Does anyone else get irritated by people who chuck their cigarettes out of the window / sunroof when you are travelling behind them. I had this on the M3/M27 sliproad yesterday. I know it might seem silly, but I always wonder (and am alarmed by) the thought of what could happen if it gets lodged somewhere in or under the car close to a fuel line. Especially at night you can see the amount of sparks etc. that come off - makes you think!

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Hi All

I have a VW golf (81,000 miles).

I am getting constant light and rapid squeeks from my rear suspension whilst driving along normal roads.

When driving over smooth and even roads there are no squeeks.

Could this be the bearings or is it definitely a suspension problem?

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Now that we are at the end of the Winter, it's a good time to remove trapped mud. Some cars have the most appalling mud traps to their long term detriment.

My suggestion: Peugeot 106 (Mk 2). At the bottom rear of the front wings, mud gathers behind the plastic wheel arch liner and sits in a nice soggy wedge between the inside of the wing and the front of the sill. Good old PSA put the liner behind the wing flange, so the mud gets in and stays there.

I would be interested to hear of any other bad offenders. Read more

The law used to be, apart from the 14 day stuff, that a NIP had to be sent recorded or registered. This has apparently now changed so that 1st Class means that it is deemed to have been received by the registered keeper. With the PO admitting to losing 500,000 itmes of mail a week, this means that you might not receive it and, if you didn't actually post it back, you could always say that you sent it first class (same as them) so it was deemed to have been received. Of course that would be untrue but might it work or would they just issue another NIP, which would presumably be outside the 14 days, so would that 2nd one be valid or not? Read more

To have been pulled by DVD must have been an unforgettable experience in total police professionalism with rigorous adherence to the finest points of relevant law, along with irrefutable and detailed case references to support one's miserable road behaviour resulting in the pull. I'm rather sorry it never happened to me. Surely any prosecution DVD initiated must have received a rubber stamp from the CPS on the basis it would be a "must win" based on impeccable research.

Without doubt, after the initial stomach-churning part, the right response would have been to confess guilt - what other course?- and savour the encounter for its sheer exquisiteness of performance, like a fine opera or a brilliant legal disquisition, doubtless leavened with that unique constabular acerbic wit ("Been driving long, have we Madam?" etc).

The "pulled" must surely have gone away not merely humbled, but also improved by the experience. (One might venture that's one of the things policing is about, or at least used to be).

I think it's time the "DVD Files" were assembled and published for the enlightenment of the ignorant motorist as Volume 2 of the Highway Code.




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