Early Risers.

[DDolfelin]

 

The inability of young motorists to negotiate corners accounts for over 50% of the roads policing cases we deal with here, so it's no surprise to me adults can't go around them either!  We are currently trying to influence driver teaching practices as many of these accidents occur within one month of passing their test. #sigh#  We have started an educational scheme of additional specific lessons (that they have to pay for) rather than prosecution, as that results in an improvement in driving rather than a lightening of the wallet only.  We also show them a gory video of what can happen in loss of control incidents, which is of an accident that resulted in a local death that most of them have heard of - really brings it home.

 

I hope it does have some benefit.

It seems part of youngsters driving experience now - have a non fatal accident through inexperience and foolishness before sobering down.

A lad here who was damned dangerous on a push bike nearly lasted three weeks in a car before a header with a BMW on a bend.

His father reckoned he was a good driver. (!!!!!)

Fortunately all survived and he now has an even faster car (which is unfortunate).

Don't know what the answer might be.

[New Haven Neil]

It does work DD, we have a 98% success on not re-offending. (sample over 100).

[skipepsi]

I hope it does have some benefit.

It seems part of youngsters driving experience now - have a non fatal accident through inexperience and foolishness before sobering down.

A lad here who was damned dangerous on a push bike nearly lasted three weeks in a car before a header with a BMW on a bend.

His father reckoned he was a good driver. (!!!!!)

Fortunately all survived and he now has an even faster car (which is unfortunate).

Don't know what the answer might be.

There was a report from the US about a teenager DUI who killed 4 people apparently he was spared jail because his family were so rich he was said to have 'afluenza'

[Gruffalo]

Methinks the advent of a lot of the video games in which the participant is virtually driving around, crashing but continuing unharmed to cause yet more mayhem has a lot to answer for!!! Kids get these games at an age when their minds are susceptible to such influences and they play them for such large amounts of their time that the divide between reality and virtual life becomes blurred. I don't offer a solution, only an observation.

[Tony_S]

Cemetery Corner is a local landmark, mainly because there is a cemetery on a right angle bend in the road. It seems to get rather a lot of traffic accidents even though it has big chevron signs to indicate the corner and is lit at night. The raised flower bed and fence surrounding the cemetery are quite often damaged.  I have seen accidents there and I can't understand why they happened.

[New Haven Neil]

snip<  I have seen accidents there and I can't understand why they happened.

 

'Stupidity' 

 

There's a corner here much the same, the 'Gooseneck' on the TT course. The wall is perpetually under repair.

[Barry O]

Morning all.

 

apologies for the late arrival - although her indoors didn't go swimming today (she is on a training day learning how to "teach" music including playing the drums despite being a trained percussionist) so we got up early and went to Morereasons.... nice and quiet so good times was had by one and all.

 

Friday is indeed fish and chip day ( or, in leeds you can  go for warm pork pie with mushie peas and onions in vinegar or mint sauce) .. and it snoy yet on my "verbotten" list as its got Omega 3 in it...

 

Splendid Morning here - chilly but nice for my 30 minute round trip to the post office. Will post some weathering photos elsewhere when I take them today!

 

Have a great Friday and get ready for the weekend.....

[Sidecar Racer]

 

 

 

 

.  We also show them a gory video of what can happen in loss of control incidents, which is of an accident that resulted in a local death that most of them have heard of - really brings it home.

 

If you need to show them how not to drive just look at some of the Youtube clips of the

standards of Russian driving , it's truely un-believable at how moronic a lot of them are .

 

It seems that a heck of a lot of drivers have dash cams , it's easy to see why as it can prove your

total innocence in some cases , then in others maybe not .

 

I would link some clips but I dont want to get into hot water with the ' management ' , it's best if  you look

yourself if interested , and there are dozens to look at .

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

morning all,

 

Cheery sound of a chainsaw out in the back garden - cheery?  Well I'm not paying for the bloke wielding it although he's taking bits off our cheery tree and he's leaving some nice size logs for me to split.  Very handy as some of teh cherry cut two years agio has thiis week been making the ultimate sacrifice in the woodburning stove.

 

Sorry to here about Ash's demolition job - hope you got his insurance details!  But at least you weren't hurt and your house is ok - there was a house not far from us in Tilehurst which seemed to get a car in the living room as an annual event but the odd thing was that it was on the inside of a bend, eventually they planted some trees and dug up the lawn to create a sort of sand drag.  The alternative - done at anther regular demolition site by a roundabout - was to plant railway rail in the middle of the wall when it went through one of its rebuilds; plant it deep and in concrete and it might not safe the wall but it should stop most vehicles under heavy lorry size.

