Dear All,
I have alerts set up to receive articles relating to speed cameras every day.
In recent times these articles have gradually morphed in to blatant propaganda that’s clearly been “seeded” to so called news outlets to push some agenda or another…
I usually laugh when I read these articles, and ponder how just a decade or so ago, the things that are being “reported” (repeated) today were considered completely normal then.
For example, there were a number of articles recently which were clearly the repetition of a police press release, that had variations of the title:
Police Catch Vehicles Exceeding Speed Limit – With One Driver Doing 37mph!
Do you remember when driving at 37mph on a road was a very normal and safe practice?
Now its “headline” news, which seeks to vilify what was previously — and in other countries still is — completely normal behavior!
Just recently, I’ve started noticing an increase in these stories being parroted by the media.
In the last couple of weeks, I must have been alerted to articles about 100 times “warning” Motorists that if they flash other drivers to let them know about mobile speed traps, they risk receiving a fine of up to £1000.
It would seem the “police” feel they are missing out on significant revenue from Motorists looking out for each other…
The story and wording is repeated time and time again by these “news” outlets, who are clearly copying and pasting the police propaganda — with the odd small tweak — so that it doesn’t *appear* to be exactly the same article.
Should you listen to these warnings?
Well of course, that’s up to you…
Will It stop me from warning other drivers about criminals dressed in bright yellow jackets attempting to extort them?
No.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this “information warfare” here…
All the best,
Adam
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Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air if instead of the Police spending vast sums of OUR money to extort yet more of OUR money from us they put the time and effort into catching real criminals. The ones that kill and rape the ones that torture children the ones that con people out of their savings. The real criminals. Then there’s the criminals that rule the country but that’s just my opinion.
Agree 100 percent, policing these days is about raising money, it’s a disgrace.
Hi Steve here in W(sn)ales big brother police try to enforce the 20mph which is a pathetic excuse to blow £32 million on a (supposedly)life saving mandatory speed of 20mph Instead of building a much needed hospital for west Wales residents, but they don’t tell the people that the rules are a 26mph maximum in a 20, So all the frail and mentally impaired drivers who should actually have given up(over70’s mainly) are crawling about sub 20 and continuing through on their way oblivious to the limit my Son has only a 3.5 mile journey to work the limit goes 20,30,20,40,20,30,40 and it now takes three times as long to get there and he has to overtake at least one slow car doing 20 in a 30 or 40 ! Even the Bus journey of 16 miles to Swansea takes two Hours! Instead of one so my daughter would have to leave at 7am to get to college instead of 8 it’s a drag going anywhere these days and the roads are so poorly maintained
Totally agree
We went to Wales this year and at times I really didn’t know what speed I was meant to be doing.
It would be nice to be able to just concentrate on driving and not have to constantly look at the speedo.
As A (retired now) lorry driver I have and alwaws wii let others know the police are out watching them. I feel it is only right, why should they get somebodys hard erned cash
Speaking at what was once normal ,i recently got caught out doing 24 mph in what is now a twenty zone by a camera van ,i thought when i recieved this i had robbed a bank but instead i was the one who had been robbed .I will now be attending the naughty boys class in january but really , this sort of thing would have been laughed at a few years back,how pathetic have we become here..how long before it gets dropped to 15mph under the same excuse? all that has happened here and is happening here is they have enlarged the catchment zones. This country is a police state and a dictatorship ,Its rip off britain every ounce of common sense has gone.ruled by idiot peevish politicians
Speaking of common sense, when you go to the the naughty boys’ class ask the teacher why you go on such a ‘course’ after doing 24mph but not if you get caught doing 150mph? Surely, the latter case needs it more. I’ve never been on such a course but I would love to ask the question.
Perhaps btst could supply red flags for the mandatory walking in front of the 5mph speed limit on all roads.
I think the extra exercise will improve health and save NHS resources. So the police can take on health gain into their massive area of activity.
Quite frankly I think it is a blatant pisstake keep targeting motorists for easy money instead of catching real criminals, the amount of times I read about some little scumbag threatening some other kid with a knife and taking their bike or scooter or phone and the police can’t or won’t do anything about it because the scumbag in question was wearing a balaclava so they can’t be identified is an absolute joke, I thought and I may be wrong it was a minimum 5 year sentence for someone just carrying a knife in public without a good reason let alone using one in a robbery but the I never see the police or the courts for that matter enforcing it, not to mention all the rapists, car thieves grooming gangs etc that seem untouchable.
