I think none of us has actually expressed good wishes to the members of the garage trade, most of whom faithfully carry out what we set them to do, and from what one sees have not infrequently to take the part of Do-it-yourself-undoers Limited.
I beg to move!
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And a Very warm thank you to the police who may lurk on the forum... who risk their lives making the roads safer for all of us.
The only problem with the police is that there not enough of them... esp. those on foot patrol or on bikes in small towns and villages...
They do not make the laws they only enforce them and I would far rather explain my misdeeds in person to a local copper than try to do it by mail because a robot had decided I am a badun...
For every 'bad cop' on a power trip there are hundreds doing a very hard job... under manned under funded and under appreciated
~Randolph
PS: And no I am not a cop or related to a cop... and I have had my fair share of tickets over the last 40 years of driving... (Of interest to some might be the fact that I have had no tickets (other than parking) for about 10 years now... perhaps I have finally found some wisdom in my driving) And I can not think of a single ticket that I got that I did not deserve... And there were quite a few times (esp in my 20s and 30s)when I was let off with a caution when in truth I should have had a ticket....
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randolf, i take it you didnt have to drive down the M1 over the last few days (cos youre in the states) and being subjected to a few 10 mile stretches where VERY minor speeding was being handled by the kids in blue
Sad in the extreme, I support good hard working coppers doing their best in hard times, but sadly the traffic police in the UK have totally lost it in my opinion, and their leadership bowing down to the anti-car lobby is also sad in the extreme...
Too many senior officers promoted way before their time, with next to no experience...
And too little input from mature wiser heads
And far too little based on science rather than emotion, and far too little done to actually improve road safety
And too much bowing to the unrepresentative bunch who make it onto local councils, while the rest of us are out working
Good coppers - thanks
Traffic Police in the UK - Get Stuffed
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Thank you, "careful driver". And now both sides have had their say, let us just forget it until after the 5th.
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sorry Tomo cant leave it at that.
I had a hangover and was fed up with more hankys and slippers. I didnt mean to be so rude to the Traffic Police.
Hope they have a good holiday.
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Why do you want to cut off debate with those who do not agree with you Tomo? And BTW Careful Driver My name is spelled Randolph. Are my thoughts on a subject any less valid because I do not live in the UK full Time?
While I have not been on the M1 in the last 10 days I do drive 5 to 8 weeks a year in the UK and I average about 5,000 miles a year in the UK doing so... and I have been doing it almost every year since 1965.
I do prefer driving on the B roads and the unclassified roads to the motorways and major A roads but when I drive on the motorways I do so at the speed of the prevailing traffic which is most of the time 80 to 85.... I do so in the knowledge that (just like the drivers of troika sleighs in Medieval Russia who when going through wolf country would toss off a serf every few miles to keep the wolves fed) I run the risk of being the unlucky one pulled from the pack and given a ticket... if you do the crime be willing to do the time (or pay the fine)
You seem to have 'issues' with the police... we are here to help you work them out....
Randolph (Back room therapy 10 pence... and worth every cent)
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last message for cd wasnt me!
yes fines is ok maybe
but loosing your ability to work, through loosing your licence, when you have been "pulled out of the pack" a few times is terrible
and very serious other offences such as GBH the offender never has his ability to support his family challenged
im afraid loosing you licence after being stopped for 5-10 mph over a few times is crazy
and policing without discretion that leads to this is madness, as many coppers themselfs recognise
im sorry i have no christmas sympathy for this lot or their political bosses
thanks to all the great coppers in the country doing a great job, in hard circumstances
but bad coppers can all get s****ed, and i include all UK traffic cops in that
happy holidays
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But if the Russian authorities had bred troika driver eating wolves specially for the purpose, and released tens of thousands of them on all the optimum troika routes would you have such a benevolent attitude to the authorities, and to wolves, and chant the mantra: "if you can't afford the serfs (like we in power, and the rich, can) be prepared to walk like a good peasant (but you'll still get eaten by the wolves!)" ?
Next we'll be hearing chants of do as we say, and not as we do, and give your kids the triple jab.
Reminds me of the story I heard, from someone who should know, about the left wing politician, daughter of a wealthy family, who claimed she never received a penny from her rich parents. Totally true, apparently. She paid for HER home, food, holidays, you name it, from her ministerial salary. Her parents paid for everything for the kids directly allegedly.
No one is complaining about the police catching and fining people for dangerous driving. Just about being taxed for politically incorrect, but safe, "speeding" because of the dogmatic beliefs of hypocrites on power trips.
If I were to garner the suport of a quarter of the population and make it illegal to visit this country on penalty of a £1000 per week fine, or a month in prison, would I hear: "if you do the crime be willing to do the time (or pay the fine)" ?
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Bill,
Since you asked....tens of thousands of driver eating wolves? I drove over 3000 miles on my last trip and saw a grand total of Zero traffic cops...Zero cops walking a beat, Zero cops on a push bike... The only traffic control folks I saw were Lollypop persons and roadwork's yellow jackets.
