Thumb tacks in Howth today

Andy Magic

I was taking part in a charity cycle for Focus Ireland today, part of the route goes up Howth, the Sutton side. Just after you go by the graveyard a lot of people started spotting thumb tacks in their tyres, out of our group there was 4 punctures, all had thumb tacks stuck into the tyres. I counted 3 other cyclists with thumb tacks in their tyres also. Then when we got to the Naul there was other cyclists there who had the same issue in Howth.

I'm slightly worried this is going to be a new thing, I googled it and it seems to be common enough in the UK at the moment. I know we had the anti cyclist signs up Howth last summer but this is a new low!

ED E

Considering the barbed wire used against the MTB lads nothing would surprise me. People can be utter scum.

The J Stands for Jay

ED E wrote: »

Considering the barbed wire used against the MTB lads nothing would surprise me. People can be utter scum.

WTF?

wirelessdude01

ED E wrote:

Considering the barbed wire used against the MTB lads nothing would surprise me. People can be utter scum.

Remember the article on sticky bottle about that.

RacoonQueen

McGaggs wrote: »

WTF?

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/barbed-wire-stretched-neck-height-across-wicklow-cycle-track/

Thumb tacks are pretty common on cycle routes in other countries. Can never understand how people get so worked up by cyclists.

slavetothegrind

Fcuk that nonsense. Not a cyclist, occasionally mildly annoyed by large 3 and 4 abreast groups but to do that is just petty and nasty.

In fairness if cyclists annoy you that much you have deeper issues and need help.

Sleeper12

RacoonQueen wrote:

Thumb tacks are pretty common on cycle routes in other countries. Can never understand how people get so worked up by cyclists.

The odd cyclist can drive me nutty but thumbtacks? How does that work? They'd be taking out the good cyclists along with the bad. Doesn't make sense to me. Very small mindedness.

Not overly familiar with the area but from how often it gets mentioned here it's a popular place with cyclists. Likely some old gammon with a chip on his shoulder getting blood pressure every time a bike passes.

magicbastarder

that's a dangerous spot to be leaving tacks too, there'd be people coming downhill past the graveyard carrying a bit of speed.

when i reported thumbtacks in my (car) tyres a few years ago, two gardai called to the house about it. obviously they would take a report of the above just as seriously. i wonder how many cars were affected too?

Rechuchote

If someone were killed as a result, that could be a murder charge.

Aquals

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056157279

Couldn’t believe there would be people out there that would do something like that, until I read the thread above!

RacoonQueen

Aquals wrote: »

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056157279

Couldn’t believe there would be people out there that would do something like that, until I read the thread above!

That has lead me to other strange threads. One where people are saying that the rules of the road state you can overtake 'slow moving vehicles', animals and cyclists on a solid white line and that the rules of the road state you can do so.
Anyone know where the ROTR state this?

Lumen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

That has lead me to other strange threads. One where people are saying that the rules of the road state you can overtake 'slow moving vehicles', animals and cyclists on a solid white line and that the rules of the road state you can do so.
Anyone know where the ROTR state this?

The ROTR does NOT say that...

ROTR wrote:

Single or double continuous white lines along the centre of the road
All traffic must keep to the left of the line (except in an emergency or for access).

...and this reflects the law, only the law provides an exemption....

S.I. No. 294/1964 - Road Traffic General Bye-Laws, 1964 wrote:

An authorised continuous white line along the centre of a roadway shall indicate that traffic must drive to the left of the line, and when on a stretch of roadway on which such a line has been provided a driver shall, save for the purpose of entering or leaving land or premises adjoining the right hand side of that roadway, drive to the left of the line.

S.I. No. 294/1964 - Road Traffic General Bye-Laws, 1964 wrote:

5.—(1) These bye-laws shall apply save where compliance therewith is not possible by reason solely of road-works, building operations or an obstruction to traffic, or because of an emergency suddenly confronting a driver, pedal-cyclist or pedestrian which he could not reasonably have been expected to anticipate.

Source: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1964/si/294/made/en/print

Obstruction isn't defined in the RTA, but the ROTR say:

ROTR wrote:

Obstructions
If you become aware of something blocking the flow of traffic ahead, use the roadside telephone or a mobile phone to tell the Gardaí. Do not attempt to remove it yourself. Do not use a mobile phone whilst driving.

Now some people will say that cyclists are "an obstruction to traffic", but IMO (and supported by the evidence of actual prosecutions in Ireland) "obstruction" does not mean "something that forces you to drive below the speed limit".

RacoonQueen

Ha yeah and more than one person saying that people who do not know ''that you can overtake tractors, cyclists and animals on solid white lines don't know the ROTR"
These are the people who we rely on to not hit us.

