Mail Columnist Grumbles About Being Fined For Driving In A Bus Lane

[Biscuit]

It seems that the law protects the wrong sort of people i.e. yobs and makes things hard for the right sort (like the OAP accused of the apple). Maybe because yobs won't hand over £60 becasue they a) don't have it b) have no respect for the law.

I bet this is an opinion shared by many.

but surely this is a decision that can only be reached by looking at the penalty ticket numbers and data as a whole, if the majority of tickets are being handed out to OAP's or the majority are being left unpaid then I would certainly agree that the law is in need of looking at. but that sort of analysis isn't possible by looking at the pages of the Mail or indeed any press coverage. 'Police officer hands out fine which is paid' isn't a story that sells many papers.

I'm not a big fan of on the spot fines myself but if the alternative was an even more time consuming and costly trip to the courts for anti social charge which is then thrown out - then surely it's the less bad of the two options so far made available.

 

[st4]

True to an extent, but looking at one of incidents like the fella with the overfilled bin and this, the law seems pedantic at best and woefully poor at looking after the majorities interests at very worse.

Where were the coppers when Mr Newlove was set about by yobs, but they were there for when an apple core got thrown on the ground. Two isolated incidents, and not using statistics, but you get the point.

 

[Biscuit]

I think what I've been saying throughout the thread is that you cant really extrapolate social trends from the story lines that are printed in the papers.

'the law is pedantic at best' is a huge sweeping conclusion based on two, even what you would term, isolated incidents. even if you were to come up with more examples I would want the full picture to be presented. How many incidents were successfully attended and even defused or handled correctly by the police before drawing many conclusions based on the Newlove murder.

I haven't been a member here long and I don't want to make this thread more political than it is already but I for one and not going to be persuaded by what is written in certain papers as a true reflection of life in Britain.

 

[st4]

I think what I've been saying throughout the thread is that you cant really extrapolate social trends from the story lines that are printed in the papers.

'the law is pedantic at best' is a huge sweeping conclusion based on two, even what you would term, isolated incidents. even if you were to come up with more examples I would want the full picture to be presented. How many incidents were successfully attended and even defused or handled correctly by the police before drawing many conclusions based on the Newlove murder.

I haven't been a member here long and I don't want to make this thread more political than it is already but I for one and not going to be persuaded by what is written in certain papers as a true reflection of life in Britain.

Fair enough, I was using two examples that recently made the news to prove a point. It was a statement produced on my opinion in recent events and previous examples. I beleive it may reflect public opinion too....if you can think up examples of the law and news articles which prove my statements wrong it would be nice to share them.

I can see it now in the front of the Daily Mail. "Police gave up their speed gun positions to attend an emergency call, arrived at scene of crime within 3 minutes, Galantly an OAP's life and Apprehended a known violent criminal". :bannana:

 

[Biscuit]

Fair enough, I was using two examples that recently made the news to prove a point. It was a statement produced on my opinion in recent events and previous examples. I beleive it may reflect public opinion too....if you can think up examples of the law and news articles which prove my statements wrong it would be nice to share them.

I can see it now in the front of the Daily Mail. "Police gave up their speed gun positions to attend an emergency call, arrived at scene of crime within 3 minutes, Galantly an OAP's life and Apprehended a known violent criminal". :bannana:

but as you so rightly point out - people doing their jobs well isn't going to sell many newspapers.