scoobycar60

Local Max Power brigade toss their Mac Donald milkshakes at them as they pass, can make quite a mess of the camera gear or so it is alledged!

[Edited by scoobycar60 - 8/2/2003 9:17:15 PM]

vindaloo

AKA safety camera vans <hiss boo BTW>

These things pop up everywhere but can joe public get his revenge if they drive or park illegally. Lots of these things are run by companies for local authorities or by the authorities themselves.

If they park up and open the doors for business, I assume that they are subject to the same laws regarding parking on the pavement, on private property etc. as the rest of us....

Vindaloo.

hedgehog

This is open to debate. The police can park where they like in order to gather evidence to catch you. Basically most laws in this country contain a clause to the effect that it doesn't apply to a policeman in the line of his duty.

The debate is if the scamera people are policemen or not. In some cases I believe that they use police officers to drive the little mobile road tax units and in that case they can park where they like. If it is a civilian driving then it could be a different matter.

Of course trying to take a case against them has to be worth at least 6 points and having a traffic car follow you around every day waiting for you to make a mistake.

Luke

Fire bomb the *******s!!

ukbob

every time i see these vans they make my blood boil. what i would give for a bag full of grenades!!

what would scooby do

One copper got busted by his top brass for parking illegally whilst snapping away - it was in all the papers.

If it's safe to do so, just park in front of the camera..

Or as Luke said...

hedgehog

While all these approaches are appealing and should, if you ask me, be made legal it is likely that you will find yourself subject to the full force of the law. Remember the scamera vans are collecting taxes for the government and, as they say, two things in life are certain: taxes and death. The goverment will do anything to protect their taxes. With this in mind those wasting milkshakes or parking so as to obstruct scamera vans would likely face criminal damage, assult, perverting the course of justice, obstruction and littering charges in some conbination.

I would, therefore, suggest you mount a more controlled compaign against them by writing to your MP, the police and the local papers as a start. You may also like to join the ABD who apply themselves to the defeat of such mobile tax units.

http://www.abd.org.uk

Such a conisdered approach, while less fun in the short term, puts a lot more pressure on them and you can gain a certain satisfaction by watching them squirm in the media. This is better than them watching you squirm in court.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

are you breaking the law if you park in front of them??

Only here in Germany they like to hide them in parking spaces and behind parked cars so they can not be seen, surely a parking bay is for parking so if you park in it and accidentally knock the camera out of alignment or block it your not in the wrong because your only parking in a regular parking bay which is what they were intended for.

vindaloo

Just in case there is the opportunity :-) I'll be carrying my digital camera with me from now on.

If a Scamera van parks up illegally, I'll snap it and send it to the council (and MP if I can figure who it is....). If I use words like irresponsible, danger, public safety, culpable and duty I reckon I could get my point across.

(LOL at the Macy D's milkshake throwing BTW, in my day it was onion bargie ?!spellin' throwing at foot plods.)

Vindaloo.

Dr Hu

Who else has approached a gatso or camera van and thought I wish I had my UT Rocket Launcher with me now......

Or maybe I should just unplug a little......LOL

Tiggs

lol- typical, people claim to dislike the camera vans so someone suggests writting to MP etc and then everyone goes back to how you can blow them up, lob big macs at them etc! you lot deserve all the tickets your get!

T

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Ther're having a field day by me since they've installed those DS2 strips on the dual carriageway from Hagley to Bromsgrove.

I keep reminding myself to go down to the lay-by where it is installed one night and cut the wires that they connect to the strips in the road

I normally give the van a 1 or 2 finger salute (depending on mood ) as I drive past

Edited to say its not a dual carraige way anymore - they made into a single lane for no apparent reason

[Edited by ALi-B - 04/08/2003 12:09:58]

GaryCat

Then get yourself down to Vastern Rd in Reading, even as I type there's a "safety enforcement" van parked on double yellows and obstructing the view of a road sign.

Gary.

SiDHEaD

ALi-B - is that the (was) 60mph stretch which they have completely messed up and made 50?

Andy

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Yep. Strange how the camera van on the one carraigeway is situated just after the limit drops from 60 to 50mph

I meant to read the side of the van next time I see it, I think it says something like "Traffic Safety Partnership." (yeah right! )

I don't think the old DS2 site heading towards Hagley on 1 mile striaght before the Island is used anymore, as the Car/Van had to park in the central reservation, which I belive breaches safty guidelines.

[Edited by ALi-B - 04/08/2003 14:00:34]