Letters: Help! The New Forest is becoming a suburban park

[David9694]

https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/ne ... itors-park

Where does one start??

[gaz]

I have to agree that the person who wrote the letter needs help. I’m not sure what advice I can give as to where they should seek help from.

[pwa]

There is no way of knowing whether the writer of the letter has a grudge against all cyclists in the park , or just the reckless ones that we all see from time to time. Are they complaining about the antisocial minority, or all of us? That isn't clear.

I can think of a few locations in my own area where irresponsible visitors leave disposable barbecues for others to clear away, or where a few folk on MTBs race down narrow footpaths where they have no right to be and put themselves and others at risk. But in those same places many more people go and enjoy a picnic and ride bikes without causing any problems at all. Is the writer just aiming at genuinely problematic cyclists or all cyclists? If it is the former, they should make that clear. If it is the latter they should get a life.

[Barks]

Walk a mile from any car park in the New Forest and you’ll hardly see anyone for the rest of the day.

[Cunobelin]

Edited....

Just to explain myself
My impression was that this was more about the effects of tourism, the picnics, barbeques, inappropriate behaviour as a whole, rather than an anti-cyclist rant, and feel that it could easily become a discussion about cyclists as opposed to tourism. If I am wrong, I am quite happy to start another thread for that discussion




Actually, it is part of a much wider discussion about tourism as a whole.

Many cities, national monuments, areas of beauty or interest are creaking under the weight of tourism.

This a guy who does a guide to Prague, and is talking about the effect of tourism on Prague. You can replace Prague with "New Forest" or any other area

[youtube]VeE8e3wMiQ[/youtube]

Please bear with the video as it makes some very valid points

[Cunobelin]

Walk a mile from any car park in the New Forest and you’ll hardly see anyone for the rest of the day.

One of the things I learned many years ago - get lost. I always spend the first couple of days in any city with an unplanned walkabout getting lost in backstreets and local areas

If you walk a few hundred yards off the tourist tracks in any city, you will halve the costs of a drink or meal, it will be local cuisine as opposed to a tourist presentation of local cuisine and a far more genuine experience of the local culture

[horizon]

The New Forest IS a suburban park so I don't see what the argument is about. Car travel has transformed leisure and thus access to remoter areas. And that includes car then bike from car. Whether it's a good thing or not is another matter.

[Bonefishblues]

One probably starts by not being too fussed about it, and carries on in similar vein.

[Cyril Haearn]

The New Forest IS a suburban park so I don't see what the argument is about. Car travel has transformed leisure and thus access to remoter areas. And that includes car then bike from car. Whether it's a good thing or not is another matter.

TDC the tragedy of drive-cycling again
There are many many quiet places , Cranborne Chase, the Downs north of Alresford, and many quiet towns with enough interest, no need to visit Bath or York and be overwhelmed by so many things one must see and so many vistors

Must look out my copy of 'A thousand secret places in the yUK'

[slowster]

According to the letter linked to in the OP cyclists are:

cycling like maniacs through the New Forest without a care for man or beast.

From the same newspaper:

38 ponies, 12 cattle, five donkeys, five pigs and three sheep died on the roads in 2018, and a further 11 ponies, eight cattle, six donkeys and one pig were injured. It also emerged that 30 of the accidents were recorded as hit-and-runs because they were not reported by the driver involved.

Well there's a surprise - it looks like the real problem is not people on bikes but car drivers. The author of that letter lives in New Milton, which is not in the New Forest, and doubtless uses a car to get to the New Forest. So he is part of the problem (unlike people riding bikes).

His complaint that:

Too many visitors are...tying swinging ropes to our beautiful trees and leaving them there

is truly laughable and shows just what a truly mean, selfish and unpleasant person he is. To begrudge children a bit of healthy activity and fun in the outdoors which harms no one, is the mark of someone without whom this world, never mind the New Forest, would be a better place.

[Cyril Haearn]

Not doubtless, maybe he goes by train or bus, or does not go there
Don't suppose many horses were killed by cyclists

[Bonefishblues]

According to the letter linked to in the OP cyclists are:

cycling like maniacs through the New Forest without a care for man or beast.

From the same newspaper:

38 ponies, 12 cattle, five donkeys, five pigs and three sheep died on the roads in 2018, and a further 11 ponies, eight cattle, six donkeys and one pig were injured. It also emerged that 30 of the accidents were recorded as hit-and-runs because they were not reported by the driver involved.

Well there's a surprise - it looks like the real problem is not people on bikes but car drivers. The author of that letter lives in New Milton, which is not in the New Forest, and doubtless uses a car to get to the New Forest. So he is part of the problem (unlike people riding bikes).

New Milton is what, 3 or 4 miles South of the New Forest. I'd personally be a little more reticent about being so definitive.

[reohn2]

Speaking of places groaning under the weight of tourism read this and weep:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48949486

[slowster]

I would be willing to bet money he uses a car. The train line provides only limited access to the New Forest, bus services are poor, and it's quite a walk from New Milton to get to the more open areas of the New Forest, especially the parts which attract visitors and cyclists (and not a particularly nice walk given that the roads are narrow, have no pavements, and cars travel too fast on them).

[Bonefishblues]

I would be willing to bet money he uses a car. The train line provides only limited access to the New Forest, bus services are poor, and it's quite a walk from New Milton to get to the more open areas of the New Forest, especially the parts which attract visitors and cyclists (and not a particularly nice walk given that the roads are narrow, have no pavements, and cars travel too fast on them).

Clearly you would. But you've no Idea about that really, have you, just as someone else on thread seems to think that the writer needs help, based on I'm not sure what.

It's just someone having a bit of a general rant in a publication with a circulation of ooh, about 12 or so. Who really cares about their opinion?

CUK, home of intolerance and unsupported opinion - discuss...