Tuesday 18 February 2020

My three years on The Naughty List are over!!

As I might have mentioned three years ago, those thieves up in Liverpool caught me in a speed trap* which must have netted them £10,000's a day.

That was 17 Feb 2017. The small print crapola said I can dodge the three points by doing Adult Detention for a day, but if they catch me again within three years, it's three points without the option.

I sorely doubt whether this is ever actually enforced, but you never know, so I have been driving like a little old lady for the past three years, which takes a lot of the fun out of it. I can now revert to driving like a normal adult again.

* There were plenty of 50 mph signs in the roadworks section, and then you were back on the open motorway, with no 50 mpg signs.. I was actually pootling along at 50 mph, waiting for the national speed limit sign, but so many people were overtaking us left and right, it seemed more sensible to just go with the flow. Against the strict letter of the law, it would appear - they cunningly didn't have a national speed limit sign for another couple of miles . So I got flashed doing 61 mph - on a bloody open motorway, with the roadworks at least a mile behind us.

15 comments:

Dr Evil said...

Unlike a police officer a police camera has no discretion. Just wait until loads of people are arrested after facial recognition software screws up.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Dr E, cameras have no discretion, but I can't deny I was technically 'speeding' in a narrow legal sense (not in the real sense of endangering myself or others).

I look forward to the facial recognition foul ups, that'll be fun.

Bayard said...

Yes it turns out that "repeater" speed limit signs are optional. Somerset County Council, for instance, don't put them in to save money, so if you miss the signs at the start of the limit, you're buggered.

Mark Wadsworth said...

B, if that's a permanent speed limit on that stretch of road, you just need to pay attention to your Sat Nav (and update it regularly*). That wouldn't have helped me (or all the other poor saps) in the case of a temporary speed limit.

* I've got a really old one that you stick to the wind screen, you can plug it into your computer and update it. Not sure how that works with the built in crapola you get with new cars. Are you stuck with the factory settings??

Lola said...

There's a section of the A13 as you turn off the M25 and go East that's like that.
I think it's deliberate.

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, I know the bit you mean. It's 50 mph in the built up area as far as Rainham junction, then it's three lanes through the countryside, but the "drive like a twat" sign isn't for another mile or two.

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, bugger. The bit that I meant is inside the M25.

Bayard said...

Arr, Master Mark, down yer in Zummerzet we don't have any of thic Zatnavs. What be they?

Mark Wadsworth said...

B, yes they do, we've driven through there, sat nav worked fine.

Bayard said...

But you baint local, that's why you have one of they gadgets.

Staffordshire man said...

Exactly the same happened to me near B'ham; clear mway after some restriction. I ignored the letter and never heard anymore.

Very similar thing happened near Bordeaux, no road-works but , on the ring, the limit changes often. I was done for 100 in a 90 area, again I ignored it and again no action.

Mark Wadsworth said...

SM, I don't have the nerve. I'd be the unlucky 1 in 10 where they enforce it.

Staffordshire man said...

I'm not brave just disorganised.

Tim Almond said...

I once had 9 points on my license and for about a month. I mostly took taxis, buses, trains or got a lift just to avoid getting 12. And I'm not a bad driver. I just drive to conditions and under some conditions, the speed cameras made no sense.

So:-

1) driving through road works that reduced the speed to 30, even though it was a Saturday and no-one was working.
2) driving past a school, where I normally drove at 20, but at 10am, when the footpaths around were empty, did something like 38.
3) driving down a hill, late at night, no-one around.

I'm not a speed demon at all. I don't race, but a road on the edge of a residential estate at 11pm should not be treated like it is at 8:30am. We have 40mph roads based on risk of harm to pedestrians.

I really object to speed cameras because they have no context. In the old days, when it required two blokes with a squad car, they went out and nicked people driving like twats. They didn't sit on the M4 at 6am on Saturday when you could probably safely drive over 100mph.

I drive with a satnav on most of the time on my phone. Not just for the journey, but because you can get audible speed warnings. Really, I know I'm safe over, but I'd rather not get points and a couple of extra MPH makes no difference.

Mark Wadsworth said...

TS, but did the points affect your insurance? I've got three cars on the go.