Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Bionic on 01 November 2011, 05:11:38
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;)
My friend has just been 'invited' to attend one of these for going 2 mph over the limit which I find very petty considering that the road in question is a very wide one with no houses or schools or even turn offs on it. Even worse is that he told me that the officer who flagged him has flouted the rules of the road many time himself by parking on restricted lines including those on pedestrian crossings and triple lined double yellows to (using his words) get his lunch from the local shops. He also said that he has seen many officers speeding while not on emergencies and parking with headlights on facing oncoming traffic.
While in the main I tend to repect the police in general I cannot support or give respect to those of his ilk who because they are officers of the 'law' cannot or will not or blatently abuse the very laws they are expected to - no obliged to, uphold and should as officers set an example by their own actions.
I am also certain that there are many others who share those sympathies too.
He then tells me that the course was led by two civilians one of whom was a driving instructor and the other was from BRAKE or some other road safety campaigning body. I would at least expect that the course was led by police officers who held the advanced driving certificate.
Without tarring all driving instructors with the same brush I have personallt seen the antics of some of them both while with pupils and while on their own and at times gasped at their 'skills'.
BRAKE by its nature will never be happy until we have a bloke in front with a red flag and a horn because they oppose any sensible amendments to any speed increases and wholly support the ever growing use of road humps and chicanes which by their nature are in some cases dangerous by the hazards they create. There is one in the local area that has the first chicane before a railway bridge and another immediately after. They are both in the middle of a blind bend from each direction and many times I have reached the bridge only to have to brake hard to avoid a truck or once an artic that had had to cross onto the opposite carriagway to negotiate the obstacle. On no occassion was it the fault of the driver! If that was meant to make the road safer then the idiot who designed it should be shot! No doubt he or she has a diploma but no common sense or experience. ;)
Any other examples of road safety measures causing danger anyone?
:D
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no its just to make money i done one a year ago what a waste of time sat there like naughty school kids being told what not to do and the guy looked as if he didnt want to be there 4 hours of time wasting thats all and i was £80 lighter
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This is just a joke! Has anyone been watching the series on School for Dangerous Drivers??
These people have a licence and should never be allowed on the road EVER!
Yet these people have no points etc and are free to roam and cause dangerous situations whenever they feel like it, yet the powers at be believe that its fine >:( Yet exceed the speed limit by even a small amount and bang, your the criminal of the century and a danger to every man & his dog in 100 mile radius >:(
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My friend has just been 'invited' to attend one of these for going 2 mph over the limit
I'm sorry, but I can not, for one minute, believe this is the case.
He also said that he has seen many officers speeding while not on emergencies
How convenient for him.
How would he know? Was he listening to their airwaves?
This thread needs treating with a pinch of salt :y
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I believe that you get 10% leaway so that puts him at least 33mph ::) ;)
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my mate went on this and everyone got the following keyring...
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j453/Webbybear/education.jpg)
he was showing it off lol. it's like a memento
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can we have a course for those who insist on driving everywhere (but especially on single carriageways where overtaking opportunities are exceedingly slight) at a rigid 10mph below the speed limit ( depite good road/weather conditions) too please?
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If you'd ever been on one of these courses, you would realise what an eye opener they actually are.
It's not so much what they tell you, but proves just how bad various drivers are and why.
Many of us got less than a quarter of the road signs right! No-one got all 24.
The reaction testing device results were scary.
Nearly half were suggested to visit the optician, based on a quick test.
I reckon the pictures we were shown of real, fatal crashes were actually pretty tame, having recovered worse ones.
Actually being able to discuss some of the speed/careless driving issues with the traffic Police is pretty interesting.
I reckon that such a course should follow a successful driving test.
Well worth 4 hours of my life; not getting the 3 points for not wearing the seatbelt(truly stupid considering what I do for a living) was just the icing on the cake.
As for the margins on the speed limits, anyone who breaks the limit should accept that there are consequences. Hopefully these will just be a fine and/or points on a driving licence, and not any of the far worse possibilities.
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can we have a course for those who insist on driving everywhere (but especially on single carriageways where overtaking opportunities are exceedingly slight) at a rigid 10mph below the speed limit ( depite good road/weather conditions) too please?
.......... and the 35mph everywhere drivers >:(
...........and the 'I'll drive through the Gatso at 24mph no matter what the limit is on the road because I was looking at my speedo more than the road in front of me/or talking to my passenger/or talking on the phone so I've no idea what the limit is' drivers. >:( >:(
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If you'd ever been on one of these courses, you would realise what an eye opener they actually are. ...
