Cyclists gone but their trash lingers
BY SHIRLEY WHYTE IN TUATAPERE
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A Blackmount farmer is upset at the amount of rubbish left on roads after the Tour of Southland cycle race this month.
David Conveney said the community from Blackmount Hill to Monkey Island, near Orepuki, cleaned up the highways about six weeks ago, only to have the Tour of Southland come through and cyclists throw water bottles on the side of the road.
"It's not good enough, especially from these guys.
"After all they do have their support cars following them," Mr Conveney said.
"Believe it or not some of the bottles have only had a mouthful of water taken out of them.
"I just want them to tidy up their act," Mr Conveney said.
While he supported the tour and the benefits it brought to Southland, he pointed out no-one else was allowed to drop their rubbish on highways.
"Why should they be able to get away with it?"
Tour No2 commissaire Graham Sycamore said he was disappointed riders threw their rubbish to the sides of the roads.
At the managers' meetings before the race, all teams were told not to throw water bottles away, he said.
"We really stressed to them not to litter the roadsides. Usually the riders swap their empty bottles for full ones from their support crews.
"We might have to start fining riders for littering in the future," Mr Sycamore said.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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@vito: Your arguments could apply to any sporting events, such as a rugby match - litter from people leaving the game, police time dealing with unruly mobs etc afterwards, delays on the road before and after the game around the stadium, and ACC costs.
Of course rugby players, just like cyclists, do actually pay ACC levies. Road user charges aren't the only place ACC levies come from - they're also part of PAYE tax, and I am fairly sure that sports clubs and event organisers (such as the organisers of the Tour of Southland) also pay ACC levies.
Back to the story tho, why didn't the community use some forward thinking, and not clean up until after the race? Although I do agree with #2, I'm sure the organisers, or maybe the teams themselves could tidy up afterwards. And if Mr Coveney is indeed a farmer, then perhaps he should familiarise himself with the story of the pot and the kettle.
Southland farmers have a terrible environmental record. And now they are whinging about cyclists! What losers.
Is the tour really worth while? NO! It costs us a fortune, Litter,Police time, Delays on the roads and Acc for there injuries,(they don't pay road tax).I hope the Blackmount farmer makes a formal complaint to the SDC and Enviroment Southland to force them to charge the Tour organizers for littering.
Jake #3 By 'nobody' do you mean bogans and rednecks? Or just southland nobodies?
Trash from bikes vs trash from cars....
Does 'yup' drive a white toyota ute?
No wonder nobody likes cyclists, a menace on the roads and now a menace to the environment.
Maybe tour organisers could have a litter van at the back to clean up the bottles, discarded punctured tyres etc. Maybe part of the contract with the council when these things are organised?? I've always thought it was lazy motorists throwing bottles out the windows but now I know who really is.
this is the reason why we run them down hehehe
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Send them to me, I'll take them.