Two great, but contrasting, examples of driver entitlement on one short section of rural byway near where I live.

The byway isn’t a major thoroughfare and doesn’t really go anywhere, it’s just a farm track through some fields. It’s heavily potholed – well, there largely isn’t a tarmac surface at all, it’s more of a gravel track with holes large enough to swallow a small pony. Despite the risk of damaging their car, people still seem to insist on driving along it; except that they don’t…

The first image is an example of people who like to drive off-road but get worried when it gets too bumpy and they think they might damage their pride and joy. So instead of turning back, they’ve made their own parallel muddy track through what is usually an area set aside for wildlife.

The second image is an example of the same track not being bumpy enough; some off-road enthusiasts last winter decided to carve up the farmer’s field instead of driving along the track, resulting in a section of the field being unusable for planting crops.

I love the countryside, I crave being out in it and I long to have more access to it. However, I can equally see that landowners and their tenants are worried about increasing access when a small (but impactful) minority of people abuse what little rights they already have.