cathwood said:Wow Nao - re the speed camera thing.
I have sat nav. I don't have the camera database installed.
I believe in theory that everyone should stick to the speed limit, as
in my experience people have proved time and again that they are not
sensible/thoughtful. However, I do speed when going to work. (It's a
long way and 95% of the time I have to do a certain stretch of 60mph at
40. I have no idea why people always drive at this speed on this
stretch of the road.)I do feel, however that people shouldn't be 'criminalised' for
speeding.Cathy
Hi Cath, yes, as you have seen, I can become quite animated over
cameras, although I don't universally detest them (**1). The probable
reason most drive at 60 on your road is that it is a natural speed, one
that people feel safe driving at, whilst on that stretch. I would guess
you feel safe doing so too. And yes, time and time again a *few*
drivers will prove they are not sensible. The inexperienced and the
young will also make all too frequent errors of judgement. One thing
that annoys me is that the fines/points will be applied regardless of
past record, no lenient magistrates as for the first time vandal, the
first time burglar or mugger. No one to quote your previous
unblemished record.
A friend had 38 years driving without so much as a parking fine, no
accidents, nothing. He was flashed at 36 in a 30 zone. No
compassion, no consideration of his clean record by the police. I
donned my amateur barrister hat and got him off the hook in the
magistrates court. It was fun! I believe that for such first
offences, or for a small excess over the limit (say up to 40 in a 30 )
there should be a system of stroppy warning letters first, recognising
that factors such as I mentioned in the earlier post do exist. Thus
treating the motorist in a similar way to other offenders.
It is hard not to see cameras as cash raising machines, when, as
reported in news just yesterday, one camera took 22,000+ pounds in just
4 hours. In round figures at that rate it would have totalled a
million pounds in a week. One "idiot" every 36 seconds?.....or was the
area perhaps signed badly or inappropriately?
BBC: "A single speed camera caught nearly 400 speeders in just four
hours, clocking up more than £5,000 an hour in fines."
**1: there is *ONE* camera I detest. I sometimes stay with friends:
some of you may even know them : John and Zyllan: both ride unicycles.
They have a GATSO camera outside their house which constantly flashes
through their front bedroom window. I hate that one: really messes
up my sleep when I stay.
Nao
--
Naomi
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