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New speed cameras


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I couldn't agree more, if you're speeding in residential areas and especially past schools that's reckless and selfish.


But it's a bit different to doing, say 85 mph on a motorway, or enjoying opening it up on a nice quiet A road.


Not everyone buys a motorcycle just to 'bimble', if that's your style fine, but it isn't mine.

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Not everyone buys a motorcycle just to 'bimble', if that's your style fine, but it isn't mine.

 

Very true. Which is why there are things called track days. For those who want to go faster than the speed limits without endangering others.

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Not everyone buys a motorcycle just to 'bimble', if that's your style fine, but it isn't mine.

 

Very true. Which is why there are things called track days. For those who want to go faster than the speed limits without endangering others.

 

Fair enough. I don't believe in haring around at crazy speeds on public roads, but I believe there are times when it's ok to use a bit more of the performance available to travel quite quickly.. obviously individual judgement will be required but increasingly that's not something out government believes we are capable of.

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I like the German approach. They only seem to have cameras where they are absolutely necessary. I've seen them at road works (with actual live workmen). Just inside the edge of villages and on the approach to unguarded level crossings. Painted an invisible dark green and sometimes placed at less than knee height. (And they don't seem to get vandalised)


Aside from that.. If you are doing 21kmh in a 20... So in a village and are radard by a copper.... That's an instant €70 fine. And just try saying anything about your speedo being inaccurate and the vehicle is likely to be seized as unroadworthy or the copper to look at you as if you are far too dumb to have a license.


Speed elsewhere and come a cropper... Then you're an idiot. Hurt someone else... And you're likely to be charged with attempted murder. If they choose to allow the police to prosecute.


So... There are reasons why the Germans are careful. Have their speedos properly calibrated and pay especial care when driving anywhere near people. Get it a little wrong and it's instantly expensive... Get it very wrong and you might end up in jail or heavily in debt/bankrupt.


But.. There's also an upside. Out in the countryside... You will probably never see a copper. Or if you do... Then they are on their way to something far more important and will completely ignore you unless you do something really obviously daft. Motorways... Mainly without any limit. (unless essential) and... Local speed freaks are looked after with "drag" type races organised on public roads with police assistance so.. The local impetuous youths and young at heart can have a bit of fun with their souped up puntos etc. These local events gain huge audiences.. A day out with the kids kind of thing. But the sort of thing that would cause the authorities here to have palpitations erect barriers or call out the water cannon.


The Germans love their cars and bikes. There are rules that they are careful to obey. But there is also a lot of leeway and a sense of personal responsibility that is entirely different to here.

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Speed limits exist for two reasons.

1. Because the public can't be trusted to drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions

2. Revenue generating.


If the public could be trusted, there would be no need for 20mph speed limits past schools for example. All that woild be required is a sign saying "School". It wouldn't even need to say "slow down" or any words like that...


But we live in a world full of morons where if you consider yourself to be above average ability at anything the majority are worse than you, and rules exist for the lowest denominators...

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The fun and joy element has well and truly departed from driving and riding in most of the UK.

Not saying that you have to be "speeding" to have fun - not at all.


I mean that there's too much threat of punishment for simply using the roads, too many restrictions and boundaries, too many idiots, too many cameras, too many vultures at the top trying to get into your pocket.


Once upon a time in the UK, you could jump on your bike and just go out and enjoy the ride.


Definitely time to start thinking about jumping ship. With everything else going wrong here, the speed cameras covering every inch, mixed with the shockingly low standard of driving, is the last straw.


Netherlands have some nice roads, I hear.

 

Yup - it's especially noticeable when you get back to the UK after a good blast across the continent: shit roads, crap driving, speed cameras on every other f*cking gantry, and mile after interminable mile of 50 mph average speed checks for roadworks, despite the fact that there is never any sign of any work actually being done. I travelled about 20 miles through roadworks on the M6 a few months ago and saw three workmen: two were just standing with their hands in their pockets looking at a pole, and a couple of miles down the road there was a bloke asleep in a digger. And then if you do dare to go a bit too fast and get caught you'll have to spend a day listening to some pointless bellend telling you how dangerous it is to do 54 mph in a 50 zone on a motorbike, although doing 50 mph in a 30-ton HGV is absolutely fine.


Most of the dangerous driving I've seen on the motorway over the last 28 years has had very little to do with speed: of course there are always a few dickheads who drive way too fast, but the vast majority of dangerous driving is tailgating - particularly trying to intimidate people out of the way - or some other idiot manoeuvre, like slicing diagonally from the fast lane to the exit slip because they weren't paying attention. But catching those guys would require actual policemen in cars: much simpler just to put up a camera and pretend it's because you're concerned about safety as the cash comes rolling in.


