Speed trap

[Mike29]

Driving home tonight, I'm almost through a little village, heading onto back quiet country road. It's 11.30pm, no cars on the road, no pedestrians about. Theres about a 150yard stretch of 30mph road left before I hit 50mph road. So what do I do? I put my foot down! Big mistake! Mr.Plod pulls out of somewhere, and makes me pull over. Doesn't matter that there was no cars or pedestrians about, I was breaking the law (which i admit I did), so 3 points on my license, and a £60 fine. Wonder how much cash he earned his bosses tonight? Still, aint we all glad that our "boys in blue" are out and about, stopping hardened criminals like myself! Today a speeder, who knows, perhaps tomorrow a crack dealer eh. Rant over

[touringcarnut]

Well, a friend of mine's mother got 3 points and £60 for going 37MPH in a 30MPH zone. I felt so sorry for her, because she's a very careful driver.

At the same time, idiots reversing back accross a crossing after they've jumped the lights get away with it.
I can sympathise with you!

[DAVID PATERSON]

Road safety my arse, they're only interested in raising revenue.

[Bluebottle]

Look on the bright side Mike29.... You were caught by a PERSON, an actual Police Officer, not a camera!!!

Er, thats the only bright side i can think of....

[Carrie]

Caught by a person, yes, we have a new initiative in our village. The police are asking any members of the public to report registrations of cars they think are going too fast along with an estimate of the speed and from that a warning letter will be sent out. You can just imagine the do-gooders who don't drive, think all cars are evil and have no judgement of speed.

One of my work colleagues was saying that civilians are being issued with radar guns in villages in Lancashire for this same thing. In one, obviously someone at the edge of a village didn't like that idea and had put up a sign in his garden which read "Warning - Speed Vigilantes Ahead"

[avsfan733]

the selfappointed speed lady in my neighborhood gets a rude gesture from me every time she tells me to slow down because im usually going about 26-27 and the limit is 25...those people are more of a danger than speeders...traffic on highways near me (interstate 95 and I -81 for those familiar) flows at about 75-80 mph consistently the people gong 55-60 are the dangerous ones in my mind because they drive like they own the road because thye are gifted with an attitude of i'm right so act like me

[StuiE]

Originally posted by Bluebottle
Look on the bright side Mike29.... You were caught by a PERSON, an actual Police Officer, not a camera!!!

Er, thats the only bright side i can think of....

I would rather get done by a camera, so there is less chance of getting a yellow sticker from the nice police officer that pulls you over. I have heard of one person who got asked by the cop where he works, and the next week had a nice unmarked car follow him home.

Though if there wasn't cameras that would be even better

If you be polite, make conversation etc, you have a better chance of getting away with it. I forgot to indicate when turning once with a cop right behind me (and I knew it....my mind just went blank), when he pulled my over got a breath test, checked my lisence and then said not to do it again

[Mike29]

Apparently,the reason the cop was doing speed checks was because people in the village are sick of people speeding through, so the cops "had to take action". I was nice to the cop, and he was ok with me, but he still gave me a ticket.

Anyway, I took my documents to the cop shop yesterday, as I got a producer off the cop. The look on the coppers face was hilarious! All my documents he had to look through, and the paperwork that he had to fill in. I could tell he wasn't thrilled about it. I couldn't help but smirk! It was almost worth the £60 fine, just to annoy a copper

I am a bit more weary of my speed on the road now. Although I know I will mostly go faster than I should. I was behind a copper the other day, doing 36mph in a 30mph zone. I guess its different rules for them eh.

ATB

[topwelshman]

I know loads of coppers who are highly frustrated with the way these sort of tactics are destroying people's perceptions of the force. You only have to look at what the Welsh police did last time the rally was here to see what their agenda is. It's small minded, underhanded,opportunist and downright wrong.

I got done flashed twice in 3 mins doing 36 and 38 in a 30 zone (went up the road and came back the same way). When I got the notice of intended prosecution I didn't reply and I haven't heard anything since and that was 2 years ago. It costs them more money to get you into court than the fine generates and most forces will let it go if it's marginal

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by topwelshman
When I got the notice of intended prosecution I didn't reply and I haven't heard anything since and that was 2 years ago. It costs them more money to get you into court than the fine generates and most forces will let it go if it's marginal

You must have been very lucky.... usually, once they've sent you the notice, you're screwed and pay the fine!

Its self incriminating though really, because they make an allegation, you admit it without realising it when they give you the fine amount you can pay so they leave you alone!

[topwelshman]

Yeah, but that's exactly what they rely on. People who get scared when they get the notice and just pay up -eeeeasy money. I run about 20 company cars & vans and get loads all the time from the lads.

We just do not reply. Once they get back in touch (usually about 3 months later-so efficient!) I then say that I have not had any notice and they resend it - about a week- then I ask for the pictures, takes about a week or 2, then I ask for the calibration certificate for the camera. That really gets them and they always reply that it was tested that week and found to be accurate but never send a copy of the certificate as proof. Then we send claim we don't know who the driver was as we swap vans regularly and go from therethem a solicitor's letter.

