Guy Ritchie banned for texting at the wheel

[Bonefishblues]

I've seen quite a lot of information about this individual, who does this quite often. Not sure the motivation though. It does seem to be solely motor vehicle drivers. One often sees other road users committing similar or identical offences in his videos who go unchallenged, which seems strange.

[Cyril Haearn]

Does not seem strange to me, he is working efficienctly
..
'S/he who has many enemies, has many friends'

Glad to see the letter of the law was applied, motor running, vehicle not moving

[Bonefishblues]

I think the most efficient method would be to challenge the next road user who came along, thereby maximising enforcement.

[Jdsk]

I've seen quite a lot of information about this individual, who does this quite often. Not sure the motivation though. It does seem to be solely motor vehicle drivers. One often sees other road users committing similar or identical offences in his videos who go unchallenged, which seems strange.

I only came across him recently. I was very uncomfortable when I first saw him in action, and dislike for vigilantism has good historic justification. But my views have changed.

I don't know what he thinks or why he does it, but to enable prosecutions of road users where there aren't number plates he'd need a very different modus operandi.

Jonathan

PS: For several years I had to cross the road in Regents Park that features in a lot of the videos. It's always more poignant when you know the spot.

[Carlton green]

To my mind the points system is far too lenient. Let’s say that anyone can make a mistake and consider three points on your license to be both tough luck and a reminder to ‘up your game’, by natural follow-on if you get six points you automatically loose your licence for six months. Of course if you do something that carries a six point penalty then I have no tough luck sympathy. So, if guilty as charged, no if’s and no buts allowed in the Court. However I think it sensible for the Courts to be empowered to, at their discretion and without further argument, consider one hand written letter from the defendant (not his or her legal team) offering extenuating circumstances and or compassionate reasons to be allowed to remain driving - there will always be a tiny percentage of cases where society is best served by moderation.

Perhaps I’m harsh but if I can go for decades without any points on my licence it can’t be too hard to do. We all know the rules of the road and why they are there, repeatedly breaking them to the point at which you’re caught and taken to Court is surely just both antisocial and daft.

[Cyril Haearn]

Carlton you are lenient, not harsh
What compassionate reasons do you have in mind?
I think the word 'compassionate' is wrong here, just as the use of 'hate' has been criticised elsewhere
..
Only a handful have lost their licences thanks to the vigilante, one hopes he can increase his activity

[reohn2]

Being permanently angry isn't good for mental health.

But we don't know if he's permanently angry or if he has a strong motivation from past experience for reporting errant motorists.
The media,and the DM in particular take high delight in painting pictures of cyclists which bear little resemblence to the truth,just to stoke up anticyling anger.
That said I'd rather there be a permanently angry person on a bike reporting motorist crime than someone permanently angry driving a car who dislikes,even(strong word alert)hates cyclists

The last sentence is about what use he is for us, but I'm thinking more about what it is like for him. Yes, he may not be angry all the time, but I think that is unlikely given the high volume of incidents he reports. It sounds like it occupies a good chunk of his waking day, and he must be either super-human or very stressed with so much confrontation. It doesn't sound like a recipe for happiness and contentment. If I knew him and cared about him I would be worried about what this is doing to him.

I take your point but we don't know him or anything about him other than the media reports,which can be anything but the truth.
He may see his reporting as a mission or part time job that the police are failing miserably in doing,the adage 'if you want a job doing,do it yourself' springs readily to mind.

As an aside,there's a small parade of shops on the edge the estate where I live with a chippy and newsagents that provide people with ready made litter which is evenly spread about the immediate aera.
There's a lady who lives four houses away from the shops and takes it on herself to pick up the litter on a daily basis to keep the place tidy and litter free.
When I've have a chatted with her it's apparent she's angry about the problem,some people may say she's a bit Cuckoo and needs to 'get a life'.
Personally I admire her for her tenacity on not giving up on a job that she sees as needing doing,because both the people dropping the litter(with two bins close by)and the LA for not doing the job for her when she's paid her council tax,and I've no doubt she's complained to the shop owners and the LA.

[Bonefishblues]

I've seen quite a lot of information about this individual, who does this quite often. Not sure the motivation though. It does seem to be solely motor vehicle drivers. One often sees other road users committing similar or identical offences in his videos who go unchallenged, which seems strange.

I only came across him recently. I was very uncomfortable when I first saw him in action, and dislike for vigilantism has good historic justification. But my views have changed.

I don't know what he thinks or why he does it, but to enable prosecutions of road users where there aren't number plates he'd need a very different modus operandi.

Jonathan

PS: For several years I had to cross the road in Regents Park that features in a lot of the videos. It's always more poignant when you know the spot.

I said enforcement, not prosecution.

[Jdsk]

More, please... which other road users do you have in mind, and how would enforcement work?

Thanks

Jonathan

[reohn2]

To my mind the points system is far too lenient. Let’s say that anyone can make a mistake and consider three points on your license to be both tough luck and a reminder to ‘up your game’, by natural follow-on if you get six points you automatically loose your licence for six months. Of course if you do something that carries a six point penalty then I have no tough luck sympathy. So, if guilty as charged, no if’s and no buts allowed in the Court. However I think it sensible for the Courts to be empowered to, at their discretion and without further argument, consider one hand written letter from the defendant (not his or her legal team) offering extenuating circumstances and or compassionate reasons to be allowed to remain driving - there will always be a tiny percentage of cases where society is best served by moderation.

Perhaps I’m harsh but if I can go for decades without any points on my licence it can’t be too hard to do. We all know the rules of the road and why they are there, repeatedly breaking them to the point at which you’re caught and taken to Court is surely just both antisocial and daft.

I agree with your view though IMO 9points is fair but(and there always is one)9 points should mean a driving ban with an absolute minimum of 3 months depending on the crimes committed eg; three speeding tickets at 10% of the speed limit is a world away from 2 speeders(30+3mph,40+4mph,etc) of the same magnitude and third one for RLJing.I do think a drivers circumstances are no excuse to avoid a ban,ifnthey know the job and dependents rely on them having a driving licence it beggars belief that they should risk it by consistently breaking the law.

[Cyril Haearn]

Right again r2, 'crimes' is the word

[Bonefishblues]

More, please... which other road users do you have in mind, and how would enforcement work?

Thanks

Jonathan

Being a good citizen and informing a road user when he or she is committing an offence. The individual then has a choice.

Take a look at the "Regent's Park Corner" videos and see how many 2-wheeled road users commit an offence without any response from Mikey whilst he is waiting for the next 4-wheeled offender to commit an identical offence. That makes me uncomfortable.

[Jdsk]

Thanks

Jonathan

[reohn2]

Right again r2, 'crimes' is the word

They are crimes but crimes are by degree IMO.There's a world away from from 10% over the legal speed limit, and driving at twice the legal limit.
In the same way it's a crime to steal say a bottle of Coke from a shop and walking into the same shop,threatening the owner and stealing the takings from the till.

[reohn2]

.......Take a look at the "Regent's Park Corner" videos and see how many 2-wheeled road users commit an offence without any response from Mikey whilst he is waiting for the next 4-wheeled offender to commit an identical offence. That makes me uncomfortable.

I'll check out his videos