 

On a more constructive note good to hear iD has 'got there' with the boozer, don't forget the crates of empties out the back!  And equally constructive I'm told I will be 'tidying' the dining room today, Waitrose having been duly 'done' for the Christmas period as the veg will come from Tesco.

 

Have a good day one & all.

[Ashcombe]

Thanks for all the concerned comments and the hearts! J

 

Just had an hour and a half with a police officer who needed a statement from me re the accident. He was supportive but angry with the driver who had been drinking. There is s very slight chance that I might be called to give a statement in court.

 

Builders' estimates in process but not the best time of year to persuade them from the pub - last working day before Christmas!

 

Off to Exeter soon - a few hours later than planned!

[New Haven Neil]

Yes I'm aware of the Russian you-tubes!

 

The video we show is of a local crash scene, where a flying (literally) Subaru hit a wall, cleared a road for 50 yards, hit a tree and broke into two.  As did the top half of the body of the driver which exited via the rear windsreen.  The body isn't in the video of course, but the aftermath is apparent.  The driver was the 'sensible, nice son' of a good local family, who are keen for the video to be used to deter other young people from driving in this way.  The car actually flew over the daughter of our boss at that time who was on her way to work on her scooter....

[New Haven Neil]

OK, staff Christmas meal (AKA booze up) about to begin.

 

Papers prepared for defaulters table next week.

[Tony_S]

My Christmas shopping is probably complete but I may try and get a Canadian plant/shrub from the local garden centre, assuming they have car parking space left from all the day trippers/coach parties going to see Santa. I will need some more vegetables but I'll select them on the "where is it easiest to park". I could go to local shops but the quality isn't so good. There used to be a lot of greengrocers and most of them seem to have become nail-bars or hairdressers.

[DDolfelin]

Should be able to get a Maple, Tony.

[Tony_S]

I think I'll try for a dogwood, of a reddish hue. I'm not sure that I will be able to get an elk to really make the scene authentic.

[AndyB]

Afternoon all.

So, the oven door isn't now due until next week. Reprieve for the turkey! 

Rounded the term off with church service with the children and traditional carols.

 

Also been asked to buy myself a present from my mum. Trying to decide if it is worth getting a GF coach, but get the impression they are re-tooling a lot of blue/grey stuff so might be wiser to wait? Haven't really had time to think about it as been too busy getting the food in and pressies wrapped for the family.

 

I remember talking to a policeman down in Southend once. He said his approach if he caught a drink driver was to throw them in the back of his car and let them attend a few RTAs with him during his shift. He said it worked particularly well the time he did this and the next call was to an RTA where the motor cyclist's body ended up some distance from his helmet - and head. Result was one Very sober and remorseful drink driver. Don't suppose they'd allow that these days.

[bbishop]

Vectras are usually pretty well behaved vehicles, well mine is anyway.  They are well liked by the police, both real and Lewis on the TV, although probably a bit souped up. 

 

A funny thing happened to be in Sainsbury this morning.  I keep my plastic shopping bags in a cotton washing bag hung on the trolley.  I'm the sort of shopper who parks the trolley, collects an armful of shopping then tries to remember where I left the trolley.  After my second collection, I found my bags had disappeared (except for one with  a hole in it).  Bah, humbug!  Thanks, sh1t head!!

 

Completed, paid, took shopping to car, then realised I'd forgotten Christmas wrapping paper.  And outside the front door was my cotton bag, lying on the ground, devoid of plastic bags.  Do I not understand humanity!!

 

Off to work, maybe my penultimate shift ever as I'm very tempted not to do Christmas post next year.

 

Bill

[Two_sugars]

There was a report from the US about a teenager DUI who killed 4 people apparently he was spared jail because his family were so rich he was said to have 'afluenza'

YEP! ! ! Daddy will pay the multi million dollar re-hab costs instead of teaching him some common bluddy sense! ! !

 

An example on TV this morning of a young man who jumped a red at a level crossing caught on camera and stopped by police.

When asked by the officer if he wanted to pay the fine and take 3 points or take  a road safety course, he chose the fine because he thought his driving was

fine and he couldn't learn anything from the course.    PHAPHING IDIOT! ! !

