I love this article in The Observer. It sums up what I have been trying to say about the spread of police powers. It's ok for them to film you and use the evidence but there's a sting in the tail should the roles be reversed.
Under Zanu Labour the extent of police power has been enlarged to an extraordinary level. This article mentions someone taking a picture of PCSOs parked on double yellow lines outside a sandwich shop while they grabbed lunch. On spotting the concerned citizen they demanded he delete the images. Is this correct? There must be someone who is reading this blog who can point me to the law which gives these idiots this power.
It's just incredible. Anyway this is The Observer link.
On another note: I see Gordon McBrooon is trying to distance himself from the email slur debacle. This is how they work. That notorious sleazebag Alistair Campbell is a master of the 'dark arts' and they have Mandy back in the cabinet. They can't win the next election in a straight fight so they have to destroy whoever stands up to them. It has got to stop.
The stench from this rotting corpse of Zanu Labour is overpowering and distracting the country.
I am looking forward to the European elections in June when there might be an upset or two. (And it was hilarious to read Harriet Harperson having a crack at the BNP who don't deliver what they promise. Hello... pot...kettle...black).
Take care on the roads.
Captain Gatso
The Motorists' Friend
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Scotland Yard PR - I salute you!!
So Bob Quick falls on his sword after revealing a top secret paper outside 10 Downing Street. But he hasn't left the police force.
Let's leave that bit of spin for a moment.
It was sad that the MoD had to issue a D Notice to stop the media running with the story as it gave them time to organise a PR strategy. The paper itself didn't reveal too much about what was going on.
And then the copper who shoved the G20 protestor who went on, moments later, to have a heart attack, 'came forward'.
Well he was always going to be identifed but the timing just stinks. The police are desperate to get this death off the news agenda and, hey presto, the clown Bob Quick steps in. This is his third major apology in as many months, isn't it?
The best thing about the poor man's death at the G20 is the police's obsession with filming and monitoring everyone. Guilty or not, you are being registered by mere fact that you were there.
But, oh no, the police have been filmed doing something very bad. I think the footage (from an American banker appalled at the antics of the police) is pretty conclusive.
There is no way the police can wriggle out of this one and their original PR spin about helping a man from being bottled is exactly what this lot is about. Now the spin is unravelling and the chiefs are facing a nightmare of ordinary people asking that someone be held to account.
Make no mistake, that footage looks like a manslaughter charge to me.
The damage has been done and people are questioning police tactics like this and the idiot notion of 'penning in'.
Let's support the Lib Dems who say that the police are unaccountable and uncontrollable.
Please prove to me that we don't yet live in a police state.
Oh and Bob Quick if you had any real shame about being found for being a buffoon you would resign from the police service, instead of being the PR fall guy for one day's headlines.
Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend
Let's leave that bit of spin for a moment.
It was sad that the MoD had to issue a D Notice to stop the media running with the story as it gave them time to organise a PR strategy. The paper itself didn't reveal too much about what was going on.
And then the copper who shoved the G20 protestor who went on, moments later, to have a heart attack, 'came forward'.
Well he was always going to be identifed but the timing just stinks. The police are desperate to get this death off the news agenda and, hey presto, the clown Bob Quick steps in. This is his third major apology in as many months, isn't it?
The best thing about the poor man's death at the G20 is the police's obsession with filming and monitoring everyone. Guilty or not, you are being registered by mere fact that you were there.
But, oh no, the police have been filmed doing something very bad. I think the footage (from an American banker appalled at the antics of the police) is pretty conclusive.
There is no way the police can wriggle out of this one and their original PR spin about helping a man from being bottled is exactly what this lot is about. Now the spin is unravelling and the chiefs are facing a nightmare of ordinary people asking that someone be held to account.
Make no mistake, that footage looks like a manslaughter charge to me.
The damage has been done and people are questioning police tactics like this and the idiot notion of 'penning in'.
Let's support the Lib Dems who say that the police are unaccountable and uncontrollable.
Please prove to me that we don't yet live in a police state.
Oh and Bob Quick if you had any real shame about being found for being a buffoon you would resign from the police service, instead of being the PR fall guy for one day's headlines.
Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Police smart cars aren't so smart
I keep trying to flag up to various people that we are now living in a police state. This story from the Daily Mail illustrates again just how close to total control we are getting.
You won't know you have committed a crime until a fine lands on your door mat. It's about raising cash - try to contest one of these fines and see how far you get.
Democracy? Forget it. Privacy? Long gone. Stalinst state. Hello.
Big Brother row as police force starts using Google camera cars to fine wayward drivers
Police are taking a leaf out of Google's book with their latest weapon in the war on motorists. They are using cars with spy cameras on a mast.
Drivers talking on their mobile phones, eating, applying make-up or otherwise driving illegally will be pictured.
And as the telescopic cameras can zoom in from some distance, the first inkling that they have been snapped could be when a £60 fine lands on the doorstep.
Police say the new cars – similar to those used by Google to map town and city streets – will help reduce road deaths.
But motorists say the Big Brother vehicles will merely be another cash cow for the Government and a further 'tax' on hard-pressed motorists.
Two Smart cars are pioneering the scheme in Greater Manchester, where distracted motorists are said to have caused more than 400 accidents in the past two years, killing or seriously injuring 25 victims.
Drivers who are caught using their mobiles will be sent a £60 fine and will have three penalty points on their licence.
