cotswold wrote:
basingwerk wrote:
Policemen should walk or cycle around in those districts at dusk, noting any vehicle that is untaxed, or unregistered and drawing up a list of vehciles that he can check on his mobile computer. When he's done, the tow truck guys should take any car that doesn't check out straight to the pound and strip it for parts after a week has passed. Why isn't that happening?
Simple - resources.
At the end of the day, it is easier to extract £60 from someone who owns their own home and car and has them both insured, etc, etc. - Because they have something to lose.
When Mrs Middle-aged-woman drives past the camera at 37 in a 30 and gets the NIP, it's an easy £££SIXTY QUID£££.
But when you look at the 16 to 18 year old yob, who probably thieved the car any way - or if he didn't, he bought it in the wrong name, has no insurance, has bald tyres, defective brakes, no MoT - but who loves "doing donuts" and smoking the said tyres (why they're bald); getting them to court in the morning to face the beak - for whom they have no respect anyway - is a bit of a joke. They have no money anyway do why bother fining them????
And this is the problem. The policing doesn't follow the need - it follows the money. And it's being done in the most squalid, reprehensible of ways. Why should the police do all the rest of us a favour and nick half a dozen "hard core" teenage arseholes, when they can set up a camera on the main road and nick hundreds and hundreds of people drifting by, no more than a handful of MPH over the limit????
Easy money!
Most 'victims' of the Safety Camera THEFT scheme don't complain, they don't fight, they don't argue: All they do is
PAY.
That's why I get pissed off when I have my intelligence insulted.
This is NOT about safety. This is about money, and these thieving bastards will abuse the law to extract as much in the way of easy cash as they can until enough of us do something about it.
I personally advocate the extensive use of the ballot box with 'non-hurting', 'non-distructive' auxilliary actions. Like putting black plastic bags on cameras. Like en-bloc removing (or covering) number plates en-masse when attending anti-speed-camera protests.
As much as I hate these things, I can't advocate their destruction (or any other form of vandalism - and I don't count covering one with a black bin liner as vandalism, although it is technically "criminal damage" as well), nor do I advocate violence against their operatives. But I am one voice. How many others are there who say nothing but take the law into their own hands and wreck these things? How long is it going to be before someone like Scamera Operator is hurt by a disgruntled motorist???
This is what worries me most of all. The damage to the police's image and the complete breakdown in respect for the law - from middle aged (and older) people, who traditionally ARE the establishment.
I pray that soon or even sooner, the powers that be will do something about this!!!