Private Bridges

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mythste

mythste

Veteran
Location
Manchester
This is going to sound super petty, and I'm more curious than upset or angry, so please take the following with that in mind!

I was cycling around the Fylde in Lancashire last week with a route I'd planned in Strava and it took me to a private toll bridge across the river Wyre.
There was a big sign that said "cyclists stop here!", so I did, and a woman came out of her little hut and said "It's 20p for a bike". I literally didn't have 20p on me (I was only a few miles from my parents house - I should carry money, I know!)

Anyway, perfectly politely I said I thought it was unusual for bikes to be charged as we don't cause any damage and we're usually a nice bunch! To which she replied "Oh, the owners don't like cyclists"
"They don't like cyclists?"
"You're quite abusive"
"Am I? I'm incredibly sorry I don't intend to be"
"No not you, Cyclists"
"But I am a cyclist!"
"It doesnt matter, its a private bridge and if you cant pay the toll you can't come across".

... Mental.

I noticed it was free to cross if you where a pedestrian, I chanced my arm by suggesting actually I'd finished riding my bike and I was now a pedestrian with luggage. This idea was not entertained.

For the sake of 20p I'm not going to be writing any complaints, I'd have paid 20p if I'd have had it on me, but after the conversation I had it seemed it was in place as a punishment rather than a tax - if you see my meaning.

Any thoughts? Could I have been a pedestrian? I've a mind, next time I'm headed that way, to be a pedestrian carrying a cycle just to prove a point... :laugh:
 
rugby bloke

rugby bloke

Veteran
Location
Northamptonshire
Sounds like something out of Middle Earth. Save your 20p and cycle another route.
 
U

User33236

Guest
Warburton Bridge, not far from Warrington, is a private toll bridge. Bikes go free and cars are 12p one way and 25p return ( used to be 12 1/2p one way but the 1/2p got dropped and complex rules meant they couldn't raise it to 13p)
 
winjim

winjim

Smash the cistern
potsy said:
This could be the bridge we went across on @ColinJ's forum ride the other year, I somehow got a bit distracted and hadn't realised Colin had paid for us all and ended up paying a further 20p, I still have nightmares at the thought of spending more money than I needed to ^_^
Click to expand...
Well that's 20p in hand to pay for @mythste to cross then. Try explaining that one to the gatekeeper.
 
Dayvo

Dayvo

just passin' through
Location
59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
Totally off topic: back in the early 90s, I worked at Liverpool Street station during the redevelopment. Due to nature of the work, we worked at night when the station was closed.

At the end of the shift I really needed to go to the toilet (urinating in the tunnels was commonplace) but some jobsworth said the toilets weren't open to the general public, and anyway I'd have to pay 50p. I didn't have any money on me and said that I was a worker there. But I had an ID card that he didn't approve of.

After a few minutes debate, I was getting to the point of 'no return' and told him that if he didn't let me in NOW then he'd have had a BIG pile to clean up. When he saw my urgency, he quickly weighed up the consequences and let me in.

FFS, jobsworths: don't you just hate them.
 
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