Can this day get any crappier?

[cromasaig]

Starts off with kids being a nightmare, and a toddler clothing crisis, since I haven't caught up with the washing since coming back from Vienna. So I'm late leaving to visit the very nice, but very formal family friend up in the hills. As a result, I'm driving too fast, and in one double carriageway stretch that I thought was 100kph, I was doing (I think) over 120kph when I got flashed by a speed camera. A quick bit of chocolating tells me that not only can I expect a fine of c200 euros, I'm looking at a certain driving ban of one to three months. I am totally stuffed - especially since I got a speeding ticket last month too.

It sounds like I'm a total speed freak - which I'm not (she said, defensively). I drive the same way I did in the UK, where I got one minor speeding ticket in nearly 20 years of driving. But I clearly haven't got my head around the different approach to speed limits in Germany. Either way, hands up, I'm a cretin.

Then I get home to an email saying that a huge fir tree in our house in Scotland has been blown over in the gales, wiping out half the garden, though luckily not people or house, I suppose.

Let the profanity checker do its worst. Cunt, fuck, cunting fuck.

Edited: bad language is one thing. A misplaced apostrophe is quite another.

[Tack]

That sucks for you crom, my sympathies. Let's hope the camera failed, technology occasionally does, even there! And Scotland really has had a bad return of winter this week.

Since I left UK in 1998 speed cameras have proliferated and practically everyone I know has been zapped (including a friend today). Mr T and I have been extra cautious since we've been back. According to Mr J Clarkson et al the speed traps here exemplify all that is wrong with modern Britain, with the revenue earned not going back into road improvements. Maybe Scotland is different but London has cameras every few hundred yards, I often see them flashing folk only just over the limit. In Oxfordshire too, many of the country B roads have a 30mph limit when 10 years ago there was only the national limit in place.

[Morrolan]

Germany is notoriously rigorous with speed limits specifically because some stretches of Autobahn don't have any. in the past some people thought it meant that there were no limits anywhere in Germany.

anyhow, technological improvements and more traffic have led to a much broader application of speed control equipment than in the past. i used to never ever stick to the limit back in the Netherlands (usually doing around 140-150kph) and in 10 years never once got caught. nowadays that's impossible, as even 10k over the limit will get you nailed almost 100% certain.

i copped a $145 fine and 1 demerit point last week for 3 kms over the limit... (my own fault, didn't slow down from 100 to 90 fast enough).

[Kooky]

Neo's been fined here for doing 86kph in a 70 zone, similar circumstances.

They're very keen here. Shame they can't stop all the P-platers doing the car's maximum and wiping out innocent families.

[Morrolan]

Neo's been fined here for doing 86kph in a 70 zone, similar circumstances.

They're very keen here. Shame they can't stop all the P-platers doing the car's maximum and wiping out innocent families.

yeah, odd that, isn't it?

[Fat Bob]

Now I sympathise with the tree at the house, always an issue when your house is in the UK and it's difficult to look out for from afar. Well, when the house is anyway from afar.

But I still wonder about why people insist on being appalled at being given a speeding fine. And that's not just at you, Crom, it's at ANYONE. There are speed limits. They have been in force for years, though technology hasn't always been available to catch those who speed. That technology is becoming more and more available.

It's a form of petty crime, as you are breaking the law. Would you expect to be given leniency if you stole a chocolate bar? How about a bag of chocolate bars? How about a box? How about a pallet? How about a truck full of pallets? Well, I would expect no leniency for any of those, just different punishments for different crimes.

And as for using them as revenue generators, the choice is to do that or raise tax. Why should it be put back into the road systems? Isn't that almost rewarding the drivers who speed, as then they get better roads? Where would the fines be from said chocolate thieves go? Into making chocolate sales and transport more secure?

Regarding the reduction in policing on the roads and not being able to stop P-platers from wiping out families, then yes, unfortunately, that seems to have reduced, with the Government not funding the police in many countries sufficiently to reduce safety and cut crime. That seems to be a general issue and not one just with the roads. And I don't think there's a chocolate analogy in there!

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Eeeeesh 200 euros. I feel your pain.

Well, at least you know you can come here and have a little chuckle:

And as for using them as revenue generators, the choice is to do that or raise tax. Why should it be put back into the road systems? Isn't that almost rewarding the drivers who speed, as then they get better roads? Where would the fines be from said chocolate thieves go? Into making chocolate sales and transport more secure?

[Kooky]

I'm certainly not appalled. He did it, he got flashed, he paid.

The P-plater thing saddens me greatly, even when it's only the kid to blame that dies. Is it peculiar to Oz? I don't know, but at least every weekend there seems to be somebody dying as a result of a P-plate accident. Drink-driving seems to be quite common here, too, with the excuse that public transport is crap and if you want to go out, you drive. Well DON"T FUCKING DRINK THEN.

We're currently at a lakeside cottage in a very quiet little suburb. Last night there was somebody hooning up and down this no-through-road on a bike, relentlessly. It's a family-filled area. As visitors we didn't feel able to say anything (and, TBH, didn't want our car trashing) but why don't the locals?

[slinky]

What's a P-plater?

Edit: Oh, and 'hooning' Fantastic word, K!!

[Scrummy Mummy]

Ouch, Crom. That is a bugger.

Presumably insurance will cover the tree thing?

Re drink driving: did anybody see the story on yahoo the other day? They stopped a load of cars here last week, and around 12.5% of those stopped were charged with drink driving - struck me as a very high percentage.

