More vigilantes

[icamm]

More villagers to be given vigilante speed traps

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3026733.stm

What's the betting that this "pilot scheme" also proves that the majority of offenders live in the village?

This is despite the fact the the village in question "has not suffered from a large number of accidents where people were hurt" according to Police figures.

[rude girl]

There was a man and a woman sat in Kilsby village this morning (Northants), taking down the numbers of every vehicle that set off the 30mph warning sign.

Trouble is that the sensor is a)set so close to 30 that the van in front of me set it off and I didn't, although I couldn't tell the difference between our speeds (distance between us didn't seem to alter at all) and b) the sensor is set so that it picks up your speed before you enter the 30 limit!!

I have no idea what these people were up to - if I had more time I'd have stopped and asked them what they were trying to achieve, when the traffic was following the spirit of the law and travelling at pretty much 30mph (the flashing signs seem to have done the trick as far as I can tell). Incidentally, never seen an accident in Kilsby.

[Don]

What's the betting that this "pilot scheme" also proves that the majority of offenders live in the village?

Every copper I've ever spoken to on this subject has said when they set up speed traps who they catch is the locals. Drivers don't go to other peoples' villages, estates and towns to speed - they do it at home.

Of course. The villagers wouldn't dream of pointing that speed gun at any of their friends, or "old Bob from the pub", or anyone local they recognise for that matter. And so, of course, anyone who gets "caught" will be someone passing through...

They also know that if they do catch "old Bob" they'll have a quiet word in the pub later rather than get him sent a nasty letter...couldn't have that...oh no.

Then there'll be the holier than thou silly bint/old git who'll enjoy a period of "revenge" on his neighbours and become the pariah of the town.

Nope. Whichever way this turns out. I can't see it being good for Ringmer. And if they thought about it for five minutes the villagers would have worked that out too.

[james_j]

I know this may sound dramatic, but this sort of sneaking on your neighbour is just typical of the mindset of a controlling regime.

There are many such regimes in existence at this moment and some recently extinct (East German Police for example), where friends and neighbours are actively encvouraged to spy on each other. It's a terrible situation to get into.

[JMGS4]

rude girl said: There was a man and a woman sat in Kilsby village this morning (Northants), taking down the numbers of every vehicle that set off the 30mph warning sign.

So why didn't you get out of the car and demand the list off them? collecting such data is governed by the European Data Protection act and some local do-gooder sandalista NIMBY at the side of the road IN NO OFFICIAL CAPACITY CANNOT AND MAY NOT collect and file such data!!!!!

[d_drinks]

And if you did this in you town/city would the local police be impressed? I think not. That the police are happy to back these people and offer then training and equipment is ridiculous, this is potentially the thin end of big wedge, if you are able to monitor and potentially manipulate that information that you send on speeding what to say that you will not soon be sanctioned by the local parking warden’s to hand out tickets to anyone you see incorrectly park? Maybe melodramatic but…

And has already been said we as individuals are protected by the PDA so these people can be told to feck off and hand over personal details about you that they have written down

People like the police have a lot of training and are given the responsibility that comes with a job they are not civilians wanna be’s .

A somewhat juvenile reply to that village is a nice convoy of TVR’s driving through the village pref with sports systems fitted and cats removed. Maybe park up with engines running and drive through a few times, of course at or below the speed limit, the noise might give them something else to consider

[M@H]

Well I thing its a marvelous idea and I for one would stand in my village with a speed trap..

I have only had to attend to a dog being run over outside my house, however it could so easily have been a child I was trying to keep alive on the tarmac instead..

I'd probably just nick the sadistic b@stards that drive at over 50 through the village though as theres enough of them anyway...

Matt.

obviously a Community Speed Nazi




>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 14th May 16:59

[apache]

I hate people speeding through my village, my cat was run down by a speeding woman who denied the fact despite being witnessed.
I don't think giving villagers radar guns is a very responsible way to curb it though. A local village was given the chance to vote for such a scheme. It caused such a rucus that the Bill gave it up as a bad idea and likely to cause damaging divisions within the community.
We have a legal system which is supposed to be policed by trained individuals, if they cannot do it there must be a problem elsewhere that needs addressing.

>> Edited by apache on Wednesday 14th May 16:57

[d_drinks]

apache said: I hate people speeding through my village, my cat was run down by a speeding woman who denied the fact despite being witnessed.
>> Edited by apache on Wednesday 14th May 16:57

Not wishing to split hairs with you but it is impossible with the naked eye to spot a car doing 33, 34, 35 rather than 30 that person will be speeding but an eye witness could not reliably testify to that.

I am not saying that people should be allowed to speed at will, a young child was knocked down outside my house and cars frequently fly past the house at a visibly faster speed than the limit. I would be delighted if they fitted a speed camera outside or fitted speed humps. I would protest again a member of the public with a speed gun as this is not a solution. That is the only point that I am arguing. I am not sanctioning speeding.

[Big_M]

M@H said: Well I thing its a marvelous idea and I for one would stand in my village with a speed trap..

