Madcop was it you

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Discussion

adamb

Original Poster:

418 posts

291 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
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Madcop,

My suspicions are confirmed, you are a Maidenhead resident. Can I enquire if you also work in Maidenhead.

If so was it you that failed my 'integrity' test.

Scenario:
Local force are doing spot checks in the layby on the town centre one way (past the cinema by the multi storey car park). I drive past an a little over the limit in the wifes family car and don't get pulled in. In the interest of scientific experiment I go back past in the cerbera about 20 mins later (under the speed limit) and get pulled over for a spot check (read gorp and grope) the nice patrol man spends quite some time looking at the car and then sends me on my way.

Hmmmmmmmm.

mel

10,168 posts

282 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
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Whoever it was I'd take it as a compliment if I was you. I can undertand the annoyance if your in a hurry but lets face it if you're doing a boring job it's human nature to try and inject some interest. Anyway if you think that lacks integrity I can confirm a favourite among the desk rummagers at heathrow customs is the "titties game" basically identify a likely lady at baggage reclaim and then place side bets amongst a few of you over her "dimensions". Followed by a pull to the desk a quick rummage and confirmation via a bra label. Hows that for integrity at least they just had a look at your car !

domster

8,431 posts

277 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
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They probably wondered how something that pops and bangs as eloquently as adam's cerbera can possibly be road legal. It sounds pure Santa Pod

Rgds
Domster

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
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Alas, I am afraid it wasnt me. I no longer work on the Traffic Division ( Now Roads Policing Dept) and havent done so for 8 years. I know the piece of road you refer to, I assume it is the A308 Frascati Way which is at present under severe scrutiny from the road safety side of the local authority due to a high number of fatalities over the last few years further along towards Braywick. Hence the constant speed checks on both directions.

I have nothing to do with these and further more would not waste your time just to look at the car you were driving.

If you were a Nova boy in a baseball cap though it may be a different matter.

>> Edited by madcop on Thursday 11th July 15:21

adamb

Original Poster:

418 posts

291 months

Friday 12th July 2002
quotequote all
Fairplay, it wasn't a moan just interested.

The Braywick road comment is revealing. Lets hope some twat doesn't decide the speed limit needs to be dropped. Anyone with any sort of common sense could point out the problems there are a) speeding (so changing the limit will do bugger all) b) the turning by the rugby club that allows drivers to u turn on a dual caridgeway.

What car are you in (pleasure rather than work) and I'll keep an eye out.

cpn

7,734 posts

287 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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While we are on the subject of the A308, when are they going to do something about the f**kwit who caused the accident and then managed to get off on some medical excuse
quote:

Cleared after A308 death crash

A MAN was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving after a jury accepted he was in a diabetic trance and not to blame for his actions.
Richard Turpin, 31, of Peck Court, Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire, admitted driving dangerously but was cleared of killing Maidenhead resident Phillip Taylor, 33, on July 26 last year.
Mr Turpin was driving his Audi A3 at 101mph on wrong side of the A308 Windsor Road when it smashed head on with Mr Taylor’s Renault Megane. Mr Taylor was killed instantly.
But Mr Turpin said he was in a state of automatism, a loss of voluntary control, brought about by low blood-sugar levels, a condition known as diabetic hypoglycemia.
The case, which concluded at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, is believed to be a landmark ruling and could affect thousands of diabetics who drive.
The court heard Mr Turpin had been diabetic since he was 14 years old and was in the final stages of a hypoglycemic episode when the crash happened.
He had changed the type of insulin he took twice daily just two weeks before the crash, and said he remembered nothing about the day of the crash.
The court heard after leaving his office in Wembley on July 26 Mr Turpin inexplicably travelled 50 miles in the wrong direction, along the M4 and then along the A308. His route home should have taken him on the M1.
Mr Turpin, a Microsoft product manager, was not wearing a seatbelt and broke every bone in the right side of his body and every rib in the crash. He now has to walk with a stick.
PC Paul Marsden, from Thames Valley Police traffic unit, said he would be contacting the DVLA and attempt to get Mr Turpin’s driving licence revoked.
He said: “Maybe we need to introduce mandatory self-testing prior to getting behind the wheel of a car on every occasion for all insulin dependant diabetics. Perhaps this is the only way to avoid a tragedy in such a case.
“He has admitted killing someone by dangerous driving and will be able to get back behind the wheel of a car again. That is something that needs to be looked at carefully.”
Mr Turpin said he had never tested his blood sugar levels immediately before driving, which is recommended by Diabetes UK, but not by doctors.
He told the court he had been stopped by police for driving very slowly on the M1 a year before the crash, and his three-year medical driving licence was cut to one year before renewal.
Mr Turpin declined to comment when leaving court.




This accident took place in a 40 limit, in a build up area, on a single carriageway! He might have been in a state, but he managed to negotiate 3 roundabouts before wiping out the poor sod coming the other way!

[Local rant mode OFF]

pigme

196 posts

270 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

If you were a Nova boy in a baseball cap though it may be a different matter.