[Beesknees]

What's a P-plater?

Edit: Oh, and 'hooning' Fantastic word, K!!

Isn't it great. It tickled Mr BK too when he first heard it (English is not his first language) and even more when he realised the UK Minister for Transport - at that time - was Geoff Hoon.

[slinky]

I have to be honest -- the first time I came across it was in a book about 'Little Kiwi' that we bought the small slinkies while in New Zealand a couple years ago. The phrase "What a hoon!" kept coming up in the story -- had to look it up But K's usage was quite good & gave me a laugh for sure!

[Kooky]

There are L, P1 and P2 platers here, slinks. I don't even know what the restrictions are but Provisionals have special conditions imposed upon them for an amount of time after they have passed their tests. In theory, a good idea.

Hooning is not my invention, I'm afraid, but a good word nevertheless.

[Fat Bob]

Re drink driving: did anybody see the story on yahoo the other day? They stopped a load of cars here last week, and around 12.5% of those stopped were charged with drink driving - struck me as a very high percentage.

Yeah, but they won't do it again for the next year, otherwise the stats will be well buggered!

Drink driving is endemic in Singapore. The lack of enforcement is unbelievable. Can't remember the last time I saw a random stop on my way back from anywhere.

[Scrummy Mummy]

Yeah, I'm always staggered by how many of mny colleagues do it.

I have many faults, but that sure ain't one of them.

[Kooky]

I recently "unfriended" on facebook, somebody I met in Singapore in 2002, as he deleted my comment when I pulled him up on his bragging that he'd been drinking all night and managed to pass a RBT. I also asked his other friends WTF planet they were on when they pressed the Like button.

He's recently been in Oz and was confused why he could no longer see my status updates, so I told him. He laughed, so he's staying that way.

(NB not Noah)

[Scrummy Mummy]

Wanker. (Him, not you, obviously!).

[Kooky]

When we were wine-tasting at the Hunter over Christmas, and Neo told the sales guy he wasn't drinking as he was the designated driver, the guy said it's ok, go on, the police here are quite lenient.

Well that makes it ok then, doesn't it?

[Beesknees]

Drink driving is endemic in Singapore. The lack of enforcement is unbelievable. Can't remember the last time I saw a random stop on my way back from anywhere.

That's really disappointing to read. Sounds like they're hot on dropping chewing gum and litter but the serious stuff is too difficult? When we were there a couple of weeks ago we were surprised/shocked at the Hoons (there, it's that word again) on Orchard Road. We thought we'd be leaving that behind in Brisbane.

[cromasaig]

But I still wonder about why people insist on being appalled at being given a speeding fine. And that's not just at you, Crom, it's at ANYONE. There are speed limits. They have been in force for years, though technology hasn't always been available to catch those who speed. That technology is becoming more and more available.

It's a form of petty crime, as you are breaking the law. Would you expect to be given leniency if you stole a chocolate bar? How about a bag of chocolate bars? How about a box? How about a pallet? How about a truck full of pallets? Well, I would expect no leniency for any of those, just different punishments for different crimes.

I wouldn't argue with anything you've said - which is why I referred to myself as a cretin for doing it. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, n'all that. Besides, even if I was wrong about how low the speed limit was in that stretch, I knew I was breaking it and I don't think that the penalty is unfair. But that doesn't have to stop me ranting, does it?

What I do need to find out is whether I can legally drive in one country while banned in another. Holiday plans may become more complex.

[slinky]

I really can't understand anyone driving drunk in Singapore, I mean, it's not as if it's difficult or even all that expensive to get a taxi And, seriously, why bother to drive when going out here? Take a taxi, you don't need to worry about finding parking and if you have one too many, no worries - win-win. I can't see that it's rocket science, but maybe for some, it is.

[Fat Bob]

But that doesn't have to stop me ranting, does it?

Depends, if you're ranting at yourself, fine, if you're ranting at the number of speed cameras and it's all revenue generating, then no.

What I do need to find out is whether I can legally drive in one country while banned in another. Holiday plans may become more complex.

I think you need a valid licence to drive in any country. Therefore, if I had one licence, and I got banned then I believe the licence would be taken away from me. Hence I would no longer have a valid licence.

Now, if I have two licences.....for instance a UK one and a Singapore one.......and the UK one got banned, but not the Singapore one, then I'd be able to drive in places that accepted a Singapore licence. However, I probably wouldn't try and drive in the UK under those circumstances.

[Beesknees]

I really can't understand anyone driving drunk in Singapore, I mean, it's not as if it's difficult or even all that expensive to get a taxi And, seriously, why bother to drive when going out here? Take a taxi, you don't need to worry about finding parking and if you have one too many, no worries - win-win. I can't see that it's rocket science, but maybe for some, it is.

But people who drink drive don't have many brain cells do they.

[Kooky]

Just as well - less mess to clear up when they wrap themselves round trees.

ANYWAY my crappy Wednesday story. Went all the way to the Hunter (just over an hour from here) to pick up a case of my favourite sparkling wine, with orders from people at work too, to find out they've sold out. Forever. Grapes gone, no more will be had. I was gutted. Gutted, I was. I had to try lots of others at 3 different vineyards, just to find something I liked. *

(* I wasn't the driver.)

[slinky]

Grapes gone, no more will be had. I was gutted. Gutted, I was. I had to try lots of others at 3 different vineyards, just to find something I liked.