Now lifestylers on our best roads

[Zookey]

Came home from the beach ta find my son in hospital with a smashed ankle,had been out on our favoured track when he hit the loose shingle on the inside of a tight fast bend.Some bloody townie has built a new house ,installed the Alapacas,but has the steep shingle drive exiting mid bend,which he spreads across the road every time he leaves,one less SUV in the garage would pay for tarseal; as luck would have it the Firestorm has only a broken blinker and the ugly plate bracket, but my chap has a 3 month stint in the lazy boy :wari:

[hXc]

Oh shit that sucks. Hope he heals up good an proper. PS2/X-box with dozens of motorbike games is it?

[WINJA]

ive had this a few times , the council should crack down on these fuckers , drives on bends should be sealed , and no drives should be allowed on blind corners , why dont the cops stop and have a chat to them , its hard to see the diference between putting that hazzard on the road or a boy racer putting diesel on the road, if you want i can take a dump at their letterbox one night

[Motu]

Strange - in a 100km radius of Auckland they put up 500mtrs of concrete drive,going...no where! Seems like you put in $5000 of drive before you start building....like,you wouldn't want the X5 getting dirty would you?

[Sniper]

Bugger to hear mate, hope your boy heals quick. I know what you maean though, Farkin idiots dropping shit all over our roads

[Karma]

I'd send them a letter demanding compensation... they might not pay up, but at least they'll do something about the shit on the road.

[Mental Trousers]

I'd send them a letter demanding compensation... they might not pay up, but at least they'll do something about the shit on the road.

Mate, they drive SUV's. You'll be lucky if you can convince them they don't actually own the road between their place and the closest private school.

[Gremlin]

Mate, they drive SUV's. You'll be lucky if you can convince them they don't actually own the road between their place and the closest private school.
If they don't play ball, dig a big ditch across their driveway, called it a "gravel trap" to stop gravel going onto the road... and since its an suv, it should get across the 0.5m deep, 0.5m wide ditch fine :blip:

[Unit]

Check with the local council who issued the permit. With every permit application the access to the property has to be shown, and this should be part of the approval process. If they have put it in the wrong place, they will have to rectify the matter at their own expense. With building consents these days the councils are getting very fussy, so you may have some weight on your side if it's in the wrong place. Otherwise just bring the matter to the attention of the council, and make a fuss, they hate any complaints and if the completion certificate hasnt been issued yet then they will hold that up if there is a problem with any of the works done. I'm assuming this is a new building that has recently gone in. Keep us posted if you have any developments:dodge:

[sunhuntin]

theyve sealed for no good reason part of the hill going into or out of turakina [think its before] going south from wangas theyve coned off part of the passing lane, with very little warning if youre barrelling around the bottom corner. when they finally finish, itll be loose stones for months.

since theyve finished the santoft passing lane, they are finding other things to disrupt traffic flow, including miles of 30km heading into marton from the turakina turnoff.


why is it they dont clear up the stones??

[Pixie]

If the road is a state highway,under Transit's control,there are regulations covering access.
Apparently even concrete drives between the property line and the road are not acceptable.The drive must be tarseal.
My neighbour had to seal his access and the plans for concrete pavement were rejected.

[Beemer]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Would it have made any difference if it had been gravel that had been spread on the road by a car going wide on a corner? Sorry if he is hurt and the bike is damaged but if he hit loose shingle on the inside of a "tight, fast bend" then perhaps he was going too fast for the conditions.

If it's your "favoured track" then you both obviously ride it regularly. Did the house, alpacas, steep shingle driveway, etc. appear suddenly overnight? No, I bet you have been aware of them for bloody months. So stop whinging and get used to something called urban sprawl.

Country roads ALL have their hazards and shingle spread from driveways is just one of them. Ride to the conditions and you won't have a problem.

You must be really pissed off that someone sold off part of your private race track to a damned lifestyler. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps he's pissed off with you guys using it as a race track and deliberately lets his shingle spread onto that corner?

[Holy Roller]

I find diesel spills worse, After coming to grief a few times I'm a bit more careful now. Never too pleasant when one comes off though, always a learning curve whoever is at fault. Hope the young fella heals fast.