Those caught on camera without a seatbelt or driving erratically while eating will be fined £30. Anyone who refuses to accept a fine – which will go into Treasury coffers – could be hauled before the courts.
Karen Delaney from DriveSafe, the road safety group behind the latest scheme, said: 'Many vehicles are now better equipped than offices or homes, with the latest technology in satellite navigation, telecommunications and state-of-the-art music systems all to hand.
'Add in other distractions such as complex dashboard instrumentation, a hot cup of coffee and a conversation with other vehicle occupants, and it is no wonder that some drivers are not paying attention.'
She added: 'The Smart enforcement vehicles are fully police liveried and working in areas where our data analysis has identified a high occurrence of "driver distraction" collisions and where officers have regularly observed offences being committed.'
Nigel Humphries, from the Association of British Drivers, said: 'This is a total infringement. They might as well put something in cars to test what drivers are thinking – to see if they are concentrating on the road or thinking about something else.
'Apart from that it's going to be counter-productive. There's no excuse for not having police officers watching the road to look out for motorists who are driving erratically.'
Peter Roberts, from the Drivers' Alliance, said: 'People shouldn't be using mobile phones when they are driving in the car, especially handheld ones. But I am not comfortable with spy cameras which can see into your car and see what you are doing. 'The old-fashioned type of policing where coppers are sitting by the side of the road watching people go past to see if they are using a mobile is a far better way of doing things.'
Captain Gatso
You won't know you have committed a crime until a fine lands on your door mat. It's about raising cash - try to contest one of these fines and see how far you get.
Democracy? Forget it. Privacy? Long gone. Stalinst state. Hello.
Big Brother row as police force starts using Google camera cars to fine wayward drivers
Police are taking a leaf out of Google's book with their latest weapon in the war on motorists. They are using cars with spy cameras on a mast.
Drivers talking on their mobile phones, eating, applying make-up or otherwise driving illegally will be pictured.
And as the telescopic cameras can zoom in from some distance, the first inkling that they have been snapped could be when a £60 fine lands on the doorstep.
Police say the new cars – similar to those used by Google to map town and city streets – will help reduce road deaths.
But motorists say the Big Brother vehicles will merely be another cash cow for the Government and a further 'tax' on hard-pressed motorists.
Two Smart cars are pioneering the scheme in Greater Manchester, where distracted motorists are said to have caused more than 400 accidents in the past two years, killing or seriously injuring 25 victims.
Drivers who are caught using their mobiles will be sent a £60 fine and will have three penalty points on their licence.
Those caught on camera without a seatbelt or driving erratically while eating will be fined £30. Anyone who refuses to accept a fine – which will go into Treasury coffers – could be hauled before the courts.
Karen Delaney from DriveSafe, the road safety group behind the latest scheme, said: 'Many vehicles are now better equipped than offices or homes, with the latest technology in satellite navigation, telecommunications and state-of-the-art music systems all to hand.
'Add in other distractions such as complex dashboard instrumentation, a hot cup of coffee and a conversation with other vehicle occupants, and it is no wonder that some drivers are not paying attention.'
She added: 'The Smart enforcement vehicles are fully police liveried and working in areas where our data analysis has identified a high occurrence of "driver distraction" collisions and where officers have regularly observed offences being committed.'
Nigel Humphries, from the Association of British Drivers, said: 'This is a total infringement. They might as well put something in cars to test what drivers are thinking – to see if they are concentrating on the road or thinking about something else.
'Apart from that it's going to be counter-productive. There's no excuse for not having police officers watching the road to look out for motorists who are driving erratically.'
Peter Roberts, from the Drivers' Alliance, said: 'People shouldn't be using mobile phones when they are driving in the car, especially handheld ones. But I am not comfortable with spy cameras which can see into your car and see what you are doing. 'The old-fashioned type of policing where coppers are sitting by the side of the road watching people go past to see if they are using a mobile is a far better way of doing things.'
Captain Gatso
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Petrol prices are indefensible
I tell you - I'm so looking forward to the summer of chaos. It's about time that people in this country began to get angry.
Take yesterday's petrol duty rise. It may be only 2p but it's still 75% of the pump price. I don't want to pay those thieves in Zanu Labour any more money.
It is a hurtful thing to do because so many people are struggling. Pump prices rocketed when the price of oil went up but the fuel firms haven't put their prices down as quickly (or as much as they should have done) once the oil price fell through the floor.
On top of this, the AA says pump prices have risen by more than 5.5p a litre since the start of 2009.
Outrageous!
And today we have uSwitch.com saying that in the last decade, the cost of insuring, servicing, taxing and buying fuel for a car has outstripped the rate of inflation by a massive 34pc.
This fleecing of the motorist has just got to stop.
Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend
Take yesterday's petrol duty rise. It may be only 2p but it's still 75% of the pump price. I don't want to pay those thieves in Zanu Labour any more money.
It is a hurtful thing to do because so many people are struggling. Pump prices rocketed when the price of oil went up but the fuel firms haven't put their prices down as quickly (or as much as they should have done) once the oil price fell through the floor.
On top of this, the AA says pump prices have risen by more than 5.5p a litre since the start of 2009.
Outrageous!
And today we have uSwitch.com saying that in the last decade, the cost of insuring, servicing, taxing and buying fuel for a car has outstripped the rate of inflation by a massive 34pc.
This fleecing of the motorist has just got to stop.
Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
