Discussion
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3231303.stm[/url]
South Wales Partnership again
A driver was clocked speeding in her ageing Austin Maestro at an amazing 480 miles an hour.
Joanna James, 28, was sent a fixed penalty ticket after a drive on a 30mph road in Bridgend, south Wales, in her 14-year-old G-registration runabout, bought for just £100.
Ms James, from Port Talbot, was amazed because she knew her car could not barely manage 48 mph - let alone 480mph.
The speed is faster quicker than supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and twice the take-off speed of a Boeing 737 jet.
The mother-of-three, from Sandfields, said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the ticket said I was doing 480mph. I can barely reach 48 miles an hour in my old car - never mind that sort of speed.
I have no faith in speed cameras at all
Driver Joanna James
"The ticket even said they had photographic evidence of me on a speed camera - but I would have been just a blur like a bullet flying past."
Ms, James, who bought the silver Maestro four months ago, added : "It's ridiculous. My battered old car starts to shake and shudder if I even try to put my foot down.
"A lot of our friends think it is funny - but I have got no points on my licence and I want to keep it that way.
The South Wales Safety Camera Partnership - run by three police forces in Wales - blamed the ticket on a clerical error.
A spokeswoman said: "We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. We will be sending her an amended ticket for 48mph."
Ms James is planning to appeal against the ticket with its £60 fine and three penalty points.
"I was doing 32 to 35mph because I was concentrating on the signs to find my way home," she said.
"And if they think they're going to send me a ticket for 48mph, they can think again," she added.
"If they can get it wrong once they can get it wrong again. I have no faith in speed cameras at all."
>>> Edited by viggen114 on Friday 31st October 18:17
South Wales Partnership again
A driver was clocked speeding in her ageing Austin Maestro at an amazing 480 miles an hour.
Joanna James, 28, was sent a fixed penalty ticket after a drive on a 30mph road in Bridgend, south Wales, in her 14-year-old G-registration runabout, bought for just £100.
Ms James, from Port Talbot, was amazed because she knew her car could not barely manage 48 mph - let alone 480mph.
The speed is faster quicker than supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and twice the take-off speed of a Boeing 737 jet.
The mother-of-three, from Sandfields, said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the ticket said I was doing 480mph. I can barely reach 48 miles an hour in my old car - never mind that sort of speed.
I have no faith in speed cameras at all
Driver Joanna James
"The ticket even said they had photographic evidence of me on a speed camera - but I would have been just a blur like a bullet flying past."
Ms, James, who bought the silver Maestro four months ago, added : "It's ridiculous. My battered old car starts to shake and shudder if I even try to put my foot down.
"A lot of our friends think it is funny - but I have got no points on my licence and I want to keep it that way.
The South Wales Safety Camera Partnership - run by three police forces in Wales - blamed the ticket on a clerical error.
A spokeswoman said: "We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. We will be sending her an amended ticket for 48mph."
Ms James is planning to appeal against the ticket with its £60 fine and three penalty points.
"I was doing 32 to 35mph because I was concentrating on the signs to find my way home," she said.
"And if they think they're going to send me a ticket for 48mph, they can think again," she added.
"If they can get it wrong once they can get it wrong again. I have no faith in speed cameras at all."
>>> Edited by viggen114 on Friday 31st October 18:17
"clerical error. "
This is peoples lives they are playing with here.
The them it's 60 quid. To the guy who's getting it it's probably his first brush with the law. It might be 1/4 of his 'still able to work' lifelines chopped. It will certainly make hi feel pretty bad about himself.
It sickens me that they can treat these things so flippantly.
Gwent sent me 3 NIPS for one offence. I was distraught. THere was no capcity to question what was happening, I had to communicate by letter after taking legal advice.
When they accepted my case they didn't even write and tell me.
I bet Gwent treat burglars a lot better than that.
This is peoples lives they are playing with here.
The them it's 60 quid. To the guy who's getting it it's probably his first brush with the law. It might be 1/4 of his 'still able to work' lifelines chopped. It will certainly make hi feel pretty bad about himself.
It sickens me that they can treat these things so flippantly.
Gwent sent me 3 NIPS for one offence. I was distraught. THere was no capcity to question what was happening, I had to communicate by letter after taking legal advice.
When they accepted my case they didn't even write and tell me.
I bet Gwent treat burglars a lot better than that.
I must admit toad that ive read your other post about your brother being caught by Scamera and i find myself agreeing to your thoughts and vents completely. I dont and wont abuse any of the BiB who are kind enough to share their expertise on these threads, but it is only a matter of time before ALL/ANY of us are caught by a talivan or scamera whether it be caught for a momentary lapse of speedo concentration or caught whilst just travelling faster than the law says (ie on a blast in our PHdmobiles). If i lost my license i and therefore income will claim every penny i can from the goverment in power to maintain my home and put food in my mouth.
This happened in Bridgend and fully vindicates my nomination as the worst town in Britain in the thread in general gassing. 
IMO she should be given a lot of free advice - from somewhere like PH on the best ways to get out of paying this and the sun should publicise the whole thing - The public may wake up to the whole fleecing scam..
IMO she should be given a lot of free advice - from somewhere like PH on the best ways to get out of paying this and the sun should publicise the whole thing - The public may wake up to the whole fleecing scam..
