Chased with a cattle prod

[Jewbacca]

Rode with friends from Kyalami to Bidon. Been riding through this section for years. No house on the land, no farming activities or animals, no fence and no signage stating it’s private land. Black guy standing next to his double cab tries to stop me and i ride around him. Then he chases me with this moerse long skok stok. I stop and ask him wtf?! He says it’s his land and we are not allowed there. No proof that he’s in fact the land owner or any indication that it’s private land, anyone could have stopped there and claim it’s their land...Odd way of protecting his land (most probably is his land). Rode back and around as advised by him, to keep the peace we did so and rode past him again on the little gravel road 1 meter from where he tried to poke me just to go under (tunnel) the N14 highway to get to the other side towards Bidon. Crime plays a huge part with land owners starting to protect/fence off/wall off/securing their land.

Why not stop when he 1st asks you to?

 

Also, I don't get why we have to point out race again. 'Guy standing next to his double cab'... 'Man standing next to his double cab'. 

 

I'm sorry you were chased, but I do just think things like this can be avoided if we all just stop with the 'I've ridden this way before, who are you to stop me?' attitude. 

 

I'm not having a go at you, sorry if I come across a bit like that. I'm just a bit gatvol of people in general playing the victim when the situation could easily be avoided in the 1st place.

 

If someone is actively making an effort to stop you, maybe ask why? If there are diggers driving around or a swarm of wild bees loose he could be doing you a service. 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Jewbacca

[Milosh]

Intresting this

 

We have also riden through there for years and now in the last two weeks a physical angry presence to try stop us, No signage , no fence , heat maps show it as pretty heavily used.

 

 

 

So possibly a new land owner , who has the right to be fair , but signage will work far better than agression 

[DJR]

A bit of an aside on signage:

 

If I look at how little respect people give a sign that clearly says NO CYCLING, PRIVATE PROPERTY, ONE WAY or DO NOT ENTER, then I doubt signs the size of billboards will help. Hell, I know people that ignore NO ENTRY, LOGGING signs while they can hear the chainsaws all around and trees crashing in the forest. Even on a designated trail, people ignore signage or pull them out and throw them in the bushes if they don't like the rules. If it doesn't have a two metre high wall topped with spikes and electrified fences with vicious dogs on patrol, then it is seen as fair to cross and ride, **** in the bushes, pick fruit and leave energy bar wrappers and punctured tubes behind. Closed, locked farm gates and barbed wire fences pffft, they may as well be WELCOME signs.

[SwissVan]

Why not stop when he 1st asks you to?

 

Also, I don't get why we have to point out race again. 'Guy standing next to his double cab'... 'Man standing next to his double cab'. 

 

I'm sorry you were chased, but I do just think things like this can be avoided if we all just stop with the 'I've ridden this way before, who are you to stop me?' attitude. 

 

I'm not having a go at you, sorry if I come across a bit like that. I'm just a bit gatvol of people in general playing the victim when the situation could easily be avoided in the 1st place.

 

If someone is actively making an effort to stop you, maybe ask why? If there are diggers driving around or a swarm of wild bees loose he could be doing you a service.

 

You make a valid argument for countries where when being stopped by a black man in the country side is not associated with violent crime, especially if he standing there with a moerse long shock stick.

 

If this guy is trying to stop criminals or people from using his land he should make an attempt to put up signage / fencing etc....or is he planning to stand guard 24/7/365...

 

Even if Nathrix n co were illegally on his land, you cannot run around trying to shock / hit people..... remember this is SA where you can only shoot someone in self defense if your life is threatened (in reference to the so called owners actions).

[SwissVan]

A bit of an aside on signage:

 

If I look at how little respect people give a sign that clearly says NO CYCLING, PRIVATE PROPERTY, ONE WAY or DO NOT ENTER, then I doubt signs the size of billboards will help. Hell, I know people that ignore NO ENTRY, LOGGING signs while they can hear the chainsaws all around and trees crashing in the forest. Even on a designated trail, people ignore signage or pull them out and throw them in the bushes if they don't like the rules. If it doesn't have a two metre high wall topped with spikes and electrified fences with vicious dogs on patrol, then it is seen as fair to cross and ride, **** in the bushes, pick fruit and leave energy bar wrappers and punctured tubes behind. Closed, locked farm gates and barbed wire fences pffft, they may as well be WELCOME signs.

Signs are like those warnings in your bikes owner manual, its called covering your ass.

 

How do you as a property owner advise people that they are not allowed to use a road or track?

[ChrisF]

A bit of an aside on signage:

 

If I look at how little respect people give a sign that clearly says NO CYCLING, PRIVATE PROPERTY, ONE WAY or DO NOT ENTER, then I doubt signs the size of billboards will help. Hell, I know people that ignore NO ENTRY, LOGGING signs while they can hear the chainsaws all around and trees crashing in the forest. Even on a designated trail, people ignore signage or pull them out and throw them in the bushes if they don't like the rules. If it doesn't have a two metre high wall topped with spikes and electrified fences with vicious dogs on patrol, then it is seen as fair to cross and ride, **** in the bushes, pick fruit and leave energy bar wrappers and punctured tubes behind. Closed, locked farm gates and barbed wire fences pffft, they may as well be WELCOME signs.