[Lou Girardin]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Would it have made any difference if it had been gravel that had been spread on the road by a car going wide on a corner? Sorry if he is hurt and the bike is damaged but if he hit loose shingle on the inside of a "tight, fast bend" then perhaps he was going too fast for the conditions.



The difference is that the former is a random event, what is being discussed here is an ongoing problem.
There is actually a law covering the dropping of offensive matter on a road, but I doubt it includes gravel.
Perhaps a group of people with slingshots could redistribute the owners gravel back onto his property, preferably with glass breaking velocity.

[Ixion]

Tch. Disgusting. I blame the track marshals, m'self. Why didn't they put out flags to warn the riders about gravel on the track ?

[Beemer]

The difference is that the former is a random event, what is being discussed here is an ongoing problem.

If it is an ongoing problem then he should have been well aware that there would be gravel on that corner and ride accordingly.

It's a bit of a joke to complain about people buying properties on "our best roads" - sorry, since when did YOU take over ownership of the whole country? Considering the price they paid for the privilege of owning land in what is obviously a rural area, they have more right to be there than you do - after all, they're paying rates, you're not.

[WRT]

I quite agree with the line of thought that there shouldnt have been gravel on the road in the first place, and that it should be up to the owner of the property to make sure that this doesnt happen. I like Winja's idea of no gravel on corners and no driveways on blind corners.

However, I also agree with Beemer, that the rider should take a level of responsiblity in this instance. One of the major rules of riding (or driving) on public roads (and they are that - PUBLIC roads, not YOUR track) is to always make sure that you can stop in the distance that you can see up the road. Most of us (if not all at some time or another) are guilty of breaking this rule, myself included.

If I was to come off my bike because of a condition on the road that I hadn't left myself enough of a chance to avoid, I would have to damn well man up and accept that the majority of the blame for the accident rested with myself. Regardless of why that condition was there in the first place. You have to keep that safety zone around you at all times - and if you dont and you have an accident as a result of it, then sorry, but then its "hard luck, Abu!"

In this particular case, then I would definately be pertitioning the owner of said property to sort their act out to help prevent it from happening to anyone else. But I would also still accept that I had come off because I had allowed things that should have been well within my ability to control, to get outside my control.

My condolances to the rider, and I hope he heals up fast. I also hope that he treats this as a learning experience and that he is able to turn this "lesson" to his advantage.

[ManDownUnder]

If it is an ongoing problem then he should have been well aware that there would be gravel on that corner and ride accordingly.

It's a bit of a joke to complain about people buying properties on "our best roads" - sorry, since when did YOU take over ownership of the whole country? Considering the price they paid for the privilege of owning land in what is obviously a rural area, they have more right to be there than you do - after all, they're paying rates, you're not.

Na - I have to disagree on that one.

It's not a case of one or other being more (or by implication less) entitled, both are entitled to be there - that's a simple fact. If it's an ongoing problem then knowing the local conditions is something reasonable to expect of a local.

What if the person isn't local - how could they ever know of the problem? Does the onus of responsibility shift to the landowner if the driver isn't local?

No - the ongoing nature of the problem clearly lies with the landowner. It's their mess that's causing a hazard to all road users, with motorcyclists being particularly affected.

Let me know if I missed something.
MDU

[Zookey]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Would it have made any difference if it had been gravel that had been spread on the road by a car going wide on a corner? Sorry if he is hurt and the bike is damaged but if he hit loose shingle on the inside of a "tight, fast bend" then perhaps he was going too fast for the conditions.

If it's your "favoured track" then you both obviously ride it regularly. Did the house, alpacas, steep shingle driveway, etc. appear suddenly overnight? No, I bet you have been aware of them for bloody months. So stop whinging and get used to something called urban sprawl.

Country roads ALL have their hazards and shingle spread from driveways is just one of them. Ride to the conditions and you won't have a problem.

