[BBC News] Longer road closures for TT race

[Lonan3]

Sorry folks, you've had a year to organise something, this happens annually and the change of times has been advertised with plenty of warning. Just tell the boss you need to get off early and the carers you will pick up the kiddies early. Or book holidays and enjoy the racing. I know it's inconvenient but the bosses et al will know it and compensate for it. It's only 4 evenings.

I do feel it will be changed though.

What planet do you live on?

This is the blinkered view that ignores the fact that many local people have no interest whatsoever in the races and would not be the least bit bothered if they were to end. The reality is that very few local people are real 'enthusiasts' for the racing and those who organise the event need to realise that if they want it to continue.

The only possible answer at this stage is to reintroduce the early morning practices for the 'green' class. As they don't make a lot of noise it won't inconvenience anyone too much. Roads closed from 6am to 7.30 - where's the problem?

Oh, and, of course, the resignation of the absolute dick who proposed the extra hour of practice in the evening sessions.

[Planes]

The annual TT Races are still a blue riband event with international kudos, and the Mountain Course is seen as the toughest test of bike and rider in the world. That's why the electric bikes are taking part in the TT this year. I expect the purists would have preferred this to be a BSB support race at Donington or Brands Hatch, but we'd all be screaming that 'our useless Government had missed a trick' again.

 

TT is synonymous with the IOM. To say you raced a Duracell ZX100AMP on the S100 course or (even) the MGP wouldn't generate the same press interest. IF the PR people do their jobs properly, this will be TV news around the world in June, and we'll be seen as innovators and green champions. It'll be a positive/good news story for the island and allow people to realise we're not just a sunny tax haven with kippers and cats.

 

Next year it won't be the world's first major motorsport event to run on alternative power, so you could hold it in my back garden for all it will matter. 5 or 10 years from now it'll be considered routine.

 

Planes - the pros and cons of road racing here are a whole other thread, which will probably be split 50/50 between those for and those against. Personally I find TT a bit of a pain, inconvenient, the place too full of smelly visitors and loony bikers, and with entertainment that leaves me cold. But should it continue - hell yes! For as long as people are prepared to enter the races and volunteers are prepared to be messed about by the organisers. I don't think this latest SNAFU was anything other than a late realisation that there was a problem.

 

Stu, my post really isnt concerned about the racing side of TT or the pros and cons of it. I have no problem with highly skilled, pro team riders racing when roads are closed.

 

My post was more concerned with the increasing numbers of bikers who attend the island and ultimately abuse the lack of a national speed limit on roads they don't know, riding at speeds beyond their limits. This is where people get hurt and killed. The manx roads are simply not built for the volume of traffic the TT creates. I was trying to highlight the increrasing pressures put on the police force and other services.

You said to look at the bigger picture, thats all my post was trying to do. All aspects of the TT are connected, so you have to look at everything in that 'bigger picture'.

 

And yes Stu, couldnt agree more...........the entertainment is awful!

[Millman]

People don't do the TT just to race, they can do that nearer to home anywhere in the world. They come to the TT, the most challenging road race in the world run over roads that are our front streets and routes to work and school.

The very idea of what the TT is about sends chills down the spines of every bike racer in the world.

Why wouldn't someone wanting to promote an engineering principle not want to do it on the most famous racing circuit possible?

It will be worth millions to the island, eventually.

I convenient reason that doesn't hold up to the harsh economic and safety conscious society in which we live. If it did more manufacturers would be supporting the TT to the deference of superbikes not the other way round. Also we would be attracting all of the worlds top riders not just those who are brave \ daft enough to risk their lives on such a dangerous circuit. what happens if something like superbikes includes a series of green races in their event calendars will the interest still be the same for the TT event.

 

See the counter arguments. To claim it WILL be worth millions is pure conjecture. You can guarantee some good PR for this the first event. If it is a success though you could well see its appeal being hijacked by others. Even if it isn't are people going to flock over the island to watch it each year that is in addition the regular visitors. If not where do the millions actually come from.

