One of Our Members Is "Famous"

[David]

Just saw this. On the board, he is Axabmw. And he thought we'd never find out?

 

V-sign biker banned for a year

 

By Rob Hull

Politics & the law

17 May 2007 11:51

 

A biker who stuck two fingers up at a speed camera doing 105mph has been banned from driving for a year.

 

45-year-old bus driver, Phil Coffey, raced through the same three forward facing cameras on his BMW in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard travelling to and back from the bus depot where he worked between February and June this year.

 

But because all the cameras were forward facing, Coffey thought he would be untraceable.

 

However, with the help of BMW and the national registration database, police discovered only three models of the BMW were registered in Coffey’s home county of Bedfordshire.

 

They then found Coffey’s leathers to match those caught on camera and the spotlamps fitted to bike gave the 45-year-old away.

 

Coffey was convicted of careless driving and nine separate counts of speeding.

He received a 12 month ban and fined £900 with £600 costs.

Coffey said: “A lot of the time I was just accelerating for the cameras. I don’t like them; I don’t like the existence of them in this country.”

 

When I read the story, I remembered the name. I actually remember him posting about this, but couldn't find it.

[GelStra]

Ouch. Funny, but ouch.

[steve.foote]

Yep, I remember the thread. He was in jeopardy of losing his job. Kind of a sad story.

[John Bentall]

Yep, I remember the thread. He was in jeopardy of losing his job. Kind of a sad story.

 

Unfortunately Mark has now lost his job.

The speed cameras were installed to protect a junction with traffic turning onto 60 mph road.

However many of these offences occurred at 5 a.m. on a completely traffic-free road when he was driving to his early shift. So at least he ws not convicted of dangerous driving only careless driving.

[BMT]

Kind of a sad story.

Well, yes and no.

 

When we first heard about it (on this board), I thought it was crazy that the police would go to the lengths that they did, to identify the machine and rider involved. Based on the information that Phil gave here, I felt very sorry for him.

 

However, given the photo published here, I'm not surprised that the police pursued the case. It was a stupid thing to do, especially with the risk to licence and job.

 

There have been other cases where habitual flaunting of cameras of this type (i.e., facing on-coming traffic) have resulted in the placing of a patrol car just a bit further along the road to catch the culprit.

 

I'm of the opinion that we should be grateful for the occasional escape that we make because we don't have registration information on the front, rather than take liberties as demonstrated here.

[motorman587]

It should be noted that he did this more than once.

[Darren]

Giving a V sign once would be very cheeky, but to pass the same camera regularly is damn stupid. This is the sort of behaviour that gives us all a bad name, so he did not agree with the camera, what did he think was going to happen, the police arn't stupid and his bike stands out like a sore thumb. I'm sorry a fellow rider has lost his job, but he chose to ignore the law , no one made him do it. What an idiot!

[boatzo]

This brings back memories of my first trip to England in the 60s. My first traffic encounter on a "Round a Bout" got me the "V" sign from another motorist. I had no idea what it ment and just waved back which got me another. After a short time in the UK I discovered the 2 fingered sign correlated to our one finger sign.

 

They should tell you these things before you travel.

[E30TECH]

This brings back memories of my first trip to England in the 60s. My first traffic encounter on a "Round a Bout" got me the "V" sign from another motorist. I had no idea what it ment and just waved back which got me another. After a short time in the UK I discovered the 2 fingered sign correlated to our one finger sign.

 

They should tell you these things before you travel.

 

Thanks for answering it before I asked

 

I thought it meant "peace"

[boatzo]

You turn your hand around the other way for PEACE, I knew that one !!

[steve.foote]

However, given the photo published here, I'm not surprised that the police pursued the case.

 

I thought some of the reader comments from the article were interesting.

 

It rather looks as though the jury, 12 ordinary people who apply their common sense to cases, agreed with Mr Coffey. And of course the learned judge has to sustain the myth that speed cameras are only there for safety rather than Nu Labor revenue collecting.

 

- Simon Perkins, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

 

A superb demonstration of defiance from Mr Coffey. These yellow monstrosities are nothing other than money-making devices for a government obsessed with taking as much as they can grab, whilst simultaneously keeping their Big Brother eyes on every aspect of our movements.

 

- Andrew Mccann, Halifax, UK

 

I don't think this man was brought to court for road safety offences or in the interest of the public. The real reason was because he showed such defiance against the system. His one-handed gestures represent how most of us feel about speed cameras. I am only pleased that he wasn't handed down a custodial sentence as an example to the rest of us. Whats the message here? Speeding is dangerous OR.... dont you dare take on the system, you WILL not win?

 

- Julian, Bath, Somerset

 

If only the police put as much detective work into real crimes with real victims but that's too much like work isn't it.

 

- Calum, Ecosse

[Patallaire]

"sheer cussedness." , thats what I say.

[Tim Yip]

You turn your hand around the other way for PEACE, I knew that one !!

 

Slightly OT, but related. . . saw something on the History Chanel a few weeks ago about the history of the two-fingered salute.

 

Apparently, during medieval wars between England and France, the winning army would cut off the second and third fingers of the archers of the defeated army, so they could no longer shoot arrows.

 

The "V" for victory two-finger salute was the gesture used by a retreating army to taunt the opposing force as a way to say, "we've still got our shooting fingers, and we'll be back to kill you later. Na-na na-na na-na."

 

Your useless cultural trivia for today. . .

[CraigT]

This is correct, the English armies had reputedly the best longbow archers around and it was precisely the fact that they still had their fingers to draw the arrow back that gave them their little taunt to the opposing armies.

 

It's just as common as the middle finger salute over here too and generally used as a simple act of defiance.

 

In fact Mr Coffrey's actions sums its use up perfectly. Quite apt.

 

and for the record, whilst he has been foolish in his actions I can't condone them. He'll be paying for that driving ban for the next five years.

 

Nice on Philip.

[Jake]

This is correct

Not so fast my Scottish Brother. As a young serviceman serving in the UK, I too was a recipient of the "V sign" as a salute to my American driving tendencies upon occasion. I was also provided with the English Archer explanation when inquiring about the gesture's origins - for years I bought it (and learned what a "pillock" was too!). Of course, then there is Snopes always available to rain on everyone's parade.

 

But hey, if it offends the French...