I hate Bournemouth... now... V3.11...

Stay Frosty

Stay Frosty

Electrician
T6 Legend
Well that's taken a bit of the shine off of dropping in to visit the in-laws at Ferndown on the way back from Brixham.
Yep I managed to attract the attention of the sub contract law enforcement speed camera at West Howe and posted 35 mph in a 30 limit, it's actually dual carriageway at this point but I was on the inside lane.
Anyway prior to this apart from street drifting and late night cannonball runs in the camper I've had a clean licence for 20yrs plus but given the options of paying and sucking it up or paying extra and a speed awareness course with no points ie. bribery or finally contesting the offence I'm wondering what others might think or have experienced?
At present I feel like writing FOAD! all over their reply form but I have a feeling the process is automated and their computer will ignore my futile anger, just looking for the bank details.
I know I always come on here and bleat about the latest imposition on my low energy lifestyle but I can see why people sod off to France and Spain to see out their days, at least it's warm there. 🤕
 
I got nabbed doing 36mph in a 30 limit that I was sure was a 40. My previous collar was in 1996. I sucked it up and did the speed awareness course on-line. If you do that, be prepared to bite your tongue. Whilst there were some good points raised, a lot of the script was so patronising, I did wonder if it was a kind of 'attitude test.'
 
I'd pay the penalty. It's usually less expensive than paying for the course (plus your time, fuel and travel if its out of county), most insurers don't dpcare about only 3 points for speeding, and you'll be suicidal by lunchtime if you do the course.
 
I got caught driving the son and girlfriend home from Luton Airport at 0300 hrs on the M4 when there was no other traffic. 82 mph and I had only just taken the cruise control off to prevent falling asleep. This was in his Golf.
Clean licence for 30 years.
Couldn’t face doing speed awareness by some jobsworth with moaning people so just paid and took the points.
 
Sadly know the feeling only too well. Nearly 30 years clean record, only to get nabbed by a mobile unit at 37mph while slowing down from a 40 to 30 zone.
I did the speed awareness course (in person) to avoid the points / possible increase in insurance premiums. Whilst I agree a lot of it was a little patronising, I actually found it mostly surprisingly worthwhile - a lot of stuff I'd simply forgotten, some I never even knew (like lower speed limits for commercial vehicles, something I was blissfully unaware of for years while driving up to 7.5t vehicles for work!) I think if it was, say, a tenner, and compulsory every ten years to renew your licence, the roads would probably be a lot safer.

As for Spain, I lived there for 20 years and can honestly say that, apart from away from the major urban areas where traffic is light, driving can be a pretty hairy experience! Tailgating is a national passtime, and mad teenagers on motos are a constant nuisance.
 
Cheers gents, I'll be honest I'm in the frame of mind of pay the £100 and take the 3 points as I've done well to not get caught on the times when I was speeding but this particular time was two lanes of moving traffic with me on the nearside lane going nowhere so I'm guessing we all got done?
 
dubber36 said:
Just be mindful that if you take the points and do have a slight lapse in concentration in the next couple of years, there will be no speed awareness option then.
Click to expand...

But I think that applies even if you take the course instead of the points. Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong.
 
dubber36 said:
Just be mindful that if you take the points and do have a slight lapse in concentration in the next couple of years, there will be no speed awareness option then.
Click to expand...
That depends. Regional forces share systems. Northants, Leicester, Notts, Derbyshire and Staffs all run the same software and share the same open databases for everything so a speed awareness course in one would probibit you from a course in another for x number of years.

But have a course in Northumberland and you might get away with another in Kent as I don't think the info is shared nationally...yet...but may be wrong as I've been out the loop for half a decade now.
 
I'll bumble along the same as previously as I hate people speeding in town centre situations where as a pedestrian you've got electric scooters and bikes on the pavement acting as beaters to drive you under the wheels of yet another murdered out black Audi or Merc.
As a youngster (17) I managed to lose my licence due to totting up, 70 in a 30 on my motorbike was a high water mark in that particular achievement but 59 yrs later it's been a case of very occasionally being caught and moving on, admittedly the feeling that you've just been harvested hasn't changed in all my years on the road though.
 
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Stay Frosty said:
I'll bumble along the same as previously as I hate people speeding in town centre situations where as a pedestrian you've got electric scooters and bikes on the pavement acting as beaters to drive you under the wheels of yet another murdered out black Audi or Merc.
As a youngster (17) I managed to lose my licence due to totting up, 70 in a 30 on my motorbike was a high water mark in that particular achievement but 59 yrs later it's been a case of very occasionally being caught and moving on, admittedly the feeling that you've just been harvested hasn't changed in all my years on the road though.
Click to expand...
Last year I was in the car with the Missus. She was driving, were on a dual carriageway bit of the North Circular in Larndan.

