Breaking the law

I guess I'm a bit old-fashioned really, but when I was growing up, I was taught that breaking the law was wrong. It was simple black and white. Breaking the law - any law - was wrong.

You'd think that would be obvious, no? But like so many things nowadays, the law apparently only applies in special circumstances. Now, I live (primarily) in Bristol, and as such, my local paper (rag more like) is the Bristol Evening Post (www.epost.co.uk). Now, both my parents work for the city council, so I like to read the post's letters page to see what the public is griping about today. Not that it's anything to do with my parents' jobs, but I'm intrigued by the uproar over speed cameras that always fills the letters page. People complaining about them. "Why?" I ask. It seems it goes like this:

1. Road has a speed limit that is clearly marked

2. Motorists drive along road at way above the speed limit

3. Speed cameras are put up on the road

4. Motorists get caught by speed cameras and are fined

5. Motorists complain to Evening Post

Now, tell me who is in the wrong here. Fairly obvious, I think - the motorist who's speeding. It's not a speed guideline, it's a speed LIMIT. That means you should not go faster than that speed. Going faster is breaking the law. Think about that. You are breaking the law. There's no excuse unless it's a life-or-death situation. It doesn't matter if you're late for work, it doesn't matter if you're the only one on the road. You are breaking the law. There's a lot of people who complain about the "unfairness" of being caught "only" doing 40 in a 30mph limit. That's 33% over the speed limit. That's a BIG excess,

Okay, so - cameras catch people, people get sent fines. You'd think that would be the end of it. But no. Check this out:

A speed camera that was set alight by a car doused in petrol. The camera is directly opposite a school, and in the middle of a residential area. The fire spread to several local gardens.

DUMP TRUCK RAMS BYPASS SPEED CAMERA

11:00 - 01 November 2004
 

The equipment was installed by the layby opposite the Jubilee Inn on the A370 Bristol to Weston road only last Monday. A previous camera at that location was set on fire last year.

Its replacement was demolished last Thursday evening.

The act of destruction was watched with astonishment by Michael Barnes, chairman of Flax Bourton Parish Council.

He said: "My son and I were in the pub having a meal at 7.30pm.

"There were very few people around and a dumper truck came into the layby.

"He manoeuvred and then hurtled the vehicle at the camera with the bucket on the front lifted up and crashed into it, knocking it over. Then he reversed into the road and carried on down the main road towards Backwell. It was amazing!"

Mr Barnes said it was too dark to get the dumper number or see any other identifying marks.

He immediately telephoned the police who searched the area without finding the vehicle.

Police spokesman Dan Mountain appealed for anyone with information about the incident to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire Safety Camera Partnership spokesman David Gollicker said: This camera hadn't even been commissioned yet and was not in use."

He said the camera casing alone cost £10,000. If there had been a camera inside, the damage caused would have soared to £30,000.

This was from the Post. I've heard stories of foam sprayed into the cracks to stop the camera working, of cameras painted, firebombed, ripped up, torn down, turned around and even sold on eBay. Now, think of it this way. Speed cameras are there to enforce the law. So are policemen. The only problem is that speed cameras can't see who attacks them, or fight back. I personally find it moronic that people go to such extreme lengths. If only the sheer creative ingenuity used to destroy speed cameras was put to use for more constructive means, I'm sure our society would be much more advanced.

Now, destroying the speed cameras may remove the immediate threat of further detection, but it doesn't change the fact that you were caught speeding and have to pay a £60 fine and receive 3pts on your licence. Or you go to court. Now, by law, speed cameras have to be signposted - there has to be some notification to drivers that there is a camera. (Quite why this is I don't understand. They're breaking the law. Is it only breaking the law to steal from a shop if there's a security camera?) If there is no sign, the fine can't be upheld, and charges are dropped. Motorists have also argued along rather semantical lines - that a speed limit sign was placed too close to the end of a dual carriage way or some such utter shit. It may be true, but it's also bullshit. Saying that the speed limit signs were in the wrong place, or that the camera was hidden does not change the fact you were exceeding the speed limit. Stand up, take your punishment and don't speed again.

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