Also, as an aside, if your premise were to be
followed then large swathes of countryside, worldwide, would be banned to hikers
since the traditional users were the landowners ... and they didn't want hikers
there.

If you go back far enough not even land was owned by anyone.
It was wilderness for all to use depending on who was the strongest - and it was
all walked of course since wheels had not yet been invented.

Thank you for proving my point. Over time, usage has changed hence there is absolutely no justification for selecting one particular period and stating that usage has to be frozen to meet the needs of that period only.

Yet again, you are forced to concede that there is no rational justification for your position ... simply your prejudice.

Unverified opinion is NOT data ... it's just
opinion. Your 'data' isn't even data.

Nor is yours, It is just dumb numbers which mean nothing.
Instead of resorting to meaningless numbers, why not try rational
argument.

I did ... but since you are irrational about bikes on trails to little avail. You already conceded that by simply being there a bike would disturb you. That's not rational !

You are living in a backwater and simply have no clues
about

what is happening in the real world. California is the
state where everything

happens first and the rest of the world
follows.

Keep telling yourself that ... but I live in a
'backwater' whose GDP eclipses that of California.

I was not referencing the entire UK, but only your small
backwater.

My 'backwater' is within a hour's commute of London ! Try again.

I shall wear that as a badge of pride. If you,
who thinks opinion counts as data and that your opinion trumps everyone else's,
were to acclaim me as smart I would be very worried.

My opinions and the opinions of other hikers like myself count
for infinitely more than any poor numbers you can dredge up.

For you and your fellow travellers I'm sure this is the case. I doubt you'll convince anyone rational though.

I urge you to
become humble and self-effacing like ME. Pride, such as you constantly display
here, goeth before a fall.

Well, perhaps you should heed your own admonishment ?

However, I seem to recall that I am the one stating that my personal experience counts for little whereas you seem to believe that your opinions and words are divinely inspired. Good luck with that !

Here is something more from your neck of the woods that should
interest you, although I think it may not have any numbers (data) for you to
ponder.

article snipped

You're never going to learn are you ? I suppose that's because all you have are opinion pieces. Any proper research shows the true situation ... which doesn't suit your agenda at all.