Sustrans is not.....

[Colin B]

We have the same problem on the canal towpath dog owners leaving bags of doggy chocolates on the ground outside the fence of my house , I've even been sat in my garden which looks out onto the path and they just drop it a few times I've said you've dropped something and they reluctantly pick it up only to drop it further down .
I did at one time consider making a site called droylsden dog fowlers where I'd put photo evidence of them trying to get addresses which I would send to the local authorities but didn't cos I didn't want to be tamesides dump droid hold on that's got a ring to it

 

[Colin B]

Dog poo isn't the fault of Sustrans. Some of the facilities they provide might be crap though, although some are wonderful.

Sustrans should be better known tbh I'd never heard of it until I looked into buying a bike I think if organisations like sustrans and waterways asked more public ally for volunteers to help clean up towpaths and NCR they might get help I know I'd volunteer to keep my part of the canal path clean but 100 feet of miles doesn't do it .

 

[wintergreen]

Sustrans should be better known tbh I'd never heard of it until I looked into buying a bike I think if organisations like sustrans and waterways asked more public ally for volunteers to help clean up towpaths and NCR they might get help I know I'd volunteer to keep my part of the canal path clean but 100 feet of miles doesn't do it .

I came across 2 Sustrans people on the Bridgewater canal a couple of months ago. They had set themselves up there with banners and clipboards and looked as they had been there a good few hours.
They were stopping cyclists as they rode past and telling them all about the work Sustrans do. Then they asked for my bank/credit card details.
I am sure they do a grand job keeping cycle routes open and working to create more safe cycling routes around the country but do they really expect strangers on canal towpaths to hand over bank details and set up direct debits with them because they happen to be in possesion of a clipboard?
I told them, if they would like to get in contact with me by email then I would be more than happy to read through their literature and make a donation but they insisted that wasnt possible. I had to give them my details there and then and make a monthly donation of at least £10 a month.
Needless to say that wasnt going to happen. I kind of feel they have totally the wrong approach to this fundraising idea.

 

[Colin B]

I came across 2 Sustrans people on the Bridgewater canal a couple of months ago. They had set themselves up there with banners and clipboards and looked as they had been there a good few hours.
They were stopping cyclists as they rode past and telling them all about the work Sustrans do. Then they asked for my bank/credit card details.
I am sure they do a grand job keeping cycle routes open and working to create more safe cycling routes around the country but do they really expect strangers on canal towpaths to hand over bank details and set up direct debits with them because they happen to be in possesion of a clipboard?
I told them, if they would like to get in contact with me by email then I would be more than happy to read through their literature and make a donation but they insisted that wasnt possible. I had to give them my details there and then and make a monthly donation of at least £10 a month.
Needless to say that wasnt going to happen. I kind of feel they have totally the wrong approach to this fundraising idea.

Sounds very dodgy that you were right to swerve it

 

[theclaud]

Sounds very dodgy that you were right to swerve it

No more dodgy than any other form of chugging.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I came across 2 Sustrans people on the Bridgewater canal a couple of months ago. They had set themselves up there with banners and clipboards and looked as they had been there a good few hours.
They were stopping cyclists as they rode past and telling them all about the work Sustrans do. Then they asked for my bank/credit card details.
I am sure they do a grand job keeping cycle routes open and working to create more safe cycling routes around the country but do they really expect strangers on canal towpaths to hand over bank details and set up direct debits with them because they happen to be in possesion of a clipboard?
I told them, if they would like to get in contact with me by email then I would be more than happy to read through their literature and make a donation but they insisted that wasnt possible. I had to give them my details there and then and make a monthly donation of at least £10 a month.
Needless to say that wasnt going to happen. I kind of feel they have totally the wrong approach to this fundraising idea.

That's very odd. I do a lot of stuff for Sustrans, and in my area, we're very happy to just get email addresses, for someone to then chase up later on. Sadly it sounds like on the canal they had some badly trained volunteers who, like some call centre staff, were sticking rigidly to their script.

 

[Colin B]

No more dodgy than any other form of chugging.

Help me I'm a manc what's chugging

 

[theclaud]

Help me I'm a manc what's chugging

Charity mugging. Attractive but excessively chirpy young people with clipboards employed to waylay people for their direct debit details...

 

[wintergreen]

Sounds very dodgy that you were right to swerve it

I have no doubt they really were genuine Sustrans workers. It was the way they really expected me to give them all my details and sign up for a monthly direct debit on a canal towpath.
They knew their stuff and had maps and other things to show me. I had rather a good chat with them but there was no way on earth I was about to pull out my credit card and give them my details so they could have access to my bank account.
Surely they must know that was a silly idea and there are better ways of getting people to part with their money.

 

[wintergreen]

On a canal path?

Yes on the Bridgewater canal between Stretford and Sale close to the river Mersey

Edited to add, I believe that part of the cannal towpath is part of NCN 62, so that may explain why they had chosen that spot.

 

[annedonnelly]

No more dodgy than any other form of chugging.

Yeah, they all want an instant decision and sign-up for direct debits. I'm more than happy to give to charities and sometimes do sign up, but mainly offer them my e-mail address - so far none have been able to deal with that.

 

[Colin B]

Swerving,

A mancuniun term for avoid

 

[BrynCP]

Yeah, they all want an instant decision and sign-up for direct debits. I'm more than happy to give to charities and sometimes do sign up, but mainly offer them my e-mail address - so far none have been able to deal with that.

That's because typically the person wanting your details will get a commission(or equivalent payment) of up to 100% of your first year's direct debits. If they just added you to a mailing list you'd be signing up direct with the charity and 0 commission for them personally.

Not saying Sustrans do this, especially if the people are actually knowledgeable.

 

[User6179]

Tried following sustrans routes last night.... What a pile of absolute rubbish!!!

It seems National Route 5 , a main artery apparently, is only suitable for mountain bikes...

Route 71 decided to disappear completely (the signage was rubbish anyway), which upon inspection of a map this morning apparently reappears in some back water some 10 miles away! What are we, psychic??!!.

Gave up in the end and followed the main roads home.

A lot of Sustrans routes are more trails than actual cycle routes , most are impossible on a roadie , some impossible on a mountain bike, I do not know who makes the routes but a good idea would be to color code the maps and call tarmac routes cycles paths and off-road routes trails as I have been miles down a route only to turn back because of the terrain .

 

[User6179]

I dont get it.

Its a bit like building the M6 but not telling anyone its only suitable for tractors.

Yep , once went down a route which was single track road which turned into gravel on a 30 mph corner , another time on my CX it went from tarmac to a trail covered in half bricks and broken roof tiles as hardcore and had to walk half a mile on cleats , the idea of cycle routes is great but wonder if Sustrans is fit for purpose , is it not maybe another money making charity for its directors? , not sure as I do not know how they operate.