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 Post subject: Well done, what next?
PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 14:26 
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Dear all

I was proud to be part of the protest today and pleased it started well. Thanks to the organisers.

Realistically it had fairly limited media coverage and it certainly will be a while before we can create a proper discussion on this subject matter and a sensible consideration of the policies surrounding speed on Motorways in general.

Is there enough interest to do it again? I hope so. We need to do several to make a difference. I personally would like to do this on a weekday when it will really inconvenience people and make politicians comment. Yes it is a commitment, but we will all benefit.

Can we do 8am on a Wednesday morning [anecdotally the busiest day] or perhaps 5pm on the Friday before next Bank Holiday.

Let us keep the momentum up. Do lots of you agree?

note
Not really used to these forums - my first ever post. As my user name implies I will only dip in and out and on this issue because I believe in it. e.g. I do not understand the term Troll in this context - what is it? - so you might not get fast replies and I might make faux pas. Sorry for those who seem to post regularly.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 14:35 
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Well I've just got back from participating and it was awesome. I'd say there were a good 100 or so cars and bikes going from Leigh Delamere to Membury, and probably half as many again coming the other way.

Support was amazing, in the whole 30 mile trek, only 3 or 4 people expressed their displeasure, whilst we had people on virtually every overpass on the way clapping, waving and generally being very supportive.

The whole thing ended up moving at between 25 and 30mph in the end, in just the first two lanes as agreed. Saw a few numpties doing very silly undertaking manoeuvres and a couple even took to the hard-shoulder to get past, showing that speed has little to do with accidents, and idiots pulling stunts like that do, but otherwise things were very orderly.

Also met Paul and Robin (Summerhill, the organiser), so it was nice to put a couple of faces to nicknames!

I'm sure there will be a whole stack of photos appearing later, there were photographers everywhere, but I've got a couple of the services we met at on my phone which I'll stick up later, though they're not much cop!

Great day anyway, glad the turnout was as good as it was.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 14:53 
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Just got back to a very sunny South Wales from the protest - doing the Membury to Leigh run, very pleased to be the lead car, even if the group behind went a little slower than anticipated :D

All went very well had lots of support from both Police, the services management and a huge amount of support from people who were just in the services not aware initially of what was going on (An elderly lady ran across the car park to ask what it was about and she said well done, and good for us and she wished she could have joined in!)

There was a huge spectrum of people and cars, I heard the was just over 100 cars in each direction and lots of nikes - we even had a trucker pick up a poster put it in his cab and join in, Just showing how disliked the whole camera scheme is across the whole communit. (75% support my arse!).

Every one was very friendly, I hope to meet you all agin well done to Robin and Mark (Benson) - Membury end organiser.

Cheers

Paul


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 15:10 
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Glad it wnet well and my colleagues down there were helpful. Was there in spirit. Durham's a long way.. and had other commitments this weekend.


But it has been mentioned on each hourly bulltein on National radio :lol:

Perhaps we should be organising more and really kicking the prats in their pockets

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Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 15:26 
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Guys, yes we should be pleased that we were able to create some focus, but I think we should all be very careful about language on this.

If we revel too much in how big or proud we feel on disrupting other people's lives we will seem very immature and it will be hard to be taken seriously by the authorities - afterall it is only politicians/police who can affect this policy. And they will only consider that after adult dialogue with grownups who have some power. The whole point of disruption is that it causes attention, but also the power of control. So let us remember the point.

I am going to contact Robin [if I can find some contact details] and see if I can assist in targetting our efforts to best effect. Better media coverage - quality as well as quantity. Leafleting of individuals at service stations, that sort of stuff.

Before I go that far, this post hopefully will flush out whether people are prepared to do it again? will they recruit their friends and family next time? and will people do it at inconvenient times?

I am not being a kill joy, but we do have to carefully consider the spin certain elements of the media will try to put on this responsible campaign.

Well done everyone for taking part - and for giving up your time.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 15:51 
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Well, I went and I'm glad I did, it's about time we made a stand about the scameras.

A couple of low-res pics:

Membury services preparing to go:

Image

On the protest westbound (apologies for the photo quality):

Image

It got a brief mention on BBC news:

Image


Quote:
Is there enough interest to do it again? I hope so. We need to do several to make a difference. I personally would like to do this on a weekday when it will really inconvenience people and make politicians comment. Yes it is a commitment, but we will all benefit.


While I can see the benefits of this, I think the turnout would be very low because let's face it, most people won't be willing to take a day off work to protest. Doing it at a weekend ensures the best participation possible.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 16:14 
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and the piccies.

You may be right about weekends. And if that is what we decide, it would be better than not at all.

The real advantage of a weekday is that the media - especially the traffic reports would mention us loads. Thinking this through.......

If we were to set off say at 7.30 one morning, do you think enough people could go in to work an hour or so late. [I'm lucky, in my profession that would be fine] We would create todays disruption with maybe only 50 cars each way during rush hour!!

What do others think?


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 16:20 
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As an outsider looking in, why not make the next protest in front of the "safety" camera partnership office or some other place where the officials gather?

