Another pathetic dim witted tweeting driver...

[steveindenmark]

I cant remember when I have ever been stück behind several tractors and I have been driving over 40 years. However, if I ever am to be stuck behind several tractors, I hope they have the sense to either leave gaps or pull over occasionally to let vehicles pass. But if you want to create imaginary scenarios just to prove a point, thats fine by me.

If this young lady is driving one of those new snazzy vehicles where the engine stops when the car stops, she is not committing an offence. If she had only taken a photo, she would not have committed an offence. The offence needs " connectivity".

Steve

 

[ianrauk]

Bottom line is, there is no excuse for what she tweeted, especially in the public domain.

Hate cyclists? then fine... but don't be an arse and publish the fact that you threaten possible injury or death to others.

 

[Apollonius]

I passed a steam crane and a horse and cart on my ride yesterday. You never know what you are going to come across on the roads.

 

[Drago]

Im not defending her as what she said is moronic but as for being fined and given 3 points as long as the car was out of gear and the handbrake on then she hasn't done anything wrong with taking and tweeting the pic.

She could have taken a different route to work as if it was a race surely it would have been advertised before the day of the race....I change my stance...hang the bitch lol

Unless the car is actually parked lawfully at the kerbside or in a parking bay, engine off and handbrake applied, the offence is complete.

Assuming it's a telephony device (camera phone) she used she is clearly sat in traffic and in control of the vehicle. Regardless of whether the vehicle is moving, she has committed an offence.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have to eat humble pie because it does happen. Although they are a lot quicker that a lot of cyclists I know.

View: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-yADgk8NrHg


Steve

 

[Saluki]

I cant remember when I have ever been stück behind several tractors and I have been driving over 40 years. However, if I ever am to be stuck behind several tractors, I hope they have the sense to either leave gaps or pull over occasionally to let vehicles pass. But if you want to create imaginary scenarios just to prove a point, thats fine by me.



Steve

Come and live near us. Tractor city around here at this time of year. Living in rural Norfolk is lovely most of the time but I swear those tractors leave the farms at 2 minute intervals and TT to their destination. It's all narrow roads around here but we just accept that tractors (or tourists pulling caravans) go slowly and that there is nothing that can be done. Getting arsey and tweeting photos (not sure how to tweet anything though as we don't twit) is just showing stupidity.
That 17 year old lassie needs a short sharp shock. Hopefully the police getting in touch with her will give her a bit of a fright. The country seems to be having more than it's fair share of stupid little girls with mobile phones and full driving licences.

 

[steveindenmark]

I can believe it in Norfolk

 

[ianrauk]

What she says is that she was stück behind them all the way to work. I agree that there is nothing wrong with the photo she posted. But if like my experience last week, there are 40 more bikes in front of them who take up the whole of your side of the road for mile after mile without leaving any gaps for anyone to overtake, it is frustrating.

I didnt want to batter down the road at 100 mile an hour but myself and the huge queue stück behind this peleton of day cyclists did want to make progress.


Steve

Change your route if it frustrates you that much.

Myself? I wouldn't be bothered, I like seeing the roads taken over with cyclists, however long it delay's a journey.

 

[steveindenmark]

Would I tell a fib on here? They were also followed by a car with a trailer for carrying bikes and orange flashing lights. I think they thought that made them official. I followed them for about 4 miles before I could turn off and the queue behind me was at least a mile long.

Ian on some routes you sometimes cant just swing off when you come across these type of things. We are all road users and should have consideration for each other. That includes large groups of cyclists who hold up traffic which can travel at faster than 28kph. The group I was behind were 3 and 4 abreast.

Steve

 

[summerdays]

I cant remember when I have ever been stück behind several tractors and I have been driving over 40 years. However, if I ever am to be stuck behind several tractors, I hope they have the sense to either leave gaps or pull over occasionally to let vehicles pass. But if you want to create imaginary scenarios just to prove a point, thats fine by me.

If this young lady is driving one of those new snazzy vehicles where the engine stops when the car stops, she is not committing an offence. If she had only taken a photo, she would not have committed an offence. The offence needs " connectivity".

Steve

It happens, and it us usually on a road that has 40 and 50 mph limits (used to be 60 but they reduced it), and even when they get to the end of that road they usually turn the same way as we want to. And it's on a road the Tour of Britain will go along in a few days time. You just sit behind as there isn't really anywhere to safely pass, and it only costs a few extra minutes on your journey.

 

[winjim]

Unless the car is actually parked lawfully at the kerbside or in a parking bay, engine off and handbrake applied, the offence is complete.

Assuming it's a telephony device (camera phone) she used she is clearly sat in traffic and in control of the vehicle. Regardless of whether the vehicle is moving, she has committed an offence.

But if she used a camera (not a phone) then an offence has not neccessarily been committed. The law makes no sense in this area.

 

[Apollonius]

The harvest has been in full swing here in rural Staffordshire for weeks now. It is not just fleets of tractors (all of whom, to date anyway, are courteous and willing to pull over for cyclists) but combines, artics loaded with grain, spraying rigs with many scary sharp bits sticking out, grain elevators, potato harvesters (like a mobile step-ladder) plus all manner of other agri-caboodle.
We also get quite a few coach and four carriages as this is quite a centre for them.
If people want to drive in a sterilised environment where these are not on the road, how about the USA - which in my experience has the most courteous drivers of all, oddly!

 

[Sara_H]

I cant remember when I have ever been stück behind several tractors and I have been driving over 40 years. However, if I ever am to be stuck behind several tractors, I hope they have the sense to either leave gaps or pull over occasionally to let vehicles pass. But if you want to create imaginary scenarios just to prove a point, thats fine by me.

If this young lady is driving one of those new snazzy vehicles where the engine stops when the car stops, she is not committing an offence. If she had only taken a photo, she would not have committed an offence. The offence needs " connectivity".

Steve

She is in traffic. She should be concentrating on what's happening around her.

Part of the rationale for not using the phone even when you're stationary is that the distraction it causes does not cease immediately you put the device down. Studies have shown that drivers continue to be feel distracted and lack concentration both as they plan the action and afterwards too.

What happens in reality is that as they start to slow down they're thinking "there's them bloody cyclists that slowed me down, I'll take a picture while we're in the queue" They then start scrabbling about for the phone, one eye on road, one eye looking for phone. Then they start fiddling with phone, trying to put unlock code in and get it into camera setting. Car is still moving at this point, albeit slowly, but they're not fully concentrating and a rear end into a cyclist even at slow speed can do a lot of damage.

As they come to a halt, they take a quick snap, cos they can see the traffic up ahead is starting to move. They're on foot brake but haven't engaged handbrake or put it into neutral.
As the traffic starts to move, they try to aim phone back into handbag, but it misses and falls onto floor, so they're leaning over trying to get it as they move away. Unfortunately they're so busy messing around that they haven't noticed someone starting to cross between cars.

Even when stationary in queuing traffic or waiting at a junction, the driver should be concentrating on whats happening around them, not pissing about with a phone.

 

[ianrauk]

Would I tell a fib on here? They were also followed by a car with a trailer for carrying bikes and orange flashing lights. I think they thought that made them official. I followed them for about 4 miles before I could turn off and the queue behind me was at least a mile long.

Steve

4 miles without a turn off? Google map of the road please?

 

[4F]

4 miles without a turn off? Google map of the road please?

Here you go, saved Steve the job http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Øresund_Bridge