The grumpy thread

[iainrcz]

So this unreliable heap has struck again*

 

 

* I may be exaggerating.

[Crackers]

Bollocks and double bollocks. 

The 14-day sweat starts now. Passed a Piggy Bank on the A27 with 70+VAT dialled up on the speedo. 

Not sure if the  camera van was aimed at mine or the opposite carriageway, but it was in the central reservation so could have been either or both. Bit gutted that I didn't spot it earlier as I'm usually pretty hot on them. 

Oh well, if I didn't get the speed down quick enough, then fair enough, bang to rights I suppose. If it's a speed awareness course then a bit of dented pride, if it's points and a fine, then fuck. 

[High Jetter]

How accurate is your speedo though? My phone app shows mine is at least 10% under-reading

[Crackers]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

How accurate is your speedo though? My phone app shows mine is at least 10% under-reading

It over-reads by a good margin, I reckon my real speed was somewhere between 76 and 83. I didn't really see what speed I was doing until I had backed off, so it's a bit of a lucky dip as to what comes through the door in the next 2 weeks. 

[fairkens]

Fingers crossed, one thing I've discovered is that it's never too late to brake. Dodged a couple that I thought were inevitable by getting the brakes on

[Zelandeth]

The M1 is apparently closed for roadworks between J13 and 15.

Nice of them to put up any advance signage on the diversion route to expect delays during the closure.  Which of course I discovered approximately 30 seconds after the last exit on the A5 before hitting the queue which I was then stuck in for about 40 minutes.

Two sodding portable variable message signs on there which today were advising diverted traffic to use the right lane which have been there for at least the last week - and when I last went past there on Friday were saying "Think, wear your seatbelt!" which they had for as long as I remember seeing them.  I could be wrong, but maybe something like "M1 Diverted 20-22 Nov EXPECT DELAYS" would have been more helpful for locals...

Got stuck in exactly the same queue yesterday, and just assumed (as is usually the case when the A5 goes to hell) it was there because of an accident on the M1...Was only when I got stuck in it for a second time that it occurred to me to actually look.

[mintwth]

20 hours ago, iainrcz said:

So this unreliable heap has struck again*

 

 

* I may be exaggerating.

Common fault with those frameless mirrors. The framed BRZ version doesn't do it. 

[iainrcz]

I've regooped it with high temp adhesive from work. And now the cunt won't push back in to the mount on the windscreen..

[MikeR]

the rear exhaust hanger on a mk1 focus ...  the twist to fit one ,,

shite init ...

found out today far from home , what the speed bump induced boooiinnngg was the other week , despite a looking over the suspension at the time .

old coat hanger brought out of retirement again  , thats right under the boot lid on the marks from last time ...

[Talbot]

20 hours ago, Crackers said:

ot sure if the  camera van was aimed at mine or the opposite carriageway, but it was in the central reservation so could have been either or both.

99% of the time they are aimed out of the back of the van.  Which way was it pointing?

[captain_70s]

RIP.

0 surviving examples in the UK now. 

[junkyarddog]

I genuinely wish that sport could be banned on H&S grounds.

Fed up with neanderthal meatheads smashing up classics.

[High Jetter]

I thought that 30 years ago. OK, maybe more than that.

[Skut]

Sadly after posting to the grin thread recently I’m afraid it’s the grumpy thread today. Relationship of 7 years has ended. And I have two young children sleeping downstairs who have  no idea their world will never be the same again. 

[New POD]

Wifes car was parked around the corner from our mid week home, and overnight on Friday a young woman reversed into it and kindly left a note.

Father of said woman is desperate not to go through insurance, and despite my reservations we went to visit a local body shop who will be replacing bumper and lights and providing a courtesy car.   I'll be grumpy until it's fixed.  Why ?

Wife will using my car until then. 

[Crackers]

13 hours ago, Talbot said:

99% of the time they are aimed out of the back of the van.  Which way was it pointing?

Lens towards me out the back, hence thinking it was aimed at me. But when I passed it, I did look more like the lens was pointing further towards the oncoming traffic, on my right. 

It was where that sign is sitting in the central reservation. 

[Talbot]

6 minutes ago, Crackers said:

when I passed it, I did look more like the lens was pointing further towards the oncoming traffic,

Scamera vans almost always point at oncoming traffic.  That way they get video of the vehicle getting "pinged" for speed at a good distance away, then as the car gets closer, they get the registration clearly visible.  They can then use a sucession of stills from the video to show the speed capture (often at up to 1km away), the registration of the vehicle, and then a good image of the driver.

Ask me how I know.

[Angrydicky]

I've been done by a scamera van down your way a few years ago, then on a recent trip to Amberley, thought I'd been done again. 30mph sign, slowed down, round a bend to be faced with a long downward hill with a scamera van about halfway down. I bet they catch loads of people there. I wasn't sure if I was over when I saw it and braked, fortunately the 14 days went by without a letter. The first occasion I got done was similar, slowing down from NSL, past the 30 sign, round a bend and there it was, 34 in a 30. Bastards. I rarely see them up here, so I guess Sussex (and Hampshire) police must really work them hard.

