[COUGAR]

In the past 2 years have noticed an exponential rise in the number of riders going up to Ladakh. Have also noticed exponential rise in the instances of defacing of public property enroute!

This particular photograph was taken by me last week near Alchi on the Leh-Kargil road, but the exact same graffiti was found spray painted on atleast 2 more pass tops.



It seems many motorcycle clubs and some riders think its necessary to "mark territory" and show people that they have "been there, done that"! But surely you can find a better way to do this than deface property? I found and documented club stickers and crude club graffiti on historic monuments like Lamayuru, Thikse, Gae, Diskit Monasteries among others apart from various pass tops. Personally tore off XXX club stickers stuck on landmarks in Khalsar and Lamayuru!

On this years drive, I made it a point to document instances where i found this. Will refrain from naming and shaming individual motorcycle clubs for now- will take it up individually with clubs concerned. I do not want to listen to gyan about "our club does not do such things" - i have photographic evidence to prove that they do! We are all responsible adults - Just clean up your own clubs stickers when on your next ride and educate your riders to desist from such activity!

Keep Ladakh clean!

[maddy42]

Cougar: Name and shame out here. Thats how they will learn. Will put a lot of sense into the members in the future. Visit to any tourist spot and you get this and tonnes of food packets and bottles.

You actions and not your motorcycle shows who you are.

Maddy

[sagarpadaki]

Yes, as maddy42 has mentioned, name the clubs here along with the photographs. Will have more impact on them as well as those who have such plans in their mind.

Taking up with clubs individually may not work since they want publicity and thats why they did it in the first place. So they may ignore you . But if you post it here it will be a permanent remainder .

Ladakh is a pristine place. Let us keep it that way . As fellow bikers we have to pitch in to maintain the ethereal beauty of the place

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by COUGAR

It seems many motorcycle clubs and some riders think its necessary to "mark territory" and show people that they have "been there, done that"!

Ha ha. This is like my dogs wandering about on our walks and "cocking a leg" to "mark territory" wherever they feel like.

I don't know what it is about these lovely monuments and places of yore that brings out the urge amongst these uncivilised infidels to write their stupid names and leave idiot halfwit messages for others to read! I used to get angry at this behaviour right from the 1970's as a kid, when I encountered such "territory marking" in Ooty and similar places.

Blame it on the idiot bollywolly nonsense filmi culture - where these blundering dunderhead fans see these stupid actors and actresses whom they idolise, leaping about the craggy bits or around trees etc and therefore feel the urge to carve their ugly names there to "feel good" about having gone to the same places!

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I used to get angry at this behaviour right from the 1970's as a kid, when I encountered such "territory marking" in Ooty and similar places.

I still do! Some canines do seem to have dot coms. There are plenty that are getting there. On one of my trips to Kodai through palani hills, I was shocked to see all the garbage, plastic and glass bottles. There is this one guy who rides up on his TVS everyday, to collect all that on a daily basis and sells it at Palani. Spends almost one full .5 ltr on fuel. He operates between 6 to 9 am. One can find him around the watch tower, at around 7 am. Ofcourse broken bottles are not worth anything to him. .

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

I still do! Some canines do seem to have dot coms. There are plenty that are getting there. On one of my trips to Kodai through palani hills, I was shocked to see all the garbage, plastic and glass bottles. There is this one guy who rides up on his TVS everyday, to collect all that on a daily basis and sells it at Palani. Spends almost one full .5 ltr on fuel. He operates between 6 to 9 am. One can find him around the watch tower, at around 7 am. Ofcourse broken bottles are not worth anything to him. .

It is so sad when so called educated people eat chips, kurkure, biscuits and drink bottled water, soft drinks and other stuff and see fit to chuck everything out of their fancy cars onto the road side especially at these public monuments, view points and places of tourist interest. I don't know what it is about us Indians that makes us behave in this manner.

[Chetan_Rao]

It's not just monuments. We spend hours cleaning our own home, and then the garbage bag goes out like a missile to the empty plot next door (or the drain opposite), no thought spared to where it actually lands or what it does to others. My building folks take me for a fool because I've started walking to the garbage dump 250 meters away (not to save the world, just to protect my own well-being from rotting garbage). Less said about BBMP garbage collection, the better. There's a collection spot right next to my building, but collection is erratic at best (they're accurate to the second for their monthly 'baksheesh' collection run though).

Cleanliness ends at the front door for India(ns). No wonder we take the same attitude everywhere we go. Most walls of the Mysore palace are full of scribbled graffiti, I was horrified when I saw it. The security folks claim they're helpless to stop vandals.