carry on having a pop because I care about a dead mare and her foal.

the one I'm talking about hasn't received any bad publicity in all the years it's been operational

That's great, just the sort of events that should be on, but it's irrelevant as what is being discussed is this particular event which was a nightmare and caused chaos.

All these people so upset about the horse will be moaning about them cluttering up the roads next week you mark my words.

Raspberry I agree but what I object to on this thread is the absolute hatred towards all cyclists rather than the organisers. Clearly this Velo was crap but why the vitriol towards people who paid their entry fee in good faith that it was being properly organised with due consideration for all the local residents.

My friend lives there. In order to get to nec for a gig close by she had to walk 2.5 miles to her car 4 hours earlier than planned because the bus routes were effected too. Her sister couldn’t get to work
Yes they had notice but people can’t just opt out of their lives
Cycling is a bloody menace
I live rurally and they are majority totally clueless about road safety and incredibly entitled to ‘fair space’ in the road- clue it’s riral and bendy, I can’t overtake you when you’re 4 wide and the road is 1.5 cars wide, but if you’d go in single formation for 2 secs it would be fine.

I agree but what I object to on this thread is the absolute hatred towards all cyclists rather than the

Why?

"Complete lockdown of an area, of the sort imposed by large poorly organised events in the countryside is extremely rare"

complete lockdown of anywhere should be for emergencies, not events.

Oh god Ivana you are really giving me the pip now with all your goadyness on this thread

the one I'm talking about hasn't received any bad publicity in all the years it's been operational so no I don't think there were people lying in their own filth cussing me on the day as it happens.

Again, if you actually think about the kind of people who would be most affected then they are the people who are least able to seek any kind of publicity. For example, an elderly person without family to advocate for them and who relies on carers is hardly in a position to kick up any kind of fuss.

but why the vitriol towards people who paid their entry fee in good faith that it was being properly organised with due consideration for all the local residents.

Don't you think that the thousands of people attending these thousands of events have a bit of responsibility to ensure that they aren't contributing to something that's potentially dangerous though? Rather than just assuming it was probably going to be fine because after all, it wasn't them who would be inconvenienced anyway so fuck it. If people accepted more responsibility in all walks (as participants in events like this, as consumers, as voters etc) rather than just blindly trusting in the powers that be, the world would be a better place. It's a good thing to take a bit of personal responsibility.

Oh god Ivana you are really giving me the pip now with all your goadyness on this thread

What? I don’t actually know what that means, but I was curious about why you object to it. I’m not sure how that’s particularly goads.

*goady

Ratatouille funnily enough I'm involved in organising a local half marathon and have spent hours pounding the local streets giving out very detailed leaflets. I spoke to some residents just this Sunday - guy outside a block of flats that I couldn't post leaflets to as front door locked. He took a handful from me and said he would pass them to the residents who lived there. All our marshalls have lanyards with emergency numbers on of the race director etc and there is strict protocol as to what to do in a similar situation as outlined here. I just dislike the assumption that ALL of these events are run by Mavericks and indeed that the participants don't give a flying fuck. It's just not true in my experience, I've absolutely concurred that things clearly weren't done correctly or carefully in Birmingham but when I've taken part or helped organise events I like to think I've done my due diligence.

Ivana Google goady there's a love ..

I live rurally and they are majority totally clueless about road safety and incredibly entitled to ‘fair space’ in the road- clue it’s riral and bendy, I can’t overtake you when you’re 4 wide and the road is 1.5 cars wide, but if you’d go in single formation for 2 secs it would be fine.

I can't actually blame people for this, getting passed by a vehicle at speed on the wrong bit of a country lane can be bloody terrifying even if you don't face the same hazards as city riding. Motorists forget the width of the road and egress for the cyclist is not guaranteed, and that the edge of a country lane can often be an unpredictable surface. You could be out in front of the 60mph motorist through no fault of your own faster than they could possibly react.

It's difficult to blame people for staying out when people are zooming past on that single track road at 60 or 70mph, especially people who aren't used to it.

I know what goady is, love. Calling someone goady doesn’t make them so, I’m afraid.

But if you can’t articulate an answer, that’s ok. You just like to be on the other side of the OP. That’s how some people entertain themselves. A perfectly valid choice. 😊

Whatever

Ivanapee, I said the vet should have been let through, I was really sad to hear about the deaths. I’m not sure why you seem so intent on making sarcastic comments.

We, and thousands of others, had a very positive experience of the velo and I should be allowed to say that. That’s not to say it sounds like bits of it could have been better organised but that isn’t the fault of the cyclists.

The cyclist rage worries me.

Not far from where I live somebody ran over a cyclist on purpose and then bragged about it to their friends (which is how they got caught).

Not someone they knew, not someone they had ever met, just another human being out riding his bicycle with the gear on. The lunatic driving thought it was amusing to just drive through him and carry on with her day.

I am not your smug middle class cyclist, but I have to say that story occurs to me every time I take DCs for a bike ride.