[David9694]

A new catch-all Tea Shop thread for those miscellaneous new stories that don’t quite fit with parking, crashing into buildings or trapped/prisoners in their homes. 

Topic

[wtjs]

Utter muppets

Utter muppets

A bit harsh! How can drivers be expected to know that fog, sunshine, rain, dark etc. should modify their usual ‘foot down and accelerate out of trouble’ practice.

[Simon E]

Thursday morning 8 car pile

Thursday morning – an 8 car pile-up on the A55 near Holywell due to foggy conditions.

By which I think they mean in the drivers’ tiny brains, since they can’t simply drive to the conditions or leave enough room in front. Utter muppets.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/eight-vehicle-a55-crash-due-30370454

 

[David9694]

brooksby wrote:

mdavidford wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Was Cllr Cartman not at that meeting

He was, but he left early.

Clearly someone didn’t respect his authoritaaa! 😉

“After a two-hour long meeting, the panel voted 9-2 to resolve that the majority of the panel supported the introduction of the charges but was “concerned about the impact of the proposals on local businesses, community clubs, community groups, and residents.”

The panel called on the executive to develop mitigations to address these impacts. Mr Cannifor said: “I’m happy to make these considerations. […] That seems very reasonable.” so maybe Mr Cannifor (who hails from Scotland for the sake of this joke) can afford to make some concessions to hard-working drivers?

Gonna say it again, other headlines in the North Somerset Times suggest that times sure is hard for the Council, but they’ve cobbled together £400k from 2024/25 budgets to undo the Clevedon seafront changes.

[David9694]

Going home, running home

Going home, running home
Down to Gasoline Alley where I started from
Going home, and I’m running home
Down to Gasoline Alley where I was born

[Rendel Harris]

brooksby wrote:

Rod Stewart considers selling his sports cars because of local potholes

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/14/rod-stewart-considers-selling-his-sports-cars-because-of-local-potholes

Very public spirited of him, the tax he would have to pay on capital gains (I’m not a tax expert by any means but I believe the exemption for cars only applies to your personal vehicle, not collections or vehicles bought as investments) can go towards mending the potholes, thanks Rod! Chimes with one of my favourite quotes about taxation, would you sooner have enough money to own a Lamborghini but the roads be so bad you can’t drive it anywhere, or would you rather pay a level of tax that meant you could “only” afford a Porsche but that meant you would have nice smooth roads to drive it on?

[brooksby]

Rod Stewart considers selling

Rod Stewart considers selling his sports cars because of local potholes

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/14/rod-stewart-considers-selling-his-sports-cars-because-of-local-potholes

[chrisonabike]

brooksby wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Except that they are demonstrably NOT (in this sample size of one, anyway). Otherwise nobody would ever get more points, once they’d been given some, surely?

She had one for that also – apparently because there is often a delay (maybe 2 week deadline on NIP) before the law gets in touch with you, AND you could make one “journey” but eg. trigger multiple cameras, why, any otherwise law-abiding driver could easily rack up a large haul of points without knowing. (If only there were several different ways you could be informed about these arbitrary, nay, piffling speed limits… and indeed all the other rules of the road that one suspects these folks can’t be bothered with or are possibly not psychologically equipped to understand).

[David9694]

It’s sooo unfair: Man’s anger

It’s sooo unfair: Man’s anger after getting Colchester Hospital parking fine

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24716639.mans-anger-getting-colchester-hospital-parking-fine/

As always, I have mixed feelings about the parkcos, not least at a hospital, but characters like this (see picture) are a good reason to pass the issue on to them to manage. 

Next up 

Man from Ash, near Canterbury, gets £100 parking fine after 15-minute stop to collect ill mum from Charlton Shopping Centre in Dover

He added: “Since both of the appeals have been rejected, our next step is to potentially take this matter to court.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news/i-parked-for-15-minutes-to-help-my-ill-mum-and-was-fined-1-315816/

I assume there are charges here for blue badge parking (for once a legitimate holder and usage), our man refers to them – can’t find anything online to confirm what they are. 

The point of principle for me is drivers making up their own rules and indeed sticking to this when it’s pointed out when there are actual rules. If no one backs down, this will presumably find its way to a court so I’m happy for him to tell it to the judge. 

 

[David9694]

Fit enough to be driving (in

Fit enough to be driving (in August 2023) = fit enough to stand trial – update on accountable drivers here

Colchester Waitrose car park death sees new trial date set

Kirby-Green is also accused of failing to stop after a road accident, failing to report a road accident and driving a motor vehicle on a road with eyesight which did not comply with requirements. 

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24721940.colchester-waitrose-car-park-death-sees-new-trial-date-set/

[brooksby]

Except that they are

Except that they are demonstrably NOT (in this sample size of one, anyway). Otherwise nobody would ever get more points, once they’d been given some, surely?

[Grahamd]

chrisonabike wrote:

Another perrenial again – who is still driving with the most points (229 the current winner)?  Meanwhile m’learned friend comes out to defend the indefensible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8yq063m96o

BBC wrote:

Ms Ashworth [the lawyer] said having hundreds of points was “very much the exception”.

“I’ve seen many people try their luck… and the courts are quite rigorous in the way they assess these arguments,” she said.

She added people who already have points, or who had escaped a ban based on exceptional hardship, which they cannot apply for on the same grounds more than once in a three-year period, were often “a lot more careful than anybody else on the road”.

The absurdity of it deepens when you realise that those points were acquired by the age of 26.

[chrisonabike]

Another perrenial again – who

Another perrenial again – who is still driving with the most points (229 the current winner)?  Meanwhile m’learned friend comes out to defend the indefensible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8yq063m96o

BBC wrote:

Ms Ashworth [the lawyer] said having hundreds of points was “very much the exception”.

“I’ve seen many people try their luck… and the courts are quite rigorous in the way they assess these arguments,” she said.

She added people who already have points, or who had escaped a ban based on exceptional hardship, which they cannot apply for on the same grounds more than once in a three-year period, were often “a lot more careful than anybody else on the road”.

[brooksby]

mdavidford wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Was Cllr Cartman not at that meeting

He was, but he left early.

Clearly someone didn’t respect his authoritaaa! 😉

[mdavidford]

brooksby wrote:

Was Cllr Cartman not at that meeting

He was, but he left early.

[brooksby]

Quote:

Ash Cartman (Long Ashton, Liberal Democrat) said he was not against parking charges in principle, but said: “This is less a parking strategy than a financial strategy.”

He added: “It’s a Trojan tax — that’s what I’d call it — secretly bringing in tax rises to fill a gap in council finances.”

…

At the meeting on October 16 where the council executive voted to bring in the charges, council leader Mike Bell (Liberal Democrat) said: “We cannot justify subsidising parking when we are having to cut care services for vulnerable adults and children.”

Was Cllr Cartman not at that meeting, or does he just disagree with the council funding care services?  Is he saying that free parking is more important? Hmm…

[Author]

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