Agreed - plus many decades ago I realised that it would be hypocritical to moan about speeding drivers through my village if I did the same in someone else’s village. It is no hardship really.

[apache]

d_drinks said:

apache said: I hate people speeding through my village, my cat was run down by a speeding woman who denied the fact despite being witnessed.
>> Edited by apache on Wednesday 14th May 16:57

Not wishing to split hairs with you but it is impossible with the naked eye to spot a car doing 33, 34, 35 rather than 30 that person will be speeding but an eye witness could not reliably testify to that.

quite agree, but, there is a marked difference between 30ish and 40+ maybe I should've said "she flew past the house at a visibly faster speed than the limit"


>> Edited by apache on Wednesday 14th May 19:53

[d_drinks]

apache said:
quite agree, but, there is a marked difference between 30ish and 40+ maybe I should've said "she flew past the house at a visibly faster speed than the limit"

Yeap agree with you there - about the marked difference part not the should have said part Hope that moggy survived the incident

[M@H]

Big_M said:

M@H said: Well I thing its a marvelous idea and I for one would stand in my village with a speed trap..

Agreed - plus many decades ago I realised that it would be hypocritical to moan about speeding drivers through my village if I did the same in someone else’s village. It is no hardship really.

Thankyou.. I may tank around in a spirited manner on the NSL roads, however always drop to a reasonable speed in other villages.. and regarding the 30,33,34,35 comment.. well I might do 35 in a 30 somedays, however its the tw@ts doing 45-55 that need nicking, not those of us who are being alert to the surroundings and nudging over the limit, rather than glued to our speedos in case we breach 30. Appropriate speed for the conditions is all I ask.. hence I tend to do 20ish in the 30's around schools at school time..

Matt.

[Wasted Bullet]

I think the best system would be to use people from different villages... That way it wiould be harder for the locals to get away with it, and the village wouldn't suffer from any witch hunts...

[madcop]

Wasted Bullet said:
I think the best system would be to use people from different villages... That way it wiould be harder for the locals to get away with it, and the village wouldn't suffer from any witch hunts...

You could train them up, put them in blue uniforms and call them 'The Police' and then everybody would have no reason to grumble about who caught them, just the fact that they were caught (where have I heard those moans before?)

[apache]

madcop said:

Wasted Bullet said:
I think the best system would be to use people from different villages... That way it wiould be harder for the locals to get away with it, and the village wouldn't suffer from any witch hunts...

You could train them up, put them in blue uniforms and call them 'The Police' and then everybody would have no reason to grumble about who caught them, just the fact that they were caught (where have I heard those moans before?)

you'll get promoted if you keep coming up with ideas like that

[apache]

as a further thought, isn't vigilantiasm (sp) akin to 'taking the law into your own hands'?

[CarZee]

I think the best way would be for poeple to mind their own fcuking business.. NIMBY tossers.

Sure it might be a good idea in principle,. but stir humanity into the mix and you've gota recipe for corruption, sniping and general malaise.

Therefore any such scheme sucks bigtime and it's participants at best are, I suspect, well meaning but misguided fools.

I suspect the point about East Germany is more relevant that many of us would care to admit. I like JMGS' point about data protection also...

It certainly makes me want some kind of potent EMP device..

[madcop]

Standing at the side of the road and operating a device such as speed detection equipment requires training not only in how to operate the device correctly, but also in where to stand safely (behind large trees and in bushes is recommended ) and a degree of protection from the law with the subsequent jurisdiction to defend and protect the operator from acts of 'vigilantism' which are likely to be subjected towards those who do not have the powers of 'a constable' to deal with displeased motorists captured by retired villagers with nothing else to do other than 'W.I.' and the 'Bowling Club' when the allotment has been tended in the morning.

I can see that there will be substantial problems not only in the safe positioning of these 'Policing helpers'. I think the only proper course of action is to enrol all those that want to do this sort of stuff as Special Constables, they will then be afforded the protection in law that they will need and will be able to 'Police their communities' not only in the aspect of thier NIMBY attitude towards motorist passing through, but to the whole aspect of their NIMBY village life.

The real Police could then crack down on proper criminal activity instead of minor community disfunction which takes up so much time to deal with.

[minimax]

madcop said: Standing at the side of the road and operating a device such as speed detection equipment requires training not only in how to operate the device correctly, but also in where to stand safely (behind large trees and in bushes is recommended ) and a degree of protection from the law with the subsequent jurisdiction to defend and protect the operator from acts of 'vigilantism' which are likely to be subjected towards those who do not have the powers of 'a constable' to deal with displeased motorists captured by retired villagers with nothing else to do other than 'W.I.' and the 'Bowling Club' when the allotment has been tended in the morning.

I can see that there will be substantial problems not only in the safe positioning of these 'Policing helpers'. I think the only proper course of action is to enrol all those that want to do this sort of stuff as Special Constables, they will then be afforded the protection in law that they will need and will be able to 'Police their communities' not only in the aspect of thier NIMBY attitude towards motorist passing through, but to the whole aspect of their NIMBY village life.

The real Police could then crack down on proper criminal activity instead of minor community disfunction which takes up so much time to deal with.

well said