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.

We, and thousands of others, had a very positive experience of the velo and I should be allowed to say that.

By all means say it. You need to understand, though, that your positive experience does not in any way make up for the inconvenience caused. Our right to be able to carry on with our lives is more important than your right to have a fucking jolly.

It seems like some very poor, and possibly quite inconsiderate planning is happening if you combine what people are saying about this one, with the previous ones.

It's a shame, it sounds like it's a lot of fun for a lot of people.

Is it impossible to refine these events so that loads of people aren't pissed off or cut off by them? It doesn't seem like it should be, really.

I'm a woman (not a mamil) who completed this event. It wasn't a "jolly" it was something I trained for for over a year and I raised several hundred pounds for charity. I make no apologies and have pre registered for the next one.

Planners not the cyclists at fault here. Could have been any event.

"Is it impossible to refine these events so that loads of people aren't pissed off or cut off by them? It doesn't seem like it should be, really."

no, it should be quite possible. What's really surprising though - and disappointing - is to see so many posters saying "can't see the issue". If that's the attitude of so many posters, no wonder we end up with planners who apparently can't see the obvious problems.

I won't pretend to be familiar with this vast route though, but certainly seems like locals would be able to explain where the problems are and how to deal with them next time.

btw my definition of a "jolly" would include something I trained hard for. It's still something I want to do, people can give to charity whenever they like.

it's "big event" culture that's the problem here and IIRC Boris Johnson actually had a few of his requests turned down - London would have been impossible to navigate every bloody weekend if he had his way. Nurses etc are doing long enough shifts as it is without having their commute doubled!

It wasn't a "jolly" it was something I trained for for over a year and I raised several hundred pounds for charity.

As has been previously said, there are lots of ways to raise money for charity...this was a completely unnecessary event, I presume you took part because you enjoy cycling. Therefore a jolly. Getting to work or accessing care is not.

when I've taken part or helped organise events I like to think I've done my due diligence.

Which is the polar opposite to what you previously said (and the point I was replying to) about how you can't understand why anybody would be angry with people who pay their fee without asking any questions at all about the way the event is to be run and the potential consequences for people not participating.

Ratatouille I'm telling you what I've done in the past as so many posters on here just seem to hate all these events and the participants, I don't think everyone should have to do that though as it happens.

CSM and their velo rides are consistently accused of bad organisation, they have a couldn't care less attitude to the residents in the event areas.

A cycling event is a jolly, it is a hobby event. That doesn't automatically mean it is a bad thing but it isn't anything virtuous no matter how hard you train for it.

This thread is totally nuts. It's as if civil war might break out because of one badly organised event. And if anyone says this seems a bit of an extreme reaction, they become the enemy. It's quite disturbing really.

CSM and velo have had several badly organised events, so they need to be treated with distrust by councils and residents.

Longestlurker totally agree with you, bloody bonkers.

I obviously didn't make my point about the tube very well as two posters have misquoted me. All I was saying is that events cause disruption by their nature. The tube doesn't make Londoners immune to this. But there's a balance between disruption to residents and benefit to people who enjoy the event that has to be weighed up. It sounds like in this case the balance was wrong, as I think everyone agreed wrt the ridiculously strict definition of emergencies, but as regards lower level disruption, there's obviously going to be a range of views regarding what's reasonable, and it doesn't mean we need to hate people who don't happen to agree with us.

it doesn't mean we need to hate people who don't happen to agree with us. This is the bit that this thread has really shown and saddened me, total hatred for a whole group of people who most of the posters have never even met.

The races without closures are just as bad. Particularly on country lanes where cars and horses are also out. Lots of lovely cyclists but more often than not, not a lot of sense of how to use the road and particularly how to pass animals.

I hate cyclists.
Selfish selfish selfish.

It confuses me how so many people are upset about the horse and foal.
Had they been a cow and unborn calf, most posters would have eaten them in a state of ignorance for dinner.
As a life long vegan I feel qualified to say that it was a travesty they died. In the exact same way millions of animals are killed unnecessarily everyday.
At least the cyclists got a day out 🙄🙄🙄

This thread is totally nuts. It's as if civil war might break out because of one badly organised event. And if anyone says this seems a bit of an extreme reaction, they become the enemy. It's quite disturbing really

Totally agree

A spectacularly unpleasant thread

So much bile and hatred couched behind purported concern about a horse

Maybe I will be considered a cow here, but I frigging hate cyclists sometimes. They think the own the roads , hold traffic up and generally have total disregard for the Highway Code and car drivers. They pull stupid stunts then moan when they have an accident. This event would have pissed me right off, and who the hell wont let emergency vets or support caters through? That’s putting vulnerable people at risk.
There’s plenty of quiet, rural roads these spandex nutters can play out on their bikes without causing misery to folk trying to live their day to day lives. I’d be tempted to lay drawing pins out on the roads if it was put on next year

Just out of interest, what level of disruption would you see as acceptable? Is there a hierarchy?

So this event, in DS's case, closed off all of his route into work. He works in Birmingham, we live in Warwickshire. Even if he had left his car at his grandparents house 3 miles away and walked there, he couldn't have got to the airport anyway because all the routes had closures that annexed him. One person - no big deal for anyone else. But by him and others not turning up for work because of this event, it would have inconvenienced countless travellers who depend on the airport running smoothly.

So the impact assessment has to look at not just resident impact, but wider community impact. Clearly it didn't - carers and meals on wheels weren't even considered, they could have been doubly impacted by not being able to leave their houses, but then not being able to access their clients.

When you look at the exponential reach of impact, it's pretty safe to say that 17000 cyclists got the better deal here, compared to the much larger population who were affected.

The charity argument is great, but why wait until there is an organised event to show your altruism? Train for the 100 miles or 42 miles or whichever distance you fancy, then ask for sponsorship and race it on your own terms.

And yes, I would be equally pissed off by demonstrations, marathons, etc. if they had the same impact. We have road closures here a fair bit too for other events and none are as disruptive as this. The sheer length of the route, and inflexibility of the closures, mark this as a different league. At least a marathon is only 26 miles and there are rolling closures. Why on earth couldn't this have been managed in a similar way, given that all participants were on wheels and not Shanks pony?

A cow, tiger ? - join the herd!

I'm a pretty placid person but even I felt like mowing them all down

Which just shows that you're not a placid person, you're a person with violent fantasies about murdering people you dislike.

Quite frankly, this is a one off event that will bring millions of pounds to the local area in terms of tourism and participants, as well as the media exposure. Those complaining need to get over it- it's one day.

If someone misses their book club or has to take the bus to work, so what? Thousands of other people are getting to exercise and enjoy themselves. And while it is regrettable that an animal has died, again this is an incredibly minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

There are plenty of other options for people to go about their business nowadays without requiring access to cars- in fact it seems like a great thing for the environment to remove access to cars!

There are always buses or ubers available from outside the closed area if people absolutely must get somewhere on that one particular day.