IOM TT: Booby Traps Threaten Isle Of Man

As if riding at the Isle of Man weren't already dangerous enough, now some loonies are booby-trapping "green ways"––unpaved roads open to vehicle traffic––with nasty tire-shredding devices made of 2-inch nails stuck in a piece of plywood and left on the ground pointy side up. This is just the latest in a series of similar incidents that have not only drivers, motorcyclists, and bicyclists worried, but hikers and livestock, too.

Police have no clue who is leaving the booby traps or why, but they're understandably worried that one might show up on the main paved roads used by car traffic all year, and especially during the annual TT motorcycle races when a flat tire is likely to be more than an annoyance to competitors. Much of the 37-mile TT course is lined with spectators for the entire IOM TT week, but security is more of a matter of common sense ("Don't dangle your feet over the edge of the road, luv, you might lose 'em") than is typical at most purpose-built race tracks, so the potential for the green-way mischief to migrate to the roadrace course is a concern.