Another wrist slapping

"AndyMorris" of news.newsdemon.com wrote:

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

Heels are something I seldom wore. I have little experience of
driving, thou I passed my test in 1985. I don't think they'd make much
difference; the pedals are usually operated by the forefoot, aren't
they?

I don't wear heels much either, but I would imagine that high heels increase
the distance between the point where the heel touchs the floor and the ankle
joint. This would tend to make the foot unstable.

Bit like cycling in platforms, but I've never done that either, so what do I
know?

SWMBO says she wouldn't but it might be OK once you get used to it.

When I commuted by car I used to wear heels every day, not often spike heels
but medium to high. Took about a month of wearing the heels to drive to
learn that the heel of the shoe tends to lie on the footwell, which
scratches the heels and ruins the expensive shoes. So I kept a pair of old
nearly flat shoes in the car to drive in. My experience was that I could
drive perfectly comfortably in heels if I wanted, and it didn't feel as if
it compromised control in any way.
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm

Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

Ah, your tune has changed. Good. Now it's down to personal
prejudices. Have you heard/read all the evidence presented in the
case?

Busted twice for speeding, and then driving an unfamiliar car at 50 in a 30
zone is, to my mind, sufficient evidence. She's a sociopathic moron who
thinks she can do as she likes. I don't see how a slap on the wrist is in
any way commensurate. 50 isn't "a little bit over", it's *excessive* - doing
that after two tellings is unacceptable.


--
Wally
www.wally.myby.co.uk
Stress: You wake up screaming and realise you haven't fallen asleep yet.

Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

For killing with a motor vehicle, I would agree.

The proviso "with a motor vehicle" adequately reveals your prejudice.
Thank you.

It's not a prejudice. Motor vehicles are damn dangerous things if they
aren't used properly. Some numbers from, I think, the IAM web site regarding
the chances of killing an adult at various speeds...

20mph - 5%
30mph - 20%
40mph - 90%

Anyone who drives without due consideration for the mess they can make with
a motor vehicle shouldn't be on the road. The general standard of driving in
the UK stinks - the roads are full of assholes who think that, because it
hasn't happened to them, it probably won't happen. The level of
irresponsibility as manifest in the daily actions of drivers is appalling.


--
Wally
www.wally.myby.co.uk
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.

Wally wrote on 29/05/2007 01:48 +0100:
Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

Ah, your tune has changed. Good. Now it's down to personal
prejudices. Have you heard/read all the evidence presented in the
case?

Busted twice for speeding, and then driving an unfamiliar car at 50 in a 30
zone is, to my mind, sufficient evidence. She's a sociopathic moron who
thinks she can do as she likes. I don't see how a slap on the wrist is in
any way commensurate. 50 isn't "a little bit over", it's *excessive* - doing
that after two tellings is unacceptable.



Wally, you are wrestling with the resident Troll. Either ignore him or
put him in a kill file if you can't resist but remember Trolls are not
here to be persuaded but to provoke arguments.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Tony Raven wrote:
Wally wrote on 29/05/2007 01:48 +0100:
Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

Ah, your tune has changed. Good. Now it's down to personal
prejudices. Have you heard/read all the evidence presented in the
case?

Busted twice for speeding, and then driving an unfamiliar car at 50 in
a 30
zone is, to my mind, sufficient evidence. She's a sociopathic moron who
thinks she can do as she likes. I don't see how a slap on the wrist is in
any way commensurate. 50 isn't "a little bit over", it's *excessive* -
doing
that after two tellings is unacceptable.


Wally, you are wrestling with the resident Troll. Either ignore him or
put him in a kill file if you can't resist but remember Trolls are not
here to be persuaded but to provoke arguments.

Take the advice of the majority here Wally - ignore him - he has an axe
to grind.

Follow your heart, and decide for yourself. Do you think, whether you
agree with them all or not, that I am sincere in my posts, and that I
stimulate valid discussion, and pose alternatives to the orthodox mantra
which are "food for thought". The alternative is that you think all my
posts are derogatory or inflammatory.

