skipperw Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 It's the perfect opportunity for a large corporate to take ownership of the cradle. Employ a team of sweepers wearing branded hi-viz. Everyone loves a hi-viz jacket.
eddy Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I've always thought its part deliberate and part weekend drinking. Seems to be getting worse....even the cradle single track is getting bad and some of it definitely looks malicious!! Total w@nkers. I strongly suspect that it is malicious. Proportionally there is much more glass in the cradle than anywhere else I ride which includes past taxi ranks, on busy taxi routes and on similar peri-urban roads with significantly higher pedestrian traffic. Compared to most other parts of Gauteng, there is very little motor or pedestrian traffic (which is why we ride there) yet there is more broken glass. The one thing that distinguishes the cradle is that there are vocal, disgruntled, cycle hating residents who have made it clear that the cyclists are a menace. This is where I'd look for the culprits.
BDF Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I strongly suspect that it is malicious. Proportionally there is much more glass in the cradle than anywhere else I ride which includes past taxi ranks, on busy taxi routes and on similar peri-urban roads with significantly higher pedestrian traffic. Compared to most other parts of Gauteng, there is very little motor or pedestrian traffic (which is why we ride there) yet there is more broken glass. The one thing that distinguishes the cradle is that there are vocal, disgruntled, cycle hating residents who have made it clear that the cyclists are a menace. This is where I'd look for the culprits.I reckon one must have quite a sick, embittered mind to diligently drive around a 30km route just to scatter broken bottles on the road. Perhaps the corporate that Skipper hopes would come on board could put some sort of surveillance cameras in strategic areas so the sicko's could be captured on film?
sdaghers Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I rode the Cradle this morning and it looks like a truck dropped a "load" Smells terrible!!!
Patchelicious Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I reckon one must have quite a sick, embittered mind to diligently drive around a 30km route just to scatter broken bottles on the road. Perhaps the corporate that Skipper hopes would come on board could put some sort of surveillance cameras in strategic areas so the sicko's could be captured on film?No, I dont think somebody drives around there throwing bottles around. Not even the Joker wants to see the world burn as much as that. BUT if there are guys getting pissed along the sides of the road, it is very conceivable that they throw the bottle in the cycle lane instead of into the bushes.... just to be malicious.
DIPSLICK Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 If it is malice, sadly we know who is to blameA) the tool actually doing itB) the clubs and groups giving asshoooolies reason to resort to doing this, I know everyone is going to get their pitchforks out now, yes there are planks out there but if you look at the amount of glass we(cyclists) have clearly peeed enough planks off to do what they think is needed How many threads have there been from CYCLISTS saying cyclists are riding like total asses???? Imagine how joe soap who doesn't ride feels This goes to what I think it was EARPIE said awhile back(sorry if it wasn't him)These groups and clubs think they own sections of road/off road and carry on as they own the roads, and act with a sense of entitlement and eventually ruining it for everyone, Well this is clearly the start to joe soap saying IF YOU RIDE LIKE PLANKS then you won't ride here comfortably you SLOW us down we will SLOW you down Note the IF IT IS MALICE on the first line
Patchelicious Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Agreed, people LIVE in the Cradle, us cyclists merely use it for our "elite sport". It must piss the guys off who live there having to deal with these volumes.... Its unfortunate but a reality. However, I also don't have much sympathy, because if they had half a brain, they would see this volume of cyclists as an opportunity, and not the hijacky kind, but as a potential and sustainable form of income.
BDF Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Agreed, people LIVE in the Cradle, us cyclists merely use it for our "elite sport". It must piss the guys off who live there having to deal with these volumes.... Its unfortunate but a reality. However, I also don't have much sympathy, because if they had half a brain, they would see this volume of cyclists as an opportunity, and not the hijacky kind, but as a potential and sustainable form of income.This is true. In fact I very much doubt that an establishment like Something Country would survive without the volumes of cyclists that support it weekly. The area was promoted as a cycling friendly place by local government, even to the extent of constructing and marking out the cycling lanes and developing the MTB track around it. It would be great if the local residents got on board and realized that they not only live in a beautiful area with historic/archaeological relevance but also what has become "Cycling Central" in the Joburg area.
Rider3000 Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Maybe its a company selling tyres...... hehe....get their sales up early !
Grogs Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Didn't Keeno (who, together with his wife, own and manage Valverde) say that he would, in return for the R20 you pay to park there on weekends, employ some locals to sweep the 28 km loop? Or are they simply overwhelmed by the number of broken bottles? Another thing: I lived in the Cradle for two years and from my experience it's not all of the residents who are hostile to cyclists: there are one or two who are full of crap, but generally the residents are either indifferent or happy with the cyclists.
eddy Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I lived in the Cradle for two years and from my experience it's not all of the residents who are hostile to cyclists: there are one or two who are full of crap, A couple of the residents are, as you say hostile, some very outspoken about the menace of cyclists. I reckon one must have quite a sick, embittered mind to diligently drive around a 30km route just to scatter broken bottles on the road. If you have read the vitriol on news sites every time cycling makes the headlines (even if it is a cycling related death) you will see how sick some people are. Tossing your empties out the window on your way to the shops is small fry compared.....
BDF Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I wrote to the people who manage the Cradle World Heritage site. They are connected with Gauteng Development who constructed the cycling lanes (at a cost of around R400k/KM). They also developed the MTB track at the Cradle and there is some management plan for that. hopefully they can extend the plan to the road route as well. Will let the forum know what transpires.
IceCreamMan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 The broken glass is not some malicious attempt by locals to annoy cyclists ... I reckon its not even locals for the most part but sheer assholes who are driving around on joy rides in the cradle and throw bottles out of cars(after a wedding or party at a venue).... a lot of the glass I have seen is green beer bottles hence my opinion. the amount of glass recently has increased and that's prolly increased holiday traffic responsible for it...lets face it if the locals were pissed with us I think they could be more ingenious that broken glass in the lane....
StevieL Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 The broken glass is not some malicious attempt by locals to annoy cyclists ... I reckon its not even locals for the most part but sheer assholes who are driving around on joy rides in the cradle and throw bottles out of cars(after a wedding or party at a venue).... a lot of the glass I have seen is green beer bottles hence my opinion. the amount of glass recently has increased and that's prolly increased holiday traffic responsible for it...lets face it if the locals were pissed with us I think they could be more ingenious that broken glass in the lane....There must be some assholes who drink hansa or castle lager too...
IceCreamMan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 There must be some assholes who drink hansa or castle lager too... my wife would agree as I drink hansa.... there is brown glass too sadly....
Vega Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Agreed, people LIVE in the Cradle, us cyclists merely use it for our "elite sport". It must piss the guys off who live there having to deal with these volumes.... Its unfortunate but a reality. However, I also don't have much sympathy, because if they had half a brain, they would see this volume of cyclists as an opportunity, and not the hijacky kind, but as a potential and sustainable form of income. How will cyclists provide a sustainable form of income to more than very few Cradle residents?
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