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.

Having experienced the joy of the Tour de Yorkshire before I cannot say I am surprised in the slightest.
Poor family.

Hyperbole anyone ? You could always walk

I live in a big fucking country. Our own property is 20 miles from one end to the other.

Here in the United States we have the Bill of Rights

Yes we do and thank gawd for the Bill of Rights because it protects us from cunts in hi- vis vests telling our vet that on that day our animals can fuck off and die or we can't travel to irrigate our fields or dairy cattle can't be milked on that day.

Our county sheriff does not hold still when the U.S. Constitution is threatened. He swore an oath to uphold it.

But you can just carry on - grin and bare it.

Exaggerating ? Tell the people who lost animals that day, or went hungry etc they are exaggerating. Not me.

This thread is priceless.

I live in an affected area and we had so much notice on SoMe, leaflets, signs up etc plus it was possible to work out alternative routes or move cars beforehand.
Yes it’s an inconvenience but no more so than when a road is being resurfaced etc.
We went along to watch and it was an amazing event.

The vet was a delay yes but I think there is some hyperbole about it. Very sad tho of course.

But it’s a massive event, only once a year and brought huge amounts of tourism to Birmingham which needs it.

I didn’t speak to anyone locally who was that upset, few minor grumbles but generally people enjoyed watching.

It was still possible to walk run or cycle down the roads being used. And the marshalls by us did let the odd car through as the riders thinned out in the afternoon.

Some people are unable to use their legs and walk, most people can.

Yep, absolutely...but it's not about just popping down the road. I had to cancel a shift the first year it was on because I literally couldn't get to work. Too far to walk (plus I was pregnant so even if I might normally have managed I couldn't then). I don't drive, it was because all the buses were cancelled because they closed a whole main road all day! That was a whole day of pay I missed, so so ridiculous. I also think it's incredible that an unnecessary event is allowed to close public roads...we can all work around a few hours but all day just shouldn't be allowed.

Cars owners don’t pay ‘road tax’, that’s rubbish. And even if they did, I would imagine that an awful lot of the cyclists are also car drivers, so do pay.

No, they pay tax on their fuel and cars. They also pay insurance. Cyclists don't.

Anyway, I have sympathy OP. There was a similar event that went on yesterday where I live. Luckily the roads were still open, but full of cyclists that were riding 3 or 4 abreast. Or in the centre of the road making it impossible to overtake them safely.
No notice was given to local residents, apart from tiny signs that went up a couple of days before.
The residents that weren't allowed to park outside their houses blocked other streets. As well as the competitors cars it was a nightmare. Again, this would've made it difficult for carers to attend their patients as they would have nowhere to park nearby.

My sister was cut off all day in her cut-de-sac. The route was very badly planned. They essentially tried to have their cake and eat it by using some of the leaguer edges of Brum without considering that in areas like Wood End there are often lots of housing estates off the main access roads and closing the main road cuts off thousands of people. Of course there are bound to be issues adequately informing those people and the numbers increase the chance that someone is going to urgently need to get out.

I suspect it is easier in rural France and Yorkshire because it affects fewer people at a time.

I’ll never forget the video of three cyclist undertaking a horse on the road and clipping the horse and rider, causing damage to both. There are pricks in all communities. I think what gets people’s back up is that the cycling community is self selecting because of the hefty price for entry and the costs of bike means it is 95% rich middle aged men.

This thread is priceless.

Dead horses - so funny, eh?

I live in a big fucking country. Our own property is 20 miles from one end to the other

Not quite sure how that helps us here ? Unless you are suggesting the next Velo is 4 times round yours ?

It's fascinating and illuminating to hear from outside the UK on so many matters. But there's not much use trying to explain anything to Brits in terms of the US constitution since (a) it's doesn't apply here, and (b) we don't get to learn it by rote at school.

To the test who said too dependent on cars.. did you read about the chap who relies on a wheelchair, or the oaps\ disabled people who could not have their carers come in? Or other disabled people who can not walk that far without pain?

We have a sporting event that cuts off areas of the city but there are crossing points so there is always one way out. Sounds like this one cut people off for hours having more impact on disabled people than on the general population.

I live in an affected area and we had so much notice on SoMe, leaflets, signs up etc plus it was possible to work out alternative routes or move cars beforehand.

In some areas it was possible to work out alternative routes but in some areas they did completely cut whole areas from others. Also, the information wasn't particularly accessible...I know plenty of people who didn't understand it well enough. There was a LOT of upset where I lived.

We have a sporting event that cuts off areas of the city but there are crossing points so there is always one way out. Sounds like this one cut people off for hours having more impact on disabled people than on the general population.

