More fool them....
Discussion
Just driven through a local village - Rothersthorpe in Northants - to be confronted by a small group of dayglo-jacket-wearing-hitlers. Yes - the local speed camera patrol out for their moment of power. Now the thing is, they'd stationed themselves on a 90 degree bend in the centre of the village, so the traffic was moving very slowly anyway, well below the 30mph limit.
And also it is abso-bloody-lutely freezing here today with a brisk, cold north-easterly wind blowing.
I want to know what drives these people to stand out in the cold holding a laser gun at slow moving traffic, traffic that is obviously well within the legal limit. They can't possibly have all their mental faculties intact.
And also it is abso-bloody-lutely freezing here today with a brisk, cold north-easterly wind blowing.
I want to know what drives these people to stand out in the cold holding a laser gun at slow moving traffic, traffic that is obviously well within the legal limit. They can't possibly have all their mental faculties intact.
Other side of the story is that maybe one of the villagers has lost a child to a reckless driver, perhaps a lorry on slippery road or something. I think I would be out there if it happened to someone near me. God forbid .....
Some people simply don't respect the 30 limit and plough on through regardless in these small villages with A-roads through the middle . Me I always slow down a prick up my ears
Some people simply don't respect the 30 limit and plough on through regardless in these small villages with A-roads through the middle . Me I always slow down a prick up my ears
cross-eyed-twit said:
Other side of the story is that maybe one of the villagers has lost a child to a reckless driver, perhaps a lorry on slippery road or something. I think I would be out there if it happened to someone near me. God forbid .....
Some people simply don't respect the 30 limit and plough on through regardless in these small villages with A-roads through the middle . Me I always slow down a prick up my ears
Youre missing the point. 20, 30, 40 whatever...the safe speed is????
It isn't an A road at all - and due to width/weight restrictions on a narrow bridge, heavy vehicles can't get along that stretch. Just a quiet road through the village - not on the route to anywhere in particular.
It was difficult to slow down as I was already doing 20mph due to the road layout. They were just in a really daft place if they wanted to either catch speeding motorists or draw attention to a dangerous stretch of road. The bend they were stood on is so sharp, and the road is so narrow, that you just cannot go fast enough to get anywhere near the posted limit.
And the point was that they were out there in the cold pointing their gun at cars that were obviously well under the 30 limit - why??
It was difficult to slow down as I was already doing 20mph due to the road layout. They were just in a really daft place if they wanted to either catch speeding motorists or draw attention to a dangerous stretch of road. The bend they were stood on is so sharp, and the road is so narrow, that you just cannot go fast enough to get anywhere near the posted limit.
And the point was that they were out there in the cold pointing their gun at cars that were obviously well under the 30 limit - why??
percy said:
It isn't an A road at all - and due to width/weight restrictions on a narrow bridge, heavy vehicles can't get along that stretch. Just a quiet road through the village - not on the route to anywhere in particular.
It was difficult to slow down as I was already doing 20mph due to the road layout. They were just in a really daft place if they wanted to either catch speeding motorists or draw attention to a dangerous stretch of road. The bend they were stood on is so sharp, and the road is so narrow, that you just cannot go fast enough to get anywhere near the posted limit.
And the point was that they were out there in the cold pointing their gun at cars that were obviously well under the 30 limit - why??
rothersthorpe eh,
must make a note for next week
percy said:
...And the point was that they were out there in the cold pointing their gun at cars that were obviously well under the 30 limit - why??
Because they were either crap at judging the vehicles speeds, thus making the use of the laser to confirm a prior opinion of excess speed meaningless. Similarly they could just be flaunting the same rule, making any findings meaningless anyway.
If it is any solice, I think regardless of this the local 'teams' cant enforce or produce evidence for prosecution anyway.
If it makes them feel better, then let them. There are plently of other ways of spending their weekend doing something more productive or enjoyable, and if that is their choice then so be it!
cross-eyed-twit said:
Other side of the story is that maybe one of the villagers has lost a child to a reckless driver, perhaps a lorry on slippery road or something. I think I would be out there if it happened to someone near me. God forbid .....
So would it not maybe be better for these
s to put their effort, if that situation had occured, into the REAL causes of dangerous driving and not just the latest government piggy bank? 
On the subject of cilvilian speed traps in general as I neither now the village in question or the traffic situation there.