I have ........... and apart from the fact I avoided the points, I considered were just another excuse to be patronised by 'professional' drivers (BSM/IAM or some such group) Not in as many words, but at the beginning of the course it was suggested that if we 'discussed' topics too much then we'd be invited to leave the course & collect 3 points on the way out. :-X
I don't they do a road 'test' any more, but I 'told off' for driving the auto car with 2 feet ??? ??? ??? WTF. I've used 2 feet for the past 20 years but apparently I might be tempted to press them both at the same time! ??? ??? ;D ;D
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If you'd ever been on one of these courses, you would realise what an eye opener they actually are.
It's not so much what they tell you, but proves just how bad various drivers are and why.
Many of us got less than a quarter of the road signs right! No-one got all 24.
The reaction testing device results were scary.
Nearly half were suggested to visit the optician, based on a quick test.
I reckon the pictures we were shown of real, fatal crashes were actually pretty tame, having recovered worse ones.
Actually being able to discuss some of the speed/careless driving issues with the traffic Police is pretty interesting.
I reckon that such a course should follow a successful driving test.
Well worth 4 hours of my life; not getting the 3 points for not wearing the seatbelt(truly stupid considering what I do for a living) was just the icing on the cake.
As for the margins on the speed limits, anyone who breaks the limit should accept that there are consequences. Hopefully these will just be a fine and/or points on a driving licence, and not any of the far worse possibilities.
Well said sir ! what would you rather do , get the points or see what speeding at just a few miles over the limit can do ? i would reccomend these courses to anyone
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When did they change it so you got points for a seatbelt offence?? :-\ :-\
Well worth 4 hours of my life; not getting the 3 points for not wearing the seatbelt(truly stupid considering what I do for a living) was just the icing on the cake.
Its a ticket and fine but no points, as far as I know.... ;)
Not knocking your sentiments, BTW. Shovelled more than my fair share of snot and shit over the years.... :'(
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I don't THINK they do a road 'test' any more, but I GOT 'told off' for .....
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When did they change it so you got points for a seatbelt offence?? :-\ :-\
Well worth 4 hours of my life; not getting the 3 points for not wearing the seatbelt(truly stupid considering what I do for a living) was just the icing on the cake.
Its a ticket and fine but no points, as far as I know.... ;)
Not knocking your sentiments, BTW. Shovelled more than my fair share of snot and shit over the years.... :'(
Shovelled more than my fair share of snot and shit over the years
You're not wrong there B - attended my first fatal three weeks into my probationary period and will never forget it - nor the many that followed.
The worst bit - for me at least - was having the remains identified by the loved ones, I can still hear the uncontrolled sobs of anguish when they saw what was left.
What a oppsing job. :( :(
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You beat me by a week Den....
After that, just seemed to be the depth that varied most times, between one thing or another. The joys of a rural patch with lots of students, farmers, machinery, bad times, fast roads and those with insufficient experience to manage any of it.....
For the last 10/12 years of my time was a crash investigator. If luck was with me, remains were already removed. Sadly, if it happened on my shift (or soon either side of it) I got the glorious technicolour version.
Hey ho. Onwards and upwards. :y
Do I miss it? Weirdly, would have to answer in the affirmative, for some reason. Just dont make me do the widow jones bit again.... :'(
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Some divided opinions there....
Anyway just to clear up my side I was employed for many years in the type of job where I had to recover not only the corpses but also the many bits of them when even worse things happened and even then I could look on with detatchment. For anyone to form an opinion without having that type of experience is misleading and shows just how easily many can be mislead by those who have the qualifications on paper but no practical experience of the fact.
Maybe the courses are of value to some but I think that more than probably it would be to those who do not fully concentrate on what they are doing and go on the roads with unfit poorly maintained or not maintained vehiicles, eat or drink while they are driving, on a mobile phone, reading a map (yes, I have seen that more than once), facing their passenger while they talk, face rearwards to check on a baby in its seat, put on makeup and comb hair (scary), bounce up and down in their seat while shaking their head to their overly loud boom boom music, and not least drinking from a bottle that obscures their frontal vision. Worst of all are the drivers who go at far less than the limit, (usually well into old age but who are allowed to keep their licence in case it reduces their independance) and slow down or even stop at every junction, stop at traffic lights when the lights are green and those who persistently stop to allow other drivers to join a main road from a clearly marked side street usually during heavy traffic periods. I have no doubt that many others have seen more or even worse.
