[Archived] Red Light Runners

[Paul]

If 3500 drivers on the M6 have been fined then I'm not sure where the money has gone to. Does it matter?

As I recall it you are both right. There were a huge number of people caught speeding on the M6 in the near past but it was in a roadworks section. There were even signs up stating the number caught to date total.

[Alan75]

1864,

Speed/safety cameras are only used on Motorways at roadworks as a device to slow down drivers to protect the workers and as a device to slow down drivers who will be funnelled into two lanes rather than three.

If 3500 drivers on the M6 have been fined then I'm not sure where the money has gone to. Does it matter?

FYI The Highway Authority for the M6 is The Highways Authority. not Lancashire County Council.

Sorry to correct you Colin, but if you travel between Lancaster and Penrith, there are regularly speed cameras set up on the motorway bridges. The bridge as you head north after junction 34 is a real favourite, 2 or 3 times a week.

Dont say you werent warned if you get caught when you set off to the Lakes this weekend.

[thenodrog]

Dont say you werent warned if you get caught when you set off to the Lakes this weekend.

Bloody aggravating that is too! It's the quietest stretch of MWay in the country...... I guess plod just has sod all else to do up there in the sticks.

[rosie]

The cameras they put on that bridge I can actually see the logic of because when it's busy, junction 34 is mental and dangerous. There are frequently accidents on both sides of that particular bit of motorway.

Police out here in the styx are kept quite busy in Barrow and Morecambe believe it or not!

[1864roverite]

Speaking from experience

when you pay police officers double time to go out and catch speeding motorists THAT SAYS IT ALL

and Colin, I note what you say.

But please explain if you can the now avid use of speed average cameras up and down the motorways and the fact that if you average 83mph you get a £125 fine ?

is that to warn motorists of impending roadworks ?

is it to warn of impending accidents/delays ?

or

is it to warn you that being caught speeding costs you a wad and points on your license ?

Speed cameras are a way of raising revenue, as are parking tickets and the like. 60% of all funds raised by fines go back to the local council whilst the remainder is classed as costs to provide the service.

Those cameras on the m6 raised a miniature goldmine as I do believe the average fine from court appearances was a nice fat £80.00. So someone benefited, be it the highways agency or the local council.

[T4E]

Funny how things strike you. When we moved to Clayton from Swindon 18 years ago I couldn't believe the number of folks round here who didn't indicate.......... !

Nah, it's definitely a Swindon thing....

[Al]

Today I had to take my 85 year old Dad to his doctors at Little Harwood Heath Centre. All the parking spaces were taken and the only other place to park is 500 yards around the corner. Dad can't walk very far, that is why he is registered disabled and has a blue parking badge. We therefore parked opposite the Health centre on the double yellow lines and displayed the disabled badge as it was supposed to be displayed. When we came out some barsteward sadistic underemployed plod had put a parking ticket on the windscreen stating it was causing an 'unneccessary obstruction'. How more necessary it can be than a doctor's appointment defeats me.

There was a £30 fine to be paid or a court appearance, no contact number to argue the case and I paid because I would rather lose £30 than subject my Dad to court. As far as I know he is allowed to park on double yellow lines for up to 3 hours.

How can this be justified.

[thenodrog]

Today I had to take my 85 year old Dad to his doctors at Little Harwood Heath Centre. All the parking spaces were taken and the only other place to park is 500 yards around the corner. Dad can't walk very far, that is why he is registered disabled and has a blue parking badge. We therefore parked opposite the Health centre on the double yellow lines and displayed the disabled badge as it was supposed to be displayed. When we came out some barsteward sadistic underemployed plod had put a parking ticket on the windscreen stating it was causing an 'unneccessary obstruction'. How more necessary it can be than a doctor's appointment defeats me.

There was a £30 fine to be paid or a court appearance, no contact number to argue the case and I paid because I would rather lose £30 than subject my Dad to court. As far as I know he is allowed to park on double yellow lines for up to 3 hours.

How can this be justified.

Very similar with me. I took my son to Montague Health centre, the tiny car park was of course full so I parked on the parking area outside the chemists. The only bays available were the disabled ones so I parked in an unboxed space near the exit. As I took the lad into reception to check in I passed 2 wardens walking the other way. 3 mins (no more) later after I had left him I came out to move my car and was already in the process of being booked. I pointed out that I was not on yellow lines but all he could say was 'it's only £30 if you pay straight away' before going on to infrom me just how much he hated his job and how he couldn't wait for his retirement. I pointed out that I'd had an op on my knee 3 weeks before but he said that I should have got a blue badge from the town hall as there were over 10,000 issued in Blackburn! (True story this...... Just as an aside at that moment a middle aged lady stormed up in self righteous anger and instructed the warden to book car illegally blocking the health centre car park. He replied somewhat apologetically that that car park was not his responsibility and he could do nothing about it! The lady flew into a rage saying 'Rubbish! You mean you wont cos it's a bloody black un' and stalked off. Strange thing is the car was light blue!

But moving on..... Basically I HAD too much self esteem and would rather crawl than blag a disc under false pretences but I've also got an 88 year old very frail and arthritic parent like Al and I've often wondered how I would go on if I was booked for 'illegal' parking outside health centres etc. Seems I know the answer now and will just have to get a blue disc too. So self esteem be beggared.... it's for losers. I'm simply going to follow my normal 'dont get mad get even' policy and with a huge thanks to a Blackburn council employee I'm off to join the freeloading narrowbacks with blue badges...... but with a completely clear conscience

[blue phil]

How can this be justified.

It can be justified on the grounds that taxes can be raised by any and all means necessary from an increasingly subservient population .

That is the real reason . All else is just lies and propoganda ........

I recall driving for a whole week in Southern France last year . What a joy it was not to see one single speed camera , nor a traffic cop , nor a traffic warden , nor a parking attendant .

.....and still the world carried on turning .

[Paul]

We therefore parked opposite the Health centre on the double yellow lines and displayed the disabled badge as it was supposed to be displayed. ................. As far as I know he is allowed to park on double yellow lines for up to 3 hours.

You're right unless the area has a loading / unloading restriction, in which case you can't park on the double yellows. I know this because my son is a blue badge holder and it isn't quite the carte blanche to park anywhere people imagine - though I agree one can park almost anywhere. Having come close to getting booked a couple of times I made myself very aware of the regs.