In Bewdley Worcs, they are changing the speed limit to 20mph. There has never been an accident or a pedestrian injured within the area that I have known in the 25yrs I have lived here and even with the increased traffic volume over the years too. So why are lowering they the speed limit? As you guessed just a pathetic bit of media hype for a local councillor pressing for it and then you get some power hungry do gooder local people who love to stand with a speed gun to monitor it and then pass details to the police to prosecute people unnecessarily to fill their coffers. We already have a traffic officer on a motorcycle who regularly sets up a tripod to catch people speeding which I can understand and a police speed van, but 20mph – give us all a break! We get people’s names plastered in the newspapers when drivers are only just over the speed limit with headlines such as “Speeding driver fined” No proper journalism any more. We are the most surveillanced country in Europe! If I was younger I would definitely get out of this rotten country and especially with Two Tier Kier at the helm even more reason as even free speech is a crime now. Rant over!
I have always and will always let other drivers know when I pass a sped trap.
Is it not compulsory to warn motorists of a speed trap just before the pass it? They have road signs to do this and even in car warnings of a speed trap ahead. So why is it illegal for motorists to warn other motorists? May this be to better extract money from the motorists.
Which action is legally more accepted and which morally more accepted?
Is it not compulsory to warn motorists of a speed trap just before the pass it? They have road signs to do this and even in car warnings of a speed trap ahead. So why is it illegal for motorists to warn other motorists? May this be to better extract money from the motorists.
Which action is legally more accepted and which morally more accepted?
“Warning other drivers of a Speed Trap, Officer?”
“No, I was only saluting one of my mates coming the other way”!
Disprove that, if you can.
Exactly!
I was nicked by Thames Valley in Buckinghamshire for flashing oncoming traffic to warn them there was an extortion trap ahead. Dead straight section of the A40, where it drops from 50 to 30 for no reason whatsoever
“Causing undue Dazzle” was the so-called offence. £30 FPN.
It’s all about the money!
Good to know you are wide awake Adam. They use the media just as a tool of control.
Keep instilling the fear into the people and they are easy to shepherd.
This country is so far gone its unsaveable unless there is a revolution soon. Total non violent disobedience is the only way the people will save themselves from the government tyranny.
I had a speeding letter, I explained that I really didn’t know who the driver was( busy weekend when my son and grandson came to visit! The road has always been a 30 until the 20 thing in wales! I requested photo evidence which was super late in coming and showed nothing! So I took the wrap and am waiting! They’ve threatened court proceedings! The phot show a brick wall and a window sill?? It looks like I’m staitioary even ! However coming out of a T junstion to the dreaded camera hiding like a sly old fox is about 20 meters tops ! It’s an old car that’s supposed to have reached 28 in such a short time! I’ve tried it since and can’t get up to speed! Are they accurate? Well we’re a standing joke here in wales on the naughty step ! It’s s..t but how to do?? Why build cars for 160 when there’s no chance of ever reaching given potential! Just another brick in the wall
There’s a website with helpful people. Free traffic legal advice or similar. It’s v useful. Good luck
It’s worth bearing in mind the AA started as an informal Speed Trap warning service in the very earliest days of Motoring. Vehicles had to have a guy carrying a red flag walking in front, then limited to 5mph or somesuch while a Police Officer hid by the roadside, to jump out and nick Speeders. The parallel with BTST demands Adam to check this history and how the Constabulary dealt with this early Speed Trap warning service, if at all.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
PS. This BOTCheck of yours doesn’t work for me: ‘Page not Displayed’ after I check the Human box.
The numptys are in charge now was a lorry driver over 40yrs and there manner has gotten worse the way they treat everybody
Always warn other drivers. They have enough of our money. And there the ones always moving the goal post. I mean twenty miles an hour. It’s there to justify congestion.
The other side of the problem, Adam, is that the media are hungry for stories. Anything to help fill pages or create content. The easier it is to slot it in, the better. So they soak up all the garbage and put it in without thinking about it.