Two hundred cars or people is a significant number -- inconvenience the officials and disrupt their work and the public will be quite happy to support you. It seems to me the key to getting media coverage is not to do the same thing again (they already did that = old news) but to do something different.

Great job.
Richard,
Washington, DC


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 17:00 
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I just arrived home after chatting with Paul, Clive and a few others - it's nice to put faces to names.
I think it went really well, although the convoys didn't really stick together as I hoped they would. I was right out front with the leaders and I couldn't see many behind - I understand that, at the back, speeds were right down to little more than 20mph. Just goes to show how slow speeds mess up traffic flows on the motorway, I guess.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of support people were showing - waving from the bridges and stuff like that, and it was also clear that many drivers who weren't originally part of the protest actually joined in and travelled at the same speed us.

Thanks to all concerned for a great day out, and especially to Paul and Robin for getting the ball rolling.

Cheers
Peter


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 17:28 
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A good start I thought. Lots of people waving from bridges and I even got a wink from a young lady in a Metro. Now THAT was dangerous :love:

Not so friendly was the National Express route 403 driver who zoomed up behind me, sat 10 feet off my rear bumper flashing his lights, undertook then swung out about a car's length in front of me (with a full load of passengers) :shock: Needless to say I'll be dropping his employers a line.

I also thought that the next protest should be aimed at the officials. We could all take our lovely vehicles to their offices so they can see them in the flesh, then maybe they'd lose the urge to photograph them.

Oh, and thanks to the police for their patience and understanding.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 17:31 
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R Diamond wrote:
As an outsider looking in, why not make the next protest in front of the "safety" camera partnership office or some other place where the officials gather?

Two hundred cars or people is a significant number -- inconvenience the officials and disrupt their work and the public will be quite happy to support you. It seems to me the key to getting media coverage is not to do the same thing again (they already did that = old news) but to do something different.



This sounds like a good next step to me- I wonder what the legalities of it would be?


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 17:34 
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Sorry for my lack of manners-Thanks for setting all this up people,it went rather well and I quite enjoyed it too.. Next direct action that's planned count me in.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 18:03 
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Well done to all who attended, although I wasn't one of them. As to the next move, take a look at www.mysociety.org who run a thing called a pledge bank which may be a useful tool in organising this kind of protest on a more local level. The idea of blockading a scamera partnership office is a good one. Also, I think the ABD ran a thing called "Adopt a speed camera" which basically means an individual taking "responsibility" for a camera in their area and bombarding the scamera partnership with questions about it.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 18:14 
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Just got back. All went well. It was raining when I got up this morning. Agonised over going by bike or car. Decided to go by bike. Got soaked on the run between Leicester and Oxford, started to dry out by the time I got to the M4 services. Sunny all the way back. The mobile got wet and lookes to be screwed, Ah well neeed replacing anyway.

At 40 mph probably the best fuel consumption I have ever achieved from the Buell....... :lol:

Good to see you all, even if we never got introduced. Can't wait to see the news.. :wink:

Count me in for the next one. :)

BTW the kids in the side car looked soooooooooo cute. :D

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 18:42 
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A protest on foot could have everyone bring a camera staked out in front of the partnership building with their own camera so that any time one of the "safety" camera officials leave the office, his picture is taken. All the flashing would make for good tv. Have a stash of disposable cameras handy for anyone who forgets to bring one.

If it's a car protest, encircle the roads around the building by driving legally in circles so the mobile vans can't get out.

Random ideas. Wish I could be there for the fun.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 19:33 
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Some good ideas coming out here. I'm keen to join in again, diary permitting. Nice to meet everyone today and thanks for not using ALL of my sticky tape !

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 20:17 
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clive wrote:
Some good ideas coming out here. I'm keen to join in again, diary permitting. Nice to meet everyone today and thanks for not using ALL of my sticky tape !


I did return the piece I borrowed from you, didn't I? :wink:

Cheers
Peter


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 22:22 
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...Is there enough interest to do it again? I hope so. We need to do several to make a difference....

Well I really think that now the "formula" is proven to work, and the publicity machine too, then if nothing else we should at least run a similar one up the M6 in Cumbria. It is, after all, the home of the "open motorway scamera".

Regardless of the outcome of next Thursday, I think it would be a timely reminder to the next administration that this will remain a big issue - even after the election has been won and lost.

As regards picking a day, my opinion is that

(a) we need to build on the momentum - "strike whilst the iron's hot".
(b) maximising the numbers is more important than maximising disruption. Remember that we're the good guys here, we don't want to alienate people. I think 500 cars at a weekend would be more effective than 150 on a weekday.

So how about same idea, but all running as one convoy not two. Start from (say) Burton Services thence to Carlisle and back again, turning the convoy (with Police assistance?) at (say) the J42 roundabout?

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 22:32 
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:gatso2:

Check this news item out!

huge long link

Edited to avoid horizontal scroll bar {sysop}


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 22:37 
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I think an important thing to remember when planning any future protests is to announce the date well in advance. The protest today was only organised a couple of weeks ago, so many people already had plans for today.

If the date was announced say a month in advance, it would make sure people had the opportunity to plan their attendence.

Anyway, I think that the idea of protesting outside a scamera office sounds like it could work; maybe even a traditional picket-style protest would work there.


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