TT 2022 ??

[Max Power]

8 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Of course it depends on the contracts of individual employers, but the Island does normally have ten Bank Holidays while England and Wales only eight (Scotland nine, NI ten).  Plus one extra for the Jubilee this year of course.  So employers ought to take that into account.  Of course the UK is notorious for how few public holidays it has, practically every country in the world has more.

I can't see Cannan trying to take one of them away - after all that went so well last time he tried.

Thanks Roger, although I can't see any scramble to scrap the Tynwald Day Holiday to assist those businesses disrupted by it?

It was always difficult explaining to our UK colleagues why we were not answering the phone on those days! 

[Roger Mexico]

13 minutes ago, Meoir Shee said:

I’d be bitterly disappointed if these are locals, there is zero excuse, what I meant to say was they may be visitors who stumbled on the mountain road  and made a genuine, but poor, mistake.  Going the wrong way suggests someone disorientated or totally in the wrong, in that case a hefty fine would be entirely justified.

My immediate reaction wasn't just "How stupid!" but "How did they do that?".   Maybe we're looking at TT visitors on hire bikes from Ramsey or Port Erin, who got lost.  Presumably if the road hadn't been closed, they would have realised where they were.  The fact that it's two separate pairs made the mistake suggests something along those lines.  Maybe they need better signage on the exits.  Or it could just be local dickheads being dickheads.

Of course if they restricted the A18 to walkers and cyclists during TT and banned everything else, then they wouldn't have to keep closing it due to 'incidents'.

[Passing Time]

5 hours ago, Roxanne said:

The eternal argument year after year. A lot of good points are being made, but as I said two weeks ago in another thread, you either get it or you don’t. It’s not something that can be explained. It’s either in you or it isn’t and neither the twain shall meet.

Is it ‘gladiatorial’?  I think not. People do it because they love it. No one forces them to do it. It’s in their blood. 

Do I like that it’s ‘sponsored’ by government? No. Do I like to hear of dark and accidents? No. Do I like that our medics and police are caught up in the aftermath? No. But, it’s a unique event. It’s one of its kind and riders are still queuing up to take part while fully accepting the risks. Many people don’t get it and never will. The arguments are futile.

One day it may very possibly be over but for now we are the road racing capital of the world. We do something no one else does and hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world are tuning in to follow it. 

The views here are polarised - and they don’t reflect the passion there is out there for the TT. Not in the slightest. 

Best post so far in this thread...

[Happier diner]

8 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

My immediate reaction wasn't just "How stupid!" but "How did they do that?".   Maybe we're looking at TT visitors on hire bikes from Ramsey or Port Erin, who got lost.  Presumably if the road hadn't been closed, they would have realised where they were.  The fact that it's two separate pairs made the mistake suggests something along those lines.  Maybe they need better signage on the exits.  Or it could just be local dickheads being dickheads.

Of course if they restricted the A18 to walkers and cyclists during TT and banned everything else, then they wouldn't have to keep closing it due to 'incidents'.

Good points. Whilst I don't ever like to be told you are not allowed to cycle on the public highway and I don't like the fact that cyclists are banned from a public road, the law is the law and there must be a better explanation than they were being stupid. No one could be that stupid surely

It will be interesting how it plays out. The fact that they were going the wrong way is the killer. I bet it will be hard to make a prosecution stick though as motoring offences often don't seem apply to cyclists. 

Do you think they will just get a telling off?

[The Phantom]

15 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

My immediate reaction wasn't just "How stupid!" but "How did they do that?".   Maybe we're looking at TT visitors on hire bikes from Ramsey or Port Erin, who got lost.  Presumably if the road hadn't been closed, they would have realised where they were.  The fact that it's two separate pairs made the mistake suggests something along those lines.  Maybe they need better signage on the exits.  Or it could just be local dickheads being dickheads.

Of course if they restricted the A18 to walkers and cyclists during TT and banned everything else, then they wouldn't have to keep closing it due to 'incidents'.

Possible (and probably likely) they could be mountain bikers.  Plenty of ways to get up onto the Mountain using greenways and tracks. 