As I do not vote in the UK my thoughts on the politics of this count for less than nothing... but I felt that the "Reform of the house of Lords" was the most frightening thing to happen to good government in the UK for a very long time... a major protection from the excesses of a landslide government has been removed at a stroke... Even though my personal politics are somewhat right of centre I Was glad to see the US Senate go back to the Democrats... as it can now act as a check to autocratic power.
Can you still not make a change at the local level with effective campaigning though? The principal remains ... if you do not like the law then work to change it... and if you elect to flaunt the law as it now stands then you have to be willing to pay the piper if you are caught.
Here in the US we had to live with the 55 mph limit on interstate highways that in many parts of the West were designed for 85+ speeds for cars of 1960s dynamics... this went on for 20+ years until we got them overturned slowly on a state by state basis...(and in parts of the northeast we still have areas of the 55 remaining on roads that are safe at higher speeds... we coped with fancy radar and laser detectors, the AAA provided trip plans with maps highlighting places with speed traps... being an alert driver would go a long way to spotting the 'unmarked' patrol cars and potential trap areas....
The main point remains do not rail against the men who are only enforcing laws that your government has enacted... work to change the law... by replacing the government if need be...
As to your proposed ban on visitors.... come on now.... lets try to keep the debate 'real'
Cheers,
~Randolph
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hey i lived in the US for a few years, and have direct experience of driving there, and the attitude of the police
and with your experience, and my general beliefs I can say that I would tend very heavily towards your beliefs and thoughts
but hey I have active day to day expererience of traffic management by councils/governement/police in this country and I can tell you that if you had to drive on a UK licence, and your familys bread and roof depended on it, and you saw the lunatics who get no attention your views probably would change...
hey ho
happy hols
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also if you want to see what various serving and retired police officers think have a look through
forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=corruptp...t
if you want to know what our elected reps think try
from www.wokingham.gov.uk
When are you planning to paint the various speed/traffic light cameras bright colours as per the home secretary's recent advice?
Or do you agree with their continued use as a stealth tax? why isn't more done about the real DANGEROUS drivers rather than minor speed infringement, which is often being done safely?
what is your timetable for painting the cameras ?
Cllr Lawley's response
New conspicuity guidelines were approved by John Speller, Minster of DTLR on Monday 3 December, and now we have six months from that date to meet the new guidance, which includes reviewing sites and arranging camera housings to be painted yellow, or have self adhesive retro-reflective material applied to their front and rear facings. Minimum visibility distances are specified and we are arranging to check those existing currently before deciding whether the cameras need to be re-located or whether the bright colouring is all that is required. In addition we are reviewing the signing that is necessary to warn of cameras, and their locations will be published on this website and in local newspapers.
It is anticipated that a report will be made to the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Transportation and the Environment on 15th February, and that the necessary works will be arranged as early as possible, but with all works being completed before 3rd May.
It is important to emphasise the real problems that we are experiencing as result of speed related injury accidents. There is a necessity to bring traffic speeds down, and the Government, through its hypothecation trials, is determined that speed cameras do affect traffic speeds across entire areas, not just local to the camera. The net result is reduction in traffic accidents.
and similar
all very sad
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or try
forums.delphiforums.com/CorruptionUK/
Quangos are Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Agencies sort of Committees with a lot of power. It has significant power and its members are often unelected cronies of the party in Government.
Labour said when in opposition that they would make a 'bonfire of the quangos' -in actual fact they have increased their number and influence.
There are now more than 6,000 such 'committees' with over 100,000 people appointed to them -many of them 'friends' of new Labour and most with a political axe to grind.
Ordinary members of Quangos are often paid around 5000 pounds and Chairmen, 20,000,
They control about 100 billion pounds per year - about a third of all public spending and yet they are appointed on a political whim.
The stench of cronyism still hangs in the air despite Labour's promised bonfire they have brought in as many quangos as they have gotten rid of with their own appointees replacing Tory ones - 226 Labour Councillors have been appointed to Health authority and Health trust boards during a time when only 14 tories and 31 LibDems have been appointed.
Similarly 8 new regional development agencies were set up in England and 65% of the posts going to labour councillors despite them having only 46% of local authority seats. Each RDA's chairman is paid 44,000 pounds per yer for 2 days per week work.
In addition 200 new 'advisory' bodies have been set up, task forces ,review teams with heavy representation from New Labour and people who have donated money to them - eg Lord Haskins of Northern Foods and Lord Ali both heavy donators and Tony's cronies have been appointed to bodies which have effect over areas which fall in with their own business interests and which would seem to show potential conflicts of interest - never mind these are just good jobs for the boys and girls seemingly as a reward for their support.
Often these members are inadequately skilled and particularly in areas like Further Education often Colleges have ended up in massive debt due to the lack of appropriate skills of the quango board members who 'manage' them. eg Bilston College in Wolverhampton left Local education authority control and its new board ran up debts of 10 million pounds - often running none existent courses to attract funding or running courses such as Kazoo Marching which no-one wanted to attend!
