Who do I complain to about the gates?
Nine gates, several cowpats and a city rider who thought the countryside would be finished by now.
Who do I complain to about the gates?
First day on the TET after riding down from London and I’ve opened nine already. Nine. Then had to close them all again because apparently that’s also my responsibility.
I came here to ride a motorcycle. So far I’ve mainly been operating agricultural doors.
Most aren’t even locked. They’re just closed for the sake of it.
Asked a farmer why there were so many and he said “cattle”. Not particularly helpful. I could already see those.
Surely the cows know which field they live in? They’ve been here longer than I have.
And the mess. Cow poo, horse poo, absolutely everywhere. Some of it looks recent, so whatever cleaning arrangement they’ve got clearly isn’t working.
You’d be fined for that where I live. Watched a horse do it while its owner just carried on talking to her friend. Didn’t even reach for a bag.
When I mentioned it she said it’s good for the roses. There aren’t any roses on this track. There is, however, my front tyre.
Got some on my boots opening gate number seven. These boots were £380. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the handle area to be kept clean.
Also a tractor came past and I had to pull over into the hedge. No apology. Driver gave me a little wave as though we’d both enjoyed it.
Is there a quieter time to visit when the farming isn’t happening? The website photos made it look finished.
Before anyone says I should have expected mud, I did. Bought the off-road mudguard specifically. Nobody mentioned it would contain ingredients.
There’s a smell near the big shed as well. Difficult to describe but it’s very farm-like. Would be fine occasionally, but we stopped for lunch and it continued throughout.
I love the countryside. That’s why I came. Just think a few basic improvements would make it much more accessible to people who don’t already work in it.
EDIT: Yes, I shut every gate. I’ve got photos of all nine if that’s what this group needs.
EDIT 2: Someone’s suggested a cattle grid. Happy to download it if it means fewer gates. Is it better than the GPX?
EDIT 3: Back at the hotel. They’ve asked me to leave my boots outside. Finally, someone taking this seriously.
