Flashing at speed camera vans today

TrickyWicky

pendulum wrote: »

Yes, but the OP was in a motor vehicle. They always have time to fine motorists.

Ah, careful there old chum, it's not just motorists. Cyclists are also fair game for silly things and I think my old friend would probably make you chuckle:

Arrested and taken to the magistrate for doing 42mph in a 30... on a HORSE! :rotfl: :T

They'll have anyone they can.

Wig

Sorry for late reply, been busy replacing my gear linkage....;) £30 job done, all in, myself.

newfoundglory wrote: »

Wig - have you seen this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-12115179

I think so, and I know of the cases that won on appeal, so I am not very worried at the moment. (see below) Was the police car speeding? if so why was he speeding? (he wasn't)

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I still believe that the Magistrates and Crown Court Judge erred in the case of Thompson. How could they prove that Thompson obstructed an officer, unless they could prove that he flashed cars that were speeding and that he encouraged them to slow down? If no vehicles were speeding, then what was the obstruction? I don't know the present position, bit he was considering a further appeal.

The case of Glendinning was an interesting one, too:

http://www.speedcameras.org/speed-camera-news-article-print.php?id=115

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2005/2333.html

I believe that the Crown Court Judge should have followed this case, in Mr Thompson's case.

In any event, in the OP's case, we don't know if it was a police or SCP van. There's no offence of obstruction in relation to the latter, as far as I know.

ETA: I can find nothing regarding any further appeal by Mr Thompson.

Thanks Sarah, it was an SCP van. Another good point to know about.

Lum wrote: »

Serious question. When was the last time you saw a camera van enforcing a residential area?

The ones I see on a regular basis are enforcing the M4 motorway, or the A469 on a stretch which is a 70mph dual carriageway with signs prohibiting pedestrians. (near Risca and Rogerstone if you want to Google streetview it)

If they actually did operate in residential 30 and 20 mph areas, maybe one either side of the local primary school between 8am and 9:30, fewer people would get so wound up by the things.

This one was on an empty (no houses, no buildings, no junctions) straight stretch of road, 30mph with very, very, very few pedestrians who use the footpath, with a slight incline and a brow of a hill, the van comes into view just over the brow of the hill. There are a few roadside houses a bit further on. Not really safety related IMHO, if they were looking at safety they could park a bit further on where the traffic slows down going past the houses, but then they wouldn't make their targets.

kingstreet wrote: »

This may help;-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/caradvice/honestjohn/8512599/Warning-other-drivers-of-speed-traps.html

It certainly does, isn't it funny that after they know they can't win ordinarily, they manage to enter into evidence the van flashed in this case was speeding, yeah right, how did they know that? Did the van driver get a speeding ticket?

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I know what should happen.

That article will relate to the Glendinning case, which was heard in the Court of Appeal. The Magistrates and Crown Court Judge in the Thompson case should have taken that into account. However, they clearly didn't. Mr Thompson wasn't represented in the first instance, unfortunately, and he clearly didn't have a very robust representative in the Crown Court. It wasn't clear in the reporting that there was proof that he slowed down a speeder. So I'd be surprised if Honest John knew that to be the case.

Maybe I will try to contact Mr Thompson. and find out

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

funnily enough i dont see the scamera vans in 20-30 zones no more, i see more bike cops set speed traps than the big scam vans and thats a rarity, and even then i think they shouldnt carry the hand helds due to vibration through the bike affecting callibration of the gun, a good example is when i was flagged down by a bike cop, i was heading heading into Nelson from gelligaer just past llanciachfawr it reduces from 40-30 i came round the courner at a steady 28-30mph knowing he sits there most saturday mornings, he flagged me in, went through his spiel, then pointed out i was doing 36MPH, i desputed it telling him i know what speed i was doing and it wasnt that fast, and asked to see verifacation of callibration, it was well within the 12months, he was ademant i was speeding due to the gun being calibrated, i asked him to point it at a stationary object roughly the same distance he had taken his reading of me, that reading of a big white van parked up the road came back at 7MPH, rather red faced told me to be on my way.

again A470 southbound from abercynon the van sits on the overpass, NSL.

A470 northbound usually park in the emergency only layby.

llanbradach bypass southbound to caerphilly. illegally parks in a police patrol area only bay next to the layby.

aberbargoed to tredegar 50mph old road, usually parked midway near the turn off to the industrial estate.