And another thing: we complain that people drive too fast and then make it easier for them to do so by making cars safer. If we got rid of the drivers seat belt and airbag and then put a big spike in the centre of the steering wheel like cars from the 1950s used to have I bet people would be a bit more careful. :D

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Big spikes on steering wheels, not a bad idea. A mage used to work in high tension power lines in Australia. Their accident rate rocketed after they introduced safety gear. Guys just got careless. Much of the bad driving is down to sheer carelessness and lack of hazard perception.


When my brother got fed up of tailgaters he welded a scaffold pole across the back of his car, with a block in the middle to punch a hole in whatever hit him from behind. It seemed to work very effectively.

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Tailgaters, oh how I hate thee...


I do get a little satisfaction when I'm in the car and a tailgater attaches themselves to me. I spray the windscreen with way to much washer fluid and watch as they have to turn their wipers on. It's the simple things I enjoy :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...

As well as the 'motorists are cash cows' aspect it's all part of a far wider scheme for U.K. maximum spyware on citizens. The police also use other types of camera for spying on the public. In all cases the medicine bottle being labelled 'it's for your own safety.' (Yawn). Whilst most people are aware of police and Google spyware they are not remotely aware of other agencies with outrageous powers who routinely operate abusive spyware notwithstanding hollow parallel citizen protection such as the Data Protection Act. (For each abuse category there is illusory citizen protective legislation in place, never meant to be utilised).


As an example let me choose an abusive body (I'm spoilt for choice) which most of us use - your local authority.


Did you know that your local authority can tap into both your bank account and other financial records, Royal Mail's delivery system, and your telephone records?


What could spark such intrusion?


Based on my own personal past experience, and by the way I don't refer to my present local council: -


(a) Accepting mail on behalf of a pal who visiting from overseas and bumming around the U.K. for over six months. That is using your property simply as a mailing address.


(b) Claiming 25% council tax discount based on being a single occupier.


After being called to a two hour local authority interrogation under oath it produced a substantial dossier of my private records and those of my pal. Surprise, surprise. Several months later I was invited back for another spin. I politely declined and nothing more was ever heard.


At least one can usually see the 'motorists are cash cows' spyware.


Plans have been afoot for several years to microchip all or most U.K. citizens under various pretexts, but agreement has to date not been reached as to how to sell such to the public as being to its advantage. I joke not. Over twelve years ago such technology was trialled in the U.S.A. using seventy mentally ill patients. A 'free' society?! My ex Russian wife was apparently far more free in the olden days whilst living under communism.


There's not much which I'm proud about, but never voting for ANY politician is an exception. If you voted YOU installed the spyware.

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If everyone had reacted to the appearance of speed cameras by slowing down, so they cost a fortune and made hardly any money, they would have been phased out. But sadly, people kept on speeding, they make a fortune and they are here to stay.


They don't bother me as I just potter about on my bike and am not in it for the speed. My car is a 1995 Volvo estate. I am captain slow.

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If cameras were about making money, they'd be painted dark green, so you can't see them clearly - like they are in Germany. Or they'd be deliberately hidden behind street furniture so you didn't have a hope of slowing down for them - like the ones we saw in France this week. Or the government would make it illegal for sat nav manufacturers to put the camera locations on their map - as is the case currently in Germany again.

But in the UK, we put up signs to say that cameras or mobile cameras are in use, your sat nav tells you precisely where they are, and then paint them bright yellow and, with a few exceptions, we site them in full view of the carriageway. Of all the ways of using cameras I've seen, ours seems to me best designed to slow people down. And the upshot - the UK one of the lowest RTA records in Europe - coming just after Norway, Sweden and Switzerland - and yet without resorting to the draconian system of on-the-spot fines-or-your-vehicle-is-impounded that citizens of those countries live under.

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I live out in the country side, 18 miles east of Doncaster, lovely roads. But unfortunately they seem hell bent on reducing all the speed limits. Im lucky if I hit a 60mph road. Most of the roads seem to be 40 or 50's now. and when there is a decent road where you can make progress. They've slapped average speed camera's along them.


and if that wasn't bad enough, you get people slowing down 10-20 mph below the speed limit for fear of getting caught.

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There are still many drivers out there looking out for their fellow motorists, travelling on the A40 in Wales cars were flashing their lights and sure enough there was a detection van a mile or two further along, ensuring no one was [strikeout]enjoying themselves[/strikeout] speeding recklessly.


Hopefully they caught no one, I carried on flashing my lights at oncoming cars for a few miles after, spread the good karma :)

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