Car Talk - Non S2000 General Motoring and Non S2000 Car Talk

You might agree with this

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Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:32 AM
  #1  
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I thought it was harsh

Friend's wife - late fifties, general pillar of the community, schoolteacher, great kids etc etc

Had picked up two SP30s in quick succession on unfamiliar roads, which were sitting on an SP30 acquired about two and a hlaf years ago....

Was caught on the mobile driving (fwiw was about complications in daughter's preganancy)

Summoned to court - out her hands up, various character witnesses, etc

Six month ban and hefty fine!

What do you think?

Seemed to me to be another example of hammering the middle classes

Round here uninsured drivers get
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:39 AM
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Were these fixed or mobile cameras? There's generally not much excuse for getting caught by a fixed camera, especially if the roads are unfamiliar when more caution and a lower speed should generally be applied.

Having said all that, she got hammered for the phone offence I suspect.

Were these complications life-threatening, or could they have waited a short while?

Yes, it's unfair she got far more than your average uninsured driver.
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:42 AM
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I think the subject matter of the phone call gives even more reason to not be driving at the time. It's going to be quite an emotive conversation surely?
Harsh with the punishment for more serious offences being dealt with so lightly, as you have pointed out though. Especially the duration of the ban...
I would imagine the fine was a reflection on how much the court/judge thought they could get out of her though, unfortunately.
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:46 AM
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[QUOTE=lovegroova,Jun 18 2008, 02:39 PM] Were these fixed or mobile cameras? There's generally not much excuse for getting caught
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:52 AM
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[QUOTE=gaddafi,Jun 18 2008, 02:32 PM] I thought it was harsh

Friend's wife - late fifties, general pillar of the community, schoolteacher, great kids etc etc

Had picked up two SP30s in quick succession on unfamiliar roads, which were sitting on an SP30 acquired about two and a hlaf years ago....

Was caught on the mobile driving (fwiw was about complications in daughter's preganancy)

Summoned to court - out her hands up, various character witnesses, etc

Six month ban and hefty fine!

What do you think?

Seemed to me to be another example of hammering the middle classes

Round here uninsured drivers get
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:54 AM
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2 sides to this Gad - the facts vs the morals of it.

The facts

She broke the law for whatever reasons. She still broke the law and has accumulated multiple points and for one activity (phone) that has a high profile on it at the moment. The courts look more severly on a collation of points like 3 or 4 SP30s than one biggee.

Doesn't mean I agree with this.

The morals

The fact that she got done ws unfortunate, we've all been there. So we can empathise as it so easily could be us.

As for how scum get treated compared to the middle (and able to pay up and be made an example of) classes, well we'v ehad that discussion to death. It sucks.

Go out and shout at a gypo / pikey for being work shy and poor. It'll make you feel better about yourself.



Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:55 AM
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Courts dont like dealing with matters like this and see it as a waste of there time and set hard punishments.

I have a friend who is also a school teacher, he got caught speeding doing 35 in a 30mph, fair enought.

However, he needed to drive the school mini bus and was poorly informed that if he had any points on his licence he would not be able to drive the bus.

He went to court and said he would happily pay the fine but didnt want the points as it would affect his job and the kids education. He got

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Old Jun 18, 2008 | 06:59 AM
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A ban for 12 points sounds fair to me.

Fine seems to be based on the ability to pay.

6 months ban *and* a big fine seems a bit harsh.



(Uninsured drivers should get strung up IMO)

Old Jun 18, 2008 | 07:05 AM
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Banning seems fair as there were a number of individual incidents which led up to it - i.e. the court could assume that the issuing of fines and points were not a sufficient deterrent.

The ban period seems excessive though - 1 month would probably have sufficed. She fell foul of having committed a high profile "crime".

Easy target.
Old Jun 18, 2008 | 07:08 AM
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I don't know if I've been clear

She had nine points on here licence when she went to court

The phone offence was therefore entirely stand alone

Although it appears that previous convictions are known before you are sentenced



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