[Talbot]

4 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

34 in a 30.

You were unlucky with that one.  ACPO guidelines state that prosecution of any sort should start at limit +10%+2mph.  That means in a 30 limit, prosecution should be for 35mph and above (that's a real 35, not a speedometer 35).  34mph, despite being an absolute offence, should be ignored if the guidelines are being followed.

A letter to the scamera team asking them why they are blatantly ignoring not following ACPO guidelines might have seen that quietly dropped.

[reb]

I'm very lucky in that there's no fixed speed cameras on my commute and nowhere they ever put scamera vans. Not that I ever exceed the speed limit of course...

[Crackers]

2 hours ago, Talbot said:

Scamera vans almost always point at oncoming traffic. 

Indeedy. The only thing I was saying, was that it's location could feasibly have covered either or both traffic directions depending on which angle the lens was pointed through the window. 

I went down there again yesterday morning (at bang-on 70, of course) and made sure to have a good look at the location. Had I not been following another vehicle then I should have seen it a good half-mile off, but I only clocked it with about 200 yards to go. 

1 hour ago, Angrydicky said:

Sussex (and Hampshire) police must really work them hard

They do. They're out all over the county on a regular basis, on the main roads. Annoyingly they're orange vans, not police-liveried, so you've got to actually look for them. Which, on Saturday morning, I wasn't doing. Twat. 

[Fumbler]

9 minutes ago, Crackers said:

They're out all over the county on a regular basis, on the main roads. Annoyingly they're orange vans, not police-liveried, so you've got to actually look for them. Which, on Saturday morning, I wasn't doing. Twat. 

Strange- I thought vans like that had to be liveried up or at least high visibility. Bit of a twat move IMO, but if they can clock you 1km away, I suppose it needn't matter.

[Crackers]

1 minute ago, Fumbler said:

Strange- I thought vans like that had to be liveried up or at least high visibility. Bit of a twat move IMO, but if they can clock you 1km away, I suppose it needn't matter.

They're bright orange, with hi-vis wasp stripes up the back. Probably more distinctive than a Police van, but since we're all so accustomed to the sight of a police livery on Piggy Bank vans, the orange vans don't give you the immediate "Oh shit police van BRAAAAAAAKE" response. 

Not that you would ever* be going fast enough to need that response, obviously. 

[Fumbler]

2 minutes ago, Crackers said:

They're bright orange, with hi-vis wasp stripes up the back. Probably more distinctive than a Police van, but since we're all so accustomed to the sight of a police livery on Piggy Bank vans, the orange vans don't give you the immediate "Oh shit police van BRAAAAAAAKE" response. 

Not that you would ever* be going fast enough to need that response, obviously. 

To be fair, I always get the shivers going past a speed camera even if I'm going 5MPH below the limit. I think that's mainly down to the New Driver Act.

I once was doing a GPS 76 on the motorway this time last year on the M25. There were some grey cameras on the overhead gantry- I think they're redundant because they're not hi-vis and I never got a letter.

[Talbot]

5 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

I once was doing a GPS 76 on the motorway this time last year on the M25.

Below the ACPO guidelines for prosecution.  In a 70, action starts at 79mph.  I think overhead gantry cameras do not need to be high-vis as there are plenty of other warnings.

[Dead_E23]

The ones on the M25 only seem to enforce the variable speed limits (e.g. 40 or 50 mph) rather than being on all the time.

[Fumbler]

28 minutes ago, Talbot said:

Below the ACPO guidelines for prosecution.  In a 70, action starts at 79mph.  I think overhead gantry cameras do not need to be high-vis as there are plenty of other warnings.

The only cameras I've seen work are the ones mounted on the left hand side and are yellow- two units, one camera and one strobe. The grey ones on top of the gantries are significantly bigger- heck, they may be cameras for the smart motorway or something completely different.

Good to know about the speed action is actually taken.

[Talbot]

I heard rumor once that if the variable speed limits are not turned on, the speed cameras are set to something very high indeed, 95mph or something like that, in order to catch only the very worst (and completely indefensible) offenders.  Would make a lot of sense:  a fair balance between being cash scameras and actually catching the worst speeders.

[Fumbler]

5 minutes ago, Talbot said:

I heard rumor once that if the variable speed limits are not turned on, the speed cameras are set to something very high indeed, 95mph or something like that, in order to catch only the very worst (and completely indefensible) offenders.  Would make a lot of sense:  a fair balance between being cash scameras and actually catching the worst speeders.

Makes sense to me too- I always see people blatting past on the outside lane and never being flashed.

Speaking of variable speed limits, who in the control room for the M3 though it would be a great idea to enforce is 60 limit 6 miles after the 'obstruction' that was out of the road anyway?

[Lankytim]

15 hours ago, captain_70s said:

RIP.

0 surviving examples in the UK now. 

Is it a U.K. model? A lot of these crowns were imported from the continent by racers circa 10 years ago.