final and complete loss of faith

i have kept my licence clean for 25 years not because i ride to the speed limits and obay the law its because i ride faster but in the right right places ie no law about

[Char]

Originally Posted by motojohn

i have kept my licence clean for 25 years not because i ride to the speed limits and obay the law its because i ride faster but in the right right places ie no law about

Oooh your tempting fate there - I have been caught once in 29 years - and that was in a Volvo estate - now I've gone and done it to

[LouSCannon]

Whether or not you agree with the charge, I am completely behind for people speaking out against what they see as wrong. One of the biggest issues in this country is the population's acceptance of injustice. We'll happily moan about things down the pub or on forums, but when it comes to crunch people are only too quick to shrug their shoulders and accept rather then stand up and fight to be heard.

Well done you for standing up for what you believe in.

I got done for 35 in a 30 by a cop on the side of the road who stopped me then proceeded to give my car an MOT making me late for my childminder so putting up my bill for the week. I was being over taken by other cars before he got me too, it was near a school so I wasn't hooleying but they were. Obviously they were going too fast for him to jump out at. I was later told by chief of traffic I should have gone to court. But mug that I am I paid up which I guess is what they count on, it's very rare for a driver to dispute anything whereas other law breakers cause much more hassle ergo pick on car drivers they're easy. Since then I've been pretty good at urban speed limits but dual carriageways and local roads I can get a bit carried away! I do struggle with 20s though my car just hasn't got a gear in between the others that makes him run comfortably, 1st or 2nd he revs 3rd he's struggling to not stall.

All symptomatic of rip off britain........ you pays yers taxes and still get screwed by the state.

Doesn't matter who's in power, still the same.

I got pulled last year, because the car in front of me jammed his anchors on when he saw the plod car parked in a lay by and i nearly ran up his chuff.
Obviously, the car in front, that caused the problem swanned off into the distance, whilsh i was pulled over.
The cop reconed i was tailgating the car in front and when i explained that the car in front braked when he saw the cop car and up until then, i was well within a safe distance from the car in front, his answer was that he hears excuses like that every day!!

The older i get, the more dissilusioned i get with life in general, our lives are ruled by so many idiots.
As far as "they" are concerned, it's all black and white, there's no room to be flexable.
I've held a bike licence for 40 years, passed my bike test in 1973 and my car test in 1976, so like many other members on here, i've got a lot of miles under my belt and more importantly, 40 years road experience.
I certainly feel that having been a biker for all those years, has given me an advantage over the car owner, who has never been near a bike, let alone ridden one, which i feel gives us an advantage in our perception of various road conditions and as such, we are more likely to be defensive in our riding, which also gives us the advantage when driving our cars, in some ways we have the best of both worlds.

On a final note, many years ago i witnessed a situation that convinced me beyond doubt, that some cops can be nothing short of vindictive, which has made me view them ever since, as nothing better than than thugs in uniform, with a licence to do whatever they wish, their word against yours.
I was sat in my car with my then wife and two kids, in a park area in Yorkshire, when a bike pulled into the parking area, followed by a traffic car.
After the cop had finished sorting the biker out, for whatever reason it was, the traffic car then reversed rather quickly, into the front of a car that was parked up in the parking area, the two occupants were an elderly woman driver and a younger woman, possibly her daughter.

The cop who was driving, jumped out of his car and stormed up to the drivers door of the car HE had just reversed into, yanked open her door and pretty much dragged her out and marched her to the cop car and got into the back of the car with her.
Her companion in the car was walking to the cop car and crying, probably in shock, when the other cop got out and told her to get back in the car, several times before he finaly walked towards her in a threatening manner, she then went back to her car but she was obviously very distressed.

Me and my family were the only others in the parking area and as the second cop went back to the traffic car, he stood at the side of it, with his arms resing on the roof, staring at us, obviously wanting to intimidate us, unfortunately it worked and we made our move and drove away.
This was in 1982 and i've often thought about what eventually happened to that poor woman and her companion, i've often though about what would have been the outcome if i hadn't driven away but from how the cop was staring at us, his body language gave me the impression that if i didn't move off, then we might possibly have had him looking for something to do us for.
Since then, i have had no respect for the police or the laws of the land, as many of those laws are nothing more than excuses to collect revenue and please those in power.

Back in 1989, my mate got three years for having an ounce of hash, a personal amount that he had aquired a few days earlier.
The two guys that torched my house in 1986, got eighteen and nine months respectively.

Go figure!

G ; (

Like Lous says .. speak now or forever hold your peace.
Its sucks you broke the law and yep its a bit pedantic I agree, however they see rules as rules.

This country saddens me .. take France we are going to up the age on which you retire .. all hell breaks loose.. they kick off..

