Roothy dishing it out to protect our rights

[Muddles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Muddles]

Roothy expressing his opinion at the Sydney 4wd show at the weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=26MEDAXlz9A


I hope that there are a few government types listening.

Here is the site for don't lock up Australia. I think it may have been published here before but better to republish for a reminder

http://www.4wdaction.com.au/takeaction

Cheers
Muddles

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

It seems to me that Roothy is one of the biggest problems as far as tracks getting locked up. I haven't watched any of his DVD's for some time now because they were just getting more and more ridiculous each month. All they seem to do is go out and find a track they can tear to pieces so it can be harder or tougher than last month when they went out and tore up a track.

People buy their first 4wd, then get a 4wd action DVD and think that is what 4 wheelin is all about. Find the biggest mud hole you can and tear through it a 100mph and smash all your gear and the tracks up in the process. Great if you have a shit box and a sponsor to pay for repairs, but dumb if you have a nice 4b and want to keep it that way.

Getting rid of Roothy would be where I would start! Then maybe the do gooders would have less reason to lock up the tracks.

Cheers Andrew

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

And here I was thinking I was the only one who wish he'd shut up and piss off.

[sweetpea Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sweetpea]

And here I was thinking I was the only one who wish he'd shut up and piss off.

Seems there are three of us.

[Trekrider Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Trekrider]

I watch the DVDs every month and think they are great Andrew. Great for showing what not to do that is!

Sometimes I watch in amazement at how stupid and dangerous the things they do are. One of the things that surprises me most is why Worksafe haven't come down on them for all the HSE breaches. They get paid to make the DVDs and are bound by the HSE legislation the same as any other employer/employee.

I think you are absolutely right when you say newbies get a 4WD, watch the DVDs and think that's how it's done and then ruin it for the rest of us.

[Sako85 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sako85]

It seems to me that Roothy is one of the biggest problems as far as tracks getting locked up. I haven't watched any of his DVD's for some time now because they were just getting more and more ridiculous each month. All they seem to do is go out and find a track they can tear to pieces so it can be harder or tougher than last month when they went out and tore up a track.

People buy their first 4wd, then get a 4wd action DVD and think that is what 4 wheelin is all about. Find the biggest mud hole you can and tear through it a 100mph and smash all your gear and the tracks up in the process. Great if you have a shit box and a sponsor to pay for repairs, but dumb if you have a nice 4b and want to keep it that way.

Getting rid of Roothy would be where I would start! Then maybe the do gooders would have less reason to lock up the tracks.

Cheers Andrew

Agree 100%

My last local track that is still open was feartured on one of his DVD's last year and has since been destroyed by everyone coming out to have a go. It wil be closed as well soon. Everytime I go there, more and more chicken tracks are pushed through the bush.

Before it was featured very few people knew about it and you would be lucky to see someone in the time it takes to do the in and out trip. Now there is a constant flow all weekend and the track is not handling the traffic. The problem is magnified by the newbies that have read a few magazines and watched the dvd's that come with them and think they can tackle a somewhat difficult track in an underprepared 4wd.

[Muddles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Muddles]

I must admit i haven't watched any of the 4wd action DVD's in a long time as the mag was becoming more of a commercial than anything else. I will admit that although by what is being said here it may be that they are not promoting good 4wd etiquette the base line message is in itself a good one. Leave tracks open and encourage good use (whether they promote it correctly or not). I can understand about the firewood collection item as well when you look at the overall amount that is lying around as long as a good understanding of don't cut anything down just pickup off the ground loose stuff. Please don't confuse the spokesperson for the cause, as the cause is well worth it for our ability to explorer and enjoy this land we live in beyond the city limits.

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

Maybe Pat Callinan needs another role as spokesman, he I would support

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Maybe Pat Callinan needs another role as spokesman, he I would support

He would be a much better advocate for the 4wdriving community. He's happy to try a few tougher tracks but always in a responsible way from the few of his shows I have managed to watch. I would even cut him some slack for driving a Nissan

As for keeping the tracks open, yes I agree that keeping them open so we can all enjoy this country is a great idea. But if the D'heads tear them to pieces what hope have we got of convincing the authorities that they are wrong and they should leave them open.

Cheers Andrew

[berniebgf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close berniebgf]

Must admit I do purchase and enjoy the 4WD monthly mag with the DVD, I enjoy the challenges they put themselves in both in Public and Private Parks. Would I do that myself? not now....

In my opinion more recently they have smartened their act up with respect to a "tread lightly" image in the DVD's, they are visiting more private 4WD parks, and common tracks like the Vic high country and top end (including Cape York) editions.. some great adventures there.
I don't see them travelling on any closed tracks, I do see them asking permissions from property owners and governments for "special access".

I think it may be more damaging than productive to stand up and knock the bureaucrats for how they manage "access", maybe educating people on how they can "have a voice" by joining a 4wd club (which I must say they have done in the past) and maybe including some "club track repairs days" on the DVD's to show some "positive work" by clubs would be a good idea and help improve the 4wder's image. Roothy's just passionate that's all....

The DVD is made to appeal to a specific demographic, and they do a good job of that with their slang and product placement....

I buy both 4wd monthly and 4x4 Australia, I like both magazines... I have not purchased any "Roothy Approved" products.

That's what I think anyway.

"I've tried and tested all these comments all over Australia so I know their right!!"

Bernie.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Well it's not often that I agree with the majority on this type of subject, but I do agree that the 'dickhead' and 'yahoo' type DVD's are a major issue in propagating stupid off road behaviour and hence, fuelling the fire to lock up the bush from the owners.. Which is us all !

I have been collecting the original 4WD monthly since the magazines inception. I have watched the direction of the entire brand name change dramatically over the years and firmly believe the change of direction and subsequently the change in DVD style is an editorial and board level driven direction. I have spoken to a past editor of the magazine and raised this issue before.

I think you will find that John Rooth is a great bloke. He is a freelance journalist with a family and a mortgage. Yes, I gather he has many sponsors etc, but I reckon he has some decent running costs to absorb when getting about the country and doing his job. While working for the magazine, he does have to take direction from the editor and above.

In saying that, the tear arsing about and ripping up trails is bloody stupid and doesn't really help the cause to keep the bush opened up for our kids and beyond....

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

Roothy expressing his opinion at the Sydney 4wd show at the weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=26MEDAXlz9A

Embarrassing.

Don't pick up the firewood is not about restricting visitors, it's about maintaining an area's natural flora and fauna.

His maths is way off too. If every person in Australia (20+ million of us) collected wood and burned it for a whole year each, the destruction would be unbelievable yet he says it would only peel back the timber from the tracks by 10 metres.

He's just wrong, and most who have had a good and half fair look at the issues would know it.

I've enjoyed some of his videos, but he's the wrong person to be campaigning on this issue.

[outdoorgaz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close outdoorgaz]

I don't bother with 4WD Action anymore and Roothy's attitudes on the DVDs are the main reason. Attacking the land managers in the way that he does is only alienating 4wders from the decision makers (whether they are his thoughts or the editors doesn't matter). The Roothy mentality will get more tracks closed rather than keeping others opened. (IMHO)