40 limit and not knowing where the cameras may be she very wisely pegged the cruise at exactly 40. It was a Sunday, the road was fairly clear.

Our junction was approaching so Mrs Sasquatch indicated right and moved over. A blacked out Merc came razzing up (presumably local and knows where the cameras are) and started flashing his lights. Mrs S was disinclined to speed, and wasn't going to move left as we were turning right and indicating that intention.

Johnny Spottiebum loses his rag and overtakes up the inside, absolutely blasting past. He cut back in abruptly and his back end went a bit, setting the car into an almighty tankslapper as he vainly tried to correct it. The arse end bashed against the central barrier 4 or 5 times before he was able to brake to a stop.

We stopped alongside. I frankly didn't give a sheet if he was dead or not after he'd endangered us but I wanted to take the opportunity to say to him, "you won't do that again!"
 
More and more of these things around now and understand that the tolerances are lower in many areas also. In many areas 10% + 2mph was common but not universal. I believe that mostly now it is just the 10% but could be less in some areas, North Wales zero no %, just 1mph is enough. I am fortunate have a clean licence been retired for many years but I could see the way it was going. As soon as I realise, that is, I see a mph sign I decided that’s where it starts so arrive at the sign at that mph. No I am not a goody goody, I just watch the vast majority go through signs, 100m along one sees a brake light but no real attempt at slowing I can tell by the rate they pull away. the ever increasing gap. I should imagine that most just go on there way at well over, its habit. I try to make a game of it its the only way or one becomes resentful. Travel all over the UK and one sees different speed limits for the same sort or type of area I feel that some assigned speed limits have little to do with safety but more to do with economy or revenue. Of course some are accident black spots and built up areas have their own problems. With the 20 in Wales it is the same do not mind the 20 if it is sensible but they are all over the place and often finish just exactly where a 20 aught to be imposed. I can travel through roads that are now 20 that in my memory they where clearway and not that very long ago or travel through settlements where it is still clearway but really should be lower because many limits have been assigned by political pressure that is Wales. Wales is run like a UK local authority with all its little prejudices and self advancements and pumped up councillors/Welsh assembly members. Here in Wales there is always more speed traps during holiday periods. It is even advertised in local news papers when areas are being given attention. They do this as informed consent to prevent majority resentment and hope that all those caught are from out of area, that is England! We are living in a recession and it an easy way to bring money in. The authorities are always looking for more money and give a smaller service.

Is it better in other countries? Perhaps some of our members else where can say. Different but if one lived in any other country I should imagine that something or other would be equally annoying. I do not really understand patriotism anyway. I live where I well, approximately was born that is GB. I would love to live somewhere else, in another country and perhaps never return because different, might feel better. I guess I will receive a note in the mail one day. Many signs have been trashed by farm boys, saw some new vandalised mph signs just the other day, some where just nocked over some pulled right out of the ground some twisted around to face the other way. When the 20's where rapidly put in, their where many conflicting signs and road markings that are still evident today. One wonders what the legal situation might be for someone clocked. Certainly in Wales it feels very much anti car. I know Poole a little, In Laws and other family live there and daughter at UNI there at the moment also. That is one of the reasons why I had my Hill Decent or Control fitted in Poole.

Really sorry that your day has been blighted. I would just pay the fine, not do the course and keep an eye out. That unless some has said it has passed its calibration date or what ever avoiders come up with. I like most of you posts so do not emigrate too soon you would be missed!🥲😉
 
I put my front 2 wheels in a box junction in London a couple of years ago.....unfamiliar road, dark with driving rain and Rugby traffic. Had to pay Khan a fair few quid for that, no option of a course
 
Sackmycook said:
I put my front 2 wheels in a box junction in London a couple of years ago.....unfamiliar road, dark with driving rain and Rugby traffic. Had to pay Khan a fair few quid for that, no option of a course
Click to expand...
If you judge it wrong and realise you are going to get caught in a box, if you crawl as slow as is possible through it, therefore not technically stop, can you get nabbed?
 
No, you've not stopped.
My beef was that I didn't block any traffic from the other entrance so was within the spirit of such a box junction.
 
Sasquatch said:
That depends. Regional forces share systems. Northants, Leicester, Notts, Derbyshire and Staffs all run the same software and share the same open databases for everything so a speed awareness course in one would probibit you from a course in another for x number of years.

But have a course in Northumberland and you might get away with another in Kent as I don't think the info is shared nationally...yet...but may be wrong as I've been out the loop for half a decade now.
Click to expand...
I got done for speeding in Dorset a few years ago and couldn't do the speed awareness course locally in kent so had to do it in Dorset as their not on the national data base logic behind this was if I got caught again in different county on the national base the Dorset one would not show up or mores to the point I hoped it didn't
 
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