[$tinkle]

heard it on NPR this morning that backlash from motorists (especially ticketed) is showing no signs of quelling. specifically, a recent letter bombing campaign targeting a driving license centre.

bloomberg

Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- A letter bomb exploded and injured four people at the U.K.'s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the third such explosion in three days at organizations linked to motoring.

A total of seven explosive devices have been received in the mail in the last three weeks in the U.K., Association of Chief Police Officers spokeswoman Eve Shuttleworth said in a telephone interview. The organization issued a warning to companies to be vigilant.

``The packages received so far have caused minor injuries but could have been more serious,'' Anton Setchell, ACPO's national coordinator for domestic extremism, said in an e-mailed statement. ``I am appealing for companies, organizations and individuals to take extra care when handling mail.''

A letter bomb exploded at the offices of Vantis Plc in Wokingham in the central English county of Berkshire yesterday, injuring two people. Vantis, an accounting firm, opens mail for another company specializing in traffic recognition and monitoring devices, Setchell said at a televised news conference. The day before, a letter bomb went off in London at the offices of Capita Group Plc, the company which operates the capital's traffic-charging system.

In the explosion at the DVLA in Swansea, South Wales, one woman suffered minor burns and three people received hearing- related injuries, South Wales police spokeswoman Ceri Hughes said in an e-mailed statement.

``It was in this morning's mail and police and fire staff are on the scene,'' DVLA spokesman Darren Wheately said in a phone interview.

`Incidents Worrying'

Another letter bomb exploded at a private address in Folkestone, Kent, on Feb. 3, which is also used as a business address. The 53-year-old company director who lives there was injured, Kent Police spokeswoman Hannah Alland said in a telephone interview. ``Detectives will examine any similarities between the incidents. At this stage we can't say whether any of them are linked,'' she said. Police gave no details of the victim's background.

Three explosive devices were sent to companies in Oxfordshire and Birmingham almost three weeks ago, Thames Valley Police said in a statement posted on its Web site Jan. 19. Each contained a crude, firework-type explosive in an A5 Jiffy bag. A 40-year-old woman suffered a minor injury in one of the incidents.

Similar Return Address

Each package had a similar return address and the name of a convicted animal rights extremist, Barry Horne, was written on the back of one envelope. Horne died in prison following a hunger strike in 2001. Detectives have linked those three incidents and animal rights extremism was a ``priority line of inquiry,'' according to the Thames Valley statement.

All three companies targeted were involved in providing forensic services to the police and criminal justice system. One of them was identified by Thames Valley Police as Orchid Cellmark, which has premises in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and provides DNA analysis services to the police.

``We are shocked to have been targeted in this way,'' Orchid Cellmark said in a Jan. 19 statement posted on the police department's Web site. ``We have provided forensic DNA services to the police for 20 years and this is the first time we have experienced anything of this nature.''

Forensic Science Service

The headquarters of the Forensic Science Service, which is owned by the U.K. Government, was also targeted, Setchell said. The devices contained pyrotechnic material and were designed to shock and cause minor injuries, he said. No-one has so far said they are responsible and police are keeping an open mind, he said, noting that animal rights extremists and someone with a grudge against motoring regulations were being mentioned as possible culprits.

i'm all about being a law-abiding citizen, but only for good laws (don't quote me outside this thread). going a mile or 2 over & getting ticketed w/o due process is bad law.

 

[Westy]

Some whacko got arrested locally after his road was blocked for a few minutes by cops who were serving a warrant. When they cleared the road the guy shouted at the cops before pulling into his driveway only a few yards down the road. The cops went to ask him what his problem was when the dude attacked the cop. He's now facing 5 years in the pokey.

 

[DRB]

Some whacko got arrested locally after his road was blocked for a few minutes by cops who were serving a warrant. When they cleared the road the guy shouted at the cops before pulling into his driveway only a few yards down the road. The cops went to ask him what his problem was when the dude attacked the cop. He's now facing 5 years in the pokey.

Did they get him for DUI or public intoxication as well?

 

[$tinkle]

and i'm sure the cops - fresh from serving a warrant - weren't at all baiting him. i bet they all went home that night & recalled this incident over & again, enabling them to service their wives for an extra 2 minutes.

 

[Changleen]

heard it on NPR this morning that backlash from motorists (especially ticketed) is showing no signs of quelling. specifically, a recent letter bombing campaign targeting a driving license centre.

i'm all about being a law-abiding citizen, but only for good laws (don't quote me outside this thread). going a mile or 2 over & getting ticketed w/o due process is bad law.