Sadly we see this all too regularly on our trails ... with long standing club members that know the rules.

 

Now the trail numbers have trippled (at a guess).... some of the newbies ask directions, others just ride "wild" .... up single tracks, riding farm roads clearly marked as no entry ....

 

These are the socio-economic group that likes the rules to protect their own home, but choose to ignore rules when they go riding ...

 

 

 

PS ... noted that the premises the OP refered to has zero signage, so this post is not at those riding here

[Chris_]

You make a valid argument for countries where when being stopped by a black man in the country side is not associated with violent crime, especially if he standing there with a moerse long shock stick.

 

If this guy is trying to stop criminals or people from using his land he should make an attempt to put up signage / fencing etc....or is he planning to stand guard 24/7/365...

 

Even if Nathrix n co were illegally on his land, you cannot run around trying to shock / hit people..... remember this is SA where you can only shoot someone in self defense if your life is threatened (in reference to the so called owners actions).

 

Exactly, the 'owner' should try to stop them first and explain ... oh wait

[SwissVan]

Exactly, the 'owner' should try to stop them first and explain ... oh wait

Yes, your implication hits the nail on the head in a normal country where violent crime is not the national sport.

 

Anyway, I’m not going down this path any further......

I’ll leave the arguments for those that were there and use the route.

[Chris_]

Yes, your implication hits the nail on the head in a normal country where violent crime is not the national sport.

 

Anyway, I’m not going down this path any further......

I’ll leave the arguments for those that were there and use the route.

 

Please man, we don't live in some ridiculous Tarantino movie, you can still talk to humans here.

[Hairy]

if its a historical through fare, then it cant be fenced off

that is interesting

[WrightJnr]

Please man, we don't live in some ridiculous Tarantino movie, you can still talk to humans here.

Seriously!

 

Now I have coffee and snot all over my iPad screen. Chirp of the day [emoji1787]

[nathrix]

Only found out after he chased me that it is his land. He was busy blocking other riders riding from the opposite side when i rode around him.

Edited September 21, 2020 by nathrix

[Milosh]

Lets please keep this thread to the locals that use that route and want to coninue enjoying  the access to the northwest it gives us 

 

Any idea of who the guy is and why all of a sudden he does not want traffic through his land, is is barren and stoney , though to the south there are irrigated crops which I have never noticed before.I imagine if you want to stop foot traffic that casually harvest your crop you have to stop all traffic so mtb included.

 

We went left on along pavement of N114 at the water park than took first dirt road right after the garage and came out at the rocks at the top of the ramp down to N14 , so manageble. Alternate is the path past the stroage locker and under the other bridge 

[dave303e]

I love the way just because there is no sign, we assume it is open land and we can do as we please and ride through. Go have a look at the portal in the link below, you can see all the farm and ERF boundaries for our beautiful country, there is not much open land, someone owns it, be it municipal, private, government or tribal, generally someone owns it. Even the parts under informal settlements, some poor bugger owns that.

 

We are all so quick to get defensive of tresspassing in our homes, but the reality is if you are not on a public road you are on land someone/entity owns. The few tracts of unalienated state land are tiny and pointless like river beds, even the land under our dams is accounted for.

 

https://csg.esri-southafrica.com/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=34ec3dcf8d8642bb9ed7f795cbfe8faf 

[Matuka]

 

 

If someone is actively making an effort to stop you, maybe ask why? 

 

I'm sorry but this is bit naive. Just scroll down the safety forum and see all the muggings and bike hijackings. Often times when someone is trying to stop you its because they want your valuables and they are willing to stab you for it. That is the reality. Also note that I have not mentioned race at all so theres no need to label me a racist 

[dave303e]

I'm sorry but this is bit naive. Just scroll down the safety forum and see all the muggings and bike hijackings. Often times when someone is trying to stop you its because they want your valuables and they are willing to stab you for it. That is the reality. Also note that I have not mentioned race at all so theres no need to label me a racist 

 

So I was running next to a guy up a false flat in Bot gardens on sunday, obviously running next to a bike for a ways you end up checking it out, there were a few bikes around as well. I realised the guys saddlebag strap was broken and his saddlebag was about to drop down onto the rear wheel or off completely. So I spot this and say- "Sorry sir, your saddlebag is broken and will fall off" he just put his head down and accelerated away, I know he accelerated because I had been in and around the group of bikes for about 1km up that drag. Some people do and try stop you for good intentions.

It was funny, one of the other guys in the vicinity heard it and pulled about 10m to the side to check his bag as well.

 

Added to this note, there is a farmer next to my folks who happens to be at a great point to cross between 2 major dirt roads that mtb riders ride in PTA east, so he has a lot of people trying to cut through on bikes. He actively jumps in his bakkie and charges across to chase them down on weekends. It is good entertainment on Sunday mornings