Mrs Average has an ally.

Simon Mason said:

Only a handful of people dislike me for bringing the topic of the
Highway Code to the Mail.

She's taking this rather personally, isn't she?

Quoted message said:

(I play golf, but don't know all the rules", Letters, Mail, April 14)

Hmmm. Isn't there a big difference between playing golf without knowing the
rules, and driving a motor vehicle on public roads without knowing the
rules.

Quoted message said:

unless they constantly have it at their bedside like a bible to
read nightly.

Wouldn't she be a better christian if she referred to the Highway Code, at
least occasionally?

Quoted message said:

I work for a living and have more interesting things to do in my life.

Love thy neighbour, and all that.

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

People might remember "Mrs Average" who has better things to do like
thinking of what to cook for tea than on her speed (well, yes - she's

passed

Quoted message said:

into legend by now). No doubt peeved at the lack of support (she only
received anti responses) she popped up the other day to yell ya boo sucks

to

Quoted message said:

"her critics".

Well, today she received one supporter, however, it turns out to be the
original woman who started this whole thing off. The ex police special
officer who complained of being done for speeding in a 30 mph zone because
she didn't know the speed limit as there were no 30 mph signs (as there
doesn't need to be).

<article snipped>

I think it's fair to say that the "victim" (for want of a better word) and
the writer of the letter are both wrong.

Nevertheless, it seems to me that the lampposts rules seems abit silly

Clearly, there should be no need for repeater signs in clearly urban areas
regardless of the provisions of street lighting - so it seems to me to be
silly to require them where there is an absence of lighting

Additionally, on roads which do not appear obviously urban but have street
lighting, there is a bit of ambiguity. No excuse for the motorist who should
know the law, but we'd be better off without that ambiguity.

Also, there is the point that you can have "restricted" roads (i.e. those
where repeaters are not required) and "derestricted" roads where a 30mph
limit applies. The signing doesn't really differentiate between the two that
well, which is a problem for laws such as those governing use of the horn on
restricted roads.

And then there's the complication that it doesn't apply on A or B roads in
Scotland and so on.

It's a bit of a mess really. It would be better IMHO if we had a "start of
urban restrictions" sign, like most of the continent does. I think it would
be simpler, better understood and more workable in villages.

But as I say, this doesn't excuse "Mrs Average".

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Simon Mason
<[email hidden]> breathed:

[ quote from letter to paper ]

Quoted message said:

This I can handle because the majority of people like Julia are backing me
and people have both rang and congratulated me face-to-face for having the
guts to speak up for myself.

First ever real-world instance of "The lurkers support me in email"?

:-)

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.

"Nathaniel Porter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Nevertheless, it seems to me that the lampposts rules seems abit silly

Clearly, there should be no need for repeater signs in clearly urban areas
regardless of the provisions of street lighting - so it seems to me to be
silly to require them where there is an absence of lighting

Additionally, on roads which do not appear obviously urban but have street
lighting, there is a bit of ambiguity. No excuse for the motorist who

should

Quoted message said:

know the law, but we'd be better off without that ambiguity.

I can tell you there is nothing ambiguous about this road. The usual excuse
used is that it is a dual carriageway, which has got nothing to do with it
as there are plenty of other 30 mph dual carriageways in the city apart from
this one.

All it is, is somebody has got fined for speeding and instead of holding
their hands up, admitting guilt, paying the fine, vowing to be more careful
in future, perhaps (gasp) even buying an up to date HC and reading it
instead of watching East Enders one evening, which is what most reasonable
people would have done. She has taken it upon herself to blame the system,
roadsigns, the police and anyone but herself and has only succeeded in
looking a total berk to anyone with their head screwed on.

I think the 'paper knew this as the headline is a bit of a stitch up.

I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN REREAD HIGHWAY CODE
--
Simon M.

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Nathaniel Porter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Nevertheless, it seems to me that the lampposts rules seems abit silly

Clearly, there should be no need for repeater signs in clearly urban

areas

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

regardless of the provisions of street lighting - so it seems to me to

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

silly to require them where there is an absence of lighting

Additionally, on roads which do not appear obviously urban but have

street

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lighting, there is a bit of ambiguity. No excuse for the motorist who

should

Quoted message said:

know the law, but we'd be better off without that ambiguity.

