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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 22:52 
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Posts: 234
Seems rude not to join in, so briefly here we go:

48 years old, ex-forces, now in the emergency services.
Wife and 2.4 kids etc, been riding since 1973 and driving since 1974.
Advanced driver and motorcyclist.
Last accident- 1984, diesel+roundabout+bike= ouch.
Last nicked- 1983, doing 37 in a 30 (at 08.00hrs on a bright, sunny Saturday morning in May, empty road, on a bike that would do 150+ without even trying).
Hobbies- used to be shooting, until the Government took the rifles away in 1985 and then the pistols in 1997 (since when armed crime has gone through the roof- spot any similarities?)
Happy memory- doing some serious speed in a 50 limit, and eventually getting tugged. Trafpol asks "any idea what speed you were doing, sir?".
I reply "actually, no- I was concentrating totally on the road ahead, I didn't want to take my eyes off the road; that's also why I didn't see you in the mirrors".
Trafpol shake their head, then say "bloody well slow down, Eddie Lawson"- and get back in the car and drive off. Not even a producer. Magic days!!


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 02:54 
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Never even noticed this section before!!

31 years old, and a relative newcomer to motorised transport. I always try to be courteous and conciderate & very, very rarely get an attack of the "GTFOOMW"!

Heavily into on/off-orad & urban cycling for many years - not so much now as have to drive company vehicles. Was an electrical technician (time served), cycle mechanic/wheel builder for local shop - (had a 'nice' 18months in and out of hospital getting radio+chemo - just managed to keep active on bike when recovering), now running signage business (10yrs) with a brief stint of IT supply & consultancy thrown in for good measure. Never been 'done' for any traffic violations, or had an accident in car, (far too many on bikes) but have been pulled a couple of times by bored plod when out at night.

Married just over 2 years to my Canadian wife who disagrees with me that speed cams are just evil money making devices (non-uk driver)!!

Now driving for 3 years with 4 NCB and on my second VX Omega V6, but started in an ancient Fiesta then Maestro, diesel Cav, diesel Mundano and laterly an older V6 'miggy estate. Slow and steady up the power & size of vehicles. Oh, yeh. A LWB Sprinter & numerous other vans (Kangoos... etc) for work. I'm by no means a speed freak, more of a power hungry freak - hell, I want a Monaro!

Hobbies, photography (film EOS 630 & digital Fuji S7000) & very occasionally 'skirmishing' (soon to be banned?), it's like 'paintball' but with highly accurate replica weapons firing 6mm BB's at 275-325 fps/700rpm, and not for the analy-retentive paintball twats!! Also, researching technical, scientific or English language subjects.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 17:43 
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Location: Kent
hi,

my name is gary i am 23 i live in maidstone and i HATE speed camera's.

have been got a couple of times and i hate paying the bloody fines!

an unfair tax on the motorist.

i drive a mitsubishi evo VI with certain enging mods and a nice stero and bass box.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 22:08 
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Posts: 54
Some of you will know me already. I've been around for quite a while.

I'll be 44 next month. I'm married with two sons aged 11 and 9. My hobbies are cycling, sailing, skiing and rugby. I drive a Galaxy Ghia and have a garage that contains the family fleet of 8 cycles and a BOB Ibex cycle trailer. The trailer is great for taking stuff to the tip on bank holidays - as I can ride past all of the stationary cars. :D

A Galaxy Ghia is a bit dull; I know. In the past I've had quite nice cars. In 83 I had an Astra GTe. Since then I've had loads of Golf GTi's, including one with a GTI Engineering head conversion, an Audi 90 2.3 20V Sport, a few A6 Avants and some rally cars. I used to be actively involved in motorsport. I competed 'on the maps' back in the 80's in the Welsh road rally series against the likes of Nicky Grist. I moved on through Astra Challenge, Nova Junior Cup and on to the Open Championship when rallies were proper. The Circuit of Ireland was 600 stage miles then, and the RAC lasted 5 days without sleep. :shock:

I co-drove for Simon Stubbings in one of the first Mazda 323 Turbo's, Sean Lockyear in the British Junior Rally Team Golf GTI, and Kevin Furber in the factory supported Peugeot 205. I was honoured to have known and competed with Richard Burns.

After a break from the sport I made a comeback as a driver - but only for a cheap play. I reshelled a standard F plate Nova GTE and dominated the BTRDA Gold Star series in Class N2. What fun it was thrashing the likes of group A Astra GTE's, Sierra Cosworths, et al, in my standard one wheel drive shopping car.