You must be really pissed off that someone sold off part of your private race track to a damned lifestyler. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps he's pissed off with you guys using it as a race track and deliberately lets his shingle spread onto that corner?
In a reply to Beemer,the road in Question is a typical country road and joins to mine where we farm and yes ive hit loose gravel in my car and having spent half my life driving on such including our boys,but the advent of forestry and the subsequent selling off of the small blocks with houses has led to a new culture of people who dont seem to give a toss about anyone but themselves,If you drive in the country try looking at the etablished farm homes,and you will find cattle stops across there driveways,not to stop cattle but grated to stop there drives ending in the middle of the road,you lift the grate and clean out the shingle.And other writers are correct when they say that all new entrences have to be hard surfaced ,but ho not the existing ones like the entrance in question.and as for using the road as a race track ,try riding our long drive in some time,and as for the bike ,a pushed in blinker as damage does not sudjest speed.

[Beemer]

I live in the country and as such ride accordingly in those areas. And for the record, no, our driveway is not gravel, it's concreted all the way down and sealed by the roadside!

You obviously live near this guy, so why not drop in and mention your concerns to him? He may be totally unaware that his actions are causing any problems - if he drives a 4WD then he probably doesn't even notice the shingle being spread across the road as he'd be driving slowly to turn into or out of his driveway. Or have a word to the council or Transit or whoever is responsible for the road - point out the danger to motorists and they may be able to force the owner to do something about it.

Everyone blames the lifestylers, but they forget that it is the farmers who are selling off their land. Not that you guys are, but I find it a bit rich for country people to chuck off at what they call Queen Street farmers when they're the ones offering them the chance to move into their backyard!

[Finn]

I'd send them a letter demanding compensation... they might not pay up, but at least they'll do something about the shit on the road.

I think WINJA'S letter would be more effective.

The owners would have no idea of the danger that their driveway causes to riders. As WINJA pointed out it's a council issue. They should not allow driveways on bends, especially unsealed.

And I don't think the type of car these people drive has anything to do with it. Why in NZ, do some people get so pissed off at the type of cars other people drive or how much money they make? Little jealous huh? This tall poppy attitude sucks.

[Keeper]

This shit makes you angry

[Lou Girardin]

If it is an ongoing problem then he should have been well aware that there would be gravel on that corner and ride accordingly.

It's a bit of a joke to complain about people buying properties on "our best roads" - sorry, since when did YOU take over ownership of the whole country? Considering the price they paid for the privilege of owning land in what is obviously a rural area, they have more right to be there than you do - after all, they're paying rates, you're not.

So, if the lifestyler dropped diesel across the road on a regular basis, that would be OK too?

[ManDownUnder]

So, if the lifestyler dropped diesel across the road on a regular basis, that would be OK too?

Clearly - we'd all have to drive and ride to the conditions!

C'mon now Lou be reasonable:kick:

(Hey Lou - where do I wipe this sarcasm off - it's dripping everywhere...)




Everyone blames the lifestylers, but they forget that it is the farmers who are selling off their land. Not that you guys are, but I find it a bit rich for country people to chuck off at what they call Queen Street farmers when they're the ones offering them the chance to move into their backyard!

I'm not blaming them for being there. As I said - they're fully entitled to. When they make a nuisance of themselves - then blame them for that by all means.

[Finn]

I live in the country and as such ride accordingly in those areas. And for the record, no, our driveway is not gravel, it's concreted all the way down and sealed by the roadside!

You obviously live near this guy, so why not drop in and mention your concerns to him? He may be totally unaware that his actions are causing any problems - if he drives a 4WD then he probably doesn't even notice the shingle being spread across the road as he'd be driving slowly to turn into or out of his driveway. Or have a word to the council or Transit or whoever is responsible for the road - point out the danger to motorists and they may be able to force the owner to do something about it.

Everyone blames the lifestylers, but they forget that it is the farmers who are selling off their land. Not that you guys are, but I find it a bit rich for country people to chuck off at what they call Queen Street farmers when they're the ones offering them the chance to move into their backyard!

Well said Beemer. NZ has what I would call third world roads thanks to incompetant governments (this current one the worst). Driving to work this morning across Auck city, my ass almost fell through the floor of the car. Pot holes you could have a hungi in.

So while the transit and the coucils and whoever else is stuffing up our roads does nothing, we must all take precaution on our unpredictable roads.

Hope the rider makes a full recovery.

[MisterD]

There is actually a law covering the dropping of offensive matter on a road, but I doubt it includes gravel.