I can tell you there is nothing ambiguous about this road. The usual

excuse

Quoted message said:

used is that it is a dual carriageway, which has got nothing to do with it
as there are plenty of other 30 mph dual carriageways in the city apart

from

Quoted message said:

this one.

Abolutely. But I think we could have a better system which addresses the
failings of the current one (which I don't think has much to do with this
case though) :-)

Quoted message said:

All it is, is somebody has got fined for speeding and instead of holding
their hands up, admitting guilt, paying the fine, vowing to be more

careful

Quoted message said:

in future, perhaps (gasp) even buying an up to date HC and reading it
instead of watching East Enders one evening, which is what most reasonable
people would have done. She has taken it upon herself to blame the system,
roadsigns, the police and anyone but herself and has only succeeded in
looking a total berk to anyone with their head screwed on.

Absolutely.

<snip>

Response:

I find it interesting to read that Ms Bateman (24 MAY 04) has better things
to do with her time than to familiarise herself with the basic rules of the
road before setting out in her car. I wonder if she is also too busy to
visit a pub, do the lottery or watch East Enders like millions of others can
find the time for. As she watches TV might she wonder if it may be a more
useful pursuit to spend a while finding out what other laws she is not aware
of, even if only to prevent any more future fines?

--

Simon M.

Simon Mason said:

Response:

I find it interesting to read that Ms Bateman (24 MAY 04) has better
things to do with her time than to familiarise herself with the basic
rules of the road before setting out in her car. I wonder if she is
also too busy to visit a pub, do the lottery or watch East Enders
like millions of others can find the time for. As she watches TV
might she wonder if it may be a more useful pursuit to spend a while
finding out what other laws she is not aware of, even if only to
prevent any more future fines?

I like it. Pithy.

On Mon, 24 May 2004 14:43:48 +0100, "Simonb"
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

Only a handful of people dislike me for bringing the topic of the
Highway Code to the Mail.

She's taking this rather personally, isn't she?

Quoted message said:

(I play golf, but don't know all the rules", Letters, Mail, April 14)

Hmmm. Isn't there a big difference between playing golf without knowing the
rules, and driving a motor vehicle on public roads without knowing the
rules.

Mm, yes. Playing golf carelessly is not likely to kill or seriously
injure someone (yes it's possible it might, but the chances are not
high).

....
--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

On Mon, 24 May 2004 14:21:54 +0100 someone who may be "Simon Mason"
<[email hidden]> quoted this:-

Quoted message said:

With regard to other comments about not being on the road if you do not know
the Highway Code, maybe these people, if tested, would find out after
passing a test 16-years ago they would not know a great deal unless they
constantly have it at their bedside like a bible to read nightly.

I work for a living and have more interesting things to do in my life.

I suspect that somewhere in the Highway Code there is a note about
keeping oneself up-to-date with the Code. When one accepts a driving
licence then the conditions include following the Code ISTR. If my
recollection is true then she is saying that she is not complying
with the conditions of the contract between herself and society.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

"David Hansen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message n

Quoted message said:

I suspect that somewhere in the Highway Code there is a note about
keeping oneself up-to-date with the Code. When one accepts a driving
licence then the conditions include following the Code ISTR. If my
recollection is true then she is saying that she is not complying
with the conditions of the contract between herself and society.

In any case, all of the newer stuff about mobile phones and ASLs and
suchlike won't have been in the copy she used. How can she possibly know the
rules concerning these things if she hasn't read a copy for 16 years?

--

Simon M.

Gawnsoft <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 May 2004 14:43:48 +0100, "Simonb"
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

Only a handful of people dislike me for bringing the topic of the
Highway Code to the Mail.

She's taking this rather personally, isn't she?

Quoted message said:

(I play golf, but don't know all the rules", Letters, Mail, April 14)

Hmmm. Isn't there a big difference between playing golf without knowing the
rules, and driving a motor vehicle on public roads without knowing the
rules.

Quoted message said:

Mm, yes. Playing golf carelessly is not likely to kill or seriously
injure someone (yes it's possible it might, but the chances are not
high).