 

Can anyone come up with just how this event will bring millions in to the island or is this estimate nothing short of the work of the likes of a bunch of RBS directors?

[Cambon]

Well, I work in Douglas and the road closures will affect me. I actually don't see the point. Since the TTGPX race is a week later than the last day of practice week, and there are always practice sessions after the races, surely the extra 3 hours - and that is all we are talking about - could be incorporated into them.

 

Yes the earlier start will affect me. I will get home later than normal. In fact I will more than likely go and watch experts practise straight from work and then go home around 7:00 pm when all the mad nutters in 4x4s and Jags have finished trying to run each other (and any motorcycles they see) off the roads.

 

It is funny though reading all the rants on here. Someone earlier posed the question, what if you lived next to Old Trafford? Well, that is only once or twice a week. What if you lived in Ayanapa? Ibiza? or any other "party" island? How would you feel about the tourists?

 

How many of you have actually tried driving across London during rush hour? It makes the TT access road seem like heaven, and that is EVERY day. Alternatively, try driving from St. Stephens Green to Dublin Airport at 5:30PM, any day! The local people who live here have no idea, the come overs should know better!

 

Personally, I look forward to the chance of watching this amazing event. If I get a bit delayed so be it.

[Stu Peters]

...Lastly a question to Stu how exactly is the Green race worth "millions" to the island? Sure it will generate some positive PR (for an event that always generates bad tabloid PR), but how is that going to physically bring millions into the island?

 

Sheer value of global media coverage - only a guess but I think what we're likely to get free (if the PR is done properly) would cost millions in traditional above the line advertising.

[WTF]

Maybe what this thread highlights is the growing divide and increased factionalism of those pro and anti the TT.

 

it has nothing to do with pro or anti TT, it is to do with roads being shut at a severly inconvenient time.it doesn't matter whether TT, MGP, rally, cyclists,crochet club or whatever is the reason for the dumb idea!! i'm sure everybody expected the same old gridlock if you wanted to venture out of your house AFTER you had got home from work. but less than 2 months notice on the hour earlier shutting times is a complete fuck up, it wouldn't matter if you had a years notice, it is a dumb fuck idea from same. the marshalls press release on the 11 o'clock news should shine some light on what little sense if any the DTL have left.

[Lost Login]

I find that is an interesting use of the word value as whilst I agree that it might cost "millions" to get the same amount of traditional above the line advertising that does not necessarily equate to receiving the same or anywhere near the same value.

 

The value to me relates to what return you get on the spend not on the spend itself

 

 

Sheer value of global media coverage - only a guess but I think what we're likely to get free (if the PR is done properly) would cost millions in traditional above the line advertising.

...Lastly a question to Stu how exactly is the Green race worth "millions" to the island? Sure it will generate some positive PR (for an event that always generates bad tabloid PR), but how is that going to physically bring millions into the island?

[rockdweller]

Sorry folks, you've had a year to organise something, this happens annually and the change of times has been advertised with plenty of warning. Just tell the boss you need to get off early and the carers you will pick up the kiddies early. Or book holidays and enjoy the racing. I know it's inconvenient but the bosses et al will know it and compensate for it. It's only 4 evenings.

I do feel it will be changed though.

What planet do you live on?

This is the blinkered view that ignores the fact that many local people have no interest whatsoever in the races and would not be the least bit bothered if they were to end. The reality is that very few local people are real 'enthusiasts' for the racing and those who organise the event need to realise that if they want it to continue.

The only possible answer at this stage is to reintroduce the early morning practices for the 'green' class. As they don't make a lot of noise it won't inconvenience anyone too much. Roads closed from 6am to 7.30 - where's the problem?

Oh, and, of course, the resignation of the absolute dick who proposed the extra hour of practice in the evening sessions.

