Friday 28th February 2003

A Bit Annoying

Ted's lost it again. The Police Reform Act will give police the power to confiscate your car if it's a bit annoying...

---

[richardcraig]

I like this bit of the act...

(b) is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,
he shall have the powers set out in subsection (3).

Better not polish the car again - some copper might think I'm a "wideboy"

[davidd]

Oi 'Petrol' There is nothing wrong with Bristols

[davidd]

On a more serious note...

(7) Subsection (3)(c) does not authorise entry into a private dwelling house.

So as long as you get the car into the house (not garage they can take it from there) you are fine. I wonder if I should start selling mock georgian 8ft wide UPVC front doors?

On a much more serious note, does this mean they will have the power to confiscate Novas whose bass is somewhet thumping? I hope so cos I find the things fcuking annoying.

D.

[james]

It's a wonderful piece of legislation. Worded in such a way as to be completely meaningless, and open to whatever interpretation the copper decides to put on it.

I especially like that bit that says that he has to give you a warning before he can seize the car. Unless, of course, he decides that it would be impractical to do so.

True class.

[swilly]

I take it that the term "likely to cause.....blahblah" does in fact mean that if Major Numpty-Smythe of Nimby Village Government-sponsored-Vigilante Scamera Partnership decides in his god-given wisdom that a car, any car shouldn't be on the road because its "damn awful what! what! no doubt its gonna speed-better get it know then eh!" only has to make a complaint to the police who will then duly confiscate said vehicle.

:ClintEastwoodVoiceOn: I cun tell ya now cowboy! the only way yur gunna get me outta my wagon is by unbending my cold dead fingers offa the steering wheel. Du yuh think yur lucky boy :ClintEastwoodVoiceOff:

[Don]

As with all these laws - you can see the intent is not at all bad.

It would be very nice for local plod to be able to impound one of those "nothing but bass bins in the parcel shelf motas" to shut it up for local residents.

At the same time there could be a nice little earner in confiscating valuable cars - because the annoy the scrotes who can't afford them - for selling on.

I note that the intent is that you will need to pay to obtain your car back.

This is an interesting point - if the state intends to permanently deprive an individual of their property isn't that the legal definition of theft.

I'm with Ted. Why do we need this?

[swilly]

Don said:I note that the intent is that you will need to pay to obtain your car back.

Is this not extortion? similar to wheel-clampers forcing you to pay up prior to freeing your wheel. I thought this had gone through the courts and the practice judged as extortion.

Surely a penalty notice/ticket which can be appealed against is required.

[danger mouse]

I hope they will be waiting at Nissan garages for new shape Micra's to roll of the forecourts.

It's a cheap shot I know, but it would get their quotas up. The bluming things are appearing everywhere!

I find those intensely annoying.


Mouse

Ps. I forgot they don't do quotas do they

[M@H]

Mrs H says:

"how absolutely ricockulous....can't the police think of anything better to do than wind up motorists still further ?! Next they'll be saying that they've got the power to confiscate your car because they don't like the colour of it, or the seat covers, or the music you're playing on your car hi-fi.....

Probably a good idea to be on your best behaviour from now on (ie no loud music, no overtaking, no revving your engine) or you could find yourself down to two cars....or worse still ONE (shock horror !!)"



Matt.
(ps ricockulous is like rediculous, only worse )

[AlexH]

james said: It's a wonderful piece of legislation. Worded in such a way as to be completely meaningless, and open to whatever interpretation the copper decides to put on it.

I especially like that bit that says that he has to give you a warning before he can seize the car. Unless, of course, he decides that it would be impractical to do so.

True class.

I love this approach to legislation: 'We can't bothered to word it so that anyone will have the slightest clue as to what exactly we meant, so we'll leave it to the courts. Sure it will leave the courts in one hell of a mess, but hey, thats their problem!'

[P*Ting]

This is stupid.

I'd rather live in a society entirely populated by deep-bass bolt-on-boys than one as intolerant as ours.

It's not too much to ask is it? The ability to have just maybe one or two activities that aren't nanny-run?

I take it that 'distress' is defined as running over next door's cat/flowers/grass, intent to run over next doors cat/flowers etc.

Alarm will be for old Mrs Jones on the corner who still doesn't understand how these new fangled carriges move without the horses.

Annoyance. Well, that could be literally anything! The colour of the paint, the fact it reflects sunlight into their eyes when they stare enviously at it, the fact it spoils their view into your front room, the fact it makes more noise than their 70 year old maestro, or in the case of older cars the fact it once dripped some oil on the pavement whilst parked outside your house!

I'm leaving this country, no, better yet I'm leaving this planet! ASAP! And I'm not returning until I've found some predatory species of aliens that eat numpties.

[P*Ting]

"motor vehicle" means any mechanically propelled vehicle, whether or not it is intended or adapted for use on roads;

Right, so then, what we all need is a decoy car to put in the garage. One without an engine, so that plod can't use these powers on it.

You'll just have to think of somewhere else to hide your real pride & joy. Perhaps in the house, as was suggested earlier...

[alunr]

I'd love for the police to have the power to come and take away the car of all the Bolt-on boys who try and sprint race on the football pitch's car park (about 50metres long) whilst playing Scooter* loud enough for me to hear it about 500Metres and 2 roads away.

But

This is the WRONG way to go about it.

We had a fella in Thame with a Ferrari he'd bought from a salvage yard in the states. He was harrassed (this was proven) for 2 years by one policeman who kept threatening to get his car impounded etc but thankfully never had cause to. Had this law been around the Ferrari man would have never got to drive his car!

Anyway where is the bit that says you can impound annoying people who think its funny to walk out in front of your car because they're drunk or who can throw bits of kebab on your pride and joy?

[englishman in LA]

Surely this legislation is easy to defeat... you simply ask the police to impound all cars with a tartan rug in them, as they are annoying.

soon everything is in uproar law is proved to be sh*t and the pensioners with vote out "that nice man, Tony, you know, the one with the smile" as they will blame him for it.

Two birds. One stone.

[pikey]

Excellent rant!

[GTRCLIVE]

I love the UK, all my mates are here, and my family. But moving to the States or Oz looks more appealing by the day.
At least in the states if the copper came on to my Property I could shot him and just say he looked suspiciously like he was going to hurt me. Then sew the cops for stress.

[Simon5480]

I was gestured today to slow down by a Plod in Reading coming out of the Oracle shopping center, he seemed to become instantly annoyed with me and shouted some profanity I only caught the “slow down you…..” I was doing 5 mph the road was totally clear ECT…ECT…ECT I’m astonished at their attitude but I realise now he must have just read the Reform Act, well I have to say it is not acceptable being communicated to in such manner and to honest can not guarantee I will not “Reform” the next Plod’s face if it happens again, regardless of the consequences

[outlaw]

An pig or court that try to take my property.

will be risking there life.

[andytk]

Absolutley to rant Ted.


Can I nominate Talivans to be impounded cos I find them really annoying. They stress me out so I think I have a valid claim to having them removed

Also police cars cause me stress because they might pull me over and harrass me cos I'm young.
This annoys me can I have police cars impounded too, please.

Anyone see where I'm going with this.

This law is about as unworkable as microsoft software. It'll dissapear up its own arse.
I hope.

Andy

[Mr2Mike]

Surely this means that all Fiat Multipla's should be impounded immediately. Very few things on the road cause me as much distress as looking at one.