Blatant profiteering?
Author
Discussion

Digga

Original Poster:

46,344 posts

306 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
These pictures were taken outside my office this afternoon.



A few salient points, for background info;
1. It's a 50 mph limit. (Don't know why.)
2. It's a new piece of road, which is part of a by-pass.
3. The road they are 'aiming' down is over 1/4 mile long, straight.
4. There are no junctions/turns-offs on either side.
5. There are no pedestrian crossings.
6. There's nothing (see for yourself) adjacent to the road, save for 52 acres of bare industrial land on one side, and a power station on the other.
7. There has, in daylight hours, been only one serious accident on this stretch - a cherry-picker truck was parked, servicing one of the street lights, and a car which was waiting to pass it was rear-ended (by some blind, stupid numpty) into the path of an oncomming vehicle - which was not nice, but could hardly be said to be soley related to speed.
8. Because it's a safe road, people do tend 'use it to it's fullest advantage'.

The question is, was this really necessary as a result of one incident, or is it a case of (knowing the use of the road) the Police making a quick few quid?

(And why is it there's never a trap where most sane individuals would agree there is a need, like in my village, which despite having a 30 mph limit and very narrow roads, still gets morons hooning through at up to 60 mph?)

Another nice little earner.... :furious

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
I still fail to see what's happening....

Is is a radar trap where the Bib are stopping people or what?

Street

granville

18,764 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Very poor sport indeed.

Very much the sort of tactic one reads about with regards to 'Mediterranean' police forces, i.e. unapologetically blatent profiteering and perhaps less the 'form' of our own BiB.

I'm sure there are senior orifae who approve, nevertheless...

Digga

Original Poster:

46,344 posts

306 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:
I still fail to see what's happening....

Is is a radar trap where the Bib are stopping people or what?

Street


Yep, you're clearly familiar with the drill - one officer with radar trap, and two others assisting and apprehending.

Not good shots (hence the narrative) but the best angle I could get.

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
All depends of course on what speed they are stopping people at....

The road also looks quite clear, so if the driver fails to see a liveried police vehicle; more fool he or she..

In addition, it's the same in other countries; Have a look at this Truvelo picture from Germany...straight open road...flashed for....."66kph" about 40mph



Street

>> Edited by Streetcop on Thursday 2nd September 17:10

Digga

Original Poster:

46,344 posts

306 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:
The road also looks quite clear, so if the driver fails to see a liveried police vehicle; more fool he/she..
Street


I'm not exactly sure of the distance involved - I'll have to clock it in a mo' when I leave here - but at that sort of range, you kind of just see them in time, if you're very lucky and very alert!

Stuff does tend to move along at a fair pace on the road, but provided each keeps to their own side of the dotted white line, then there's little danger.

By far and a way the most tricky hazards regularly encountered on this road are randomly parked vehicles (why? are they lost or on the 'phone?) and the number of cyclists who have taken to enjoying a good straight blat themselves, but ignoring the cycle path provided, and thereby needlessly narrowing the carriageway.

deeen

6,285 posts

268 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:
All depends of course on what speed they are stopping people at....

The road also looks quite clear, so if the driver fails to see a liveried police vehicle; more fool he/she..

Street


Any reason why the plod could not target a dangerous bit of road instead? Or even better, target dangerous driving, instead of going after people who are driving safely, albeit in excess of some arbitary "limit"?

tuffer

8,962 posts

290 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Nearly as bad as the cameras they had set up on a bridge over the M3 yesterday just south of Basingstoke. Never seen a camera outside a school yet though or maybe they could stick some in the 30 mph limit leading into my town (where all the f**kwits who have been driving at a steady 45 through a NSL for the last 10 miles continue at the same speed through town). Sick of this $H1T.

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
deeen said:

Any reason why the plod could not target a dangerous bit of road instead? Or even better, target dangerous driving, instead of going after people who are driving safely, albeit in excess of some arbitary "limit"?


Hiya deeen,

Don't know mate...

I personally only target roads that I feel need targetting...(well, in addition to the ones I'm told to target...But I'm not every other Bib of course..

Street

pdV6

16,442 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:
All depends of course on what speed they are stopping people at....

In this ca$h driven day & age, about 55 I'd reckon.
SC said:

The road also looks quite clear, so if the driver fails to see a liveried police vehicle; more fool he or she..

Only if they're using an old hairdryer. What's the range of an LTi20-20 (or whatever its called)?
SC said:

In addition, it's the same in other countries;

Fail to see the relevance there, SC!

