I've lost count now about
who has and when they did it, but I reckon that over 200 folk who read this
page have 'done' the Transport Scotland questionnaire regarding the Closed
Roads consultation, and that is a conservative estimate. This month's
Motorsport UK Newsletter will add more impetus and spread the appeal further
while closer to home the Scottish Association of Motor Sports Clubs has urged
all member clubs to spread the word through their own memberships.
In fact, the SAMSC went one step further
with 'Our Dear Leader' copying his questionnaire responses to the member clubs,
something I haven't dared do on this page. Whereas Mr Weall provided the perfect
example of sobriety, common sense and sound judgement, my response was rather more
political, opinionated and perhaps even provocative. Maybe I will print it here
after the consultation process is closed - or maybe not!
But remember, you're not doing this for me,
the SAMSC or Motorsport UK, you are doing it for yourselves and for the sport.
The only reason I want to encourage folk
to fill in the questionnaire is that I am only too well aware that motorsports
followers are a lazy bunch. After long nights and weekends spent in the garage,
building, replacing or fixing bits, the last thing you want to do is come into
the house, switch on , log on and fill in a silly questionnaire. The sport is
notoriously bad at petitions and direct action.
I remember an occasion in the past when
BBC Scotland YV failed to run a featured report on the Esso Scottish Rally
Championship - and they got one letter of complaint (from guess who?) - whilst
the same programme also failed to run coverage of a highlighted football match.
Apparently the poor wee postie was bow-legged dragging sacks of hate mail up
the BBC's drive for days afterwards - even from folk who couldn't write. There
were threats and complaints galore, and some written earnestly in blunt crayon,
or it might even have been blood.
That's the difference between those in
power and in the media taking notice and paying attention. If you create a
noise they are more likely to listen and respond, whilst it's all too easy to
ignore a whisper and wrongly believe that no-one is interested. We can be the instigators
of our own misfortune at times.
Anyway, keep up the good work, I may yet
return to this topic in the New Year. Meantime I have my Christmas Road Test to
finish. The trouble is I can't make up my mind which of two it should feature.
Maybe I'll just write them both.
The Transport Scotland consultation
documents are here. Easy to read and fill in:
