Nuxx:MPG.25b5c3a83a9283fb9896e9@news.zen.co.uk

Path: num2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!num1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!number.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!npeer02.iad.highwinds-media.com!feed-me.highwinds-media.com!cyclone02.ams2.highwinds-media.com!news.highwinds-media.com!eweka.nl!lightspeed.eweka.nl!zen.net.uk!hamilton.zen.co.uk!prichard.zen.co.uk.POSTED!not-for-mail Message-ID:  From: Guy Cuthbertson  Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling,uk.rec.driving Subject: Re: A sensible fine Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:25:01 -0000 References:  Lines: 30 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit User-Agent: MicroPlanet-Gravity/2.9.14 X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 100111-0, 11/01/2010), Outbound message X-Antivirus-Status: Clean Organization: Zen Internet NNTP-Posting-Host: 39a9106d.news.zen.co.uk X-Trace: DXC=@M5lXBQOm5aIK_Y]^Ljehj0g@SS;SF6ngR9OH0:RnENd\C, kije.remove@this.bit.freeuk.com.munge says... > > Just imagine how much the M11 speed cameras could reduce the public > deficit by if they were able to auto-issue fines like this: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8446545.stm

Which just goes to show what nutjobs the car-hating camera supporters are. *No* fine is too much for an incidence of "speeding"; *no* punishment is too great. *No* speed limit is too low and *no* percentage of motorists being fined per year is too high. All drivers who speed (i.e. every driver) could be banned from driving, the economy could collapse as a result and the car-haters still wouldn't care, so single-minded are they in their determination to punish motorists no matter what the adverse consequences. And this is the trouble: once you start down an illogical path, refuse to admit that there is any such thing as "too much" of what you advocate, and refuse to consider side effects, you are advocating extremes which are clearly utterly ludicrous to anyone but the most crazy, compulsive, lunatic car-haters.

"Sensible". If you really believe that, you're loopy. If (as I suspect) you don't really believe it, ask yourself why you're pretending otherwise. If your cause is so noble then you shouldn't need to tell lies, be they about how "sensible" you think a fine is, whether you think speed cameras save lives, etc.

When you find yourself saying things which are clearly illogical, it's time to reevaluate your position. People (except other car-haters, and who cares about them?) will respect you more in the end if you cut your losses and admit to being wrong now.