Now the mind control brigade have thoroughly tipped their hand. Instead of approving a gadget that might encourage better driving in areas where speeding is hazardous, it is banned.
It really is clearly saying that there are some cases where they *do not* want people to slow down.
If Speed Cameras were placed in high danger area surely these would be *exactly* the sort of places they would want people to slow down.
Instead they *wish* people to speed through these areas. That speaks volumes.
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
|
|
National press carried a story long ago that the draft legislation was found to be too full of holes to be effective, so was put aside with no date for review.
|
..........I responded to the consultation.
Got a patronising reply from the Minister strongly advising me not to buy a device, with all the usual rubbish about speed wiping out the population. He had clearly made up his mind before consultation began, and the consultation process was not publicised, so few people knew it existed.
They say they're listening to us, but they made no attempt to counter my arguments, just ignored them. As usual, a complete farce.
I used to post my thoughts along these lines on the government forum, along with many others. They couldn't take the heat and "improved" it, thereby making it too cumbersome to use. Cowards!
|
Look what I got Nanny, a speed detector! It will tell me where all those speed detection thingies are so I can slow down before I get to dangerous places on the road.
You mustn't have one of those! Where did you get that? Give it to me at once!
But, Nanny, surely if it makes me drive more carefully it'll contribute to road safety?
Road safety? I don't know about road safety, but it'll mess up the nice government's plans to catch more speeders. How can they do that if drivers find ways of slowing down before they're caught?
Why Nanny?
Well, because you see the government has made these numbers up and told everyone they're true. Now if they don't catch enough speeders they won't meet their targets and nobody will believe them. That's why they put all those gadgets there, so they can prove the point they're trying to make.
I don't understand Nanny.
You will when you're old enough dear and you have a government job earning lots of money and all those people out there are making you justify it and calling you rude things. Besides how would the nice government pay all those nice policemen to protect you if they didn't catch enough people speeding and make enough money in fines? You see if they have machines to do it, the machines can collect money and the policepeople will have more time to go after other dangerous people and make even more money.
Oh, you mean like burglars and muggers and stuff.
Well, not really, there isn't much money in catching those, but I mean really dangerous ones, like those who pick their noses and scratch themselves and eat Doritos while they're driving.
Nanny, it seems the police are always going after people in cars. Even if they try to be good, like me with my speed detector.
Of course dear, people in cars are bad. They have to be restricted for their own good and everybody else's.
Why, Nanny?
Well, dear, they have too much freedom, and if they have too much of that it's difficult for the state to control them.
Why does the state want to control them?
Now, now, dear, don't be difficult.
So I can't have my detector back?
No, dear, whatever would happen if everyone had one of these? Goodness! What would they do with all those cameras and radar things? Where would the money come from? How would the government keep track of you if it didn't have all those photos showing when and where you were?
Nanny, is this just about catching speeders or is the guv'ment trying to do something else?
Shhhh, dear, don't ask so many questions, it's not nice. Come on now, it's time for bed.
|
|
|
Look what I got Nanny, a speed detector! It will tell me where all those speed detection thingies are so I can slow down before I get to dangerous places on the road.
You mustn't have one of those! Where did you get that? Give it to me at once!
But, Nanny, surely if it makes me drive more carefully it'll contribute to road safety?
Road safety? I don't know about road safety, but it'll mess up the nice government's plans to catch more speeders. How can they do that if drivers find ways of slowing down before they're caught?
Why Nanny?
Well, because you see the government has made these numbers up and told everyone they're true. Now if they don't catch enough speeders they won't meet their targets and nobody will believe them. That's why they put all those gadgets there, so they can prove the point they're trying to make.
I don't understand Nanny.
You will when you're old enough dear and you have a government job earning lots of money and all those people out there are making you justify it and calling you rude things. Besides how would the nice government pay all those nice policemen to protect you if they didn't catch enough people speeding and make enough money in fines? You see if they have machines to do it, the machines can collect money and the policepeople will have more time to go after other dangerous people and make even more money.
Oh, you mean like burglars and muggers and stuff.
Well, not really, there isn't much money in catching those, but I mean really dangerous ones, like those who pick their noses and scratch themselves and eat Doritos while they're driving.
Nanny, it seems the police are always going after people in cars. Even if they try to be good, like me with my speed detector.
Of course dear, people in cars are bad. They have to be restricted for their own good and everybody else's.
Why, Nanny?
Well, dear, they have too much freedom, and if they have too much of that it's difficult for the state to control them.
Why does the state want to control them?
Now, now, dear, don't be difficult.
So I can't have my detector back?
No, dear, whatever would happen if everyone had one of these? Goodness! What would they do with all those cameras and radar things? Where would the money come from? How would the government keep track of you if it didn't have all those photos showing when and where you were?
Nanny, is this just about catching speeders or is the guv'ment trying to do something else?
Shhhh, dear, don't ask so many questions, it's not nice. Come on now, it's time for bed.
|
"Nanny, is this just about catching speeders or is the guv'ment trying to do something else?"
Don't stop there... what is the guv'ment ultimately trying to acheive?
What does Grandad think about it all?
Personally l see the crusade against driving as nothing more than Machivellian attention diversion from the far more complex and greater problems of public transport and planning.
The car is a sacrificial lamb that lays golden NIPs.
hmm kinky
dan
|
Time and time again we see the goverment cynically taxing the things they can claim should be discouraged, Fags & Petrol chief amongst them.
NIP's are just another tax they can justify on safety grounds. We're moving from a progressive system of taxation to a regressive one. (Which is good for some of us...)
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
|
"Time and time again we see the goverment cynically taxing the things they can claim should be discouraged, Fags & Petrol chief amongst them."
Look what happened with alcohol in Scandinavia.
I remember paying £17 (late 80's) for two halves of c***py beer and a single "cheap" blended whisky.
There were no pubs, well hardly any.
It didn't stop alcoholism being a serious problem.
Now prices have come down, at least to a UK level, which is not saying much admittedly. There are pubs, easy to drink at restaurants all day etc. Much more civilised and I think the drink problem is definitely less.
------
Note I don't have a drink problem.
I drink , I fall down...no problem. ;-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
I seem to remember a trip years ago in the USA with a local who had an old television zapper or something similar (I forget exactly). This emitted radiation which triggered off some radar detectors. The gonk used to amuse himself by waiting till a car with detector went wassing past and then zapped it.
Seemed to me it caused more problems than enough when the unfortunate on the receiving end of the "joke" suddenly dropped the anchors.
|
|
|
|
