Comper100

Getting desparate are they?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4203375.stm

I call all drivers never to take any hands of the wheel EVER not even to change gear, through danger of loosing control!

I dunno

Comper100

Brit_in_Japan

If you're trying to steer with your right hand, which also holds an apple, and you change gear with your left, for a second you haven't really got much control (unless you have hands like dinner plates).

Still a bit harsh to get done I'd say, a warning would have sufficed.

Maybe driving and smoking will be the next target. How much control does someone have when trying to take a cigarette out of a packet or when they're trying to light it???

Jerome

When I lived in Dorset (see other threads on the anti-car sentiments of this c[o]unty), my neighbour was convicted of driving without due care because he briefly read his newspaper, which was on the passenger seat, whilst stationary if traffic - in neutral with the handbrake on. He was spotted by an off-duty Dorset police officer walking down the pavement. My neighbour got 5 points and a fine. Fecking ridiculous.

r32

Mad isnt it ................. persecution of the motorist and burglars, vandals, muggers get let off. Cant get a policeman to come if youve been burgled.
My Aunt, late 60's was burgled, they used a garden spade to lever out a double glazed patio door, ranscked her house and stole some jewellery. Most of it had just sentimental value. The Police wouldnt attend, told her to drop a list of things stolen at the police station next time she was in town!

jjones

what about smokers.

one of the most distracting actions behind the wheel. mate knocked the "cherry" off his *** when driving and nearly crashed as a result. he was wearing shorts and things got a little warm

MJW

Never mind smoking - the biggest menace is nose picking. The act of mining for nose-gold itself is dangerous enough as one hand must leave the wheel. But when a bogie is finally found there's the problem of what to do with it - rummage round the car looking for a tissue or old petrol receipt to wipe it on ? Just eat it like John McCririck would do ? Or wipe it behind the steering wheel ? Whichever course of action is taken could possibly result in the death of children and increase in international terrorism

Karl 227

I find peeling a banana and drinking a can of coke the most distracting thing to do whilst driving, especially if the phone goes.

prodriva

Dont get me started on drivers who smoke. When they flick there cig out the window it can be a real danger to a following motorcycle. A freind of mine had his visor open once and this happened and the *** but went into his helmet and wedged between his cheek and the helmet padding. In the short space of time it was there he got a nice burn on his face and the lining of his lid was ruined.

Not only should they be done for driving whithout due care and attention whilst smoking but they should also be done for the litter dropping. As for drivers who park-up and empty the contents of there ash tray on the ground, that just makes my blood boil.

Feckin smokers.

Chris L

According to the radio report this morning - the case cost nearly £10K with aerial photographs and involved 10 hearings at court!

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "We were obliged to gather all appropriate evidence to present our case.

"Costs do not have a bearing on any decision to prosecute."

- Nice sentiment when it's taxpayers money being used

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Then again, if she lost, wouldn't she have to pay costs...

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Well, it is illegal, and she should have taken her first 30 quid fine on the chin and been done with it.

Tiggs

She's as big a fool as the system.

She was never going to win. She can argue it wasnt "really" a problem but the judges are never going to say..."what you did was wrong but as its not that big a deal we will let you off"

T

Jap2Scrap

lol

Maybe the motorcyclist shouldn't have been wedged up his exhaust pipe like the ***** seem to enjoy doing. I'd say that motorcyclists are a bigger danger on the roads than smokers. Full stop.

Phil

As she lost she should have to pay the costs


did she ?


No £100 thats all

Comper100

They'll never Ban smoking in cars because thats a nice earner for them, and being as thats all the REALLY care about then safety is of no concern there!

An thats why your Aunt was attended to properly, theres no money to be made in that is there!

Leslie

JapsScrap

Whether the biker was close behind or not it does not excuse the driver for chucking a lit cigarette end out of the window. That could have hit the biker either way and is extremely dangerous and thoughtless.

