LITTERING...!!!

[Baaisikilist]

I commented on this subject in another post, but i feel as though it deserves it's own topic.

I took part in the Magalies Monster on sat, and at the start the announcer/organiser asked more than once for people not to litter as numerous private properties were being passed through and in the future farmers will be reluctant to grant permission for this to happen if riders litter on their land etc.

 

Now, i believe the minimum age to enter these races is 16 years old, and surely even people younger than this shouldn't need to be asked not to throw their crap all over or even to be given a reason why littering is NOT ON...! So why then are these pleas blatantly ignored by some 'adults' who continue to throw their garbage all over the countryside...???

Do you pigs think that your measly entry fee includes the allocation of a team of people to sweep the route and pick up after you so that the event can still take place the following year...?

The few of you inbred idiots will end up ruining things for those of us who give a continental about our sport and the environment it allows us to experience riding through...

 

What the hell is up with empty cups and energy drink bottles being thrown down for 100m after the water points...?! The people stationed there are providing you with refreshments, not there to clean up after you when you're done...

 

Not pointing fingers or passing blame, nor am i saying it's everybody, (now's a good time to go get some popcorn), but after a lot of lonely kilometers with myself and plenty time to think, i started wondering who the more likely culprits/degenerates are...

 

While i agree that any1's capable of littering, even the hackers at the back like me, i have arrived at the conclusion that it's more than likely the fast racers at the front who are responsible, here's why...

I notice that the slower mid pack racers n those after them tend to actually stop at the water points and climb off the bike to rehydrate/grab a snack/stretch/check their phones/wait for their mates etc. etc.

These people finish their refreshments AT the table and take nothing away with them, barring a refilled bottle n hydration pack and maybe a mouth full of naartjie or summing. The racers at the front are the ones who speed past the table, grabbing whatever they can at the pace they're moving and drink for the next 100m odd before discarding the cup or bottle wherever they finish it.

 

As i said, not all of them, and not only them but i'm pretty sure the majority of offenders lie in this group.

 

I propose that at the odd event, and totally randomly, a video camera or two is/are placed at various water points to catch these retards in the act and a banning from a few events be enforced, to make an example of them and to show the consequences of being caught littering. When every1 knows there's a chance they could be reprimanded, the amount of people littering may be reduced...

And if the leading rider knows the guy hot on his heels also has to stop, drink, leave cup/bottle AT the table before continuing, it may not be that urgent to drink while you ride then throw your crap everywhere when your done...

 

There's my hundred bux worth, keep the change...  

 

[Weekend_Warrior]

it must be the guys infront of you because you wont see the litter from the guys behind you, so i guess it depends how far up the order you are will show up to what level of rider is throwing his litter down before you.

[mrmed]

I was in the front bunch for the first 25km and yes, you are right, a cup is grabbed a sip is had and the cup is disguarded. BUT, it happens with 30m of the table and there were people picking up our cups as we disguarded them. The front bunch was around 25 strong so I guess there were around 25 cups dropped with 5m of each other and there was a girl picking them up, so the mess didn't come from the first 25 riders.

[downhilldemon]

ban waterpoints

[Li Mu Bai]

ho hum... cups and bananas etc handed out at waterpoints - what do you expect? obviously they will be dropped in the vacinity, but at least the waterpoint is manned by several people whom, I imagine, are well aware that what they hand out will have to be collected down the road a bit.

The only way round this is for people using waterpoint to be forced to stop, like on the big road races, to get refreshment. its safer and litter is reduced.

The bigger problem is people dropping their crap in the far to reach places, rather than pushing the wrapper into a pocket, or up the leg of their cycling pants.

 

anyway, how did your monster go, damn tough riding in all those rock, my legs and butt are still feeling the effects, even my shoulder still hurts from all the portaging. haha.

 

[Guest Big H]

Yup, this shows you that there is NO REAL difference between Roadies and MTB'ers. They are both pigs when it comes to littering!!!!!!!!

[Iwan Kemp]

What is up with cyclists taking gel sachet out of their jersey pocket, emptying it in their mouth and then dumping the sachet on the road.

 

If you can take it out surely you can put it back for crying out loud!

 

Two weeks ago I demo'ed a Spec SJ and got three punctures within 50m from the top of Majik. Had to hike back down and was amazed by the amount of crap dumped along the route.

Three tubes, PLENTY of empty gel sachets, PLENTY of energy bar wrappers and a two empty C02 bombs. Really people, don't we MTB and RB to get away and enjoy the beautiful outdoors?

[Baaisikilist]

Now now Rude, if the shoe fits... If it isn't you there's no need for you to try justify reasons why littering should be accepted in some 'special cases' or to try provide excuses on behalf of the offenders... I'm not talking about the cups discarded in the immediate vicinity of the table, i'm talking about the garbage left down the road for 100 METRES after it, out of sight of the people at the water point...

[Pocketbikes]

 

Gary laughs every time I finish a race and lift my short for all the sachets to fall down. From what I've read here on the hub, littering is an ongoing problem and it doesn't look like it will stop. It seems that some people will never carry their empties with them. The other alternative would be to mark an area, say 200 meters or so, after the water points that says LITTER. This way everyone knows that they only have to carry their empties for a short while before they can toss it. It would make cleaning up a lot easier as it would confine (hopefully) the litter to these points. Whether this would work or not, I dunno, but it could be experimented.

Pocketbikes2008-06-01 18:13:15

[PhilipV]

Yup' date=' this shows you that there is NO REAL difference between Roadies and MTB'ers. They are both pigs when it comes to littering!!!!!!!![/quote']

 

Dis hartseer maar waar. Dit kom neer op 'n afwesigheid van respek. Respek vir die natuur, respek vir die ander ryers, en respek vir die organiseerders en eienaars van privaat grond. Dis ongelukkig iets wat van kleins af by mense geleer moet word, dat dit onaanvaarbaar is om rommel te strooi.Ind die ride mag (weet nie van datum nie) is daar 'n antwword op 'n brief van 'n leser oor rommel in die Hell&Back waar ryers 'n rommel vark aangevat het, en dit lyk my al hoe meer dat ons as fietsryers ander gaan moet aanpraat as ons sien hulle gooi papiertjies en gell sakkies.

[The Pirate]

I agree with muddy. We need to start adressing those individuals in our bunches that throw their rubish on the roads or in the ground. If one or more people take that person on, he/she will think again before they do it again.

[mistyslav]

its not anyone's place to decide on what an acceptable distance to drop their sh#t is. when the race organiser pleas for ' no littering ' it means NO F#$%^&G littering boys n' girls! i have noticed in events its the guys who dont carry hydration on their backs ( calm down speedsters i'm generalising...) who tend to chuck their sh#t all over da place. who are you to contribute to the eventual banning of our races then try and justify it in any way possible!! c'mon man whether you up front or way back respect the organisers pleas, dont litter full stop. no prizes for who'll be first to stand up n' complain when organisers announce that race entries are doubling to cover the cost of cleaners and staff to police these events, gees...