chriswright03

Maybe that is the case but I always applied the handbrake because that is what I have done all my driving life. Maybe a mistrust of the car system but I prefer a mechanical handbrake I know I have put on. We now have an older Audi A3 with DSG and if you apply the handbrake on it whilst it is still in drive it seems to want to creep still. So I either knock it into N and apply the handbrake or more often then not just sit with my foot on the brake like I hate others doing!

It is a good idea because it makes the brake lights more visible in a line of traffic. It only becomes a problem when people keep their foot on the brake while stopped in traffic. Yes it annoys me as well but some cars make it difficult to not have your foot on the brake. I had a newish Golf that was a DSG gearbox with stop start. If you pulled up at the lights for example the engine would cut out as the Government decided it should do. If you put your handbrake on and took your foot off the brake it would start again! So the only way to keep the engine off was to keep your foot on the brake. Stupid I know but hey what do we know?

Found favour? You mean fitted by law?

Nowhere in the title of this thread does it mention classic cars Jim. Ignore those who seem to think your car isn't old enough to be of interest. It is old enough to have been considered for the scrappage scheme when it was running so good enough. Besides in comparison to the New Fat minis yours are far more desirable to look at.

Went out for a meal last night and the restaurant owner obviously has a bit of a thing for old English cars. Ford Escort Estate, Hillman Hunter Estate and a very nice Riley. Plus and Alfa Romeo of some sort.

Mine is still on 1803 and even though it updated today it still is.

Proper old school was Jack. Always helpful and always happy to chat. RIP mate.

Keep spotting stuff on our travels around the island so will keep posting them in here as I am sure they must be of some interest to others. If nothing else at least there must be an interesting story how some of the stuff got here in the first place. So today's example.

Today's offering from me is a big bumper MG Midget with a rather fetching soft top! It was sat for days open but the weather forecast last week obviously persuaded the owner to cover it up. Wise move I would suggest because when it rains here it rains.

I know I have posted here before about the amount of Renault 12's alive and kicking here in North Cyprus but thought this one deserved a picture in this hall of fame. Check out the front tyres! Knobbly or what? Still in daily use and I have seen worse that are as well.

Yes but they didn't used to do that when there was a visible Police presence on the roads. Admittedly there were fewer foreign drivers in my day but we did have them. Stopping motorists when they are seen to do something that is stupid/dangerous/illegal or all three whether it be to give advice or to prosecute the word gets around and the habits change. If you know there is a good chance of getting caught doing anything you are not so keen to do it whereas if there is no chance then it is open season. I spent the majority of my service in plain clothes but even then many of my prisoners came from routine stops by Traffic officers of motorists that were seen to be doing something worthy of a word in the ear. These days if you see a Police car at all the chances are the occupants are on their way to or from a job. They seldom have time to stop anyone and the section of public that benefit from that are the ones who have no intention of sticking to any laws if they can get away with it. You may be able to tell this is a subject that I feel strongly about. There are no officers out there doing the basics these days and that just means that laws are broken on a daily basis by many more than used to be and I cannot see it getting any better. I can only say that as much as I find the situation a disgrace I am delighted I am no longer having to do what was a difficult job in my day when I had one hand tied behind my back. Now they have both hands tied behind their backs with their legs tied together and a huge target on their back.

Come on admit it you just don't like Lincolnshire. Is it because we like to give people High Sixes instead of High Fives? Mention of the A15 as being dangerous between Lincoln and Brigg is in part due to the undulations in the road (don't forget Lincolnshire is flat)! These undulations can and do hide even large vehicles. Hence people overtake because they can see nothing coming and then lo and behold hidden in the dip is some poor sod coming the other way. Those hidden dips are protected by solid white lines to warn the motorist not to overtake yet they still do often to their or the other poor sod's peril. I don't for for a minute doubt your knowledge and expertise in Health and Safety Rocker but it is simply not possible to change the topography of every road in the land let alone the Fens to cater for those who take it upon themselves to ignore signs, speed limits and training and risk life. Never mind about a Police Officer on every corner you would need a lot of bubble wrap or cotton wool to protect everyone. Accidents will always happen but they are more often than not due to someone doing something that is stupid. If you can find a way of changing that you will be a very rich man. Just for the record I retired from Lincolnshire Police well over 20 years ago and have no connection with the Force whatsoever. When I was on Traffic as it was called in my days even longer ago each division (and there were four) put out four Traffic cars per shift at least three of which would be 24 hour cover. They were supplemented by at least four motorcycles in each Division as well. Lincs at that time was well known to HGV drivers who would know full well the risk of getting caught if they were speeding or over their hours. Other motorists would see the Patrol cars on a very regular basis and be aware of the presence. These days the Roads Policing Unit is shared with other forces and is based in the very South of the County well away from the rest. I cannot recall the last time I saw a Patrol car in the East of the County. If you did see one it could just as easily be from one of the other forces who share the partnership and therefore those officers would have little, if any local knowledge about the roads, where they go and what are the risks on them. They would also have no knowledge of the locals known to be disqualified or driving without documents. Various Governments have reduced the strength of manpower to such an extent that the Police are virtually working like the Fire Service now i.e. emergencies only. Not wanting to enter into Politics I think that is best left as it is without a discussion but "I know more than anyone could reasonably wish about the terminology or risk, hazard and the rest of it, and don’t propose to discuss it.