For may years I was a committee member of the ABD, but I resigned a couple of years ago as I started to question the sense of some of the arguments. Having been instrumental in the push for bright gatsos, and having taken the IAM test I really stopped seeing a problem. Cameras became visible and I was driving to a higher standard - so there was nothing to worry about anymore. I was cycling more and more, and began to see more sense in what cyclists were saying about persecution by motorists. I stopped feeling persecuted as a driver.

I've grown up. I now see cars as a means for getting from A to B if I can't find a better way. Yes, I'd rather not waste my life driving. I like to walk and cycle when I can - it's free!! I get to meet people and see more of the locality and countryside. I've realised that there's no need to rush around if you plan your life better. I'm campainging for cycling now, and I feel no sympathy for any driver that gets a speeding ticket. If you cant see a camera then you're not paying attention to the road ahead. Tough! I'm embarassed to think that I've been on national TV calling cameras revenue generating. I don't think they are any more. They don't cost me anything because I'm driving better and at the right speed. Life's too short to lose sleep over them.

However, I think Paul is right in his campaign against cameras for this reason - I don't think that cameras make the roads any safer. I want to see police back on the roads and a fear that makes drivers drive safer and take fewer risks.

I suppose I used to be a bit like the Raging Bull before I grew up. One day I hope he will realise that life is not about getting from A to B in the shortest time and f**k everyone else. I don't want to have to listen to the 'big bore, small brain' idiots racing down my street. I'd rather see them caught by real coppers and banned.

In the meantime I'll carry on driving safely, campaigning for real road safety, and enjoy thousands of miles of cycling with my family.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 05:43 
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A warm :welcome: to you, Ru88ell.

A nice blog - and an evolution that perhaps many can in part associate with. Personally I've not done any rallying and my health is such that the free modes of A to B are rarely open to me.

Just one point:
Quote:
and I feel no sympathy for any driver that gets a speeding ticket. If you cant see a camera then you're not paying attention to the road ahead. ...... . They don't cost me anything because I'm driving better and at the right speed.


I agree with this *almost* 100%. However,despite your campaigning, some are still in darker livery and some are obfuscated by vegetation. And of course there are the long distance LTi jobbies (although their days are numbered IMHO).


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:36 
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Roger wrote:
Just one point:
Ru88ell wrote:
and I feel no sympathy for any driver that gets a speeding ticket. If you cant see a camera then you're not paying attention to the road ahead. ...... . They don't cost me anything because I'm driving better and at the right speed.

I agree with this *almost* 100%. However,despite your campaigning, some are still in darker livery and some are obfuscated by vegetation. And of course there are the long distance LTi jobbies (although their days are numbered IMHO).

I would agree that I have little sympathy for someone caught by a fixed camera. However many, if not most, Talivans are deliberately located to catch people out - take a look at the pictures on www.speedcam.co.uk. Therefore, unless drivers stick to the speed limit everywhere, Talivans must pose a significant risk to them.

And don't forget the many cases where speed limits are unclear, such as the famous one of the Lancashire nurse who got 11 NIPs in 14 days from a fixed camera because they had dropped the limit from 40 to 30 and not put up any signs to inform drivers of this fact.

Welcome to the forums btw, Ru88ell - I remember you from ABD meetings a few years ago :)

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:56 
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Location: middlish
oh interesting... how come i never saw this thread?
got some catching up to do!


have been floating round a while but here goes...

i'm 27, married & live in the midlands.
been driving since i was 17, only on my second car as i didnt get one till we got married, first was a 2nd hand escort now in a megane. just become a 2 car family as the wife passed on the 3rd and has a smart to pootle round in.

i'm a long distance runner having taken part in a number of 'ultra' distance races & now run www.ultrarunner.co.uk. also a triathlete when i get time, worked up to half ironman distance last year.. oh so this makes me a cyclist as well (and reluctant swimmer).

i did an engineering degree and given the option of a general one or an applied one i opted to do automotive engineering at loughborough. i worked for bmw/rover/land rover for a short while and now work for an american tier 1 supplier, chances are you've got some of our kit on your car.

my specialisms are vehicle dynamics & active control systems for vehicle dynamics and as such i've worked on a range of current systems from power steering, roll control, ABS, ESP etc and a number of concepts that aren't on the roads yet.

