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PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 13:50 
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Motorist blamed dyslexia for speeding at 103mph

A motorist caught speeding at more than 100mph claimed he did not realise he was going so fast because he is dyslexic.

By Murray Wardrop
Published: 7:30AM BST 09 Aug 2010

Matthew Cook was spotted weaving in and out of traffic as he sped along the A27 between Falmer and Hollingbury in East Sussex.

A concerned driver dialled 999 and officers clocked the 40-year-old doing 103mph in a 60mph limit.

Witnesses said Cook, who is terminally ill, was smoking a cigarette and gesticulating at other drivers while passing their vehicles.

But Hove Crown Court was told that when questioned about his driving, Cook told police his dyslexia was to blame.

Prosecutor John Marsden Lynch said: “He told the police officer that he did not understand the speed dial because he was suffering from dyslexia.”

Cook admitted a single charge of dangerous driving.

Recorder Christopher Morris-Coole said he was “sceptical” about Cook’s explanation and banned him from driving for three years.

Idiot! :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 13:55 
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...Witnesses said Cook, who is terminally ill, was smoking a cigarette and gesticulating at other drivers while passing their vehicles...

...Recorder Christopher Morris-Coole said he was “sceptical” about Cook’s explanation and banned him from driving for three years.

I suppose if you're terminally ill, you may feel you have little to lose by driving like a knob :o

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 14:41 
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That's why I've always wondered why most elderly people drive so slowly: you'd think they wouldn't want to waste any time!


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 21:01 
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i thought dsylexia was writing not reading


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 21:22 
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Johnnytheboy wrote:
That's why I've always why most elderly people drive so slowly: you'd think they wouldn't want to waste any time!


JTB-(bit O/T) , my favourite saying is "I get worried when they stop moving for a bit too long" - suppose before too long someone will be saying that about me . :wink:
But realistically - at their age -why hurry -when you've no reason to rush home to do nothing .( But like the TV sitcom "Waiting for god")

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 00:11 
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toonbarmy wrote:
i thought dsylexia was writing not reading


Yes my cousin is dyslexic, but his mental arithmatic and number comprehension is very good, I on the other hand do have problems with mental arithmatic and occasionally numbers - was quite bad as a youngster and was deemed midly discalculate.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 09:20 
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Safety Engineer wrote:
toonbarmy wrote:
i thought dsylexia was writing not reading


Yes my cousin is dyslexic, but his mental arithmatic and number comprehension is very good, I on the other hand do have problems with mental arithmatic and occasionally numbers - was quite bad as a youngster and was deemed midly discalculate.


The defining charactoristic for dyslexia is that dyslexics exhibit high or very high levels of intelegence in all areas EXCEPT conventianal literacy!

People who are functioanlly illiterate and cant do anything else either are just thick! :lol:

Dyslexics also tend to have very good 3d spacial visualisation abilities. They (We ;) ) may have difficulties with reading and writing# but can make very good mechanics, architects and engineers!

# Actually I figured out reading all on my own by the time I was 3, but I dont read "Properly" I treat words as pictograms so, on the one hand I can read very quickly, but on the ohter hand the accuracy of the reading is poor, I dont tend to see the middle of words so longer words can be misinterpreted, I never picked up spelling at the same time (as most do) and I cannot read out load an unprepared text because I wont know how to pronounce the words untill after I have read it a couple of times and made sure exactly what the text is saying. It took me till adulthood to get my tongue round "Neanderthal" :lol:

(I did have to do a bible reading at a funeral one. I rewrote the relevent text on the WP to make it easier to work with. I doubt if I could have read it streight from the church bible!)

However I never really cracked writing, My handwriting is like a 4 year olds and my raw speling isnt much better. I dont think I have handwritten anything longer than an address entry in the diary in 25 years.

Needless to say I am self employed. PC type personal WP's did not really become available until I was in my mid 20's and by that time I had missed the conventional employment boat IYSWIM (My younger brother did however have access to WP's for his Uni exams and early employment and did much better. If I had been able to use a WP at uni I am sure I would have got a first or at least a 2.1 It wasnt really hard, I just couldnt keep up with the volume of written work and I simly couldnt present written awnsers in exams in the time available! Oh and the handwriting, spelling and over all composition would inevitably be dreadfull :( (Cut and Paste is truely a gift from the gods for a dyslexic!))

D

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:39 
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Dusty wrote:
I treat words as pictograms so, on the one hand I can read very quickly, but on the ohter hand the accuracy of the reading is poor


I think most speedy readers see words as symbols. That is why they (I) might not be able to tell you how to spell a word but can instantly tell whether it is right or wrong when they see it written down. I hate books where they have character speaking in dialect. You have to read it aloud to understand it and that takes so much longer

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 20:01 
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:gatso2:

Circular signs - advisory.

Triangular signs -warning.

Hexagonal signs - STOP.

Double solid white lines at a junction - Stop.

Double dashed white lines at a junction - Stop and give way.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 00:52 
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PeterE wrote:
...Witnesses said Cook, who is terminally ill, was smoking a cigarette and gesticulating at other drivers while passing their vehicles...

...Recorder Christopher Morris-Coole said he was “sceptical” about Cook’s explanation and banned him from driving for three years.

I suppose if you're terminally ill, you may feel you have little to lose by driving like a knob :o


Why do you use that term?

I think that the person has issues that are influencing their driving and that needs to be addressed, but I find the need to call them a knob for driving at 103 mph, smoking and gesticulating a bit OTT. :)
I mean just get out of his way and defuse any "situation" unless you are Mr "head of the queue" of course.

Do a search.

rgds

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 00:57 
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MoJocvh2 wrote:
PeterE wrote:
...Witnesses said Cook, who is terminally ill, was smoking a cigarette and gesticulating at other drivers while passing their vehicles...

...Recorder Christopher Morris-Coole said he was “sceptical” about Cook’s explanation and banned him from driving for three years.

I suppose if you're terminally ill, you may feel you have little to lose by driving like a knob :o

Why do you use that term?

I think that the person has issues that are influencing their driving and that needs to be addressed, but I find the need to call them a knob for driving at 103 mph, smoking and gesticulating a bit OTT. :)

Umm, if that isn't driving like a knob, what is? :P

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 01:36 
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MoJocvh2 wrote:
I think that the person has issues that are influencing their driving and that needs to be addressed, ...
I mean just get out of his way and defuse any "situation" unless you are Mr "head of the queue" of course.

Understanding his needs are one thing. Pleased to hear that the Police turned up that is good.
I think the Court was right to do a Dangerous Driving charge. Let's hope he has learned and will take greater care by a very large degree.
Sounds to me that he is probably depressed and needs a big dose of moral rights and responsibilities as well as an appreciation of his own dire circumstances.
I wonder if anyone at all addressed the issue of people not pulling over and allowing him to pass ?
Letting a bad driver go by is far far better than holding them up deliberately. We must never make decisions for others we should allow others to overtake and also pull to the left on dual carriageways.
There is a greater tendency it seems to be OK to overtake the distant car ahead than to simply pull in and then pull out again ! Since when have we decided that altering lane is 'seemingly so bad'?

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