Which requires an impact assessment under the DDA. As I said, I know Birmingham swerved that (and ignored my FOI for it). Maybe others will have more luck.

It should be put to the vote. All the homes and businesses which will be affected by the proposed road closures should be asked if they mind having their day fucked up.

Daisies - as I said earlier, the steward involved (if that’s correct) is an idiot.

But have a look at a lot of the comments on this thread - if they were aimed at any other group in society, they would rightly be deleted.

And the level of ignorance of some is shameful.

My friend had an £8k vet bill after a similar race a few years ago. Once again the vet wasn't allowed through; her OH couldn't get to her to get the horse home and she had to make him walk although he was horribly injured. Naturally no compensation was forthcoming.

I have no issue with cyclists, I am one. But I have a huge issue with the arbitrary disruption of hundreds of other people's live so they can pursue their hobby racing on public roads paid for by the motorist.

I live in an affected area and we had so much notice on SoMe, leaflets, signs up etc plus it was possible to work out alternative routes or move cars beforehand.

I think the route change a few times too, which didn't help.

As I said, we were isolated in 2017, and it would have been impossible to leave our cul de sac in a car until 6pm.

I don't blame the cyclists - they weren't to know. It's the organisers and (in my case) Birmingham City Council that are to blame. And the radio silence from them is so deafening that it's hard - very hard - not to speculate that some beer vouchers must have changed hands somewhere to get this event pushed through with the very minimal of oversight. Although I realise I'm probably being completely out of order thinking that there's even a rizlas thickness of a chance of any corruption in English politics.

But I have a huge issue with the arbitrary disruption of hundreds of other people's lives

Hundreds ? It was thousands along the 3 mile road that took in our road in 2017 - there's about 200 people living in our cul de sac alone.

The professionally grumpy residents of Birmingham and Warwickshire are going to LOVE the Commonwealth Games coming to town.

Doesn't matter about promoting sport, welcoming athletes from around the world, showcasing their city, hosting loads of sports over a fortnight. Because there will be road closures and people might not be able to use their cars. There are still people whining about the opening ceremony in Glasgow in 2014 when there were roads closed. Despite literally years of advertising and an entire building in the city centre covered in the 2014 logo, they "didn't know".

Sundays are usually chosen for these events to minimise impact on road users - nobody needs to take the kids to school, attend routine hospital/dental appointments, far fewer people going to work. Of course arrangements should be made for emergency vehicles and carers, but going to Asda because that's what you always do on a Sunday morning is not an emergency.

As for the human rights, 20 mile estate and US constitution poster - entirely irrelevant.

If someone parks across a poster's driveway or front door, blocking them in for a day, nobody tells them "oh, it's just for one day". Why should this be any different? Would people consider it acceptable if the driver had given the poster 3 months' notice of the day on which they would block the person in? Why should a person's right to quiet enjoyment of their home be put aside in this way? I wonder what sort of risk assessment was made for this event, that concluded that it was acceptable to severely inconvenience and possibly endanger a large number of households.

Where I live there are frequent cycling road-races. Individual roads are never closed for more than an hour or two. The whole route is never closed in one go.

The reason it makes me cross is nothing to do with anti-cyclist mantras (I'm all for cycle lanes and safe cycling as a means of transport), but that this is just another symptom of increasing inequality in our society. Cash-strapped councils desperately need new sources of income in order to provide basic services to the poor and vulnerable. So they enter into contracts to host events such as this which allow the upper-middle classes to live out their fantasies of being Lance Armstrong or Bradley Wiggins for the day. It's not a moral or ethical way of funding our collective needs as a society - we should be taxing the wealthy directly instead of via their hobbies...

The professionally grumpy residents of Birmingham and Warwickshire are going to LOVE the Commonwealth Games coming to town.

Somehow I'm going to guess they will be organised much more ... transparently.

Just bear in mind, for all the "charidee", "Velo" is a profit making company. From their website:

Velo Birmingham brought to you by CSM Active Ltd Company Reg 10225082

So it's probably not just the bikes that were greased, but a few palms too ...

(total respect for "professionally grumpy residents of Birmingham". As an immigrant to Brummigan, I feel excepted )

if they were aimed at any other group in society, they would rightly be deleted.

Cyclists aren't a group in society. It's just something that some people do. Otherwise you wouldn't be allowed to say anything about anyone!!

The commonwealth games is a completely different thing. No one has an issue with events being held, quite the contrary...the issue is with just how badly this has been organised.

Bloody outrageous and should be outlawed. Really, it's disgusting

The Bill of Rights poster is also irrelevant because roads are closed in the US for similar events

What should be outlawed? People riding on bikes?!