 

I understand that many people who live here don't have interest in the races and wouldn't care if they ended and that is fair enough. The world would be a boring place if we all thought the same. However, how many of those people have lived here since before the races started? Okay, so obviously the races were a heck of a lot different in 1907, 1957, 1987 whatever, than they are today, but the fact is that they have been with us since before most of us here were even thought of. It's part of the Isle of Man and it's for two weeks in the whole year. It saddens me that the same people come out year on year and slate the TT, using things like this as a catalyst. I also know that there are some maniacs that come over here and make the roads dangerous for other visitors and locals alike, but there are also many that don't. I appreciate that it may be difficult for people to find a way around something like this (be it with work, childcare, poker club), and I agree that it's over the top having the extra sessions, but it was mentioned in the paper last week. That gives you 6/7 weeks to find a feasible solution. I'm sorry, but that's not unmanageable.

[Lonan3]

it was mentioned in the paper last week. That gives you 6/7 weeks to find a feasible solution. I'm sorry, but that's not unmanageable.

You are suggesting, then, that enthusiasts should be prepared to sacrifice their jobs if necessary in order to ensure the smooth running of the event when, simply by reintroducing early morning practices, the whole controversy could probably have been avoided.

My complaint is not with the races - and I think most people feel the same. The complaint is with organisers who are so far up their own leather-clad arses that they can't imagine anyone not being able to simply take an extra hour off work without their bosses objecting.

[When Skies Are Grey]

That gives you 6/7 weeks to find a feasible solution. I'm sorry, but that's not unmanageable.

 

It also give the Govt weeks to provide a more beneficial transport infra-structure to those affected....will they? No chance!

 

Its all about give and take...and seems to be little of the former from our lords and masters.

 

I'm not suggesting an anarchich uprising but inconveniently parked cars, leaky diesel vans etc could come out of the woodwork if Joe Public gets pissed off enough!

[sarahc]

Come and live in the middle of Douglas! I can walk everywhere and if I shut the windows I would never even know the TT was on, never mind be affected by road closures.

[WTF]

Come and live in the middle of Douglas! I can walk everywhere and if I shut the windows I would never even know the TT was on, never mind be affected by road closures.

how many spare rooms do you have??

[yehyehyeh]

stop complaining and do something about it

 

petition, protest, throw eggs at MHKs etc etc

[rednik]

I live in Glen Vine and I would like to (A) start a sweep stake to see how long it takes to get home if I leave work in Douglas at 5:30 on one of the practice nights. (B) Invite Quayle and Hannay to accept a lift from myself or another member of the public from say the main Douglas car park to Glen Vine or Tromode to see for themself the problems that it is causing if that proves to be the case.

 

 

My understanding is that next year it'll be run during MGP anyway - so isn't it worth us all getting behind it for just 4 evenings for the good of our island??

 

Isn't this an example of how everyone can just use a bit of common sense and help reduce the congestion?

 

Surely no one who lives in Tromode and works in Douglas would actually try and drive all the way home when you know the roads are going to be busy! Either leave a car on Port-E-Chee or similar and walk to work in the morning, walk back over the footbridge and drive the last bit home. Or do the opposite, drive to work, drive back to the grandstand after work and walk home over he bridge at St Ninians or the grandstand.

 

Same applies if you live in Glen Vine, it's much quicker to walk and cross into Willaston, then collect the car and avoid the access road. If so many people weren't so lazy there'd be a lot less traffic on the access road and those who actually need to use it would get through more easily.

 

I live in Glen Vine and did this twice last year. Left the car in Willaston and walked to work. The child minder took my 2 year old to tot lot in the afternoon, I collected him from there on foot, watched the bikes at the grandstand for a bit, crossed the bridge and drove home. It's no biggy to think ahead and leave the roads for the people that need to use them, but people are too lazy so what can you do?

[Tranq]

Have your say on the polls at iom today

Workers will be forced to take alternative routes home at the height of rush hour to accommodate practice for the the first ever Green TT. Do you think the additional TTXGP practice time will cause traffic chaos?

IOM Today poll for the above

 

At the last check, the online poll result was 86% of voters are against the extra hour.

It may only be 1 hour, fine, but make it an extra hour in the evening instead.

Bikes have lights.

 

I understand TT has been a great benefit to the island, but so has the financial district which this may start to impede upon.

 

I'm sure whatever the outcome, it'll be in the best interests of the Island one way or another.