Following on from the posts on the tragedy below.
I live on a narrow crescent of fifties semis. I am on a right-angled hedged blind bend, radius around 40ft. The road were designed with the Austin Seven in mind, it seems.
My upstairs office overlooks the bend. I watch comings and goings.
Along the street lives a newly-qualified girl driver who owns a Yellow Fiat Siecento sport
She daily accelerates hard along the street and charges around the blind bend, wet or dry, day or night. Yes, daily.
Also in the street are around six children under the age of six. Plus numerous OAPs and slow walkers. And a 83-year old stoke victim still qualified and tested to drive.
I can see what, God forbid, may come out of this mixture or vunerable and reckless road users. I seem to recall a similar situation recently in Scotland where exactly this happened, even after the driver was warned.
A number of residents have approached her and asked her to drive sensibly. She is abusive. She has a sticker in her rear window "How My Driving? Call 0800 Eat-****"
Any sensibile suggestions on action welcome from Backroomers.
What should we do? Will the police be in any position to caution her, and on what grounds? I would not find the response "well she hasn't committed an offence yet" acceptable. By the time she does, it may be too late for another road user.
Rob
|
I would consider it my moral and legal duty to report this both to the Police and to the telephone number given on her car.
If possible, video the evidence over a few different dates.
I would write to the Chief Constable - so that the evidence is on record.
Do it before someone gets killed.
|
|
|
|
I agree with JB. We have a similar nutter around here, who seems unable to pull away without screeching tyres and screaming engine. Trouble is, this guy has no fixed routine and is difficult to catch in the act. One day.....
|
|
|
Is it a blind bend that you could park on or just past ? Do you have a large, old, transit van you could borrow ?
One scare would probably do the trick.
On a slightly more serious note, if it is a regular and predictable time, arrange a visit from a crime protection officer on some pretext and make sure he is standing in front of the window at the appropriate time.
|
Rent a skip from somewhere. Then, when she's hit it, you can put all the pieces in it.
Andy
(On a similar note, was passed by a gold Corsa on the M53 this morning, doing at least 85mph with a mobile stuck to his ear - **02YMH
|
|
|
|
I sympathise with you on this one R G. The suggestion of video-ing the things you see is the most 'concrete' evidence . Otherwise, it's a case of your word against hers. I would also suggest a sufficiently close shot to include the rear number plate (along with the offensive sticker, although that in itself is only an indication of the mentality of the driver rather than anything else), along with footage of her getting in to the car. Again, a sufficiently close shot to enable it to be recognizeable.
And as suggested above, send, by recorded delivery, or personally hand in the film to a senior police officer - asking for a receipt. You might find some press or TV interest in it as well.
Anyone who accuses you (or I ) of poking your nose in and being a nosy neighbour can politely be replied to in a manner appropriate to the circumstance and shouldn't cause you concern.
So often do you see things over which you have no control. On this occasion you can do a little something and feel better for having done it.
Other ideas like letting her tyres down with a note attached to the screen are just as likely to make her worse. If she has the attitude that she doesn't give a damn about anything other than herself any acts such as this are hardly likely to make her see sense.
If push came to shove I would scratch my head in order to find a way of making her disclose her insurance company and then send a coy to them. Short of some amateur detective work I can't see a way of doing that though - someone else may.
JB - I don't think there is a telephone number on the car - it sounded to me like an offensive 'joke' type affair. The sort of sticker you buy at the seaside, next to the baseball caps with fake dogs dropping on the peaks. Rob has censored the offending letters from his post.
At least your trying to do something, rather than nothing.
KB.
|
|
|
On 26th March i witnessed an horrific accident on my way to work. I'm not the first person to see one and i'm pretty sure i won't be the last. I'm only just getting back to sleeping at night. It was caused by excess speed and driving dangerously. The driver is still in hospital.
All it will take is for this girl to injure, or lord forbid, kill someone and it will slow her down without a doubt.
Have a chat with your local postman, he must have delivered some mail to her with regards to her insurance company, just explain your concerns to him.
If that fails, i'll provide Rob with my account of what happened last month, and he can give it to her to read. That'll put a stop to her antics.