Lumen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Ha yeah and more than one person saying that people who do not know ''that you can overtake tractors, cyclists and animals on solid white lines don't know the ROTR"
These are the people who we rely on to not hit us.

Ah, that's a terrible slur on Ireland's drivers. I'm sure they all pull in up the road and phone the gardai to report the obstruction like the ROTR tells them to.

magicbastarder

Aquals wrote: »

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056157279

Couldn’t believe there would be people out there that would do something like that, until I read the thread above!

I'm getting a 404 on that. Has the thread been pulled?

cython

magicbastarder wrote: »

I'm getting a 404 on that. Has the thread been pulled?

Works for me, but it's locked. https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056157279&page= any better?

Hurrache

The guy who started it is a well known troll when it comes to all things cycling.

magicbastarder

it's from seven years ago - wonder if that's why it wasn't displaying for me on the mobile site?

Hurrache

Comes up for me on the mobile site.

triggermortis

Hurrache wrote: »

The guy who started it is a well known troll when it comes to all things cycling.

Trolling an internet forum is one thing, actually going out and causing damage is on another level.

Hurrache

He was never one to be taking seriously.

Tenzor07

Ah thumb tacks on Howth, the place which brought you those large printed anti-cyclist posters not so long ago!

The people of Howth must be so proud!

Arcade_Tryer

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Ah thumb tacks on Howth, the place which brought you those large printed anti-cyclist posters not so long ago!

The people of Howth must be so proud!

Guess it's true that money can't buy you class; but it can buy thumb tacks!

J.pilkington

Where is the evidence that they were left there for cyclists? Could be as simple as fell out of a bag / thrown out of a car window.

LollipopJimmy

Big load if nails in the cycle lane at the beginning of the N81 at Templeouge yesterday. I had assumed the fell from a work van or something, I'd hate to think there are people sabotaging cycle lanes around the city.

magicbastarder

J.pilkington wrote: »

Where is the evidence that they were left there for cyclists? Could be as simple as fell out of a bag / thrown out of a car window.

granted - but is it just coincidence that this is in howth, which saw those anti-cycling posters a year or two ago?
i find it hard to believe that someone spilling thumbtacks on a road would do it accidentally, regardless of whether cyclists or motorists were the intended target.

Tenzor07

magicbastarder wrote: »

granted - but is it just coincidence that this is in howth, which saw those anti-cycling posters a year or two ago?
i find it hard to believe that someone spilling thumbtacks on a road would do it accidentally, regardless of whether cyclists or motorists were the intended target.

Accidently dropped a box of tacks on the way to pin up anti-cycling posters?

Ferris

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Ah thumb tacks on Howth, the place which brought you those large printed anti-cyclist posters not so long ago!

The people of Howth must be so proud!

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Guess it's true that money can't buy you class; but it can buy thumb tacks!

magicbastarder wrote: »

granted - but is it just coincidence that this is in howth, which saw those anti-cycling posters a year or two ago?
i find it hard to believe that someone spilling thumbtacks on a road would do it accidentally, regardless of whether cyclists or motorists were the intended target.

Wow lads, tarring many with the same brush here. Just because of one bad apple you are condemning an entire community. The vast majority of whom act properly and considerately towards the many cyclists who pass through the area.

Sure cyclists do nothing but break red lights, don’t pay ‘road’ tax..... yada yada

magicbastarder

eh... i'm not saying it's the entire community of howth who are sprinkling tacks on the road. it's clearly just one person or very few; and since i obviously wasn't clear about it, the fact that there were anti-cycling posters put up a year or two ago would lead me to believe that *if* this was a malicious act towards cyclists, it could be the same person in each occurrence.

cython

magicbastarder wrote: »

eh... i'm not saying it's the entire community of howth who are sprinkling tacks on the road. it's clearly just one person or very few; and since i obviously wasn't clear about it, the fact that there were anti-cycling posters put up a year or two ago would lead me to believe that *if* this was a malicious act towards cyclists, it could be the same person in each occurrence.

So, almost like the exact opposite of the below then?

Ferris wrote: »

Wow lads, tarring many with the same brush here. Just because of one bad apple you are condemning an entire community. The vast majority of whom act properly and considerately towards the many cyclists who pass through the area.

Sure cyclists do nothing but break red lights, don’t pay ‘road’ tax..... yada yada

Ferris

magicbastarder wrote: »

eh... i'm not saying it's the entire community of howth who are sprinkling tacks on the road. it's clearly just one person or very few; and since i obviously wasn't clear about it, the fact that there were anti-cycling posters put up a year or two ago would lead me to believe that *if* this was a malicious act towards cyclists, it could be the same person in each occurrence.