Les

Jap2Scrap

Les, I'm a reasonable guy and I admit thoughtlessly throwing a cigarette from a window could be dangerous. I do it, but I'll only do it if there's no one in the vicinity. However, I'll be buggered if I'm going to let anyone generalise me for smoking. Until it's illegal or so heavily banned it's impossible to do I'll continue to enjoy my freedom to do it. This may lead to me arguing the toss on irrelevant asides such as the one above but I'm damned if I'm going to be persecuted along with the other 1/4 of the population just because some people don't like it.

Jerome

Seems very wrong to me they can find 10k to investigate a very minor traffic offence, but would probably not investigate a burglary on the grounds of lack of resources (ie too expensive). The last time I looked, burglary was a serious offence...

r32

No resources to investigate for the public if you have a problem, just ridiculous......

Jye

Reasonable? Is that right? So never mind your hardman anti-biker waffle, what exactly do you think happens to your *** end when it leaves the window? Does it just rot away? Or does it sit about for about 2000 years polluting the planet? I bet you dont know, or even care. Well most *** ends end up in drains and then watercourses and the seas. Cellulose acetate filters are not and never will be classed as biodegradable.

btw I'm a smelly smoker and scummy biker, just not a complete waster.

gsm1

She shouldn't have contested it. It may not seem a big deal but she was in the wrong.

But spending that amount of money on evidence is ridiculous. They could have used that time and money on far more serious crime.

boomer

WhyTF did the CPS even consider proceeding with this case

madness

Maybe the police should start pulling hackney carriages who don't have a bale of straw in their boot - as that is illegal too!!

mb

p.s. ...and don't even start me on smoker/drivers :aaaarrrggghhh:

Lum

Heh, try driving a car home after some theiving git has ripped off your petrol cap to get your fuel and the only thing protecting your petrol from flying **** is a bit of crappy green plastic that is the only replacement garages sell despite them being an MOT failure.

Then you'll have a real problem with smoker drivers.


As for the original point... it was a bloody Ka! a 120yr old with severe osteoperosis could stear that thing with one finger. If the power assistance was any stronger it would steer left every time you turned the radio up loud.

Sprint Chief

I've got a new game to play in the car.

You take an apple, and either dangle it on a string from the rear view mirror or attach it to the dash with a long springy thing. You then have to drive and try to bite chunks out of the apple while driving along. Kind of like "apple bobbing". You get 10 points each successful bite out of the apple, -5 for crashing, -10 for knocking over an old lady and +50 for knocking over pslewis. Double points if you do it in full view of a police officer, treble if it is raining.

Shouldn't be illegal because you're not holding it your hand. Like a hands free apple kit I think I might start marketing them tomorrow!

Mr Sympathy

Well said I always thought it odd that the ban on using mobiles whilst driving ignored those drivers who roll ****, read maps, eat their lunch, pick their nose, get dressed, get undressed,ogle women, "attend" to their children, listen to personal stereos etc etc were not included. Was sure it was a matter of time before it happened, if it can be proved attention was lost for an appreciable time I have no problem with it, but I do feel proving that is highly difficult.

Pogue

Can I buy one please? Does it come with a warranty ?

Felix.

So what do you want the police to do. Everytime someone contests a case - drop it because it costs too much!!!

If she denies the offence - then the police must prove the case at the court. The same is true of all crimes.

Each DNA sample found at a crime scene will cost about £1000 to sequence.

Jap2Scrap

No non-biodegradeable parts to a roll-up my friend. No, I don't roll at the wheel before you ask.

Anti-biker? Not me. I was one myself once until I got fed up of dodging wayward motorists who forgot what their mirrors were for, etc. I'm just realistic about the fact that if a motorcyclist gave more room than they tend to do the cigarette would have been very unlikely to get anywhere near his visor.

Anyway, until you're driving a hydrogen powered car you can stick your anti-pollution ramble. Hypocrisy doesn't entertain me.

gsm1

To the point of using a police helicopter and patrol car (plus police time) to make a video after the event? She didn't deny holding the apple, so it was basically the policeman's word against her's whether her driving was reckless.

gsm1

I'm not saying they should drop it but the cost involved must befit the crime. Would any of us expect the same kind of resources to be used in a reckless driving charge as they would in a murder case?