Quoted message said:

...

Ummm... isn't golf a cause of more head injuries than cycling ;·/ ?

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

On Mon, 24 May 2004 15:46:47 +0100, "Simon Mason"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

In any case, all of the newer stuff about mobile phones and ASLs and
suchlike won't have been in the copy she used. How can she possibly know the
rules concerning these things if she hasn't read a copy for 16 years?

Quite. It's not as if you have to pay, after all.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This I can handle because the majority of people like Julia are backing me
and people have both rang and congratulated me face-to-face for having the
guts to speak up for myself.

Pity that out of this vast "majority" only *one* bothered to write in and
defend you, unlike your many critics.
--
Simon M.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This I can handle because the majority of people like Julia are backing me
and people have both rang and congratulated me face-to-face for having the
guts to speak up for myself.

Pity that out of this vast "majority" only *one* bothered to write in and
defend you, unlike your many critics.
--
Simon M.

What gets me about Ms Average is that she is revelling in her ignorance. I hope
she does lose her licence before she manages to kill someone. Indeed, if she
does hit someone and it's reported in the Hull media, I sincerely hope her
current correspondence is brought back to light and she gets the book thrown at
her by plod. One can but hope. Ms Average is unlikely to have an "accident"
when she is so obviously proud of her ignorance and sees no requirement to make
a halfway reasonable attempt to be a decent driver.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

In article <[email hidden]>,

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

What gets me about Ms Average is that she is revelling in her ignorance. I hope

Unfortunately, ``I don't need to worry about the details of driving, I
just do it'' is a common meme amongst, dare I say it, women. If a skill
isn't prized, it's not developed, and I know several women who have been
driving for thirty-odd years but lack basic skills with the clutch: they
passed their test, and saw no reason to learn or develop beyond that.

Macho male double-declutch-oversteer-cadence-brake [censored] is a double
edged sword. It makes people drive too fast, immersed int he false
belief that their ``skills'' make them safe. On the other hand, there's
a fair chance their know which end of their car is driven, if it has ABS
and what it means, and some details of the legal position (even if they
then break it).

There's a handful of people I am very nervous about being in a car
with. Most of them have never had an accident.

Quoted message said:

when she is so obviously proud of her ignorance and sees no
requirement to make a halfway reasonable attempt to be a decent
driver.

She's passed a test, hasn't she?

ian

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, ``I don't need to worry about the details of driving, I
just do it'' is a common meme amongst, dare I say it, women. If a skill
isn't prized, it's not developed, and I know several women who have been
driving for thirty-odd years but lack basic skills with the clutch: they
passed their test, and saw no reason to learn or develop beyond that.

There's lots of the male of the species just as woefully inadequate.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Helen
Deborah Vecht <[email hidden]> breathed:

Quoted message said:

Gawnsoft <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mm, yes. Playing golf carelessly is not likely to kill or seriously
injure someone (yes it's possible it might, but the chances are not
high).

Quoted message said:

Ummm... isn't golf a cause of more head injuries than cycling ;·/ ?

Golf Helmet Initiative Trust anyone?

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, ``I don't need to worry about the details of driving, I
just do it'' is a common meme amongst, dare I say it, women. If a skill
isn't prized, it's not developed, and I know several women who have been
driving for thirty-odd years but lack basic skills with the clutch: they
passed their test, and saw no reason to learn or develop beyond that.

There's lots of the male of the species just as woefully inadequate.

Usually with a baseball cap at an unusual angle.

--
Simon M.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, ``I don't need to worry about the details of driving,
I just do it'' is a common meme amongst, dare I say it, women. If a
skill isn't prized, it's not developed, and I know several women who
have been driving for thirty-odd years but lack basic skills with
the clutch: they passed their test, and saw no reason to learn or
develop beyond that.

There's lots of the male of the species just as woefully inadequate.

I'm always more worried by drivers wearing Hats; they're either teenage boys
(with three friends in the car) or gentlemen of a certain age; both groups
are likely to make strange manaoevers without signalling.

Women in general are as good at driving as men. I've never had a particular
problem with them. (now giving them the vote, *that* was the bad move!
<gd&r>😉

Pete.