how crap is this

in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.cis.dfn.de, MeatballTurbo spake thusly:

Jesus. That's ferkin stupid. *cue nom/L0rdy with "They broke the law, they got the penalty" type responses...* :-)

How can Carlos Sainz and the other foreign drivers have been given penalty points by a British magistrate?

Sorry, but I think that's just really damn funny...

It's totally crap, but there isn't really any alternative. As the law stands, it has to be enforced - and there's no question that they broke the law.

Imagine the outcry if the Police simply let em off !

See my reply.

They only apply whilst driving in this country.

Yeah, it'd be different if it was 3 mph over the limit or something really pissy, but 54 in a 30 for example is just stupid. Part of any WRC event is driving standard road sections - although this forms part of the event (often a moajority of the mileage) the roads are not competitive and timing is VERY relaxed so there should be no need to go that fast.

If i did that in one of my events, i would be excluded from it, so they should think themselves lucky!

"MeatballTurbo" wrote;

Yeah they should have known better...

Isn't breaking the legal speed limits reason for disqualification in rallies?

Steve.

And I do so hate to disappoint. What exactly is 'ferkin stupid' about it ?

Because they can't keep their rally antics where it belongs ?

That'll teach em :)

quote:

"John Rowling, manager of the South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, said: "We warned the rally drivers not to speed while on public roads between stages."

So the bastards actually set a trap, knowing that the limits would be flouted, to rob professional drivers of their livelihoods? Justify that. It's revenue gathering, and crap at that. Even had a trap on the M4 - so much for unrestricted motorways not getting speed traps (I've been done ont he M1 but it's just another example of the two faced Goverment everyone else seemed to vote for)

"For next year's event, the Partnership plans to bring in more Field Inquiry Offices to allow foreign nationals caught speeding in Wales to be tracked down and fined by magistrates before they leave the country. "

great - shooting fish in a barrel.

"Some people were driving at ridiculously high speeds and had no regard for the safety of other road users," he added.

I'm really bored of the "speed kills" mantra. IT'S NOT WORKING.

So they were warned before-hand, and they still broke the limits, knowing full-well what the consequences would be.

The law says "If you speed, then you get busted".

They sped, they got busted.

Agreed.

But that's how the law stands. You can't expect to get away with it, just because you don't agree with it !

Er, if they speed again next year, after what's happened this year, then they bloody-well DESERVE to be busted !

It's been made quite clear that it won't be tolerated !

Agreed. It's ridiculous in the extreme.

Nope, it's another case of enforcing the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it. The actual danger presented by this was essentially zero - it's a politically motivated publicity stunt.

If there wasn't a damn speed trap there, then there wouldn't be any outcry.

:)

That idea that on a short stretch of road between stages on a heavily publicised rally, that anyone might have been unaware of the possibility of cars travelling quickly. Furthermore the idea that rally cars with exceptionally good braking capability, piloted by skilful drivers actually represent a greater risk to safety than the mindless nobbins who regularly travel through at 30-35 mph.

Not why, but _how_. They presumably don't have british licenses, so what jurisdiction do the british magistrates have to apply penalty points?

btw, 54mph on a straight road = 'rally antics'? You must watch some pretty dull rallies :-P

Andy

snip

Well in THAT case

F*ck the police! (Comin' straight from the underground A young driver got it bad cos I'm, er, round?..etc)

Is it a public road ?

Irrelevant.

Irrelevant.

Was it dangerous?

Nonsense.

Nonsense.

I'm not making the case that they didn't break the law - patently they did. However it wasn't dangerous, and applying the letter of the law without taking that into account smacks of small-mindedness and political profiteering, and it doesn't seem right to endanger a sport that millions enjoy for those reasons.

So there :P

Irrelevant.

Clearly not.

Clearly not.

It wasn't dangerous because they're rally drivers. Yea, alright then :)

There's nothing to 'take into account'.

That is how the law works on speeding for *all of us*. It's part and parcel of driving on UK roads. You can't just up and say you should be immume from being prosecuted because you drive for a living and probably make more money per year than some of us will earn in our lifetimes.

If anything was 'endangered', it was done so by the drivers. They were even warned beforehand and they still did it, how fk'ing stupid can you get ?

So where... ? You've said nothing that supports why they shouldn't be prosecuted for doing almost double the legal limit.

Exactly, if you were an amateur rally driver, like for example Carl in his