Point taken, just jumping to the defense of my area.

I stand over objecting to the other comments about money/class, people of howth being ‘proud’ of this individual. They’re just cheap shots imo, just like those we encounter on the bike from others daily

Lumen

Ferris wrote: »

Point taken, just jumping to the defense of my area... They’re just cheap shots imo, just like those we encounter on the bike from others daily

Let's see if we can find some expensive shots that are more to your taste ;-)

Andy Magic

Just to add my post wasn't generalising all Howth residents and I don't think others were either, I actually live within 10k of Howth and I cycle there a few times a week training. It's quite clearly one person who has an issue with cyclists, I just think it's worth documenting these instances. It was a major kick in the balls to our charity cycle on Saturday (which I was co-organising) and having to fix a lot of punctures.

Sleeper12

I wonder by highlighting it here will it encourage more idiots to do likewise?

Arcade_Tryer

Ferris wrote: »

Point taken, just jumping to the defense of my area.

I stand over objecting to the other comments about money/class, people of howth being ‘proud’ of this individual. They’re just cheap shots imo, just like those we encounter on the bike from others daily

Stop being so precious. People are concerned about the safety of cyclists on the roads and those who would cause cyclists harm, not your "area".

CrankyHaus

Has anyone affected by this reported it to the Gardai, the race organisers or the Council and has any action been taken?

Andy Magic

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Has anyone affected by this reported it to the Gardai, the race organisers or the Council and has any action been taken?

Yes it was reported. Not by me though but it was reported. Not to start another debate though I don't expect anything to be done. I'm not quite sure what the guards can do.

magicbastarder

as mentioned above, they called around to my house when i reported having driven over thumb tacks in my car. as i did not know where it happened, they could not do anything about it - but still called round as i'd reported an offence.

CrankyHaus

The Council can sweep the road to remove any tacks and prevent further accidents.

The Gardai can record it and keep an eye out in case someone tries it again. That road is busy enough that you'd have a hard time spreading tacks on it without someone passing by and seeing you do it.

Happy to hear nobody got hurt.

J.pilkington

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Stop being so precious. People are concerned about the safety of cyclists on the roads and those who would cause cyclists harm, not your "area".

Then why did YOU see the need for the comment about the affluence of the area which has no relevance with being concerned about the safety of cyclists(ie you took a cheap shot)?

Rechuchote

The Gardaí should be doing more than keeping an eye out. Someone who lays mantraps that can injure or kill is psychopathic. (Obviously excepting children, who can do dangerous things out of stupidity.)

07Lapierre

Rechuchote wrote: »

The Gardahould be doing more than keeping an eye out. Someone who lays mantraps that can injure or kill is psychopathic. (Obviously excepting children, who can do dangerous things out of stupidity.)

What should the Gardai do? Raid houses in Howth and confiscate any boxes of pins found?

Rechuchote

07Lapierre wrote: »

What should the Gardai do? Raid houses in Howth and confiscate any boxes of pins found?

Sweep the pins up, hold them for DNA and let it be known locally that they have done so.

Pigeon Reaper

There is an individual who lives in the area that tends to do strange things and is likely to be behind this. They're behind the anti cycling posters that where put up. They're a serial litigator with a history in the local super value. A number of local people who agreed with the sentiments of the posters last year did some self reflection when the persons involvement in them became apparent.

Hurrache

J.pilkington wrote: »

Then why did YOU see the need for the comment about the affluence of the area which has no relevance with being concerned about the safety of cyclists(ie you took a cheap shot)?

Maybe it's so affluent because they don't feel the need to pay their taxes, and they suspect cyclists are undercover revenue. I think I exposed the conspiracy!

jon1981

Absolute arseholes ...

DaveyDave

I wouldn't say it was an accident or that they fell out of a bag or anything. Most glass bottles smashed in the streets are conveniently in a bike lane rather up against a wall or the path...

It's the reason I ride Marathon Plus on a carbon bike. Dublin is a dump. It's also why I wish we had a tourist tax on hotels, cities with tourist tax are much cleaner.

07Lapierre

Rechuchote wrote: »

Sweep the pins up, hold them for DNA and let it be known locally that they have done so.

Yep. So next time the culprit will know that he/she should wear gloves. Or better still, just empty the pins directly out of the box?

Rechuchote

07Lapierre wrote: »

Yep. So next time the culprit will know that he/she should wear gloves. Or better still, just empty the pins directly out of the box?

Most people will take a warning like that and stop acting the maggot.

07Lapierre

Rechuchote wrote: »

Most people will take a warning like that and stop acting the maggot.

Most people wouldn't do it in the first place.