Well, I wasn't aware that you could actually fail the course, I thought it was just a sit in a room and be told stuff. But fair enough, I'll sit and 'listen' - I'm not going to cost myself literally hundreds of pounds over the next few years for the sake of a point - (though if I were earning more money than I am I'd be tempted - another point I'd like to make - a fixed fine is not an 'equal' punishment - half a week's wage to some, half an hour's wage to others, but that's for another discussion)
Here's my issue - and thank you Jasonm, your comments make me feel at least there are decent and flexible members of the force out there. I've personally never had it 'in' for the Police, never been a coppper-hater, always brought up to believe they're there for our protection and to help and serve the public etc... and consequently owed our respect. And I'd like to think that on that day, had I been flashed by a copper and pulled over, I'd have been able to say "I really wasn't sure if this was a 30 or a 40, until I saw that sign [ten yards away] saying '40' which got me thinking 'hang on, does that mean this is a 30, then?' I was just going at the same speed as the other cars around me, thinking I was actually under the limit by several mph. I am genuinely sorry.'
- and I am, I am genuinely sorry, and I've actually sharpened up this last week, really trying to watch any possible speed incursions. The Policeman [I'd hope] would actually look at the few yards away from the 40 sign, and the bollocking this lad has just received, him sitting there being embarrassed in front of his girlfriend, and the fact he is clearly not a 'nob driver' - if he
was he'd have been 5 ft behind the car in front, flashing his lights and swearing at him. He wasn't, he was cruising along with the flow of traffic.
And a quick stern talking to would have made me sit up and watch it in future, as well as - if not more - that this course I'll be going on.
But this experience, along with a few years back my cousin receiving death threats due to his father's appearing in Court to try and prosecute a murderer... and the Police claiming there was 'nothing they could do' does really start to tarnish how I was brought up. And that's a shame, I don't think the average bobby would reasonably consider mine or others' actions as being outright dangerous, and there
are a vast amount/majority of decent Police Officers out there, but actions like this simply causes the general public to get their back up, and generate ill feeling, Which is wrong.
Finally, if they want to increase safety (and still generate income), stick a Bobby at my old Junior School gates for 10 or 15 mins at half 3pm, and just see how many people park on the huge yellow zig-zags, or how many regularly barrel down the same road at 40 (it's a 20), or the main road where the same owner every day reverses his car out onto a blind bend, at the foot of a hill, and every day it's down to alert motorists to stop in time. (All this occurs less that 100yards from the town's Police station)