Re: BBC News: 'Chemical cosh' early death risk


"nigel" <useweb@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:460e6d21$0$8721$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rowland McDonnell wrote:

Umm. There is no history of law enforcement in England at least (I
don't know about Scotland and Wales). The police in the UK are
explicitly *NOT* for law enforcement.

You're right. I read the government statements about their mobile phone
policy. Basically their first attempt didn't work because enforcement was
minimal, so their response was to up the 'hypothetical' penalties. Since
enforcement is still minimal, is it any great surprise that the ban is
being widely ignored?

On a 100 yard walk to buy a newspaper recently, I examined the vehicles
parked on a 50 yard stretch of road. Three cars had no tax discs, one had
a tax disc two months out-of-date and a flat-bed truck had a tax disc two
years out-of-date.

Unfortunately, there does seem to be a shift in public attitudes over
this - I get the idea that `they' are conducting a campaign to change
the nature of UK policing into something much more evil and American.

I don't know what the Americans do, but when I'm on a two-lane dual
carriageway, driving at 75mph (I know it's speeding but my car sounds so
happy at that speed, and most speedos are optimistic anyway) to overtake a
column of cars doing 60, and a BMW races up behind me, driving so close I
can't see its headlights, and flashing its lights and sounding its horn, I
really really really would love to see a police car. Although the police
are such muttonheads they'd probably tax me for doing 75mph and ignore the
BMW driver.

Well, actually, if you look at the quality of driver training now
compared to what it was like 30 years ago, you'll find that it's
actually an awful lot better.

Disagree. The EU were upset that our test was so much tougher than the
rest of Europe, and as usual we're the ones to compromise. I was helping a
friend with an imminent driving test recently and I was surprised at how
many basic manouevres have disappeared from the test. The government seems
to think that driving is a right rather than a privilege (unless you're
over 65, when the motability allowances get chopped).

When I rule the world, one of the first drivers I'll ban will be Richard
Hammond. He has caused several accidents in his driving career, he
routinely breaks the speed limit (and not all speed limits are stupid) and
he plays chicken with 'lane closed' signs, pushing in at speed at the very
last moment in order to queue jump. And when he shows his limitations by
nearly killing himself on a TV prog, the country hails him as a hero. I
read one of his motoring columns in a tabloid - he had a section on
motoring terms and the one he was explaining was 'understeer' and he got
it completely and utterly wrong. And this is a motoring programme
presenter, supposedly qualified to tell the rest of us how to drive!

Ditto motorcycling - motorcyclists got
the better training and tighter testing

I don't know about the motorcycle test, but the standard of motorcyclists
has improved markedly since I started driving. They used to be almost as
bad as cyclists (except much faster), but nowadays most of them seem very
safety conscious (although still flouting speed limits).

I'd say that the average standard of driving these days on UK roads is
better than it's ever been - I'm sure drivers have got better /on
average/ over the 20 years I've been motorcycling. They've also
introduced compulsory driving re-tests for some offenders.

I'd say it's a lot worse. Kids pass their test and immediately start
driving as though they're playing on a games console. When they get into
their twenties and thirties they want to drive big status-symbol barges
that they aren't competent to handle - it's scary when you meet a big BMW
coming round a corner on the wrong side of the road because the driver
can't steer it properly. And it's irritating when you have to go round and
round busy supermarket car parks looking for a space because the big
barges are so badly parked they take up two spaces.

The ones who are a problem are those who are half-asleep, or `just
driving far too fast for the conditions'. Playing silly buggers at
fairly slow speeds on roads you know - well, that's not very dangerous.
Annoying, yes; very dangerous, no.

There have been a large number of accidents recorded on a certain road
near me, and the usual public outcry about reducing speed limits and
introducing traffic calming measures. But if you look at the 'accidents',
they all involve drivers in their late teens or early twenties driving
home after clubbing.

Evil Nigel


I just made a big pot of mutton broth. If I'd known that about policemen
I'd have saved money and used their heads. And there was a footy match on
today, so I'd have had a good choice.


.

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