Chapmans Peak

[eeeek]

The precedence was set the week before when the authorities had no issues with people walking, running and cycling there ????

They , the Entilini guys were very friendly to us cyclists , waving and saying hello ?

So then to experience the confrontion the week after is very strange.....there are no new signs indicating a change in policy.

They should have been consistent from the beginning otherwise expect to have to explain without being rude and confrontational.

 

It seems unclear who this guy represents, he could easily have been with the geotechnical engineer, he could have been asked to clear the road while they tested slope stabilities. If your boss is about to attempt to trigger rock slides on to the road you are driving, eloquence tends to escape you. #justathought

[jimmycool]

Just my 2c - The first paragraph of the OP says that there was a board on the road stating "USE AT OWN RISK"

 

Surely that implies that the road might not be safe but it's up to you if you want to use it and if anything bad happens to you it is your own responsibility?

[porqui]

You use the road AT OWN RISK at all times as is whether landslides or not.

Board has been up three years.

[Stevief]

As i said earlier if he didnt want to give identification and reasons for not using the roadjust tell him to FAAAAAAAAAAAAAARk offffffffffffff!!! Im so sick of people with a hint of authority calling the shots like they own the world.

[Eddy Gordo]

hmmm, seems like some people have a problem with authority, similar to rogue riders isnt it!!

Why cant people just accept what should be. I mean the guy works for someone and clearly he had a job to do. How he did it is his thing as he doesnt have to deal with the general public. He is there to get the job done and make sure no one used the road.

 

I would go and even say he was looking out for your own safety, maybe if he was a more talkative person then it would not have come across the way he did, but hey not everyone is talkative.

 

Like me for instance, when I am concentrating on getting a job done, it p......'s me off when I am disturbed and have to go see to somthing else!!

[Little Scott]

If you paid a toll fee, then you are a consumer, but if as I assume you went in for free, how do you claim to be a customer, and expect protection under the CPA ?

 

I pay monthly toll fees as I work over the mountain? Does that count? I would think it does?

[Tumbleweed]

I pay monthly toll fees as I work over the mountain? Does that count? I would think it does?

 

For a car or a bike?

[DJR]

For a car or a bike?

 

Bicycles go through for FREE

[Kranswurm]

Yesterday a few of us (cyclists) went up to Chapmans Peak to do a bit of training for the Burger on sunday. We have been doing so since the road has been closed to cars and as it has boards that says USE AT YOUR OWN RISK....we proceeded as usual, to enjoy the quiet of a great training ride!

 

 

We were met by ...should we call him "official" from now on......who screetched to a standstill next to us as he came around the corner and told us to get off the road as it is closed. We said that we understood this and that we were just going up to the looking point which is not at the roadworks area. He reversed and pulled across the road (asif to block us) and again told us to "remove yourselves" off the road. I asked him why? He just repeated the answer and whatever I asked....just got met with the same reply.

 

When we asked him for his identification (consumer protection act stipulates that he needs to identify himself by either company clothing or name tag) he got on his phone, phoned (someone) and told them to call the SAPS from Ocean View as he has people who is not listening to him on Chappies and refuses to move.....by that time we have not refused to move at all, we asked him (all in all) 4 questions!!!!!!

 

 

We asked the "official" for his name and he refused to give it, just repeated that we have to get off the road. My riding partner then said that as the "official" is not complying to a accepted, fair request that we would take a photo to identify him and that we would wait for the police. The "official" then hid his face and would not state his name or any facts so we could make decent requirements! He did say that we must move so that he can get on with his job, and if we want to complain we can look at the number on his Bakkie. (lol....what if it was stolen, a phone number would not be usefull then!) My partner asked him to phone his supervisor but he kept to the story to phone the number on the back of the bakkie....We tried, but no reception at that spesific corner......not sure who he spoke to (on his cell) when he phoned!

 

 

We turned around with him following us...closely and before we could get cameras out to take the entrance of Chappies, he flew into the guard there, dissciplined him and then very quickly started putting red/white tape on the entrance....none of that were there when we went in originally. More cyclist joined us but this "official" was non-verbal, non-auditory and alot of non-things by that time...

 

 

I am a bit annoyed at the way this all went down.....that we would be shoooed off the mountain like that. We have been cycling there since the floods but not once were we treated like that.....the cops never came! BIG SURPRISE!!! Anyone had the same or similar experience????

 

Get real

All we need is a big rock to flatten one of you then we will have the whole whine winge rant and rave how the authorities are not doing their job to protect you

Get off the road.

[Jewbacca]

It comes down to the basic sense of entitlement everyone in SA suffers from.

 

Driving 60 in a 60 zone I bet you someone behind you will gesticulate madly and pass you terribly at some point. Riding your bike legally and some imbecile will scream at you because he had to wait 23 seconds before he could pass. Traffic? Eish..... Everyone feels they are entitled to be faster/in front/miss the lines of waiting cars etc and a general sense of rude aggressive disquiet permeates through the streets. Cyclists and motorists alike.

 

Chill out.