I much prefer a baseball in a Nova boy. They must die,

GRO

90 posts

268 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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Opens up a whole new thread of arguement. If this guy had drunk 6 pints, the result would not have been the same. Medically speaking the guy is probably in no different condition. Should he not have been prosecuted fot getting in the car in the first place..

pbrettle

3,280 posts

290 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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cpn,

Its mad isnt it - being a Microsoft Product Manager means he has a few quid and therefore probably got himself a decent lawyer. Depressing and something that I have said many times before - it all depends on who you are and the money you have. There are two types of justice in the world - one for everyone else, and one for the rich and famous. You can get away with just about anything... including manslaughter.

Diabetic my arse. 101 in a 40 zone. Now, I have seen on TV people in the shock caused by lack of sugar, also seen it for myself as a friend was a diabetic. It slows you down - everything becomes a trance and you cant concentrate on anything. Now correct me if I am wrong here, but doesnt driving at 101 mph take serious concentration? Dont know about anyone else, but I have to concentrate hard at that speed..... and he was in a trance??? arse, a complete bunch of arse.

Lock him up and throw away the key. Manslaugher is an offence of causing in death to another - either knowingly or unknowingly.... he certainly did it knowingly.... as stated previously someone who drinks 6 pints and drives is a criminal as they know they cant drive. Someone on the edge of hypoglicemia (SP?) gets in a car and it is something different - bollox.

Cheers,

Paul

JohnL

1,763 posts

272 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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One of my trainees is diabetic and the one time I've seen her in a hypo she was pretty spaced out and clearly not really aware of what she was doing or saying.

The law could say that a diabetic driver has to test themselves before driving. But if they are hypoglycaemic when they get in they probably wouldn't do it, wouldn't take in the test results if they did it, and wouldn't be in a position to take apporpriate action if they did.

The treatment is simple incidentally: get some sugar, preferably in liquid form, inside. Orange squash, sweet tea etc is ideal, chocolate etc is fine.

How about someone who is obese, lives off junk food, and has a heart attack while driving and kills someone when his car goes out of control?

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

How about someone who is obese, lives off junk food, and has a heart attack while driving and kills someone when his car goes out of control?




These type of accidents in my experience are rare as the majority of people that suffer from heart attacks do not just suddenly drop dead while travelling at speed.

Most are low impact crashes as the drivers start to realise that they are unwell and reduce their speed accordingly before they actually lose control or die at the wheel.

cpn

7,734 posts

287 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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Paul,
I agree totally. This berk managed to overtake a stream of cars before ploughing into the poor sod coming the other way. This takes some concentration to do that, and OK, so he is still limping, that does not make it up for the guy he took out.

I have several good friends who are diabetic, and never had this sort of problem with them. This really is a case of being able to afford the best defense, and being willing to BS your way out of a murder charge!

Sorry, I was one of the first on the scene on this one, and can remember the carnage on what is a releativly small but busy road. Unfortunately now the local council want cameras and traffic calming. For some FW like this, it would not make any difference. His defense that he was in a trance meant that in the two miles prior to the accident he had negotiated three roundabouts, (two major, one with traffic lights) and managed to keep it straight enough to make his charge passed the poor woman in the Renault 5 who had the accident occur right next to her!

IMHO this guy should lose his licence. If he cant manage his diabeties then he should NOT be on the road.

C

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

quote:

How about someone who is obese, lives off junk food, and has a heart attack while driving and kills someone when his car goes out of control?




Are you suggesting then that all fat blokes should be banned from driving in the event they may keel over?

You should go for next transport minister. Or mayor of London. That would really cut congestion.

plotloss

67,280 posts

277 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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That story about the crash on the A308 is absolutely savage. Poor bloke, he has to walk with a limp, oh what a shame. Some poor family has lost a very dear member because of that tits actions and to claim DHG shock is just a scum move.

Matt.

JohnL

1,763 posts

272 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

Are you suggesting then that all fat blokes should be banned from driving in the event they may keel over?



No I wasn't really suggesting that, just putting up the point for discussion. I'm not exactly underweight myself, and I'm prone to the occasional yorkie too.

No I don't think overweight drivers should be banned just for being overweight. Nor do I think diabetics should be banned just for being diabetic.

But if an individual is plainly dangerous to others because they are incapable of controlling their condition, like the person under discussion, then yes ban them.

>> Edited by JohnL on Friday 12th July 14:52

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Friday 12th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:

What car are you in (pleasure rather than work) and I'll keep an eye out.




If you can call it pleasure these days. Due to an ongoing relationship with the CSA I am relegated to a 1990 Vauxhall Carlton Estate with towbar for pulling my home behind me

JMGS4

8,770 posts

277 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

If you can call it pleasure these days. Due to an ongoing relationship with the CSA I am relegated to a 1990 Vauxhall Carlton Estate with towbar for pulling my home behind me

My commiserations, I'll keep my rants and comments to you on a lower key... now I understand your apparent bitterness........

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Friday 12th July 2002
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quote:

My commiserations, I'll keep my rants and comments to you on a lower key... now I understand your apparent bitterness........



I am grateful for your understanding but I can take it on the chin if I upset you somehow.
Thanks anyway.
Steve

heliox

450 posts

269 months

Sunday 14th July 2002
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quote:



How about someone who is obese, lives off junk food, and has a heart attack while driving and kills someone when his car goes out of control?



that just about covers every H.G.V driver in the U.K!