40 mph road rhondda heratige park has a truvello upgrade near hopkinstown,van usually parked on grass verge 300 yards up from train station past trehafod turnoff just after bridge also a ANPR TRAP at the end of every other month as well as dvla tax cam car that sits in residential only parking bay opposit the chinese.

notice all the above none are in a 30 zone. i'm out most days never see one in these residential limit zones.

A470 northbound to merthyr tydfill 50mph zone in layby, or southbound from merthyr to abercynon NSL in layby 1 mile from 50zone.

nantgarw-taffswell GEAS road with fixed camera traffic cop sets up a tripod mounted cam just after petrol station, or down near taff well roundabout that joins A470 40MPH limit.

Southbound Dual Carriage way link road from M4 J35 to Crack Hill Roundabout, Bridgend, 50mph, van sits just around one of two corners (north of the B&Q roundabout), in one of 2 field entrances, causes chaos.

However this one (in OP) was in a 30 zone, although it should really be 40 as it is an open wide unpopulated road.

There is another 30 zone location I see sometimes used (which you wouldn't see as you are on the A470) that is in Cilfynydd main road, they sit there sometimes. This is a heavily parked area on one side of the road so moving traffic has to squeeze into one and half lanes.....Although I don't like them, I agree that this location is legitimate.

Trebor16

Lum wrote: »

Serious question. When was the last time you saw a camera van enforcing a residential area?

Today, and it is not an unusual occurance in my town either. It was funny as I had a gent out on a motorcycle lesson and 30 seconds earlier I had just reminded him to keep his speed down as he had crept up to 35-36 mph. He slowed down and shortly afterwards we passed the camera van!

kingstreet

sarahg1969 wrote: »

My father was accused of driving at 48mph past a Gatso. The photographs clearly showed that he was travelling at 24-26mph.

Pepipoo case year before last. Transit "clocked" at 68 in a 30 past a Gatso. The secondary check photos confirmed the actual speed at 28mph.

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=44267

Despite the vehement protestations from the scammerati, these things do go wrong.

Lum

Wig wrote: »

There is another 30 zone location I see sometimes used (which you wouldn't see as you are on the A470) that is in Cilfynydd main road, they sit there sometimes. This is a heavily parked area on one side of the road so moving traffic has to squeeze into one and half lanes.....Although I don't like them, I agree that this location is legitimate.

I know Cilfynydd a little bit and that's the first camera van site within the Gwent Police area I've encountered or heard about that's actually going to be enforcing it when it's needed.

The only other one I've seen in a built up 30 area is when they started enforcing the routes into Blackwood on a Thursday night as part of their ongoing war against the cruise scene that used to gather there every Thursday. One of the cruisers managed to crash into the back of that one.

captainhaggis

Why on earth do people warn eachother about speed cameras?

Why on earth are people speeding?

Why on earth are people happy about others speeding?

You don't need to worry about speed cameras if you don't break the law.

sarahg1969

captainhaggis wrote: »

You don't need to worry about speed cameras if you don't break the law.

Why do you not need to worry about them?

sarahg1969

captainhaggis wrote: »

Why on earth do people warn eachother about speed cameras?


Why on earth are people happy about others speeding?

Maybe they're NOT happy about people speeding, and want them to slow down? :cool:

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Lum wrote: »

I know Cilfynydd a little bit and that's the first camera van site within the Gwent Police area I've encountered or heard about that's actually going to be enforcing it when it's needed.

The only other one I've seen in a built up 30 area is when they started enforcing the routes into Blackwood on a Thursday night as part of their ongoing war against the cruise scene that used to gather there every Thursday. One of the cruisers managed to crash into the back of that one.

the blackwood one has not been there for a long long while now.

infact its taken to monitoring the 50 zone on the new relief road towards oakdale, usually sits in the layby for the cottage just before the new office buildings by the colliery wheel on the side of the road. (you just reminded me of it mentioning blackwood)

also one sits in pontllanfraith in the residential parking bays in the 40 zone near switchgear when it can get in it due to parked cars if not itll block them in anyway.

one 30 zone i just thought of, maesycummer just off the 60-30 zone will park on grass verge 600 yards down, or will park on the pavement or in layby to have northbound travellers just as you get round the bend after the traffic lights.

but appart from that one i cant think of any ive seen appart from bike cops in 30 zones wich is very very rare.

ive been pleading for a speed check site near my girls school, their answer to this was putting a smily face or sad face led bourd there wich made no difference as people know they dont give tickets.