Current Affairs 2023

[Mervyn and Trish]

Thanks gents for the utterly predictable responses. As I suspected one law for the Tories, another for Labour. BTW OL how many of your tickets were for doing nearly 80 in a 40 limit?

[Stephen]

From a voting perspective I think Andy Burnham resonates with a lot of Labour voters…his speeding ticket is hardly the crime of the century…I’ve had four of them.

I didn’t realise ride on mowers went that fast.

[Onelife]

Thanks gents for the utterly predictable responses. As I suspected one law for the Tories, another for Labour. BTW OL how many of your tickets were for doing nearly 80 in a 40 limit?

My comment was an observation as to what I believe would be the case in terms of a voter appeal, not as you imply a defence of his actions or mine come to that, but it happens.

Al fines were for exceeding the 30mph limit…none of which were over 40mph limit.

[Onelife]

From a voting perspective I think Andy Burnham resonates with a lot of Labour voters…his speeding ticket is hardly the crime of the century…I’ve had four of them.

I didn’t realise ride on mowers went that fast.

They don’t, but fast enough to get the old codgers off the pavement when I take a ride round the village

[Gill W]

Who is Andy Burnham? How often is he in Parliament? What Cabinet job does he do? He's a nobody who plays at being a mayor with no influence. Hardly headline news. In fact I ain't seen this story or heard it on the news. It's a non story.

I hadn't heard about it either, and I'm not really surprised, as it's not really a big story. It might be to the people of Manchester, but, I'm not in Manchester, so Burnham isn't even on my radar.

I looked the story up - obviously he shouldn't have been speeding, but he appears to have held his hands up to it and is paying the fine, so it's hardly a big issue. What he's not doing is trying to blame someone else, mislead parliament about it or weasel out of it like a greased piglet. If he was doing any of those things, I would obviously criticise him.

[Onelife]

Who is Andy Burnham? How often is he in Parliament? What Cabinet job does he do? He's a nobody who plays at being a mayor with no influence. Hardly headline news. In fact I ain't seen this story or heard it on the news. It's a non story.

I hadn't heard about it either, and I'm not really surprised, as it's not really a big story. It might be to the people of Manchester, but, I'm not in Manchester, so Burnham isn't even on my radar.

I looked the story up - obviously he shouldn't have been speeding, but he appears to have held his hands up to it and is paying the fine, so it's hardly a big issue. What he's not doing is trying to blame someone else, mislead parliament about it or weasel out of it like a greased piglet. If he was doing any of those things, I would obviously criticise him.

I’ll give you four oinks! out of five for that post Gill

[screwy]

Seems if it’s not in the SE it’s not newsworthy.!

[Mervyn and Trish]

But if he'd been asked before he knew he'd been caught would he have confessed?

[Onelife]

But if he'd been asked before he knew he'd been caught would he have confessed?

He would, I suspect, have done what most of us would have done and hope he had managed to avoid the flasher while spending the next ten days dreading the brown envelope dropping through his letter box…I got two on the same day.

[screwy]

Your obviously a danger on the road.!

[Onelife]

Your obviously a danger on the road.!

Hi Screwy, I posted this post back in 2013 and my views haven’t changed since…..( in truth I don’t approve of anyone who has a total disregard for speeding restrictions. I do however have sympathy for those like myself who have been made to cough up for minor speeding infringements which when all said and done probably don’t contribute anything to accident sististics especially when compared against those who speed with total disregard for road conditions and in areas where speeding is more likely to cause accidents.

As I have said previously I’m not opposed to speeding cameras but I don’t believe the vast majority of speeding cameras serve any other proposes other than a stealth tax on what in the main are responsible car drivers).

[Manoverboard]

Speed cameras warn folk who are speeding to slow down, if they don't slow down ... £££££

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm not in favour of the individual speed cameras which slow down the hooligans for 100 yards to then speed off again. The only ones that really contribute to road safety are the average speed cameras.