In the UK now, as well as regular speed cameras there are also 'average speed' cameras.

On a given stretch of road, a camera will digitally recognise our licence plate ('number plate' in the UK) and note the precise time of passing the camera. A second linked camera a few miles (depending on the road - quite far on some Motorways) later will do the same.

If your average speed between the two points exceeds the limit, you get an automatic ticket. If you exceed by over a certain margin you can get points on your driving licence too. 3 points is the minimum, and accumulating 12 points looses you your licence. Do double the speed limit in any area (even a 20 or 30 limit) and you can automatically lose your licence for at least a year.

It is quite fascist IMO. However rather than bombing people, vandalism seems like a better solution. The average speed cameras are tiny though, and often very hard to spot.

 

[DRB]

In the UK now, as well as regular speed cameras there are also 'average speed' cameras.

On a given stretch of road, a camera will digitally recognise our licence plate ('number plate' in the UK) and note the precise time of passing the camera. A second linked camera a few miles (depending on the road - quite far on some Motorways) later will do the same.

If your average speed between the two points exceeds the limit, you get an automatic ticket. If you exceed by over a certain margin you can get points on your driving licence too. 3 points is the minimum, and accumulating 12 points looses you your licence. Do double the speed limit in any area (even a 20 or 30 limit) and you can automatically lose your licence for at least a year.

It is quite fascist IMO. However rather than bombing people, vandalism seems like a better solution. The average speed cameras are tiny though, and often very hard to spot.

Except for the giant signs they put up before you get to them.

 

[$tinkle]

However rather than bombing people, vandalism seems like a better solution. The average speed cameras are tiny though, and often very hard to spot.

instead of guerrilla tactics, how 'bout altering your licence number w/ like-colored tape? how are they on the topic of fraud? seems to me you can get your hands on some of that slick reflector tape that matches the color of the letters/numbers. and if not, you've got an opportunity to make some serious coin.

 

[Changleen]

A lot of car mod shops (think like Repco) used to sell plates that were supposedly 'too reflective' for speed cameras but looked normal to regular people. Needless to say they got banned pretty quickly.

If the police saw you with a modified plate you would be pulled for sure, and probably taken to court. You'd be better off running a straight false number and hoping you never got pulled over by a real cop.

Actually a bit problem in the UK right now is European registered cars blatantly ignoring all the rules. Apparently it is 'more trouble than it's worth' to chase the Euro offenders for fines and whatever, so they just don't bother. Hence a lot of long term visitors soon realise they can park anywhere, run speed cameras etc. with no consequence. Even if they get pulled by a cop, as long as they are not arrested they are good. It's lame, but will hopefully be solved by a bit more integration.

 

[Changleen]

Except for the giant signs they put up before you get to them.

They tend to just say 'Average speed cameras operating in this area', and they also put them up in places with no cameras quite often now.

 

[valve bouncer]

You guys would love Japan, even the cops speed here. I habitually speed and have never got a ticket here.

 

[Changleen]

NZ seems quite good too, I regularly see cops and undercover cops doing 10-20kph over the limit - although the basic speed limit is so low anyway!

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

You guys would love Japan, even the cops speed here. I habitually speed and have never got a ticket here.

i regularly hit 150-160km/h going to the beach, and pass right by many standing cops.

they dont chase me.
why?

they dont have gas

 

[Changleen]

My Jap car has a speed limiter that kicks in at 150kph. Is that normal VB?

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

My Jap car has a speed limiter that kicks in at 150kph. Is that normal VB?

180kph is the "usual" for japanese cars.
you must drive an suv or something.

 

[valve bouncer]

My Jap car has a speed limiter that kicks in at 150kph. Is that normal VB?

Dunno, mine won't got that fast. I haven't heard of it and of course the boy racers go faster than that. Other than the expressway, you'd be battling to find any place near where I live where you could get your car past 150kph.

 

[$tinkle]

looks like they may have the perp

LONDON -- Police said Friday they have arrested a man who claimed he sent at least one of a spate of letter bombs at British companies linked to traffic enforcement.

The man was arrested Thursday after he attempted to appear on a radio call-in show, said Assistant Chief Constable Anton Setchell, the national police coordinator for domestic extremism.

extremism & talk radio.
who'd a thunkit?

 

[Changleen]

extremism & talk radio.
who'd a thunkit?

LMAO.

 

[Changleen]

180kph is the "usual" for japanese cars.
you must drive an suv or something.

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