By this time we are at least 6 months down the line and then they try to prosecute.We fill in all the forms and tell them that the employee we believe to be drivng the van has left and we send them their details and the driver just replies stating that he wasn't driving the van.

By this time they either give up or you go to court. We've had at least 20 this year alone and none are in court or even have a date for court yet!

But, I would stress that we only do this to the ones that are underhanded and where they purposely trap you and if the claimed excessive speed is only just over. If the charge is valid and the lads have been driving like lunatics in a built up area for instance - then we let them take the rap - fair is fair

[Mattracer]

Or if the camera vehicle is at the bottom of a hill behind bushes...

[topwelshman]

Ecactly! My mate got a ticket for doing 41 in a 40 zone, the 40 sign had not been taked down and a new 30 sign had been put up but hidden behind overgrown bushes. He made a right stink and got it in the local papers and radio. I know a few others that got off fines from being on the same road because of him speaking out.

If it ain't fair don't accept it

[touringcarnut]

I totally see your point, if its a claim that's in the name of the comapny, its easy to juggle around who was driving at the time etc.

All power to you for fighting this theft of pocket of a tax!!

[SALEEN S7R]

A copper that my dad knows, spoke to my dad about speed cameras and he said that generally speaking u can do about 34mph in a 30mph zone and not get caught, any faster than that though and of course u are. He also said that they normally give a 7% discresion on cars because car speedo's arent that accurate.

[topwelshman]

True and true

[Tim Falce]

I can't see what you are all whinging about, if you are speeding in a 30mph road, then it's your own fault. Athough Mike29 didn't say what speed he was doing, I expect he wasn't hanging around. If the plod has had complaints then they have to do something, if it had just been a normal tug cos you were going a bit fast then I suspect it would have been a warning.
As for civilians operating the radar thingies, they ahve been doing this for years, I got pulled up for doing 38 mph in a 30 limit in 1973 and the radar unit was worked by civi's but the pold still had to pull me.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Mattracer
Or if the camera vehicle is at the bottom of a hill behind bushes...

For years and years and years one of our earliest "speed traps" was situated after many miles of freeway "climbing", crest the peak of the range, start setting the car up for the downhill run and thankful that some cooling air is getting into your radiator....car picks up speed, start knocking a bit off by letting it overun, dabbing brakes, still on a downhill rollercoaster though....come around a fast sweeper and GOTCHA!

Need I say more.....

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by falcemob
I can't see what you are all whinging about, if you are speeding in a 30mph road, then it's your own fault. Athough Mike29 didn't say what speed he was doing, I expect he wasn't hanging around. If the plod has had complaints then they have to do something, if it had just been a normal tug cos you were going a bit fast then I suspect it would have been a warning.
As for civilians operating the radar thingies, they ahve been doing this for years, I got pulled up for doing 38 mph in a 30 limit in 1973 and the radar unit was worked by civi's but the pold still had to pull me.

I agree, when u speed u are taking the law into ur own hands. If u get caught then fair enough, as I said before the cops are allowed to show a bit of discression and most to be honest with u wont pull u for doing 4 or 5mph over the speed limit.

Thats not to say I dont speed. I do, like we all do, just I've not been caught, yet. And I dont do silly speeds either, its worth noting for anyone who dosent know that in the UK if ur doing 30mph more than any set speed limit then u get a instant ban, so something to bear in mind...

[SALEEN S7R]

Sorry guys, hope that didnt sound too preechy. I just re read what Id said and it might have come across that way, if so then I apoligise in advance.

[touringcarnut]

So 110 mph on the motorway is trouble then

[garcon]

Only if you get caught.

[touringcarnut]

Not that I would advocate putting your foot down on a deserted motorway

[topwelshman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by falcemob
[B]I can't see what you are all whinging about, if you are speeding in a 30mph road, then it's your own fault.

Yeah, agreed but I think what most people are upset about is the amount of time/money spent on trying to raise revenue by underhanded means. Let's call a spade a spade, it certainly ain't for safety reasons and the only reason it is so well used is that it's easy money and we're soft targets. I have the utmost respect for the police in general but I know a load of people who are on the job that are fed up with these practices. Most just want to do what they're supposed to do and catch the crims! Whatever happened to that?!

Ps. there was another on mobile camera on a bridge by Llantrisant on the M4 today, hidden in the far corner so you only saw it when you were about 100yds from the bridge!

[Mike29]

Exactly, topwelshman! I said in the original post that I admitted I was breaking the law. It was mainly the fact that the trap had been set up 150 yards from a 50mph road that bothered me! At 11.30pm at night, with no traffic on the road, and no pedestrians about, who aint gonna put there foot down? lol. It was easy money for em that night, the 's

ATB