[quote=toad_oftoadhallThe them it's 60 quid. [/quote]
Toad, you're wrong. It's not just 60 quid to them. I'll explain why I think this, but first I probably need to state my personal position - if this bird was doing nearly 50 in a 30 (and concentrating more on being lost than on driving, to boot), she needs a swift kick up the arse, not a NIP (actually she probably needs both, specially if she was driving a shed which might not perform as well under braking as a well maintained car). Like everyone else, I love the feeling of driving quickly, but for me that's about improving my skill level and keeping my car in control and balanced, not just depressing the loud pedal - which takes no skill at all. There's a time and a place for everything, and most 30s are reasonably fair (but don't get me on to the total absence in the uk of variable speed limits, or you'll be reading for hours!!).
Back to the 'just 60 quid' argument Toad. It's not *just* 60 quid though is it? It's the whole house of cards that's been built up around focusing on speed (in management speak, it's the doomed 'what gets measured gets managed' syndrome), because it's cheaper to measure than more ephemeral characteristics such as road positioning or observation, which require trained and experienced Trafpols to judge. Bet you a month's wages that Tonyrec and his kit come in at wellover double the cost of a Scamera operator and his Tranny van (remember to take the cost of training in to account here too). You've probably guessed that I have a very different view of Trafpols than you - if we ever meet, I'll tell you why. Oh, and you can buy me a drink as well.
Anyway, on a different subject, I got wondering about this 'clerical error' thing. <girly observation sh1t coming up>. Obviously all the readings from the vans are typed up by clerical staff then - that's how this error occurred. Well I'm an engineer and normally have engineers' hands, but I've been letting my nails grow for BTaP (go with me here). Whilst trying to write up a Paper today, I discovered that typing with long nails is an approximate science, to say the least. Then I read this thread, so I had a go at typing a list of numbers very quickly. Guess what - it's really really easy to type 37 instead of 34 if you have long nails. Wonder how many 'clerical errors' go through the system?
....ramble over....
Toad, you're wrong. It's not just 60 quid to them. I'll explain why I think this, but first I probably need to state my personal position - if this bird was doing nearly 50 in a 30 (and concentrating more on being lost than on driving, to boot), she needs a swift kick up the arse, not a NIP (actually she probably needs both, specially if she was driving a shed which might not perform as well under braking as a well maintained car). Like everyone else, I love the feeling of driving quickly, but for me that's about improving my skill level and keeping my car in control and balanced, not just depressing the loud pedal - which takes no skill at all. There's a time and a place for everything, and most 30s are reasonably fair (but don't get me on to the total absence in the uk of variable speed limits, or you'll be reading for hours!!).
Back to the 'just 60 quid' argument Toad. It's not *just* 60 quid though is it? It's the whole house of cards that's been built up around focusing on speed (in management speak, it's the doomed 'what gets measured gets managed' syndrome), because it's cheaper to measure than more ephemeral characteristics such as road positioning or observation, which require trained and experienced Trafpols to judge. Bet you a month's wages that Tonyrec and his kit come in at wellover double the cost of a Scamera operator and his Tranny van (remember to take the cost of training in to account here too). You've probably guessed that I have a very different view of Trafpols than you - if we ever meet, I'll tell you why. Oh, and you can buy me a drink as well
. Anyway, on a different subject, I got wondering about this 'clerical error' thing. <girly observation sh1t coming up>. Obviously all the readings from the vans are typed up by clerical staff then - that's how this error occurred. Well I'm an engineer and normally have engineers' hands, but I've been letting my nails grow for BTaP (go with me here). Whilst trying to write up a Paper today, I discovered that typing with long nails is an approximate science, to say the least. Then I read this thread, so I had a go at typing a list of numbers very quickly. Guess what - it's really really easy to type 37 instead of 34 if you have long nails. Wonder how many 'clerical errors' go through the system?
....ramble over....
madant69 said:Silly cow should have kept her mouth shut until 14 days after the offence!
"And if they think they're going to send me a ticket for 48mph, they can think again," she added."
Nice try Joanna James (she gotta be a stripper with a name like that) but I suspect the "ticket" without the typo is already on your doormat...
SpudGunner said:
Jeremy Clarkson got it right in todays Sun.
If they must persist in this stupid campaign of scameras on every corner then the penalty should only be £60 fine NOT points as well.
Now that I would rather see than the fine & points mess that is the case now. Although I think there would have to be a rolling fine amount, ie £60.00 for first NIP, then £90.00 & so on increasing by 50% each time you get caught. Also maybe a fine based on the percentage over the speed limit....5 mph over in a 30 is 10% extra 50mph over in a 60 is 200% extra or something similar maybe?
Also signs put up in collision hotspots mean that if you speed there you get the full whack, points & fine....would make us all think a little more about speed in dangerous areas IMHO
colinc01 said:
I beleive it would be a good idea to recieve point credits on a yearly basis if no offences have been made, so good driving is rewarded. The current system only looks at the negative side of driving and gaining point credits would encourage people to drive within the limits.
That's a really good idea but they can't make money from it! It would cost them to run it. Be nice if the good points got a reduction in car tax
. Richard C said:
[quote] Gwent sent me 3 NIPS for one offence{/quote]
Gwent Scam partners + Mr Rowling = Not Really Human Beings
I believe that they are also sending out NIPs by second class post. This is not a valid method of service under RTOA? Section1, sub-section (1A)[*] and the accused is "not to be convicted".
They are, however, sending out witness statements saying that they were served by first class mail, which is.
[*] Amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994 (I think).
>> Edited by jeffreyarcher on Monday 3rd November 08:40
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