It is the wrong time to try to educate drivers who already have overly developed bad habits and the only thing that will work for them is the stiffest of penalties. This type of course should be mandatory and be given as soon as all leaners have passed their full driving test and before they are allowed onto the roads unaccompanied. Far too many pass their test then become a Stirling Moss without plates because they elated at passing and wish to demonstrate to all and sundry that they are experienced, particularly to their friends who have yet to pass.
This subject has many facets and could go on forever but one thing is certain... until a grip is gained over the minority who flout the laws the rest of us who do drive safely will be placed at risk! The police have their hands tied firmly behind their backs by the newer laws that grant society various forms of rights which then turn out to be contradictory to the majority of the law abiding. Its not a job I am jealous of and I have had many, many years of working alongside them......They should be admired for what they try to accomplish. The Speed Awareness corses I believe shouild also be only given by the Police and not by any other organisation. At least the police do not have hidden agendas as do many of the fanatics who opppose anything they do not agree with then flout those very ideaologies themselves.
In closing my friend has now got back to me after the course he attended and has said that one of the instructors was condecending and a little hitller while the other was pleasant and understanding. Why employ someone who acts like hitler and so belittles the 'students'? Surely that type of action will ensure that the course is disregarded and soon forgotten. Strangely enough he said that ther were no police officers there either, and not even a short visit from one. Apparently they were sat in classroom and treat like naughty children instead of adults who had made an error of judgement. He was made to watch and interact with a PowerPoint presentation. They were also told that if they did not ask questions (yes, did NOT ask) or if they contradicted the instructors that they would be required to leave the course, lose their money and go to court to face their original charge. If that does not demonstrate that it is money making excercise then what does?
Its a right can of worms this .......................
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...........// Strangely enough he said that ther were no police officers there either, and not even a short visit from one. Apparently they were sat in classroom and treat like naughty children instead of adults who had made an error of judgement. He was made to watch and interact with a PowerPoint presentation. They were also told that if they did not ask questions (yes, did NOT ask) or if they contradicted the instructors that they would be required to leave the course, lose their money and go to court to face their original charge. If that does not demonstrate that it is money making excercise then what does?
Its a right can of worms this .......................
I've had that feeling for a long time Bio.
Then, it's the way things are going forward especially when it appears that, besides the police, there are many agencies involved in the administration of ‘justice’.
This ability to make money has resulted in many noses being shoved into the trough and it’s typical of this country today – make a minor everyday mistake and there’s some oppser waiting to take money from you by way of threat. Pull a big one like murder or rape or incitement to hatred and so on and there’s a legion of people waiting to tell the world just why those perpetrating such acts should not be punished so harshly.
We will rue the day when policing by these remote means and civilians was ever considered to be in the least acceptable.
A wee word to ACPO – keep your noses out of police business.
A final word to Marsham Street – Keep politics for the bubble dwellers and out of policing and, please come to the very obvious realisation that you can’t police on the oppsing cheap.
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It is the wrong time to try to educate drivers who already have overly developed bad habits and the only thing that will work for them is the stiffest of penalties. This type of course should be mandatory and be given as soon as all leaners have passed their full driving test and before they are allowed onto the roads unaccompanied.
I'm not so sure. :-\
I believe it's absurd that drivers are allowed to go from the age of 17 into old age without any form of ongoing training. It simply doesn't happen in any other discipline I can think of where safety of life is involved.
Drivers should be treated like pilots IMHO. A regular check with an instructor putting them through their paces, practising all the exercises that they haven't done since passing their test and weeding out those who don't reach an acceptable standard. This would both keep the overconfident in check and also raise the confidence of those who currently mimble around in a state of terror, IMHO.
Meanwhile, the threat of a downgrade to public transport would be an incentive for all drivers to keep on top of their game and regard driving for what it is - a responsibility, for those who are suitably skilled, to operate potentially very dangerous machines, not a right that comes to everyone,a nd not a background activity that can be carried out while eating, drinking, smoking, childminding, etc. >:(
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ACPO guideline give the error of speed 10% + 2 so 30 would be 35 mph and as for the institute of advanced morons being professional they are not all there examiiners and demo drivers??? Are all Voluntary so yes they poss professional but not in advanced driving :y