10 weeks in jail for 172 mph in a porsche!!!

[dern]

JonRB said:

hora said:

Should have been 6months in my opinion with the taking the vehicle without consent as well.

It's the TWOC that should be the headline, not the speeding. The speeding is surely the secondary offence, not the primary one. But "man gets sent to jail for stealing car" isn't eye-grabbing enough.

I'm sick of the media distorting the facts.

The media aren't there to report the facts. They're there to make interesting reading and telly so people keep watching/buying.

[dern]

grahambell said:

Rather ironic than on the same night the BBC show their 'driving along dual carriageway at 172mph' cobblers, Fifth Gear show VBH as a passenger in a police training car going along a dual carriageway at 130mph.

But apparently that's OK because they're police and pay attention to what's going on around them - whereas the rest of us obviously drive round with our ing eyes shut.

I'm sure that this will be met with derision and people will show examples where it doesn't hold true but if you're infering that your average man on the street or even your average PH'er is anywhere near as capable a driver as a police driver then you're talking boocks imo.

Cue various anecodotes along the lines of "my uncle is a policeman and he says all police drivers are blind, gay and probably on the take" etc.

Edited by dern on Tuesday 25th September 10:45

[GKP]

I've driven various cars at around and above the oft quoted 172 mark on the public road, just not in this country. I didn't die. I didn't kill anybody else. I didn't go to jail for it either.
Lots of hand wringing going on here.

[grahambell]

dern said:

grahambell said:

Rather ironic than on the same night the BBC show their 'driving along dual carriageway at 172mph' cobblers, Fifth Gear show VBH as a passenger in a police training car going along a dual carriageway at 130mph.

But apparently that's OK because they're police and pay attention to what's going on around them - whereas the rest of us obviously drive round with our ing eyes shut.

I'm sure that this will be met with derision and people will show examples where it doesn't hold true but if you're infering that your average man on the street or even your average PH'er is anywhere near as capable a driver as a police driver then you're talking boocks imo.

Just meaning that the police aren't the only ones capable of paying attention to road conditions while driving above the speed limit or indeed varying speeds as the situation demands.

[Buffoon]

Don't lose sight of the real crime... driving a Germanic Biscuit Tin that's only distinguishing features from one to another is the size of the Drver's ego.

Rot in hell you vile creature you

[derestrictor]

hora said:

Nothing to do with handwringing, the lad was driving down an A road FFS.

Darwin smiled kindly on this particular oxygen thief that day. Pity.

No handwringing? Maybe not in your case but look at Fiona Bruce on the news last night: she couldn't have effected a more blatent intake of breath at the moment of her mentioning the speed, nor gone into a more fully shaking of her Islington, ideom-riddled head.

Oxygen thief? Like hundreds of people reading this forum who have gloriously trampled our anachronistic nsl many, many times in perfectly appropriate circumstances?

Well fear not: Lord Protector Brown will be there for you in this hour of need and in time, rid you of the plague of hoon favouring locust.

You're in the right country at precisely the right time.

[derestrictor]

hora said:

? I'm confused.

Are you referring to me as some sort of village old lady, a sort of Automotive Mrs Whitehouse?

If you oppose the concept, per se, of hitting decent speeds in the right circumstances and furthermore, condemning out of hand, those that would so indulge, then something like, yes.

[dern]

derestrictor said:

hora said:

? I'm confused.

Are you referring to me as some sort of village old lady, a sort of Automotive Mrs Whitehouse?

If you oppose the concept, per se, of hitting decent speeds in the right circumstances and furthermore, condemning out of hand, those that would so indulge, then something like, yes.

Having a personal opinion that 172mph is an inappropriate speed on any a-road is not the same as suggesting that exceeding the speed limit at any time/place is inappropriate. While handwringing is being displayed by some you're just being excessively reactionary and equally as overly simplistic.

[Plotloss]

The A404 is an A road, thats dualled, like the section this chap was on.

Thats safe for 172 in the right conditions, christ, its safe for over 200 in the right conditions.

Its overly simple to call an A road an inappropriate place because its an A road.

[baSkey]

baSkey said:

i am still not sure i understand whether he was banged up for:
a) doing 172
b) doing 172 without the owner's consent

is this a punishment for a driving offence or a criminal offence?
it's not clear from what i have seen.

(i want to see the footage marki mentioned - sounds typical leftie bbc..)

[The Griffalo]

Plotloss said:

The A404 is an A road, thats dualled, like the section this chap was on.

Thats safe for 172 in the right conditions, christ, its safe for over 200 in the right conditions.

Its overly simple to call an A road an inappropriate place because its an A road.

Thay actually called it a "country road" on the Biased Broadcasting Corporation last night

[m12_nathan]

JonRB said:

hora said:

Should have been 6months in my opinion with the taking the vehicle without consent as well.

