London Olympics - what a waste!

I loved this bit from that link

Blue lights can only be switched on by those specifically trained to do so

So how much training do you need to flick a switch??

The world is going/has gone totally crazy....

T.A.

I loved this bit from that link

Blue lights can only be switched on by those specifically trained to do so

So how much training do you need to flick a switch??

The world is going/has gone totally crazy....

T.A.

I think the police should stop every emergency vehicle displaying blue lights and examine the certificate of blue switch flicking awards held by the drivers/operators. In fact a plaque of flick excellence credentials should be displayed in every vehicle fitted with flickable blue lights, and appropriate insurance should be held for such extras fitted to said vehicles.

Oh do be sensible guys. You know very well that the phrase

Blue lights can only be switched on by those specifically trained to do so

refers to drivers having been trained to drive emergency vehicles at high speeds with the Blues & Twos operating.

refers to drivers having been trained to drive emergency vehicles at high speeds with the Blues & Twos operating.

I don't think any ambulance of fire engine driver is trained to drive at high speeds through heavilly populated towns or cities like London. An ambulance driver is a medical officer who does not go into Ferrari driver mode when driving an ambulance. He is subject to all laws and speed limits the any driver in London. If a fire engine driver exceeds the speed limits he is subject to causing death by dangerous driving the same as any London driver. He has no right to go through red lights and is breaking the law if he approaches a zebra crossing with people nearby too fast, the same as anyone driving recklessly. The same applies to police car drivers. They are not above the law.

There is one exception, who train to drive vehicals at high speed through towns. They are the motor cyclists who get VIPs at high speed from, e.g., Heathrow to Buckingham palace without the VIP vehicals stopping even once, racing past the VIPs again and again to bar the traffic for the continually moving VIP vehicles.

Police exemption from speed limits.....

Police RTI's

Bent cops.....there is quite a lot to focus on in this link, however scroll down about 20% for traffic offences...

featured Cops

The 2012 Olympics is going to be a "Happy hour" for the type of incidents in the links provided....

...just wondering how many will be published? Probably ZERO as it would be bad publicity for London at that time & when the games are over, watch them get brushed under the carpets......
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While using blue lights, drivers are exempt from a number of motoring regulations, including

treating a red traffic light as a give way sign
passing to the wrong side of a keep left bollard
driving on a motorway hard shoulder (even against the direction of traffic)
disobeying the speed limit (police, fire and ambulance services only)

"it's a great show". Armed officers from the Metropolitan police and the Royal Marines hammering along the Thames in speedboats and helicopters, ground-to-air missiles scanning the skies, hovering spy drones scanning the land, security services scanning the internet for nascent plots or cyber attacks – it's all being co-ordinated by a bevy of Olympic-themed security agencies.

"security costs now stand at £553m." [link]

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Well, at least we all can feel safe whilst the Olympics are on.

While using blue lights, drivers are exempt from a number of motoring regulations, including

treating a red traffic light as a give way sign
passing to the wrong side of a keep left bollard
driving on a motorway hard shoulder (even against the direction of traffic)
disobeying the speed limit (police, fire and ambulance services only)

No quite. It's got nothing to do with blue lights and no statute specifies that you can do the above if you have a blue light. What the law say is the you must not do certain things (like those you indicated above) unless "where there is an emergency". And you don't have to be a policeman, fireman, ambulance man or even an ordinary man. Even an ordinary woman can exceed the speed limits "in an emergency". No blue light or any kind of light is mandatory or necessary. For example highway code 264 (highway codes are based on law) says "You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police". The 'you' could be anybody without a blue light.

From my experience an unmarked police car does not have to obey the traffic laws (within reason) if they are (for example) following another vehicle as part of an operation.

From my experience an unmarked police car does not have to obey the traffic laws (within reason) if they are (for example) following another vehicle as part of an operation.

I don't know for sure Es but I would suspect so. It's all about common sense isn't it. If we want emergency vehicles to do their job, then we have to accept that certain rules that apply to the rest of us will not apply to them.

From my experience an unmarked police car does not have to obey the traffic laws (within reason) if they are (for example) following another vehicle as part of an operation.

I don't know for sure Es but I would suspect so. It's all about common sense isn't it. If we want emergency vehicles to do their job, then we have to accept that certain rules that apply to the rest of us will not apply to them.

Reality:

1). Seemed just like any other Olympics held in the past.
2). al-Qaeda groups take their holidays this time of year plus their not into sport anyway, but only in the drugs that they sell to the participants.
3). No one lives there yet, so no community to consult upon any benefits experienced
4). Which budget, the first one set or the last one.
5). A legacy of extra tax's to pay to subsidise/maintain all the leftover unused facilities
6). Were called the London Olympics so at best only put England back on the map

I think I best give up on writing political speeches....to damned painful.