It may not be an ideal solution but you've got ask yourself what drives people to give up their own time to man the radar gun. Recently I've been getting increasingly p1ssed off with the speed of traffic in my village and it's neighbour where my daughter goes to school. Setting up a local speed trap is something that I've considered.
Pulling out of my drive is not an issue if the traffic is travelling at 30mph or less but much over that and you just have to pray that they are paying attention as they come round the corner as their stopping distance is about the same as the distance from where they can first see a car in my drive. I've had instances of people pulling out onto the right hand lane to avoid my car.
The neighbouring village has got radar activated "advisory" signs and while they have made a difference there is still a large amount of traffic that completely ignores the limit. I'm talking about traffic doing 50ish past a school at twenty to nine in the morning while parents and children are stood on the pavement on either side of the road.
It's my understanding that while these groups can't issue a ticket, the local plod will take a very dim view of anyone who's number appears several times or on a regular basis. The neighbouring village is unfortunelate enought to be situated on a major short cut between two major route and I suspect that a number of the people who consider it acceptable to do that sort of speed past a school at drop off time are doing so on a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Guardian reading, hybrid driving, lentle munching, sandal wearing drain on the taxes you pay, I just don't believe that there is any excuse for exceeding the speed limit in a residential area and I can understand why some people feel the need to don a yellow jacket and wave a speed gun around.
>> Edited by ripton on Monday 27th February 09:55
It may not be an ideal solution but you've got ask yourself what drives people to give up their own time to man the radar gun. Recently I've been getting increasingly p1ssed off with the speed of traffic in my village and it's neighbour where my daughter goes to school. Setting up a local speed trap is something that I've considered.
Pulling out of my drive is not an issue if the traffic is travelling at 30mph or less but much over that and you just have to pray that they are paying attention as they come round the corner as their stopping distance is about the same as the distance from where they can first see a car in my drive. I've had instances of people pulling out onto the right hand lane to avoid my car.
The neighbouring village has got radar activated "advisory" signs and while they have made a difference there is still a large amount of traffic that completely ignores the limit. I'm talking about traffic doing 50ish past a school at twenty to nine in the morning while parents and children are stood on the pavement on either side of the road.
It's my understanding that while these groups can't issue a ticket, the local plod will take a very dim view of anyone who's number appears several times or on a regular basis. The neighbouring village is unfortunelate enought to be situated on a major short cut between two major route and I suspect that a number of the people who consider it acceptable to do that sort of speed past a school at drop off time are doing so on a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Guardian reading, hybrid driving, lentle munching, sandal wearing drain on the taxes you pay, I just don't believe that there is any excuse for exceeding the speed limit in a residential area and I can understand why some people feel the need to don a yellow jacket and wave a speed gun around.
>> Edited by ripton on Monday 27th February 09:55
ripton said:
On the subject of cilvilian speed traps in general as I neither now the village in question or the traffic situation there.
It may not be an ideal solution but you've got ask yourself what drives people to give up their own time to man the radar gun. Recently I've been getting increasingly p1ssed off with the speed of traffic in my village and it's neighbour where my daughter goes to school. Setting up a local speed trap is something that I've considered.
Pulling out of my drive is not an issue if the traffic is travelling at 30mph or less but much over that and you just have to pray that they are paying attention as they come round the corner as their stopping distance is about the same as the distance from where they can first see a car in my drive. I've had instances of people pulling out onto the right hand lane to avoid my car.
The neighbouring village has got radar activated "advisory" signs and while they have made a difference there is still a large amount of traffic that completely ignores the limit. I'm talking about traffic doing 50ish past a school at twenty to nine in the morning while parents and children are stood on the pavement on either side of the road.
It's my understanding that while these groups can't issue a ticket, the local plod will take a very dim view of anyone who's number appears several times or on a regular basis. The neighbouring village is unfortunelate enought to be situated on a major short cut between two major route and I suspect that a number of the people who consider it acceptable to do that sort of speed past a school at drop off time are doing so on a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Guardian reading, hybrid driving, lentle munching, sandal wearing drain on the taxes you pay, I just don't believe that there is any excuse of exceeding the speed limit in a residential area and I can understand why some people feel the need to done a yeelow jacket and wave a speed gun around.
Some very good points from the 'other side'. What saddens me is that what is touted to be the resolution is to use speed guns. I wonder where that idea came from...
