Lad killed by US wrong side driver, who's done a bunk...

[KTF]

WilliamWoollard said:

There are now arrows and signs for several hundred metres either side of the base


https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-10-11/harry-d...

Would it not be easier to have a 'drive on the left' sticker on the inside of the windscreen like they have on some rental cars?

[saaby93]

wong said:

WilliamWoollard said:

There are now arrows and signs for several hundred metres either side of the base


https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-10-11/harry-d...

But if they're driving in the right hand lane, they wouldn't see the little yellow sign. Its the big Ef off arrows on the tarmac that everyone sees.

A slight error in sign positioning there
Has anyone been out and put them on the opposite verge?

[anonymous-user]

Zarco said:

I've said this before, but how about we make them drive on the left inside the base. Until they do this, guess what, it's an accident waiting to happen.

This post shows the depressing power that falsehood always has over truth. The myth that people on US bases in the UK drive on the right when inside such bases persists, despite countless debunkings.

The bases are, by the way, RAF Stations, not USAF stations, and they are not part of the USA (that's another myth, and, no the US Embassy in London isn't part of the USA either).

Zarco will at some point have been told the driving on the right myth by someone in a pub, on Facebook, or whatever. He will probably now believe that myth forever, whatever anyone else says.

[vaud]

Indeed. He could even pull up Google Maps and look at the bases roads...

[Carbon Sasquatch]

vaud said:

Indeed. He could even pull up Google Maps and look at the bases roads...

Or even scroll back a few pages where someone has already done that & posted the picture onto this thread...

[anonymous-user]

It's a minor myth, and not very important or damaging, but much more serious and damaging myths operate in the same way. I suppose that they are helped by the fact that none of us likes to own up to being mistaken or appear to be gullible. Thus the familiar phenomenon of people on the internet arguing furiously to maintain the incorrect position on something that is not a matter of opinion but is a matter of objectively verifiable fact.

[vaud]

Breadvan72 said:

It's a minor myth, and not very important or damaging, but much more serious and damaging myths operate in the same way. I suppose that they are helped by the fact that none of us likes to own up to being mistaken or appear to be gullible. Thus the familiar phenomenon of people on the internet arguing furiously to maintain the incorrect position on something that is not a matter of opinion but is a matter of objectively verifiable fact.

It’s one of those believable myths as well, given so much on base is American (right down to the shops, etc)

[BigBen]

vaud said:

Breadvan72 said:

It's a minor myth, and not very important or damaging, but much more serious and damaging myths operate in the same way. I suppose that they are helped by the fact that none of us likes to own up to being mistaken or appear to be gullible. Thus the familiar phenomenon of people on the internet arguing furiously to maintain the incorrect position on something that is not a matter of opinion but is a matter of objectively verifiable fact.

It’s one of those believable myths as well, given so much on base is American (right down to the shops, etc)

I had my card declined at on on base cash machine as only fraud could explain how my card could be used in Cambridge then in the USA within a few hours......

[vaud]

BigBen said:

I had my card declined at on on base cash machine as only fraud could explain how my card could be used in Cambridge then in the USA within a few hours......

Are the cash points also Wells Fargo, etc?

[tighnamara]

vaud said:

It’s one of those believable myths as well, given so much on base is American (right down to the shops, etc)

Can’t say how these bases are now, but 40 plus years ago they certainly were all Americanised, from shops, sports, currency etc.
Tidying my mums house the other year I came across a bottle of vodka with the dollar price tag from the USA base.
Many a holiday spent on the base with relatives, felt like holidaying in the USA..... oh to be young again.

Most likely changed now but 100% there were the shops etc with everything American you could imagine.......this was the Edzell air base in Scotland, sadly now long gone.

Edited by tighnamara on Saturday 25th April 22:19

[vaud]

tighnamara said:

Can’t say how these bases are now, but 40 plus years ago they certainly were all Americanised, from shops, sports, currency etc.
Tidying my mums house the other year I came across a bottle of vodka with the dollar price tag from the USA base.
Many a holiday spent on the base with relatives, felt like holidaying in the USA..... oh to be young again.

Most likely changed now but 100% there were the shops etc with everything American you could imagine.......

We have a big one near to us and lots of US cars on UK plates and friendly (discrete) Americans in the area.

No chance I could ever get near to this base to learn more

[BigBen]

vaud said:

Are the cash points also Wells Fargo, etc?

Yep or something similar (possibly even some US forces bank). What others have said about everything on base being American is spot on, shops, bars, fast food. Last visit was about 4 years ago so it may have changed but I doubt it.

[saaby93]

tighnamara said:

Most likely changed now but 100% there were the shops etc with everything American you could imagine..

Hershey's?

[eccles]

BigBen said:

vaud said:

Are the cash points also Wells Fargo, etc?

Yep or something similar (possibly even some US forces bank). What others have said about everything on base being American is spot on, shops, bars, fast food. Last visit was about 4 years ago so it may have changed but I doubt it.

They even had/have American road markings like 4-way stops and very picky military police!
Rolled up to one of these with a car full of mates, very, very drunk mates, looked all around, it was clear, so drove on through. Cue the cruiser behind lighting up with added siren. " you didn't stop sir" Boy do they take themselves seriously! After 10 minutes of banter that didn't so much as raise a smile,we were escorted off base.
They really are a little slice of America, they have bowling alleys, pizza places, Baskin and Robbins ice cream, pissy American beer that you had to drink by the pitcher just to get any hint of being drunk. They were very controlled on what you could buy in their on base shops, but having loads of Americans as neighbours it was quite easy to get pretty much what ever you wanted apart from cheap petrol.

[anonymous-user]

Interpol notice. NB not a warrant - just a "If you see this perp, bag her" request.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptons...

[Dromedary66]

I doubt she was ever contemplating leaving the USA again so this will make zero difference to her life.

[anonymous-user]

I think you are probably right about that.

[PeteinSQ]

Dromedary66 said:

I doubt she was ever contemplating leaving the USA again so this will make zero difference to her life.

Which is a shame. Unfortunately she evidently feels no sense of shame herself. Also unfortunate we can’t send the equiavalent of Mossad to kidknap her. Having said that I’m not sure that it would be worth it for 6 points on her license and a bit of community service.

[vaud]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Why on earth would we do that?

[BobSaunders]

PeteinSQ said:

Dromedary66 said:

I doubt she was ever contemplating leaving the USA again so this will make zero difference to her life.

Which is a shame. Unfortunately she evidently feels no sense of shame herself.

She probably does, but ultimately is thinking about herself. She is hounded quite frequently by media etc. so it's not like it will ever go away - or at least not for a few years until media attention wains. sadly.