I guess I'm a fairly experienced driver for my age having been trained in vehicle assesment & limit handling and now having a number of years experience in testing & development of a variety of vehicles (from mundane to supercar). Also acheived gold RoADA standard (probably now lapsed) funded by work which had a positive impact on my day to day driving & attitude.

Currently in northern sweden on winter test where i've spent a number of months over the past few year. We have a great facility over here for brake & stability testing out on the snow & ice.

I migrated to the SS site from the RoADA yahoo group (which was a bit dry).

think that should cover it!.... any questions?


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 13:22 
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ed_m wrote:
oh interesting... how come i never saw this thread?
got some catching up to do!


<snip>
my specialisms are vehicle dynamics & active control systems for vehicle dynamics and as such i've worked on a range of current systems from power steering, roll control, ABS, ESP etc and a number of concepts that aren't on the roads yet.

I guess I'm a fairly experienced driver for my age having been trained in vehicle assesment & limit handling and now having a number of years experience in testing & development of a variety of vehicles (from mundane to supercar). Also acheived gold RoADA standard (probably now lapsed) funded by work which had a positive impact on my day to day driving & attitude.

Currently in northern sweden on winter test where i've spent a number of months over the past few year. We have a great facility over here for brake & stability testing out on the snow & ice.

I migrated to the SS site from the RoADA yahoo group (which was a bit dry).

think that should cover it!.... any questions?

Yes.
What is your opinion of drivers taken by surprise by black ice. I guess at this time of year in Sweden it's not too common - but is it the drivers fault for not seeing it?
I've looked around the web for different views on this, and find it's interesting how many different views there are on this, depending on where they originate!

BTW, have you tried the Tomte Glogg yet? :lol:

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 14:35 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
Yes.
What is your opinion of drivers taken by surprise by black ice. I guess at this time of year in Sweden it's not too common - but is it the drivers fault for not seeing it?
I've looked around the web for different views on this, and find it's interesting how many different views there are on this, depending on where they originate!


well i'm not sure you can judge a driver for not seeing something you can't see.
no excuse for not being aware of the possibility tho... and may be able to mitigate for the possibility of it by dropping cornering speeds & altering lines (where possible).

i guess there may be a few techniques for spotting it the average driver may not use, tyre noise (ok bit late but you might spot smaller patches before the big one!), local geography & hints at localised ground temperature (when i work out what i mean by that i'll let you know).

i'm as likely as the next guy to get caught unawares.

i took some photos of the route to work here today.. bit blurry but here they are:
piccie 1
piccie 2
(although unfortunately conditions are pretty good at present)

Ernest Marsh wrote:
BTW, have you tried the Tomte Glogg yet? :lol:


god no... have you seen the price of beer round here?
(although i did get a little bottle of elchblut the other year!)


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 17:27 
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Quote:
i guess there may be a few techniques for spotting it the average driver may not use, tyre noise (ok bit late but you might spot smaller patches before the big one!), local geography & hints at localised ground temperature (when i work out what i mean by that i'll let you know).

Good one. If I'm out in uncharted waters that might be icy, I always have the radio very low to hear the tyres. If ever they go quiet....


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 21:09 
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Hi there, I support SafeSpeed!


Last edited by T2006 on Wed Aug 23, 2006 00:10, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 15:25 
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Location: Cumbria
I've missed this one too! OK, It's only fair to fill in some details I suppose.

I'm 41 this year, married with 3 young kids (we started late).

I'm a Mechanical Engineer by profession and have been in the "specialist" vehcle industry all my working life to date. By "Specialist" I guess I mean anything that isn't mass-produced, so that's sports cars, kit cars, taxis, hearses, limos, armoured, ambulances, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, buses, coaches...and so on. (never done anything with an ice cream van though!)

I studied Automotive Engineering at what was (then) Hatfield Poly and then I worked for TVR for 7 years. After that I worked for a small consultancy at a university where I ran a seat belt anchorage test lab for 5 years. That got me into Type approval and I now work largely from home for a taxi converter under the rather grand title of "homologation engineer"!


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 15:39 
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Mole wrote:
That got me into Type approval and I now work largely from home for a taxi converter under the rather grand title of "homologation engineer"!


thats funny.... this year i has been mostly testing... taxis :roll:


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 16:30 
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Yeah, bit of a change from my first job! Still, it's all part of the new, socially responsible, clean, green ,environmentally friendly (oh I'm not fooling anyone here am I?!) (OK and better paid) me!