--
Matt B

Wally wrote:
Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

Ah, your tune has changed. Good. Now it's down to personal
prejudices. Have you heard/read all the evidence presented in the
case?

Busted twice for speeding,

Due to the current automated system that applies equally to a huge
proportion of the population - it is applied indiscriminately across the
board with no implication of danger involved. There is no discretion
any more. Previously "speeding" was available, for the discretionary
use of the police, to help deal with dangerous motorists.

and then driving an unfamiliar car

Given that there are somewhere around 2.5 million new cars sold each
year in the UK, and goodness knows how many used cars, that statement
must apply to at least 50,000 drivers each week!

at 50 in a 30 zone...

Yes, unforgivable. Was it measured, calculated, or estimated. If
estimated, who by, and what is the margin of error?

... is, to my mind, sufficient evidence.

So you know the answer to that last question - and are confident of the
speed involved.

--
Matt B

Wally wrote:
Matt B" "matt.bourke wrote:

For killing with a motor vehicle, I would agree.

The proviso "with a motor vehicle" adequately reveals your prejudice.
Thank you.

It's not a prejudice.

It is if it implies that if it wasn't a motor vehicle a different
conclusion might be appropriate.

Motor vehicles are damn dangerous things if they
aren't used properly.

Absolutely. So are ladders and chain saws.

Some numbers from, I think, the IAM web site regarding
the chances of killing an adult at various speeds...

20mph - 5%
30mph - 20%
40mph - 90%

Are those numbers from that same font of statistical knowledge and
exactitude that shows that; the use of cycle helmets, cyclist
segregation, compulsory car seat belts, saves lives, and that "speeding"
is the cause of 33% of road collisions?

Anyone who drives without due consideration for the mess they can make with
a motor vehicle shouldn't be on the road.

Agreed, with the proviso that "intent" has to be an important ingredient.

The general standard of driving in
the UK stinks

Even though, despite the state of our infrastructure, and of our road
safety "policies", we have amongst the best road safety record in the world.

- the roads are full of assholes who think that, because it
hasn't happened to them, it probably won't happen.

I think most psychologists would replace "assholes" with the term
"normal human beings". Humans are fallible, we need to recognise that,
and accommodate it in our road safety strategy.

Amongst the few countries with similar road safety records to our own,
the Netherlands are progressing to the next level by recognising just that.

The level of
irresponsibility as manifest in the daily actions of drivers is appalling.

Would you support methods to eliminate it as a source of casualties?

--
Matt B

Tony Raven wrote:
Simon Brooke wrote on 25/05/2007 19:37 +0100:
in message , Tony Raven
') wrote:

Simon Brooke wrote on 25/05/2007 17:46 +0100:
As what's wrong with me today, there's no 'today' about it; I've
been in
a positively foul mood, and utterly lacking in a sense of humour, for
weeks. Hasn't everyone noticed?
It's our age Simon. We've both become grumpy old men ;-)

Dammit, I'm not _ready_ to get old!


I knew I was getting old when I looked at a Ferrari and my first thought
was "I'll never get out of that!" ;-(

Hey, you two! Stop agreeing with each other. It's making me confused.
--
A

Ambrose Nankivell wrote on 29/05/2007 13:39 +0100:
Tony Raven wrote:
Simon Brooke wrote on 25/05/2007 19:37 +0100:

Hey, you two! Stop agreeing with each other. It's making me confused.


Sorry, we were on a break. Normal service will be resumed shortly ;-)


--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

On Tue, 29 May 2007 09:50:54 +0100, Matt B
wrote:

Wally wrote:

Busted twice for speeding,

Due to the current automated system that applies equally to a huge
proportion of the population

Can you quantify that "huge proportion"? In 15 years of motoring here,
I have accumulated exactly nul points for any offences at all, including
speeding. Am I alone?