Us "Great" Britain we moan and complain (I am guilty of it!!) and do nothing...

As a nation we really are a spineless bunch nowdays..
If you don't like something or agree with something thenat least say something or do something!
At least you have tried and made your voice heard.. if you don't and you just moan about it well ..on your head be it.

Id rather say my bit and be laughed at or alienated but its off my chest and Ive acted upon it and not just whinged...

Viva la Revolucion!

I believe under new government proposals that are in the pipeline, there will be a lot more speed awareness courses offered (at great expense) than points dished out in the future. I think the idea is to get even more money in this way than banning people under the totting up procedure. make of it what you will. If I can get hold if the paper I'll post it.

I haven't been on one of these courses, but if they do actually teach (a fraction of) people something then this move has to be welcomed. We need more awareness rather than just dishing out points.
It comes across as a cynical view to suppose this is all about money, but I will withold judgement until we know what it's all about.
On the face of it, it sounds good to me.
At the moment if you go on a course you don't get a conviction so it can be prefereable.

I have to agree with Gary! Getting done by a static camera that you pass everyday has got to be seen as idiotic I'm afraid! My advice would have been to chalk it down to experience, and take the points.

I recently got my first ever points in 20 years of driving. In my own village I was caught doing 38 in a 30 zone by a mobile camera van. I could have argued that I was perfectly safe at that speed, etc. etc. but the fact is that I was breaking the law. Simple.

I do agree that some cameras and speed limits are there purely to generate revenue, but I don't think that the way to campaign against them is to break the law then try to argue your way out of it! Unfortunately, the law can't say "After 10pm, just drive at whatever speed you think is appropriate" That would never work, and we all know it. What if there had been a drunk pedestrian in dark clothing who had stumbled in front of you, giving you no time to react? The difference in survival rates between 30 and 40mph is huge.

I don't mean to lecture or anything like that, I just don't agree with anyone who moans about being done by static cameras, especially when they know it's there!

My DAd has chalked up 9 points on the same stretch of road he works early hours 2am ish. Til 6am and has been done by the same gatso a couple of times ..
I did say it's in the same place each day .. It doesn't go for a jolly down the road !
His was 34 35 in a 30.. Epsom area is a mare for gatso and speed guns!
I could understand if he got done on a gun!!
But the same gatso twice!!!!! And people think I'm gormless lol!

As I said before my step dad had a run in at court with a cyclist stood his ground and won the case.... Sometimes it pays to argue but sometimes not it's your call .
My step dad was in the right the cyclist was a muppet

[utopia]

It was on London Road, going out of town, just after the traffic lights at University Road.

I don't think it was a lack of concentration or observation.....I was focussed on the act of driving rather than looking out for static objects which posed no danger. Looking out for gatsos (that you don't already know are there) in my opinion represents a reduction in concentration on other road conditions which have a far more immediate relevance to road safety, as evidenced by the frantic last minute braking to avoid them by some drivers, often without awareness of the consequences for the vehicle behind.
And anyway, I must have passed that camera at least 500 times, without a problem, so I reckon my average performance rating for that particular stretch is actually quite high.
As I said, the road conditions at the time rendered the camera pointless, so I instinctively ignored it. These instincts are important and are perhaps what keeps us alive or at least uninjured when real danger jumps out at us. Given the choice, I would rather focus on the real issues of roadcraft than be distracted by irrelevances.

I think the £95 was well spent on the opportunity to put my case in an appropriate public forum, and I have no regrets about that whatsoever, though of course I doubted that it would have much effect, but I was dismayed to be misunderstood by the court and actually have to pay extra for the priveledge when I already pay my share to fund the system myself through the taxes we all pay.

I spent all last night whinceing at the memory of my parting comment though....!!!

Thanks for all your comments.
My subscription to MAG will be sent promptly.

j.

[buzzbomb]

I have to agree with George, most police are just bully boys in uniform and the sad thing is that the courts aways side with them, I know that some of thier work must be quite sh*ty at times but surely a bit of common sense and good manners wouldn't go amiss.

I believe the IRA was successful in changing a few laws

Yes and Al Quaeda have changed airport security for good.
Can you clarify whether you are condoning terrorism as a method?
Or was it an extremely poor and insensitive joke?
I have no issue with people disagreeing with my views but I believe your post is in extremely poor taste.

[Capo]

Originally Posted by lisyloo

Yes and Al Quaeda have changed airport security for good.
Can you clarify whether you are condoning terrorism as a method?
Or was it an extremely poor and insensitive joke?
I have no issue with people disagreeing with my views but I believe your post is in extremely poor taste.

None of the above
A statement of fact. Make of it what you will