Safe Speed Forums

As above, reason I ask is that I've realised that my views seem to upset quite a few people already, particularly in relation to cycling and America. People have posted quite negatively towards me which baits me into an equally negative response.

I thought on a forum like this, the general attitude would be centre/right common sense type attitude due to the politically incorrect yet common sense approach to speed limits and enforcement. Compare this with some typically left wing views to some other topics that have come up and I get the feeling that I'm in a minority.

Reason I ask, is that I'm all up for debate, but I don't want to stick around on a forum if most of the people are Liberal Left Wing idealists, which would be ashame because true Road Safety is a cause I feel strongly about, and I want to help!

Tis ashame there isn't a poll option on this forum as I'd have liked to put.....

Very Right
Right of Centre
Centre
Left of Centre
Very Left

I see myself as Right of Centre, and in some issues very right and some issues Centre.

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www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

That's a shame, you should realise that intelligent people come in all political flavours and don't usually stick to the "stereotype" views you might expect of them.

I'm very anti speed limits and scameras as implemented, am no fan of the current government, hate "PC", but would have to characterise myself as "very left"

Prof Beard

Er, there is mate.

But to answer your question, I can't give you a straight answer. Politically I'm something of a swinger. On some issues I lean left, on other issues right, on yet others I could be described as centrist. Perhaps the political spectrum needs to include a term like 'flexible'. About all I can say for certain is that I'd like to see a hell of a lot more independants in the Commons. I'd hope that having no obligation to vote along party lines they'd vote along purely rational lines instead.

The only thing I feel absolutely unmovable on that the second a politician thinks s/he can rely upon my vote they no longer deserve it.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

There is a poll option... In fact there's a Polls section. See:

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=9

I'm certainly happy for you to set up a poll.

I have a personal right of centre outlook, but, and I think this is important, the Safe Speed campaign has no political alignment. Presently Safe Speed policies align more closely with Tory policies, but we're not demanding liberalism (small l) we're demanding road safety policies that work.

I'd be somewhat concerned if the forum developed a party political slant. We should be 'friendly' to a wide audience.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I like that point.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Not sure where that places you on the tory/labour slide, but you have all the makings of getting to the top with that answer

So a mixed bunch eh? Fair enough.

Paul, the reason I say centre/right assumption for Safespeed is that from my observations before and outside of safespeed, lefties on most issues also seem very pro speed camera and very anti motorist. Imagine my shock when I find some left wing opinions on here, some of the things I've read make me forget I'm on Safespeed, instead reading the Guardian newspaper!

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www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

gee, I never realised that suggesting someone didn't try to kill cyclists would make me a leftie! I think the main thing you're bumping up against is that not all of us rely on The Sun for our opinions. In the end none of that really matters as we're all here for the purpose of wanting to improve road safety. What does it matter if we can't agree on anything else?

TBH I don't think you should be bothered about it one way or another. Like Safe Speed said, this sort of campaign doesn't really have any particular political alignment. You can't say that road safety is a left wing or right wing issue since Tories and Labour have both botched it in their turn and the Lib Dems probably would be little better (or perhaps worse). In here Maggie Thatcher's biggest fan ought to be able to rub shoulders with a self-declared communist if they both agree that road safety is currently inadequate, though they might want to avoid other subjects.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

Unrepresented - "democracy" is a myth.

I think you know thats not what I meant.



If you're implying that my opinions come from a paper I rarely read, then you are very wrong.



Kind of true, although I'd like to think that people on forums I use are similarly like-minded people, and if other topics are posted, I don't particularly want to constantly read anti-Americanisms, environmental (particularly global warming) propaganda which at the end of the day is just regurgitated tosh from sheep who believe everything they hear on the BBC news, and everything they read in the Times and worst of all the Guardian. If these people genuinely believe in the Global warming hype, then they're extreme hypocrits for being on a motoring based site and driving a car at all! At least practice what you preach, I'd have more respect for left-wingers if they did this.

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www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

no different to implying that anyone that doesn't agree with you is a left wing, guardian reading, loony.


it used to be the case that in 'polite' conversation one would never discuss politics or religion. This is still quite good advice.

As far as the threads you're complaining about go (americans & environment), while I would say that I broadly agree with you on this one that doesn't mean I don't want to hear anything from the 'other' side. If we close our minds then we can never move forward and the 'other' side do have some valid points that are worth discussing. At the end of the day, though, you may just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

I'm quite happy to hear the other side, main reason as I generally know what the other side are going to say, because often it is re-gurgitated from BBC news! Its very rarely informative, I already know both sides because otherwise I wouldn't feel so strongly towards one side! If I don't know both sides, I'll read up on it to make sure I don't end up looking stupid in a debate.

Its the way things are written, in a very aggressive tone towards me that gets me, mis-interpretation, mis-quoting and the like forcing me to retailiate. And you've nearly got it on my associations. I naturally presume that anyone who reads the Guardian is a left wing loony, as I say about anyone but I don't label everyone who disagrees with me as a leftie.

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www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

Nobody reads "The Sun"...

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

I was always taught a persons politics/religion and football team are sacrosanct - in other words does it matter anyones political stance, as long as they respect yours.

Only view i have nowadays was reflected by Gatsobait -
As for newspapers - i read them all,and somewhere between is the truth ( or thereabouts) but all have their uses. as elderly relative used to say - broadsheets for helping get fire going - tabloid size for under lino.

Surely broadsheets go under lino better and tabloids for fisn and chips or emergency toilet paper replacement...

I remember a wonderful "review of the newspapers" by the late Spike Miligan. ISTR he said something like "I never buy the Sun becsause the ink comes off on your backside"

But political right/left is pretty meaningless, since most thinking people will agree with some policies from of each group. I remember once doing a polical quiz that claimed that my poisition was close to that of Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone, but I am strongly opposed to both of these on transport policy. What is more important than the left/righ axis is how authoritarian a goverment is. I hate politicians that insist on trying to force their views and prejudiced on eceryone. As such, the Blair and Thatcher governments are equally undesirable.

Right-ish/apathetic. But I did vote in the election.

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

I voted too, but it didn't mean anything - the First Past Post system means that about 2/3rd of all votes in a UK General Election are for loosing candidates and effectively mean nothing.

Right of centre, but anti-PC and anti-nanny state are probably what would define me better - not sure if that is useful or not. Any party that believes in those two ideals will get my vote. Currently the Conservatives come closest. I'm quite interested in the prospect of Ken Clarke as leader. He drinks, smokes, likes fast cars, and looks like he enjoys a good meal all of which the nanny state would have banned if they thought they could.

Heard on the radio today someone from the nanny-state brigade saying fatty foods should be banned because "peope can't be trusted, we have to tell them what to do" I hate that attitude with just as much passion as I hate the current road safety ethos.