Rgds,
Ash.
|
|
|
Ashley's idea is one that could be used insofar as you could get some graphic photo's of the aftermath of serious/fatal RTA's and simply post them to her along with a short, polite note reminding her that this is what happens to people like her (or the people they hit). Does she live with a partner or parents - send them a copy.
I haven't, as yet, seen any 125mph ''anti speed limit", "anti Gatso", "speed limits are for others coz I know what I'm doing" contributors posting on this one, pointing out that she's only having a bit of fun and children should be taught to stay off the roads anyway and if the elderly are so infirm that they can't see what's coming they should stay indoors.
No one of us is perfect or infallible or likes to have their enjoyment curtailed, but Rob G. reminds us it shouldn't be at the likely expense of others.
KB.
|
KB wrote:
> I haven't, as yet, seen any 125mph ''anti speed limit", "anti
> Gatso", "speed limits are for others coz I know what I'm
> doing" contributors posting on this one, pointing out that
> she's only having a bit of fun and children should be taught
> to stay off the roads anyway and if the elderly are so infirm
> that they can't see what's coming they should stay indoors.
Always willing to oblige.
I haven't, as yet, seen any 125 mph "anti speed limit" "Anti Gatso", "speed limits are for others coz I know what I'm doing"contributors posting on any one.
If you cared to read their posts they complain about arbitrarily and artificially reduced limits.
Not about speed limits per se.
And one of the the reasons is that at best this prevents inexperienced drivers from gaining an appreciation of appropriate limits.
At worst it brings all speed limits into disrepute.
And they are anti Gatso because Gatso's don't catch idiots like this girl, because she proabaly does the same speed down the 70mph dual carriageway past the 50 mph signs and cameras.
And because they replace the the cops who should be patrolling the street to catch her and other criminals.
|
|
"appropriate limits" SAYS WHO? YOU? Ho Ho HO!
|
|
|
|
|
OH? you've got fed up with those as well as me?
|
|
|
"I haven't, as yet, seen any 125mph ''anti speed limit", "anti Gatso", "speed limits are for others coz I know what I'm doing" contributors posting on this one"
Because clearly she does not know what she is doing. We are all for driving with due regard to conditions, bad and good.
|
|
|
|
|
You are not alone, our road is a Close 10 houses long. we are half way up and some of the cars must be doing 40 past our gates! Not bad from a standing start at the top in around 30 yards, especially when they have to stop in the same distance at a T junction at the end!
|
|
|
Rob I have great sympathies with this situation as in our old place we had a number of similar nutter neighbours, one in particular who has been discussed on this site before. I've moved away so it's not an issue for me now, selfish I know but maybe this is of some help.
The comment I had from an ex senior police officer who saw some loopy driving outside my old house was as follows, paraphrased I admit but the salient wording is there.
"So you've had a word and got nowhere, just a load of lip, right? OK what I would do is this.
Next time it happens, make a note of time, date, description of vehicle, driver and all relevant facts asap. If you can get corroborating evidence from neighbours so much the better. Go to see the individual and say if I/we see you driving like this again I/we will take this report and the report of any other incident(s) down to the local nick and make a statement. If the police won't do anything about it then I/we *will* bring a prosecution against you"
Now this bobby was from the era prior to CPS so I guess he has more idea about how to bring a prosecution than me certainly.
Rob, I don't know if this helps, but at the time I would have appreciated having the Backroom and potential comments ladies and gentlemen from the bar, both virtual and legal?
SB
|
|
|
|
KB: In my hurry to reply, I missed the joke phone - it actually goes to show how callous this woman must be.
|
|
|
|
Any video evidence must have time/date stamp to used as evidence. Be careful what you video and certainly avoid anom. mailings, this could lead to allegations of harrasment. I would suggest a well placed "security" camera. I would honestly avoid filming her getting in and out of the car.
|
|
|
Hello Potty
Aren't you supposed to be the driving instructor who tells his pupils to ignore the highway code and only allow half the stopping distance?
Do any of your pupils pass?
Or are you an "advanced" driving instructor because they only let you near pupils who already have their licence and have nothing to lose?
|
|
|
Now atlast.
Some of you anti-speed brigade actually complaining about something worthwhile. Congratulations !
This girls actions are plain stupid, and obviously needs a word.
No one who is pro-car would disagree. Just another case of "traffic cop" being better than gatso.
A. Driver
|
|
|