 

The road is unsafe. There are whole parts of the road missing which are unsettled and could potentially collapse again.

 

Dont ride there. Sorry. He thought he was entitled to have people listen to him as he was obviously appointed by someone to do just what he was doing. I assure you that no man would voluntarily wear a high viz vest and drive around confronting people.... So if all parties had just accepted that they arent right, chatted amicably and gone on their merry way then all this he said she said but he was rude MOOOOM this guy is bullying me rubbish can be avoided.

 

Yes, he could have said 'Hello, my name is Tsepho, I have been asked to please keep the road clear of all personal as it is currently unsafe'... If you had questioned that you deserve a slap...

 

If he had said that, your response should have been something like 'ah, ok thank you so much for doing your job and protecting my well being. My family and friends would be devastated if I died in a road collapse or a rock fell down and squashed me.'....

 

Maybe they should have signs, but that guy has more authority than you to be there (as stated above in job synopsys) and bleating back when someone clearly doesnt want you to go there is well, sorry, just childish...

 

You are not entitled to ride where you want and take you CPA facts and quotes and move to 'Murika....

 

(Darnit its Monday not Friday!!!)

[Little Scott]

Get real

All we need is a big rock to flatten one of you then we will have the whole whine winge rant and rave how the authorities are not doing their job to protect you

Get off the road.

 

LoL....... Reality like that, would keep me and my kids out of the sea at Fish Hoek beach this summer !!!!

 

[Little Scott]

It comes down to the basic sense of entitlement everyone in SA suffers from.

 

Driving 60 in a 60 zone I bet you someone behind you will gesticulate madly and pass you terribly at some point. Riding your bike legally and some imbecile will scream at you because he had to wait 23 seconds before he could pass. Traffic? Eish..... Everyone feels they are entitled to be faster/in front/miss the lines of waiting cars etc and a general sense of rude aggressive disquiet permeates through the streets. Cyclists and motorists alike.

 

Chill out.

 

The road is unsafe. There are whole parts of the road missing which are unsettled and could potentially collapse again.

 

Dont ride there. Sorry. He thought he was entitled to have people listen to him as he was obviously appointed by someone to do just what he was doing. I assure you that no man would voluntarily wear a high viz vest and drive around confronting people.... So if all parties had just accepted that they arent right, chatted amicably and gone on their merry way then all this he said she said but he was rude MOOOOM this guy is bullying me rubbish can be avoided.

 

Yes, he could have said 'Hello, my name is Tsepho, I have been asked to please keep the road clear of all personal as it is currently unsafe'... If you had questioned that you deserve a slap...

 

If he had said that, your response should have been something like 'ah, ok thank you so much for doing your job and protecting my well being. My family and friends would be devastated if I died in a road collapse or a rock fell down and squashed me.'....

 

Maybe they should have signs, but that guy has more authority than you to be there (as stated above in job synopsys) and bleating back when someone clearly doesnt want you to go there is well, sorry, just childish...

 

You are not entitled to ride where you want and take you CPA facts and quotes and move to 'Murika....

 

(Darnit its Monday not Friday!!!)

 

You are missing the point .....Read it again.....the original one.....It will come to you .... there is a question in there!

[Antoo]

and then we complain about taxis..............

[Kranswurm]

Get real

All we need is a big rock to flatten one of you then we will have the whole whine winge rant and rave how the authorities are not doing their job to protect you

Get off the road.

 

LoL....... Reality like that, would keep me and my kids out of the sea at Fish Hoek beach this summer !!!!

 

Not a bad idea considering.....the siren went off nearly every day last xmas

[DJR]

I.m.h.o. Chapmans Peak is as safe to ride as it has been for any number of years. The point is that I'm not a highly overpaid engineer / Enteleni executive / minister of transport that is afraid to take responsibility and make a go / no-go decision. It is all too easy to do NOTHING, pass the buck, twiddle your fingers. If you make a decisive call, it can always backfire and bite you, if you avoid responsibility, you can always wriggle out of it. That is what is happening here. If this was an essential transport artery, with users screaming blue murder because they are losing money, this road would have been open the very next day. But it isn't, and that is why it is taking so long. The debris was cleared within a day after the floods and the road was passable. It could have been open for use "at your own risk" ever since then. What is now delaying officially opening it is nothing but RED TAPE!

[Little Scott]

I.m.h.o. Chapmans Peak is as safe to ride as it has been for any number of years. The point is that I'm not a highly overpaid engineer / Enteleni executive / minister of transport that is afraid to take responsibility and make a go / no-go decision. It is all too easy to do NOTHING, pass the buck, twiddle your fingers. If you make a decisive call, it can always backfire and bite you, if you avoid responsibility, you can always wriggle out of it. That is what is happening here. If this was an essential transport artery, with users screaming blue murder because they are losing money, this road would have been open the very next day. But it isn't, and that is why it is taking so long. The debris was cleared within a day after the floods and the road was passable. It could have been open for use "at your own risk" ever since then. What is now delaying officially opening it is nothing but RED TAPE!

 

Now here is a voice of reason!