What's the situation with mud / shit etc left all over the road by tractors and cattle etc? Surely that's exactly the same situation except it's been around for ever and can't be blamed on "lifestylers".

[Lou Girardin]

What's the situation with mud / shit etc left all over the road by tractors and cattle etc? Surely that's exactly the same situation except it's been around for ever and can't be blamed on "lifestylers".

I have a feeling cow shit is exempt (strong farming lobby), but developers are obliged to keeps roads as clear as poss. Ever seen it happen?

[ManDownUnder]

I have a feeling cow shit is exempt (strong farming lobby), but developers are obliged to keeps roads as clear as poss. Ever seen it happen?

Cow shit on the roads has contributed to the increase in underpasses being build. It keeps cows off the road (they hurt when you hit 'em) and their shit off the road - it's quite corrosive and meant roads needed to be more regularly maintained.

And yeah - hold the cockies responsible for that too. No problems with me.

[MisterD]

I have a feeling cow shit is exempt (strong farming lobby), but developers are obliged to keeps roads as clear as poss. Ever seen it happen?

I have no NZ based experience, but I do remember scraping mud off the road that our tractors had left when I worked on a farm back in my uni holidays at home...

[HenryDorsetCase]

I'd send them a letter demanding compensation... they might not pay up, but at least they'll do something about the shit on the road.

Id actually be complaining to the plod as well: then if they dont do anything ("Its a civil matter") then off to the Disputes Tribunal to recover your insurance XS or if no claim, the costs.

the reasoning goes:

their drive and driving deposits a hazard on the road

they didnt clean it up or take steps to mitigate the hazard.

its reasonably foreseeable that damage might occur

damage did in fact occur

its their fault QED

[Zookey]

Hi all i"m on the old mans computer here,and old well hes been riding since he was 14 and hes nearly 70,and did get a little p###ed off with my off,however to clarify some things for him.I drive a new 4wheel drive hilux as im a 30 year old builder,and use the road in question all the time.The problem we have here is that we have a new form of lfestylers God bless them who have cribs in the bush as a weekend holiday home,coupled with a school camp.now it doesnt take a rocket science too realise that the coming and going of visitors are causing problems they are not aware of,coupled with a council that doesnt apply there own rules to same,being as they are ex forestry units with shingle sub standard roading entrances.My accident was certainly my fault ,and could have been avoided had i taken my truck to work,yeah rite;however i was aware of our conditions but at 4.30 pm Sat; the place in Question was having a function,with a gazilloin vehicles coming and going.One lot in a SUV turned in as i was sitting on the bank and bl@@@ ignords me at that time the cocky arrived and gave me all the help one would need and rode my bike and locked it in his shed. BYe the way does anyone want the old fellas avator as ,just click on it and save it .and ille delete it in 2 days time .Cheers riders.:spudwave:

[Ixion]

Compared with 40 years ago , almost all the roads in NZ are now incredibly good by sprotsbike criteria (Mr Skid and Co may have other criteria!)

The goodness of them is illustrated by the amount of complaining and griping that occurs when some tiny stretch is not maintained to race track standards.

Indeed, the only reason that sprotsbikes are POSSIBLE nowdays, is because the roads are now so good. When I was a young 'un bikes like the GSXRRRR would have been laughed at , because there would have been almost nowhere in NZ you could ride them for any distance. Ditto, modern sprotsbike tyres. They'd have burst within a day.

The only exception to this is that I think they made a big mistake abandoning the concrete roads. They were much better than tar seal (and, for the most part, are still there, as good as ever, just covered with a thin layer of tar seal)

And, heretical though it is, I think cagers are much better drivers now than they were then., Back in the day, most people drove down the middle of the road as a matter of course. And most drove REAL slowly. Bike riders, on the other hand, I think are less disciplined than they were.

[Zookey]

Quite right Ixion,I can remember The Great South Road when up in Auckland on my 1st BSA with plunger suspension,thought i was riding on glass,but the illusion was shattered on the way back to the Bay once one reached Cambridge when the state highway turned to metal and the Taupo road to Napier wound through the pumice,and one had to ride up the bank as the rain washed ruts could be a metre deep,still did it in 71/2 hours tho in the rain,"period 1052" sorry 1952