From the photos and narrative, it would seem that the most dangerous thing about that stretch of road would be having a stationary vehicle plopped onto the edge of the carriageway...

Digga

Original Poster:

46,344 posts

306 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:

I personally only target roads that I feel need targetting...(well, in addition to the ones I'm told to target...But I'm not every other Bib of course..


Only following orders eh? Seem to remember that phrase cropping up a few times, post 1945.

It's a shame - as most of us here seem to agree - that (especially) on roads in 30 mph limits, where people regularly and dangerously exceed the limit, your average man on the street has no quick and easy recourse to suggest the deployment of a useful trap.

Could you put that in the 'suggestion box' next time you're at work? (Assuming you're not up to your officer's cap in useless admin paperwork!)

>> Edited by Digga on Thursday 2nd September 17:29

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
pdV6 said:

Streetcop said:
All depends of course on what speed they are stopping people at....


In this ca$h driven day & age, about 55 I'd reckon.


We've discussed on a couple of days ago a 40mph zone that me and my colleagues were targetting and driver exceeding 52mph were stopped...(10%+8mph)

pdV6 said:

SC said:

In addition, it's the same in other countries;


Fail to see the relevance there, SC!


The relevance is that I hear people (me also) bleating about our country and our policies and painting other countries as having Eutopian like driving standards and laws. The picture from Germany shows that Brunstrom like activity isn't restricted to these shores alone.

pdV6 said:
From the photos and narrative, it would seem that the most dangerous thing about that stretch of road would be having a stationary vehicle plopped onto the edge of the carriageway...


Why is it dangerous? No double yellows or a clearway and with the advent of a 50mph speed limit and a clear line of sight...

Street

pdV6

16,442 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Streetcop said:

Why is it dangerous? No double yellows or a clearway and with the advent of a 50mph speed limit and a clear line of sight...

Just playing 's advocate. Its hardly safer, now, is it?

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
pdV6 said:

Streetcop said:

Why is it dangerous? No double yellows or a clearway and with the advent of a 50mph speed limit and a clear line of sight...


Just playing 's advocate. Its hardly safer, now, is it?


I know mate...and I agree...However, in the same devils advocate mode, if the van was on the grass, there'd be the 'grass=mud' campaigners...

I'm with you really on this, as the road doesn't appear dangerous, no residents, turning etc...(don't know what the collision history is on the road though)

Street

bryan35

1,906 posts

264 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
well, I once approached a 30 MPH (temporary area) that was usually 60 MPH, knowing there was a speed trap there, so drove through it at 25MPH.
The police woman looked very angry. Why?
She looked to me as though she was expecting to do everyone, and indeed they had pulled over hoards of drivers.
Middle england, that's where the criminals with no rights are. The criminals with rights aren't as easy to catch or make money from.

Digga

Original Poster:

46,344 posts

306 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
pdV6 said:


Streetcop said:

Why is it dangerous? No double yellows or a clearway and with the advent of a 50mph speed limit and a clear line of sight...



Just playing 's advocate. Its hardly safer, now, is it?



Interesting point this, but it really is a road where people park for no good reason, other than the fact that they must be lost/on the phone/or intent on watching the thermodynamic magic of cooling towers.

Whatever the reasons, and perhaps because visibility is very good, people struggle to judge speeds/distances. Some might argue this is a case for a lower limit, others may say it should be a clearway, but I feel it's as much to do with attitude to speed/driving, and this is not addressed with the whole 'speed kills' mantra, or with random speed checks.

Edited to say I'm off to drive the road in question now, so if I survive , I may give an update on distances and further thoughts when I'm next by a pooter.

>> Edited by Digga on Thursday 2nd September 17:41

medicineman

1,817 posts

260 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
[redacted]

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

278 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
medicineman said:
Is that Sheffield?


Don't be daft, it's not raining....

deltaf

6,806 posts

276 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
Looks like Rugeley to me....

bryan35

1,906 posts

264 months

Thursday 2nd September 2004
quotequote all
well, I once approached a 30 MPH (temporary area) that was usually 60 MPH, knowing there was a speed trap there, so drove through it at 25MPH.
The police woman looked very angry. Why?
She looked to me as though she was expecting to do everyone, and indeed they had pulled over hoards of drivers.
Middle england, that's where the criminals with no rights are. The criminals with rights aren't as easy to catch or make money from.