[Passing Time]

1 hour ago, Banker said:

Unbelievable!! Cyclists not only on mountain but going wrong way & road closed, hopefully bikes will be scrapped 

Using your flawed logic then every vehicle involved in breaking the law should also be scrapped. With the standard of driving here on the Island, shouldn't take long to reduce vehicle numbers...

[Lost Login]

13 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I've played rugby and competed in several sports where risk is involved, I have no real compunction to get involved in any again, even if I could. Even racing motorcycles elsewhere was only a means to allow me to race on the Mountain, as I say, there's nothing at all like it. The adrenaline certainly plays a part, but overall it's the challenge which draws you back, trying to do it better. 

It would be easy to say I'd do it when younger, knowing the outcome if it happened at 28 or something. The answer is, I don't know. I'd probably try to do a deal with myself to mitigate the risk? 

Thanks. I have never done anything where I would think that it was so great that I would accept that there was a real possibility of serious injury or an early death as the cost of doing what I enjoyed. I simply can not comprehend enjoying something so much that I would be prepared to accept that level of risk. As I said I would simply compute and think that I would mitigate the risk and that it would not happen to me until it did. When I hear the phrase "they knew the risks" possibly incorrectly, I think did they really think they applied to them or just it was something that happens to others.

It is therefore very informative to ask the question to somebody who unfortunately been through it. The rest of us really have no idea if told the outcome of doing X is Y whether we would still want to do X or find something else. I am also sure it is important to have a very positive attitude after an incident as if I had a family member who had died it would give a certain level of solace to think that they would do it all over again even if they knew what would happen because of the enjoyment they got rather than to think they would never have done it had they known

 

[doc.fixit]

1 minute ago, Passing Time said:

Using your flawed logic then every vehicle involved in breaking the law should also be scrapped. With the standard of driving here on the Island, shouldn't take long to reduce vehicle numbers...

Depending on the severity of the offence I think that's a good idea.😄

[Happier diner]

10 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

Possible (and probably likely) they could be mountain bikers.  Plenty of ways to get up onto the Mountain using greenways and tracks. 

Its possible but I am sure there are signs at the greenway junctions as well. Its possible they could have just come off the open fell I guess and obviously there are not one way signs all the way along the fences.

I hope there is a good explanation

[Lost Login]

7 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

Possible (and probably likely) they could be mountain bikers.  Plenty of ways to get up onto the Mountain using greenways and tracks. 

I would like to know more of the facts. It is one thing going for a ride the wrong way knowing that and that cyclists were not allowed. It is another if cycling along the tracks, they became aware of a temporary closure and thought I will nip quickly 200 meters along here as a short cut. I appreciate neither is right.

One thing I had never thought of is that if I saw a roads closed sign, except if it was for a specific event, I would not be able to walk or cycle beyond the sign. Plenty of time I have walked etc on roads that have been closed, if only to play in the snow. 

 

[Newsdesk]

2 hours ago, Lxxx said:

Go out like what? Why are you sensationalising someone's unfortunate death. 

I’m not. You seem to be on a bit of a rampage today. It’s always good to have a cause. 

[The Phantom]

35 minutes ago, Lost Login said:

 It is another if cycling along the tracks, they became aware of a temporary closure and thought I will nip quickly 200 meters along here as a short cut. 

 

Yeah this is totally possible if they were mountain bikers And what I 'hope' has happened. If they were Roadies, then come down on them like a ton of bricks.

[Banker]

1 hour ago, Max Power said:

Thanks Roger, although I can't see any scramble to scrap the Tynwald Day Holiday to assist those businesses disrupted by it?

It was always difficult explaining to our UK colleagues why we were not answering the phone on those days! 

Lots of companies have reduced staff in on these days to deal with UK colleagues, essential processes, payments etc

[2112]

3 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

A Norwegian visitor who crossed a closed road on foot has just been fined £2k so there's a benchmark?

I understand and I read about that, but if these cyclists are Manx then would they be fined? Or would they be given a stern finger wagging and sent on their way. 

[Banker]

5 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

Yeah this is totally possible if they were mountain bikers And what I 'hope' has happened. If they were Roadies, then come down on them like a ton of bricks.

The police have mentioned they came off cycle tracks but must have been aware of TT & rules, anyway ignorance of law is no defense!