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 Post subject: Hi, New To The Site
PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 23:21 
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Location: Lancashire
Hi,

Just wanted to introduce myself.

I'm from Lancashire. I only passed my driving test a month ago and am still not confidant out there in the big bad world of driving. I hope this site will help me with good tips etc. :)

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 23:55 
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Ah dear, I didn't see this topic either. Well, I'm 17, 18 in July... Been driving since 30th November 2005, so that puts me at about 6 and a half months, and come up to about 4000 miles of 'real' driving... Live just on the outskirts of Belfast, go to school a bit further away... Just finished studying for my AS level exams, A2 next year, if the school will take me back!

Drive a 1.3l 'Bright Blue' Ford Ka, which tends to be referred to as the 'Gay Purple Ka' or I get "Haha, you drive a girls car" quite often...

Don't drive that much, but the majority of what I drive is in fairly heavy traffic, compared with a lot of my mates who drive at night and around areas with little traffic.

We don't have many SCAMs here, but we have a lot of trafpol and portable cameras around the place at times, always a bit worried about getting pulled for speeding, but I generally don't drive that briskly... There's the odd time I would go to overtake someone on a d/c and they think it's fun to leave me sitting in lane 2, so I would tend to accelerate quite a bit in that situation.

Pet hates of other people's driving would be:

- Drivers that go slowly without good reason (ie conditions or having R/L plates displayed)
- People that always expect me to give way when they go to pass me on the motorway and want off at the next exit, when they started the overtake manoeuvre at the // marker...
- Boy racers that think they can outrun my car, and therefore nearly end up in my wing on roundabouts.
- Tailgaters
- Mr 'Oh I must stop at every roundabout no matter what is on it' and then wastes perfectly good spaces, or nearly drives into someone on the roundabout when he moves off...
- Non indicators and people that won't look at your indicators on roundabouts... When I'm indicating right I really do mean I'm not going off on your exit, so don't pull out infront of me dear...

Interests are computing, HAM radio, music and that kind of thing, usual 'Boy Racer' stuff (not)...

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 Post subject: Re: Hi, New To The Site
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 00:36 
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redrose wrote:
Hi,

Just wanted to introduce myself.

I'm from Lancashire. I only passed my driving test a month ago and am still not confidant out there in the big bad world of driving. I hope this site will help me with good tips etc. :)

:welcome:
You're definitely in the right area for some of the best advice going in terms of learning how to make very safe progress. It is laudable you want to do so.

Search out COAST on the main website (and in the forums for that matter) for a start.

Another section I'd strongly endorse on the forums - if a tad macabre of me - is the Near Miss area. Lots of useful stuff in there.

Any questions, make a best guess as to where they might best fit, start a new thread and ask away.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 01:35 
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Hi. I'm Andrew. I'm no good at introducing myself, or anything social like that.
I did notice this thread before, and I did write something to put in here but then I lost it.

I can't remember how I found this site. I think I was looking for pictures of blown up Gatsos and found other sites about how great speed cameras are and there was a link to here. I was at school when they first introduced fixed cameras here and even then I knew they were bad, how can something designed to make people panic brake be a good thing?

I have been driving since I was 17, started driving lessons soon after my 17th birthday and did Pass Plus. I also drove (with parents) down to the south of France around the time I was 18.

I currently have a red car. I had a different red car before this one but it had a more powerful engine. I'm thinking of getting a small red van.

I can't wait to leave this country and get to Australia. At least it's warm over there.

I work in IT and am also a radio amature. And I am evil.

Sometimes I make jokes at inaproriate times.

'They' still haven't caught me speeding.... Yet....

My hair is about as long as Paul's but I think mine is prettier...

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:04 
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Roger,

Thank you for the welcome. I will definately look at the near miss section as 3 weeks after passing my test someone decided to exit a roundabout from the outside lane and didn't see me or my nearly new red micra. Needless to say I have no back or driver's side left and it's still being repaired. At least she admitted liability tho.

This has what has contributed to my nervousness on the roads.

Now sorry for sounding thick but how do you access the main site? :oops:

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:42 
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Quote:
but how do you access the main site?

Just click the SS rondel at the top of any forum page and then, after playing with your conscience for an increasing length of time or, better, joining up, click the "Enter site" link.


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