Parking fines, the record?

[Grimble]

And yet the friendly warning (which is probably more effective than a fine) is being phased out by the total reliance on cameras which do not detect drink driving, drug driving, being on your phone, dangerous driving, defective vehicle, no licence etc etc.

All the focus is on the one thing that can be done on the cheap and is proven to be a factor in only a small proportion of accidents.

Another thread was discussing the poor quality of driving, I'm fairly sure that a visible (not stealthy) police presence on the roads would undoubtedly make a difference.

[Bill_56]

Agreed, Police friendly warnings used to do a lot of good.

A friend of mine who'd not long been driving, about 25 years ago, got stopped at a manned speed trap. The officer explained that although she'd slowed to just a little over 30 by the time she reached them, she'd being doing over 40 when she first entered the 30 limit.

She explained that she had always believed that she was allowed some distance within the 30 limit to slow down. The officer explained that was not the case, she had to slow down to 30 before even entering the 30 limit. Having accepted that she understood the genuine error of her ways, and that she intended to heed his advice, she was let off with a warning.

A speed camera could not achieve that. They generally are located some distance inside the speed limit, and so may even propagate the myth that you can slow down after the limit, rather than before it.

[Grimble]

Originally Posted by Bill_56

A speed camera could not achieve that. They generally are located some distance inside the speed limit, and so may even propagate the myth that you can slow down after the limit, rather than before it.

You could be right, I always thought that a camera was not allowed within 100 yards of a change in speed limit for that reason. I also vaguely remember hearing of successful appeals where the camera van had been parked close behind the new speed limit sign.

[AndrewBrown]

I have got to 32 years so far using your legal loophole

[93240se]

Many years ago in Nottingham us BT engineers had "official" plastic boards that we could write on with a china graph crayon, showing where we were working. A colleague filled his in saying "BT engineer working in St James's Street" and went about carrying out his installation job. Returned to his van only to find a dreaded black & yellow envelope on the windscreen with a note inside which read" Traffic warden also working in St James's Street !" but no parking ticket. A sense of humour, greatly appreciated, actually the wardens were pretty fair to us.
Regards, Richard.

[Bill_56]

Originally Posted by 93240se

Many years ago in Nottingham us BT engineers had "official" plastic boards that we could write on with a china graph crayon, showing where we were working. A colleague filled his in saying "BT engineer working in St James's Street" and went about carrying out his installation job. Returned to his van only to find a dreaded black & yellow envelope on the windscreen with a note inside which read" Traffic warden also working in St James's Street !" but no parking ticket. A sense of humour, greatly appreciated, actually the wardens were pretty fair to us.
Regards, Richard.

What a nice story. And maybe exemplary of why, for some of us OFs, traffic wardens weren't always held in such disdain.

I can't help thinking that nowadays though, with cctv cameras on their coats, traffic wardens might no longer have the discretion to show a sense of humour.