Messy

The long weekend was, in a word, messy, mostly due to the constant rain. Then there was the footy, the horse races and Parklife, all of which I managed to avoid with some deft navigation. Otherwise there was the usual parade of lost phones, lost wallets and lost minds.

A constant worry was the double demerit points in force over the weekend. Had a near miss after sailing through the dreaded Moore Park camera zone distracted by a (slightly) pregnant, (straight) blonde in raging hot pants who sat up front and proceeded to chat.

Despite resolving long ago to ignore passengers on that particular stretch of road I was completely thrown after hearing about her party. I mean, since when has Sleaze Ball been a venue for hens nights?

Fortunately there was no camera flash. Phew. Two months down, ten to go.

Comments

[boy on a bike]

Caught up with friends on the weekend. Turns out one of them lost his licence at that same camera. Went through it a few times and it was gone before he got the notice of the first offence in the mail.

[Involved]

Got done by the same camera while it was still testing, saw the flash but not the fine. 50km/ph outside school time on such a wide road...pedestrian council influence for major events ?

[ac]

I'm glad you didn't get caught, as you're clearly not a speed demon, BUT, you know about these speed limits and cameras.. how could you come *so* close to getting caught?

I live in sydney, but I don't drive all that often and I don't drive people for a living, so I genuinely don't know; do you really get so distracted/blasé that you'd miss that?

[ac]

i should say that i've been told i drive like a granny.. but i don't drive in a dangerously slow/cautious way.. "dangerously cautious".. oxymoron, I suppose.

i just don't understand when experienced drivers go over the speed limit so knowingly.

[crjc]

I'd suggest shooting them out, but then I remembered rumours that a gang of thieves stole every gun in oz. Paint-ball guns maybe?

Those cameras cost the commies a bomb, and they make for excellent target practice. It isn't too hard to make them cost-ineffective.

ac: a good driver drives according to traffic, weather, vehicle and road conditions. Out here you have to be going 20kph over the limit to lose points, so there is a good bit of leeway. At the same time you can be charged with speeding or careless driving if you're going the speed limit in a snow storm. Trying to keep it bang on is an unsafe distraction.

[Mr T]

How do Hot Pants "Rage"?

[adrian]

AC, it's not a question of knowingly breaching the speed limit but rather one of being entrapped by a counter-intuitive speed limit, a design speed anomaly.

In this particular case there are no safety or road design parameters necessitating a 50kph speed limit, leading to drivers being deceived by conditions which they reasonably expect to have a corresponding speed limit of at least 60kph.

To wit, this road has no intersections, no curves, no residential area, no commercial area, is bounded by park land, has dual lanes of above average width, a level road profile in good condition and clear sight lines.

Even the high school location under these conditions does not justify a 50kph speed limit, despite having a standard 40kph speed limit in peak school hours. However outside these hours the road could revert to 60kph, as with numerous school locations, without compromising safety whatsoever.

Additionally this illogical speed limit forces motorists to surge which disrupts consistent traffic flow on a major arterial road.

Regardless, I challenge any road authority, police or safety expert to justify why Cleveland Street, Moore Park warrants a 50kph speed limit. Otherwise it’s blatant revenue raising.

Mr T, like superfires.

[Rainer the Cabbie]

I agree Adrian, 50 km/h in that particular stretch of road is deceiving. I started to use my cruise control in speed camera zones,if you get into the habit you won't fall for the trap.
Also a word of caution. Apparently the M 7 automatically measures your speed by calculating the time between toll points, and instantly issues fines if the time indicates above the limit speed.
Impossible to fight in court, so you better watch yourself out there in the back paddocks.

[manly cabbie]

thats a urban myth about the M7 its doesn't calculate speed between toll points it could but the govt would be hung drawn and quarted if they did it.(althought in victoria they do it on certain roads)

[toronto airport taxi]

But if the rules will start to be violated too frequently then may be government can pose this (victoria)rule soon in near future!!