What you describe are hazards. All roads have then to varying degrees and whilst Lincolnshire does indeed have what you mention the fact remains that you should drive to the conditions at that time be they weather, topography or road layout. Yes there are some roads with unprotected drains in the fens but if you drive off them and into them whilst it of course is dangerous that is down to what you do. If you drive into a water filled drain because you are incapable for whatever reason of driving on the road is that any more dangerous than driving into another vehicle? If a driver is unable through lack of concentration or skill to drive on the road provided it would not matter what protection is put in their place they would still fail. So I agree with the point made roads are not dangerous but would also argue the failure to drive on them in the correct manner because you are unable to adapt to the change in conditions is. These conditions have existed on these roads for years. In fact many of the roads have been improved yet people still seem incapable of travelling on them without injuring or killing themselves or others. There is a connection between the lack of Roads Traffic Police and the appalling standards of driving. You don't need a Policeman on every corner you just need them out there with the time and wherewithall to be able to spot poor driving wherever it is and do something about it. Prevention is better than detection.

Maybe the fact that Lincs share their Traffic Officers and the reason for the statistics you mention are not unconnected. https://www.lincs.police.uk/about-us/our-departments/east-midlands-operational-support-service-emopss/tactical-roads-policing-team/

Spotted in Famagusta today. Looks like it is still used despite all the salt as it is only yards from the docks.

I think I'll leave you with that! There are far more important things in life to fret about.

I left the Police 20 odd years ago but still call them RTA's. I am on a facebook group for retired Traffic officers and virtually without exception they still call them the same. So I agree with that side of it but the reality of it is that it has changed in law and that I have no control over.

Whether you have had this argument before or the fact that you believe it is an inaccurate twisting of language it doesn't alter the fact that when I used to deal with accidents they were called in my day RTA's they are now known as RTC's road traffic collisions precisely because of the argument. In the far past a clever legal representative successfully argued the case that if it was an accident it could not have been his defendent's fault. RTA was dropped not very long after that and RTC is now used.

Apologies for the poor phone camera picture. There are some LHD examples kicking about but most of then are RHD so presumably made for here. No doubt there would be a Renault dealer knocking them out on the Island pre 1974.

We have had more rain this year than anyone locally can recall for decades. It is of course not freezing so we never have salted roads but we are by the sea. I would say they are the most common of older cars here although you do see the odd old British cars as I have posted pictures of in the past. Renault but I would presume as most of them are right hand drive they are pre the 74 invasion. Cars from Turkey are left hand drive.

Renault 12 may well be rare in the UK but here in North Cyprus they are common and everyone and their dog seems to have either the saloon or the estate. Also the 9 exists in very large numbers. I will post a few pictures later but even the locals can't kill the bloody things off!

Jim sorry to hear of you being assaulted. I agree with you about hindsight and the fact that you could have just took a deep breath and carried on. It is a sad reflection on society that this sort of thing happens but it does and regularly as you confirm from your journey back from Halfords. Road rage is something we should avoid at all costs and no matter how big or tough we think we are getting out of the car these days is highly dangerous. Yes he was a big boxer but then he could have been a small weedy little youth with a knife! It does happen and people have been killed for just getting out of the car to point out to someone the error of their ways. As big an ugly as I am I wouldn't even consider getting out of the car now. Just not worth it as you do not know what the result will be. Not a criticism of you in any way Jim rather a bit of advice for others who find themselves in the same position.

If you click on the little dot to the left of the title it takes you to the last read post. This has been mentioned so many times by so many people. If you read the FAQ most of the stuff is in there.

Stolen borrowed from facebook. Just cos I know some of you have a fetish for the French weird stuff.

Without researching it I can't give you a number but there is a Facebook group for retired Traffic officers and there are more of us on it than are serving in the UK. It is a constant moan on the group about how cameras cannot do half the job a Traffic Officer used to do back in the day. It is a fact a camera cannot tell you if a speeding motorist has a licence, is fit to drive or if the car has dangerous defects. Many other things it cannot do that a bobby in a Patrol car would have maybe detected with his nose for it. I would suggest most of us each day see something that any switched on bobby would be pulling the car for and having a word. As there are very few actually out there at all the result is what this thread discusses.