It's the TWOC that should be the headline, not the speeding. The speeding is surely the secondary offence, not the primary one. But "man gets sent to jail for stealing car" isn't eye-grabbing enough.

I'm sick of the media distorting the facts.

He wasn't found guilty of TWOC or agrivated vehicle taking, only dangerous driving, the sentance is just for that, not stealing, not killing anyone, just going a bit fast.

[dern]

Plotloss said:

The A404 is an A road, thats dualled, like the section this chap was on.

Thats safe for 172 in the right conditions, christ, its safe for over 200 in the right conditions.

Its overly simple to call an A road an inappropriate place because its an A road.

Sorry but I disagree. Even if you are perfectly familiar with your car and drive it on a daily basis you still won't be absolutely sure of the outcome it something goes tits up at any speed although you may have an idea. However, at these sorts of speeds you really don't have any idea at all, the variables are too great and the risks are completely unknown. You can say that you accept the risk and your life is your own and so on and you'd be right but you'd have no idea where you car or the bits would go in the event of a mechanical failure. Added to that the car wasn't even his so would presumably have been unfamiliar with it. The point I was making is that it's overly simplistic to suggest someone is being a old lady just because they have made up their minds that 172mph is too fast. My personal opinion is that people are well within their rights to take whatever risk they like as long as they are absolutely sure that they are the only ones that can be affected. If you're potentially endangering others then you're not allowing them to make a choice. I can't see that anyone driving on an open road at 172mph can seriously suggest that they have all the bases covered.

[mike4494]

Plotloss said:

The A404 is an A road, thats dualled, like the section this chap was on.

Thats safe for 172 in the right conditions, christ, its safe for over 200 in the right conditions.

Its overly simple to call an A road an inappropriate place because its an A road.

I am at a loss to understand how driving at 172 on a public road is SAFE in the right conditions ? Christ it aint safe for over 200mph

I always thought that driving on a public road meant that the public were on it with all the total fupwits that drive about, doing all the usual crazy moves. . . how can it be safe to drive at 172 or more ? You are clearly deluded or have an amazing foresight that allows you to be able to see what is going to happen in the future, anybody can see that driving at that speed means you are placing yourself at risk along with anybody else on the PUBLIC road. If you get the hots for such speeds then go to a track day etc. The bloke deserves the jail for the sheer stupidity of driving at those speeds !!

[JonRB]

mike4494 said:

I am at a loss to understand how driving at 172 on a public road is SAFE in the right conditions ?

Ask the Germans. They seem to manage it ok.

[10 Pence Short]

If he'd been jailed for driving a 172 on the road, now that would have been a story.

[mike4494]

JonRB said:

mike4494 said:

I am at a loss to understand how driving at 172 on a public road is SAFE in the right conditions ?

Ask the Germans. They seem to manage it ok.

Sorry didnt realise the guy was in Germany on the Autobahn !!!I read it that he was on an A road in Engerlund, my mistake, makes it alright then !

WTF?

[Baldylocks]

mike4494 said:

JonRB said:

mike4494 said:

I am at a loss to understand how driving at 172 on a public road is SAFE in the right conditions ?

Ask the Germans. They seem to manage it ok.

Sorry didnt realise the guy was in Germany on the Autobahn !!!I read it that he was on an A road in Engerlund, my mistake, makes it alright then !

WTF?

Are German roads not open to the public?

[derestrictor]

Listen, this is PH. Speed Matters. Ok, rephrase that to suit the mood, Appropriate Speed Matters.

If you have to have it explained, you're on the wrong website.

Many blokes love fast bikes and cars. It's a natural urge, going damn fast.

Cunningly, however, what generally seperates the weapons grade hooner from the urban gimp with a bazooka exhaust, is timing.

99% of PHers wouldn't dream of speeding in built up areas but recognise there are still - all too infrequently, admittedly - opportunities to deploy their firepower in safety.

PH exists to some extent, as a cathartic bullwark against the grossly oppressive, anti motorist stance which characterises most western nations these days and is a forum where the concept of speed can be uttered in contemplation and/or celebration without the condemnation typical of the narrow minded zeitgeist of the age.

This guy may well have been dangerous whilst travelling at 172mph but the temptation to condemn the speed in isolation, that it might never be feasible, is just wrong.

Yes, German autobahns provide viable evidence for the notion but speaking to eminent PHers in the last day or three about this, you should understand that advanced and/or defensive driving may allow the reaching of velocities other driving styles may prohibit.

DeR.

[dern]

JonRB said:

mike4494 said:

I am at a loss to understand how driving at 172 on a public road is SAFE in the right conditions ?

Ask the Germans. They seem to manage it ok.

Lol... and you were moaning about the media distorting the facts. We aren't in germany where the expecation is that someone may come past you at those speeds, we are in the uk where people don't generally have those expectations. Also the fact that some people have managed to drive at these speeds doesn't infer that it is always safe to do so.