The school is obviously a permenant feature, and it seems that an increase in through traffic are causing more people to come throught the area and use it as a short cut with little thought for the safety of the locals.
As the school isnt going anywhere, why not re-engineer the road and reemphasise the speed limit with signage? The point of this is that at would make the limit clear, and what the reason for the limit was too. Similarly re-engineering the road would make it undesirable for anyone to speed, as oppose to just zapping a very small percentage.
ripton said:
It may not be an ideal solution but you've got ask yourself what drives people to give up their own time to man the radar gun.
Because England is full of small-minded, interfering, nosey, arrogant, pompous, Daily-Mail-reading hypocrites who think they know *so* much better how to run your life than you do.
At least there's one reason to be pleased that this week's weather is going to be atrocious.
Pointing a speed gun can't do anything surely? Civillians can't use this equipment to gather evidence for a prosecution can they?
So just hot air?
Yep, that is what is worrying. Rather than lobbying the local council to re-engineer the road, or make it clear about the risks with signage, they simply parade the one thing that does nothing for safety!
Would people prefer 30mph adherent zombies, or 40mph drivers on the ball?
Ultimately, speed can be a problem yes, but it's not just *speed*, it's mis-use in inappropriate areas. A speed gun won't solve a single problem, because it's not making drivers who misuse speed any better or more educated, your just slowing them down for ONE point.
If we really want to slow people to *appropriate* speeds, we need to do it with education and information!
Dumb ass NIMBY idiots with not a brain cell in their head. It's these people who wave angrily at you at 15mph because your engine is "sporty" and on the overrun, yet a Tdi Golf would blast past at 40mph silently and not get a second look!
Idiots!
Dave
So just hot air?
justinp1 said:
Some very good points from the 'other side'. What saddens me is that what is touted to be the resolution is to use speed guns. I wonder where that idea came from...
Yep, that is what is worrying. Rather than lobbying the local council to re-engineer the road, or make it clear about the risks with signage, they simply parade the one thing that does nothing for safety!
Would people prefer 30mph adherent zombies, or 40mph drivers on the ball?
Ultimately, speed can be a problem yes, but it's not just *speed*, it's mis-use in inappropriate areas. A speed gun won't solve a single problem, because it's not making drivers who misuse speed any better or more educated, your just slowing them down for ONE point.
If we really want to slow people to *appropriate* speeds, we need to do it with education and information!
Dumb ass NIMBY idiots with not a brain cell in their head. It's these people who wave angrily at you at 15mph because your engine is "sporty" and on the overrun, yet a Tdi Golf would blast past at 40mph silently and not get a second look!
Idiots!
Dave
justinp1 responding to ripton said:
Some very good points from the 'other side'. What saddens me is that what is touted to be the resolution is to use speed guns. I wonder where that idea came from...
The school is obviously a permenant feature, and it seems that an increase in through traffic are causing more people to come throught the area and use it as a short cut with little thought for the safety of the locals.
As the school isnt going anywhere, why not re-engineer the road and reemphasise the speed limit with signage? The point of this is that at would make the limit clear, and what the reason for the limit was too. Similarly re-engineering the road would make it undesirable for anyone to speed, as oppose to just zapping a very small percentage.
I'm not sure that anyone sees the use of speed guns, certainly no-one that I've talked to. Increased numbers police on the ground and increased levels of training/testing would seem the way to improve most of problems with todays numpties that crop up on this site. But it is seen as something that can be implemented now. There is no faith in the goverment that there will either be more police or improved training.
In terms of re-engineering the road, I'm not sure that there is not much that there is not much more that can be done short of putting in a bypass. Both villages have narrowed entrances with priority being given to vehicles exiting the village. I've already had to pay for a a new pair of tires when someone entering the village failed to give way to my wife and forced her into the kerb of the narrowing measure. The village with the school has speed activated 30 signs. What else can be done, nobody really wants speed bumps.
In terms of the school, I would be quite happy if they implemented lower speed limits at busy times around the school in the same way that they do in Australia. But that doesn't solve the problem of enforcement in either village.
I'm not a fan of speed cameras and the partnerships (which under the present rules is not an option as fortunealy no-one has been killed in either village) or the idea of giving a group of individuals the power to report motorists for speeding but at the moment there don't seem to be any alternatives. Suggestions are, obviously very welcome as would a cheap supply of small surface to car missiles.
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