This is a question, I am pleased to say, that has occupied the House of Lords for hours: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60307-05.htm
As in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, it is usually assumed in countries of the United Kingdom that visitors take access to open country at their own risk, unless the landowner has been wilfully negligent ... http://www.snh.org.uk/strategy/access/sr-cod07.asp
Ah yes, the whole open country thing. I love that. We don't have that here in the States. If you want to climb or walk up a mountain, it has to be a State Park. Some of them have park rangers in funny outfits. Others have marked trails. The one I went to was great because it was lacking in rangers and the marked trails were fairly subtle (painted pink dots on the rock surface) so as not to disturb the natural landscape. That also made it a lot more dangerous, though.
Whereas in the UK, you can hop over fences, walk past sheep and geese and horses in somebody's pasture (or in an open pasture like in oxford) and nobody minds so long as you're careful and polite.
I don't think you'd want to try that here and risk being shot at by a disgruntled land owner . . . not worth the chocolate digestives and tea, if you ask me.
4 comments:
How amusing: who would americans sue if they injured themselves on a mountain - mother nature?
The State Parks' Commission, I think.
How does is work in the UK or Australia?
This is a question, I am pleased to say, that has occupied the House of Lords for hours:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60307-05.htm
As in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, it is usually assumed in countries of the United Kingdom that visitors take access to open country at their own risk, unless the landowner has been wilfully negligent ...
http://www.snh.org.uk/strategy/access/sr-cod07.asp
Ah yes, the whole open country thing. I love that. We don't have that here in the States. If you want to climb or walk up a mountain, it has to be a State Park. Some of them have park rangers in funny outfits. Others have marked trails. The one I went to was great because it was lacking in rangers and the marked trails were fairly subtle (painted pink dots on the rock surface) so as not to disturb the natural landscape. That also made it a lot more dangerous, though.
Whereas in the UK, you can hop over fences, walk past sheep and geese and horses in somebody's pasture (or in an open pasture like in oxford) and nobody minds so long as you're careful and polite.
I don't think you'd want to try that here and risk being shot at by a disgruntled land owner . . . not worth the chocolate digestives and tea, if you ask me.
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