New College in Durham set up and OIL company and its board members went on expensive 'junkets' to the Far East ostensibly to sell their NVQ courses in social care to Thailand, Hong Kong, Bali.........Tell it to the Marines.
People'sappointments are done in secret and jobs often are given on a nod to those favoured friends of labour...............
Tory sleaze replaced by Labour nepotism............
And it matters..............Police Complaints Authority - Quango
Legal Aid board ? - Quango Environment Agency? - yes you guesssed it - quango.
or abd.org.uk
etc
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I am obviously missing something.........
> Cllr Lawley's response
....................
> includes reviewing sites and arranging camera housings to be painted yellow, or have self adhesive retro-reflective material applied to their front and rear facings. Minimum
> visibility distances are specified and we are arranging to check those existing currently before deciding whether the cameras need to be re-located or whether the bright colouring
> is all that is required. In addition we are reviewing the signing that is necessary to warn of cameras, and their
> locations will be published on this website and in local newspapers.
>
> It is anticipated that a report will be made to the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Transportation and the Environment on 15th February, and that the necessary works will be arranged
> as early as possible, but with all works being completed before 3rd May.
What is wrong with that ? Specific actions, a deadline, explanation of the considerations ?
Really, what am I missing ???
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re
"It is important to emphasise the real problems that we are experiencing as result of speed related injury accidents. There is a necessity to bring traffic speeds down, and the Government, through its hypothecation trials, is determined that speed cameras do affect traffic speeds across entire areas, not just local to the camera. The net result is reduction in traffic accidents.
"
the key point here is that even from a more reasonable sounding member of the political classes that the retoric is that speed is the problem... it isnt... bad driving is the problem, exasperated by bad road design
Re "is determined that speed cameras do affect traffic speeds across entire areas" I dont think this has been proven scientifically at all, local speeders drive alternate routes or use GPS system
Re "is a necessity to bring traffic speeds down" roads thinned to a third of their width, and masses of new min-roundabouts being imposed by complaints from less than half a dozen "speed kills" campaigners is the problem
The real problem is that is you speak to the locals there is no real consultation, and what consultation there has been has been largely ignored on the back of an agenda to impose the minority anti-car agenda...
This is only the tip of the iceberg, the contractors employed as consultants and workers on the road schemes are related to various local gov employees etc
very sad state of affairs
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Randolph
The way I feel, as a resident of the UK for the whole of my life (50+ years) is that I no longer have any control over how I live my life and that I have had the power to change it taken away.
Important issues of democracy and freedom have been passed over to minority pressure groups. Parliamentary procedures have been abused. Parts of the constitution have been demolished with checks and balances removed and nothing put in their place. Spin has replaced facts. Slogans have replaced debate. Plans have replaced action. Truth has been distorted by selective reporting.
I see George Orwell's "1984" coming to life, although he got the date wrong I believe that maybe he wrote a prediction, not a novel and is the Arthur C Clarke of politics.
I see this site as being essentially non-political. My comments are in that vein, reporting and commenting on life as it is. They would be the same whichever party was in power. If Martyn BRM disagrees he is welcome to delete this post.
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yea democracy is a sham nowadays
only people who can afford the time out of their job/career go into it (teachers, lawyers, local gov employees, you know the rest)
and regardless who you vote for the same faceless wonders remain in charge running the local burocracy behind the scenes, and implementing thinner roads, roundabouts, etc etc, in leagure with their very close friends in the engineering and "traffic management" consultancys
same at national level, impact of voting has marginal effect, it hurts even more at a local level when whole neighbourhoods are anti speed bump but they get put in anyways...
democracy would be great if we had some
agree with the house of lords stuff you said, dont think replacing it with Tonys placemen is good for the country, nor are all the quangos directly appointed from the centre with so much budget and power
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"Can you still not make a change at the local level with effective campaigning though? The principal remains ... if you do not like the law then work to change it... "
Unfortunately, no. The anti car brigade and their fellow travellers are all committed activists, who have insinuated themselves into positions of effective power locally and nationally. They have also insinuated themselves into the educational system (nice "work" if you can get it, and plentity of free time for extra-curricular activities) and can "teach" their views to the young and impressionable. And the government is composed of people who are quite happy to be driven in excess of the limit, but believe in one law for them, and another for the public.
Unfortunately the "public" is easily swayed by the guilt inducing advertising paid for by the country's biggest spending (on our behalf) advertising client, too busy (working/driving) to do anything about it, and/or thinks that the anti-car lobby should be given a "fair" hearing and equal credence and that the ideological clap trap they enact should be given respect, rather than due respect.
And I quote:
"if you elect to flaunt the law as it now stands then you have to be willing to pay the piper if you are caught."
Tragically the anti-car lobby don't play by these gentlemen's rules.
Hence 1984 may be late: but it won't be that late.
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