been to blackpool this weekend

[bryan35]

Drove over there, about 90 miles, initially on the M62 westbound.
Not a good place to use cruise control, a busy 4 lane motorway over the pennines. Bit like been on a runaway train. Not many hold ups, but 70MPH on a winding busy road felt a bit frantic to be honest, all within the law of course
Got to blackpool and the POI warner on the Ipaq never shut up.
'upcoming danger zone' 'upcoming danger zone'
Gatso after Gatso after Gatso after Gatso.
Roads were almost empty, but god do you need to keep your eyes peeled. Either on the speedo, or on the cameras.
SAtNav took me up a (now) pedestrian only road (oops), so expecting something from the multitude of CCTV cameras they have.
Very hard work driving there. Thing is, the most dangerous part of the journey (the motorways) was the bit where it's easy to stay under the speed limit.

Did look at quite a few of these gatso's close up, ane it made me wonder why those that are out to cripple them concentrate on the actual camera itself, and not the little RCD power post that lives within 10 feet of them?

[cliffe_mafia]

Blackpool has more Gatsos than lampposts

Like you say it is hard work driving there - you spend a lot less time concentrating on normal driving and watching where you are going because one eye is on the yellow perils.

I don't bother with a detector because the roads aren't too infested around here (and my licence is clean anyway) so by the time I got to the seafront my nerves were somewhat shredded.

Someone else on here has mentioned the little power posts - maybe the fear of electrickery has something to do with them being left alone?

[Wildcat]

They are not even a lamp post apart - Liebchen.

Und "hidden" in illuminations in season....not that they cop anyone in those jams

Ist dreadful place to drive in though.....und noted that one ist placed at point of that infamous scene between the melodramaitc Rita und the evil Alan bradley


Lancs scamerati

Ist not real... ist pretend on telly und a tram accident ist not same as car....

[Neezer]

Tell me about it. I live there. There are plans for the town centre to go down to 20mph limits as well.. what makes me laugh though is the connection with how council tax is going through the roof and the refurbishment of the local council.. WITH MARBLE WALLS!!

I think blackpool prom is the most gatso infested road in the country, and it is probably the most densely packed area for gatso's in general. I think it all stems from when some guy did 110 down the prom (30 zone)at 2am on a friday and killed some poor chap.

[russ35]

One of the GATSOS on the prom has also been getting cars at 34. A mate got done recently for 34 and was offered a place on the speed awareness course, even though this goes against the camera partnership own advertised policy

35 - Caution
36,37,38 - Course
39 + Fixed penalty

Although there is a get out clause under the table on the link below which says :

Policy said:

This table is subject to change as the enforcement thresholds for Speed Awareness is offered at the Chief Constable's discretion

Speed Course


>> Edited by russ35 on Monday 9th May 17:55

[scoule]

Is it possible to fail the Speed Course?

Or can you have a little fun in the 3-4 hour practical? :-)

[russ35]

Yes - you can fail the course by failing to turn up, being late or just being disruptive - probably not the best time to voice your opinion on speed cameras, unless positive . Your details are then passed back to the police for the normal fixed penalty offence.

When I did the course 18mnths back (camera got me at 35 in a 30, road used to be a 40 as long as I can remember before they reduced it), it was very good, no pushing the speeding kills quotes, just a well balanced discussion about driving and observation - COAST was refered to several times.
And then on the 2hr drive just the same thing on country lanes, dual carrigeways.

>> Edited by russ35 on Monday 9th May 19:36

[cmj]

Caught at 35 in a 30 and like the previous post thought 35 was a caution. Turned down the speed awareness course as I felt this was unethical and lined the pockets of the local safety partnership in favour of my say in court. OMG DONT EVER DO IT. I spent 5 hours in court by myself when the Police had brought the PC who nicked me, a Police solicitor and a lady from the ticket office. I had intended to plea not guilty and submit in my defence the published guidelines advising action would only be taken on people above 35. With no solicitor I was encouraged by 3 court clerks and 2 judges to go and reconsider my plea. Eventually a court clerk took me to one side and explained that as there was no doubt that I was traveling in excess of 30 it was best for me to plea guilty and then to submit my article in order to mitigate my sentance. To submit the article before my plea would apparently of made the evidence insubmisiable. I changed my plea to guilty on the last minute, submitted the article, the judge could see my point but was advised by his council on the legal standpoint. Ended up with a fixed penalty and 3 points but 3 hours earlier looked like they were going to lock me up - Bewarned !!. At least I had my say and kept the PC,solicitor and ticket clerk hanging around for 5 hours !!!!!

[.Flyer]

Good for you for trying that, but what strikes me, quite forcefully, on reading your account is what an appalling waste of public money spent securing your conviction for a piddling 5mph excess speed

SCPs are quite fond of telling us that it's the naughty motorists that fund them and they don't cost the "law-abiding" taxpayer anything, but who paid for the court time, the police officer, the solicitor? Quite a mad situation ...

[puggit]

So should anyone offered 3points and £60 for say 5-10mph over the limit elect for court, and then wait around, and then plead not guilty at the last minute?

Just to tie them up you understand

[WildCat]

Neezer said:

Tell me about it. I live there. There are plans for the town centre to go down to 20mph limits as well.. what makes me laugh though is the connection with how council tax is going through the roof and the refurbishment of the local council.. WITH MARBLE WALLS!!

They will need to rake in lots of cash. Marble ist not just expensive.

Ist not best thing to line house with. It will make local council like a fridge.

My house ist a nice old fashioned lakeland farmhouse und Grade II listed. Has old fashioned pantry - und the pantry has its original marble slab. This serves as extra fridge - in fact - it keeps things at lower temperature than my fridge.

Given the truancy rates amongst politicians - local und national (never see many attending Parliament as norm on telly ) - did they actually attend school too?

But silly Wildy here ist assuming they had one brain cell to develop in first place

Neezer said:

I think blackpool prom is the most gatso infested road in the country, and it is probably the most densely packed area for gatso's in general. I think it all stems from when some guy did 110 down the prom (30 zone)at 2am on a friday and killed some poor chap.

Ist certainly the most unpleasant drive we have made.

>> Edited by WildCat on Tuesday 10th May 11:10

[WildCat]

russ35 said:

Yes - you can fail the course by failing to turn up, being late or just being disruptive - probably not the best time to voice your opinion on speed cameras, unless positive . Your details are then passed back to the police for the normal fixed penalty offence. When I did the course 18mnths back (camera got me at 35 in a 30, road used to be a 40 as long as I can remember before they reduced it), it was very good, no pushing the speeding kills quotes, just a well balanced discussion about driving and observation - COAST was refered to several times. And then on the 2hr drive just the same thing on country lanes, dual carrigeways. >> Edited by russ35 on Monday 9th May 19:36

Ist same experience as the three reps from my firm who got their invites - two at 34 mph und one at 35 mph.

They were amazed when COAST featured - as they heard me blathering on about it before then - especially when another one managed to make me just a little nervous once three years ago now. Guy was thinking of IAM - und asked me to give my opinion as have reputation of being toppest petrolhead in firm His OAP was a bit off at times und COAST ist something learned as HAFEN when I learned to drive in Germany. So - when chatting about driving in general - passed on the COAST ideas. But perhaps whoever designed it knows my BiB cousins who also talk COAST

Ist a good idea in essence - but undermined by the greed - und prosecuting the wrong drivers.