I have made a couple of changes due to the spammers in my comments section of this blog.
Firstly I should thank them because what happens is a lot more people come to look at my blog because Google searches he comments and indexes even more things because of the inane words used.
Anyway, because of them now every single comment will be approved prior to being publicly viewable.
Anyway, so I figured that because Clotty and Jacques Lefèvre (who believes himself to be some sort of 14th century French philosopher) have such an issue with Traffic officers I figured I'd write something for them.
Personally speaking even I would like to go to work in Traffic but many police forces across the UK are cutting back on Traffic departments because they need to save money - so it's really out of the question.
For me - I like traffic stuff, most of it is black and white, straight forward. For instance if you have a tyre which is down to the metal bands inside that is the offence, there is no excuse for it, you broke the law and endangered yourself and the public.
I like the challenges of working with traffic stuff. I also abhor people who drive on the roads in this and every other country like complete idiots with no regard for anyone but themselves - and of course the second they end up with someone shunting them because of their dangerous driving they become all defensive about it.
I want to stop those people because they are MURDERERS waiting to happen - well what else do you call someone with a 1.5 ton metal instrument being thrown around at 70 mph? After all a car is a lethal weapon isn't it?
This is why I like stopping cars.. because I want to stop this:
DERBYSHIRE
SUFFOLK
ESSEX
HAMPSHIRE
How many more does it take before people say - ahh, perhaps the police aren't persecuting the motorists, they are just trying to keep EVERYONE safe.
I'm sure the families of the victims from Derbyshire, Suffolk, Essex and Hampshire and every other county and indeed country where someone has died needlessly in a traffic incident are all in agreement that people who use the roads should obey the traffic laws because NO ONE should EVER have to suffer the torment of losing a loved one to something 100% preventable. And I'm sorry.. driving is a privilege, not a right.
I said it on one of the comments on one of my earlier stories. I've never yet met ANY driver who's never broken the law. Every single driver has done something on the road which is breaking the law.
Does driving 3 MPH over the speed limit make you a criminal?
In the eyes of the law - YES. Because you've broken the law the speed limit is just that, a limit.
Does failing to wear a seatbelt make you a criminal?
Same answer, yes you have broken the law so you are technically a criminal.
Does using a mobile phone whilst driving make you a criminal?
See the trend developing here?
I could keep going. It is like any other law. You steal and get caught you are a criminal, you rob, rape or murder and get caught and you are a criminal. So on that note.. how many drug dealers, robbers, rapists, murders, burglars and other criminals drive cars? (well I must say I've NEVER seen a burglar walking away with his loot back to his house on the other side of the country/county/city/town/district or whatever - it just doesn't happen).
A criminal is at their most vulnerable in a car and THAT is why they are actively sought there.
So let's analyse this a little further.
If you've just burgled a house - so you've invaded someones private residence, rifled through their intimate possessions and smashed the place up before leaving, you drive away... do you obey the speed limit, wear your seatbelt and not talk on the phone while driving your taxed, insured and MOT'd vehicle? NOT LIKELY.. you don't care about the Theft Act of 1968 which makes Burglary illegal (or any other act which mentions it either) and so you are unlikely to care about the Road Traffic Act of 1988 (or any other similar act which mentions the above) - so as a police officer if you begin by stopping cars with no tax, insurance, MOT or drivers without seatbelts or using mobile phones then you might just be lucky and be stopping a burglar with a car full of loot. Get the idea?
I know that Clotty and JLF aren't going to agree but I don't really care. Clearly there are far more intelligent people out there who read my blog and might just happen to agree but don't happen to comment.
How about a few more comments from some of our readers saying what you think... :-)
THE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF 'GAMING' AND FAILED REGULATION
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My thanks go to Dr Rodger Patrick, renowned expert on crime statistics, and
the noble The Earl of Lytton for his recent speech to the Committee on
Stand...
9 years ago
Driving over the speed limit by 3 mph is like only stealing 'small things'. Its still theft. Its therefore still speeding.
ReplyDeleteDon't break the law and its much harder to get stopped and fined!!
I agree that people don't often realise how dangerous they are being. When I was a new driver I used to zoom around at ridiculous speeds. Luckily it didn't take an accident for me to realise how dumb I was being and am now sensible.
ReplyDeleteAs for comment moderation: it's your site, you set the rules. You wouldn't invite some of your spammers into a pub discussion or into your home!
