Bollocks

JB says...

My old Vauxhall Combo 1.7D[1] would just about top 100mph on the clock
loaded with 2 cars worth of seats. My Vito 2.2 turbo would do about 110,
my Renault Master 2.5 turbo would do about 110.

Some vans are stupidly quick e.g. some Merc Sprinters and VW LTs

[1] Non-turbo.

 

Turns out he was cautioned at the scene.

 

for what its worth my experience last year and this (it took a long time)
Got a picture taken you were speeding letter in the post to me (registered
keeper), all within 14 days (more like 3!)
I wrote back requesting photo evidence in order that I could name the driver
as requested.
Recvd photo of what looked like my car and large flash of camera reflecting
off the windscreen (what idiot designed that?!) so wrote back and said the
photo clearly doesn't help, several people in the family could use the car
(true), that I suspected I knew who was driving but their form did not allow
for ambiguity and I could not name the driver for definite, only who I
suspected, was I allowed to amend the form and enter an appropriate wording
("I believe the driver was....") and if not what else could they suggest.
Five months and three weeks after the offence the police went to court for a
summons which took five weeks to get out of the court building, so I
received a summons, dated within the six months (by about three days) after
seven+ months. I am charged with (1) speeding and (2) failing to name the
driver.

My solicitor goes to court and says (1) I can prove I was elsewhere at the
time, some 60 miles away and thank goodness for Outlook and (2) I did
indicate that I could name the driver but that as their form was so
insistent that I named with absolute certainty, I asked them for suggestions
to which they did not reply. My solicitor indicated that the driver was my
wife who (no joke) was on medication and being treated for short term memory
loss at the time, which is why she did not own up straight away, only after
being on the happy pills for several months - doctors and psychiatrists
report to back it all up.

Great says the prosecutor, we will adjourn, come again to revised date with
Mrs, we can charge her and drop charges against Mr, she pleads guilty gets
3pts etc, everyone happy.

Revised date comes, different prosecutor rightly points out that Mrs cannot
be charged as more than six months have elapsed since offence. Well that's
your fault says my solicitor, you should have replied to Mr's letter
straight away and not waited 5.75 months before simply summonsing. He goes
on to point out that (a) they can't do me for speeding as I can prove I was
too far away (b) they can't do me for failing to name as I have named (c)
they can't do Mrs as it's too late.

Mmmmmmmm says prosecutor, tricky. Adjourn again and we'll think about it.

Revised date, CPS too busy to have read file, so adjourn again so they can
think about it.

revised date, CPS too..... you get the idea.

revised date, solicitor tells me not even to bother to come any more. I
reckon his bill is now approaching £1000+. CPS too busy......

revised date, CPS acknowledge they have mucked it up, decide to drop both
charges. Quick as a flash my solicitor points out to the magistrates that
this would have been solved either without a summons, or at the first
hearing had the CPS got their act together and requests that all his clients
costs are met from central funds. The magistrates agree. RESULT!
Offence around Sept 2003, final court date at which costs were awarded from
central funds, July 2004. What a waste of taxpayers money.

Sorry this doesn't help you Mark, good luck on the day.

 

I was on both Sprinter launches (current model and the original).

On the last launch, the Krauts said that the thing had been governed to
160kph (100mph for the non-metrics) max.

Apparently, it can be de-restricted to do - get this - 115mph!

Naturally, we all asked how, and the Goimans refused to tell us, saying
that they'd tried a full-power model and in cross-winds it got a bit
hairy. My guess is that there's a chip wizard somewhere in Romford who's
already sorted it.

 

Heh. My old MkII Transit struggled to make 60. Still managed to got a
6-piece band and all their kit to Germany and back in a weekend though.

 

Result indeed - a bit of a saga though for one speeding ticket.

 

heh. Jim, nice to see you appear again.

I'll get in touch next spring - we need to get some decent climbing in in 2005 ...

Cheers,

Paul.

 

I've got a van that you can use. Very reasonable rates (it needs a new
tyre).