[iL Dottore]

...I remember talking to a policeman down in Southend once. He said his approach if he caught a drink driver was to throw them in the back of his car and let them attend a few RTAs with him during his shift. He said it worked particularly well the time he did this and the next call was to an RTA where the motor cyclist's body ended up some distance from his helmet - and head. Result was one Very sober and remorseful drink driver. Don't suppose they'd allow that these days.

Probably not.... (in the UK. Yooman Rites, innit?).

 

A lot of kids think that it will never happen to them and all the advice in the world wont register... But showing them the reality of RTAs, not only sobers them up, but (ideally) will give them nightmares for weeks afterwards - all of which can only be beneficial, for them and for society at large. Many places in the US have programmes whereby drunk drivers have to attend a post RTA autopsy as part of their penalty (and I think that in some places the choice is either go to the autopsy OR go to jail).

 

In a way, for the uninitiated, an autopsy is worse than being on scene. Not only do you have bodies and body parts clearly visible and well illuminated, but you also have the smells (bowel, formaldehyde, stomach contents, isopropyl alcohol, etc.) and the sounds... Opening the skull with a bone saw is a particularly interesting combination of sights, sounds and smells.

 

Mind you, it does seem to work in reducing recidivism.

 

What a cheery little alley has ER wandered into on this cold winter's day...

Edited December 20, 2013 by iL Dottore

[beast66606]

At 10:40 an email arrived to say the short set - a top and tailed 47 with a DVT and 2 coaches in the middle - was working the 12:05 Norwich - Lowestoft and the 12:57 Lowestoft - Norwich so my son and I headed off for it, we decided to use the train from Attleborough to save parking in Norwich. We duly arrived at Norwich to find the short set parked in platform 6, engines running, we started planning all the signals we would photograph and then the dreaded announcement - the 12:05 for Lowestoft will leave from platform 4A, where a 170 was parked ... but we still had a pleasant trip to Lowesoft and back.

[Donw]

A few years ago living in the forest of dean our dinning table looked out across the road. I had just sat down to dinner when in front of my eyes a car comming round a slight bend in a 30mph zone hit the grass bank verge and took off flying about 6m hitting an electricity pole snapping it clean off about 1-1.5m above the ground it reamined stood up about 1m away held up by the wires. The car rolled down the bank and ended up side down in the road.

I dashed out and got the young lady out. We called the emergency services mainly because one wire had snapped and was snakeing about live on the ground. 

I heard later the young lady driving was annoyed that the fire brigade had been called because they wanted to charge here for the call out! I never got any thanks or apologies

 

Don.

[Shedman5]

Well all Xmas provisions obtained, just have veg to get which I will do on Xmas eve from one of the local farm shops around here, thank god I don't have to attempt to get on a supermarket car park over the next few days!!

 

Might need some more vino collapso which I can get without driving, the car will have a rest from Christmas Eve lunchtime till the day after Boxing Day, siege mentality will be present at Chateaux Shedman 5 during that period.

[AndyB]

In a way, for the uninitiated, an autopsy is worse than being on scene. Not only do you have bodies and body parts clearly visible and well illuminated, but you also have the smells (bowel, formaldehyde, stomach contents, isopropyl alcohol, etc.) and the sounds... Opening the skull with a bone saw is a particularly interesting combination of sights, sounds and smells.

 

 

 

I remember many years ago going for lunch with my brother when he had started his clinical training at the John Radcliffe. I believe it was The Trout. 

The restaurant filled up and about halfway through the meal a girl turned round, spotted my brother and exclaimed...."Good God. It's You!"...and then to her parents..."I shared my first body with him!"

[Barry O]

I once "rolled" a Maestro... I had taken someone to the airport in Leeds - on the way back home a half shaft broke - steering became impossible - brake pipe cut so no brakes - ended up clipping the curb and rolling 3 and a half times. Ended up upside down- how to get out? well I put my hand between the roof and my head and undid the seat belt.  Wrong... knees bash off steering wheel(!only part of me bruised).

 

Managed to get out of car in time for the local farmer to appear - he had come to check his fence - not to see if I was OK. When the police arrived one asked if I needed an ambulance - the other drove his Volvo T5 up and down the road to see if "mud from a farmers' tractor" had caused the problem - I showed them the broken drive shaft and was warned that the accident would be investigated to make sure it wasn't my driving ..... needless to say I had a letter saying it was a defective drive shaft and they hoped I was OK.....

 

Made the news in the alternative staff news paper though..

Edited December 20, 2013 by Barry O

[Shedman5]

I remember my first time watching orthopedic surgery, the tools in there would have graced any diy workshop.