I am guilty, like many other drivers of doing bloody silly things when behind the wheel. I have no excuse, because I have seen, and dealt with first hand the results of the lunacy of some drivers. I can assure you that removing the body from a RTC, with a police officer sitting in the back with me for continuity of evidence was not as harsh as visiting the family later to explain why their spouse/parent/lover had died needlessly, because of the selfish actions of a driver.
ReplyDeleteThe most selfish act I ever attended was a young man who had a history of EP fits, who on arrival was postictal. Having crashed the vehicle, he was unscathed but the passenger was seriously injured. I took delight in handing this chap over to the tender mericies of Surrey police at the scene.
I must say that the comments that haven't been published are an even higher level of abusiveness and more moronic than usual.
ReplyDeleteI think I have upset the trolls as they can't voice their disapproval of all things police related - which includes anyone who might agree with those things.. ;)
I apologise to the regular readers and comment posters about the moderation of the comments - but rest assured that anything with a balanced view will be published. Even people who don't agree with me but who have a balanced view - after all I agree with free speech - or I wouldn't be here on a blog - but I disagree with constant slagging, attempts at bullying, complete total and utter idiotic comments and stupid attacks against everyone else.
Please do not apologise. I have noted that since my introduction to the 'land of blog' I have observed several enlightening sites, hounded by contributors, whose sole speciality is a vindictive rant.
ReplyDeleteI have been 'honoured' with my own Troll. How exciting is that given I only make comments, and do not have a site.
I fear that some combatative comments will be lost, but I hope the integrity of the site continues.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should say that. Never fear, real comments - even those that disagree with me - will still likely be published.
I just don't want to give the trolls the satisfaction of being able to slag everyone off and discourage people from posting comments.
I've noticed however that Pete and JLF are the same person since I've started moderating the posts. It's at least somewhat satisfying.
Of course the next few comments from them will deny this but I don't care, I've made up my mind about them anyway.
Oh, one of their inane unpublished comments says that I obviously don't allow free speech, I felt that I had to comment on that here:
I love, and I allow free speech, if I didn't like free speech I wouldn't be writing a blog to try and tell the public about what goes on out there.
However, I abhor idiots who constantly slag everyone off, never have anything constructive or useful to say and clearly come from someone with a chip on their shoulder who just hates the police. The general public know that we don't sit around eating donuts all the time, or doughnuts if you want me to spell it that way, and they also know a lot of other things are done by the police, but you will continue to slag off every PC with a blog just because that's all you seem to be able to do with your time. It's a sad little life you lead and you really should get out more.
Your comments aren't worth publishing so for you trolls I don't allow YOUR version of Free Speech, why don't you start a blog about Free Speech not being allowed on MY blog.
Bah!
PC Blogs a Lotte.
ReplyDeleteIt may interest the 'Troll intelligentsia' (LOL), the following little nugget about free speach.
Karl Marx, the famous (or infamous) architect of the principles of communism, found himself a resident in London. With a group of friends he visited speakers corner in Hyde Park. There he watched an anarchist, standing on his soap-box as he villified the government, while 'genial policeman (his description, not mine), patiently watched the crowd. He was perplexed as he expected the police to remove the anarchist. However he was amazed when told the the police were there not to stop him speaking, but to prevent any member of the public from giving him a 'smack in the gob.'
I wonder if the Trolls are bright enough to see the irony? Nah, I doubt it.
Tom, I also have at least one "stalker" who makes silly comments about me not just on my blog but on others. He then accuses me of making personal attacks against him! Highly ironic and it does make me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteBE
ReplyDeleteI think we've been here before. I know that you've had some serious abuse, and I have had a few crossed words. What makes me chortle, is that these same demented cratures are spouting off about the right to free speech, convinced that personal abuse and unfounded presumptions are somehow right to put in the public domain.
Had it not been for the action of filtering out the sad little Trolldren, I might well find the sites I like to visit suddenly invitation only.
PS Have you any Trolls on your site I can play with?
Tom, my stalker has given up leaving me helpful comments telling me how thick I am and now only does that on other people's sites.
ReplyDeleteWhat bugs me a bout police cars is not actually their fault. It is the way people seem to be unable to overtake one so you can end up in a huge snake of cars.
ReplyDeleteI am the one that cuts out and heads down the line as soon as l can and gets overtaking l am not over the limit on speed just patience.
BloggsaLotte, a numerical equivalent of the 9/11 massacre happens every month on the Eu's roads. Of course, anti traffic troll types are not responsible for this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI was fined for doing 50 in a 40 zone, fair cop no way i can gripe about £60 or three points, job done.
ReplyDeleteWhat rubbed salt into the wound was an ACC, getting let off for a speeding offence of over 100mph, because they couldn't prove who was driving his car.