[Onelife]

Speed cameras warn folk who are speeding to slow down, if they don't slow down ... £££££

Have a drive along the A435 between Studley and Alcester (Warwickshire) and you might have a different perspective on the fairness of where speeding cameras are placed and their purpose other than to rake in the ££££

[Onelife]

I'm not in favour of the individual speed cameras which slow down the hooligans for 100 yards to then speed off again. The only ones that really contribute to road safety are the average speed cameras.

I agree

[screwy]

OL, it was said with tongue in cheek. I thought I’d been caught by the dreaded camera van 3 weeks ago and nervously waited for the envelope but I was obviously ok. I have had 2 sp30s in 52 yrs of driving.
I agree with Merv, the average speed cameras are the best,just set the limiter and off you go,no problem.

[Onelife]

OL, it was said with tongue in cheek. I thought I’d been caught by the dreaded camera van 3 weeks ago and nervously waited for the envelope but I was obviously ok. I have had 2 sp30s in 52 yrs of driving.
I agree with Merv, the average speed cameras are the best,just set the limiter and off you go,no problem.

I thought it was Screwy but I just wanted you to feel uncomfortable for saying it

The two fines I picked up were within the space of 15 minutes…can anyone beat that?

[david63]

Another option is to have a car with a speed warning system that tells you when you exceed the speed limit so that you can slow down before plod catch you

[screwy]

Or a car that automatically cuts your speed to the speed limit when picked up on the cars camera system.

[Onelife]

Or a car that automatically cuts your speed to the speed limit when picked up on the cars camera system.

I personally wouldn’t like that option Screwy, I can imagine several incidences where this could be quite hazardous when having to take evasive avoidance manoeuvres whilst driving.

[oldbluefox]

I rather liked the German system (as much as anyone can like being caught). The crafty little blighters used to park unmarked police cars at the roadside with speed measuring equipment on a tripod in front of them. A little further down the road was another marked car who pulled you in and took the fine off you. All very polite and friendly, pay up and off you go on your way. No waiting for a letter to drop through your letter box, no points on your licence (at least not for a minor offence), no additional premium on your car insurance, just the sting of having to pay, all very simple.
They also used to place a police motorbike up the road in the opposite direction who was watching out for those who were flashing lights to warn of the speed camera. Very crafty!!!
I only got caught once out there and that was on the autobahn for not slowing down enough on a border crossing. The process was all very civilised and relatively painless apart from the fine I had to pay.
It did slow you down because you never knew which parked car may have a camera hidden in front of it. Similar happens with average speed cameras although how some on the motorway avoid fines on motorways in particular I never know as they clearly ignore the speed restrictions within average camera sections.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Then there was the third cop with the machine-gun....

[Onelife]

I rather liked the German system (as much as anyone can like being caught). The crafty little blighters used to park unmarked police cars at the roadside with speed measuring equipment on a tripod in front of them. A little further down the road was another marked car who pulled you in and took the fine off you. All very polite and friendly, pay up and off you go on your way. No waiting for a letter to drop through your letter box, no points on your licence (at least not for a minor offence), no additional premium on your car insurance, just the sting of having to pay, all very simple.
They also used to place a police motorbike up the road in the opposite direction who was watching out for those who were flashing lights to warn of the speed camera. Very crafty!!!
I only got caught once out there and that was on the autobahn for not slowing down enough on a border crossing. The process was all very civilised and relatively painless apart from the fine I had to pay.
It did slow you down because you never knew which parked car may have a camera hidden in front of it. Similar happens with average speed cameras although how some on the motorway avoid fines on motorways in particular I never know as they clearly ignore the speed restrictions within average camera sections.

That seems a fairer and more workable system Foxy...glad you got caught Oops! Typo

[Onelife]

Another option is to have a car with a speed warning system that tells you when you exceed the speed limit so that you can slow down before plod catch you

Theoretically speaking it would seem a sensible solution, however, I’m not so sure the constant audible warnings/interruptions would be very welcome for most drivers.

[david63]

I’m not so sure the constant audible warnings/interruptions would be very welcome for most drivers

It's not - that's why you slow down!