TC1474

Vauxhall and Opel are one and the same manufacturer. We call them Vauxhalls in the UK and the rest of Europe call them Opel but they are the same car. Look at the tyre sizes you currently have fitted, if you currently have 195's fitted, then both wheels and tyres should fit without probem. I do not see a problem

In the Met you have area cars and immediate response vehicles and policy is probably different in the Met, but certainly in my old force only class 1 and appropriatly trained crews are allowed to pursue, which means roads Policing (Traffic in my day) because there is no such thing as an area car or immediate response vehicle other than traffic. Panda cars are allowed to "Follow" until such time as they hand over to a trained crew. But back to the point in hand, as I said I in respect of firearms use, I was being rhetorical. For sure if there is an immediate threat to life then there would be justification which he/she would have to "prove" "establish" call it what you will, and lets face it, in a spontaneous situation, I doubt that would be difficult to establish. What I was trying to show (albeit badly) how like many things in this country, decisions are made by committee and there is little rom for discretion or judgement as there was in my day. I apreciate you are still serving, albeit in the Met which operates differently to the County forces and you are more up to date on policy than I am. I appreciate things have changed, which is why I am glad that I am retired and get my pension.

I was being rhetorical In this country everything is decided by committee, thats why nothing ever gets done or agreed But in all seriousness, yes a command decision has to be given or exact instructions issued. It is no different to pursuits. Traffic cars are the only ones these days to be involved (because of our training) but the control room inspector has to authorise the applying of TPAC, stingers or anything else, and usually he/she wll get authorisation from a higher rank. It is caled passing the buck

You are right on that score excpet for the fire extinguishers I was at Hungerford in 1987, it was a buddy of mine (Roger Brereton and a traffic cop) that was killed by Ryan with his AK47 along with many others. The only time in my 25 years of service when I actually felt sickened by what I saw. A year later, 26 were burnt to death on the M4 We got there first, got the fire extinguishers out (which all our patrol cars and bikes carried) and the dribble of foam they produced was about as pathetic as you could get. We have had mass shootings (Dunblane was another) but thankfully they are few and far between, mainly because we have some of the strictest gun laws in the world, which I apreciate does not prevent all gun crime, because if someone really wants a gun they will find ways to obtain one, but compared to 87 when it was far easier back then to obtain a section 1 firearms licence, things today are far better. We cannot become complacement, but in my opinion arming the Police routinely will not change the situation, because a command decision still has to be made to fire, which means a committee wil have to be set up, minutes made, discusions held and then someone having the bottle to give the order Back in 87 when Ryan holed himself up in the school, the then Chief Constable Colin Smith arrived and gave the order that if the armed response team fired their weapon, then make sure that they shot to injure. The head of the Support Group and was responsible for the ARG, was walking behind and countermanded that order and said "Shoot to injurel? B@llocks to that, If he show his face, kill the b@stard". Fortunately Ryan did us all a favour and topped himself. But the point I was also going to make was that the Press nearly got shot because they were creeping around the perimeter of the school before it was known where Ryan was, despite the fact that they were told to stay put in certain locations and not to go wandering off. Everyone was nervous, and a couple of journalists and photographers thought they knew better Had they been shot, it would have been the poor coppers having to answer the difficult questions as well as live with it on their concience even though it might not have been deemed the fault of the Police. So even with well trained firearms users there is a potential for problems.

Back in the 80's, a serious debate was held about arming all Police 24/7. A number of things came out of it. 95% of serving coppers (including me) stated that we would resign if we were routinely armed. In the UK policing is by consent, which means that citizens are policed by citizens with the consent of the citizens, not by the military. It was felt that introducing full time armed Police would simply increase the number of firearms incidents on the basis that violence breeds violence. The risk of making a mistake was a too higher price to pay. We were taught to talk our way out of trouble and at worst, use the minimum amount of force required to restrain the offender. You ony have to look at recent incidents in the USA to see how badly this has worked. We have cowboys in Police cars, imagine that same cowboy with a gun. I used to know someone from our DPG who used to go shopping with a civy jacket on but with his gun poking out underneath or with his jacket undone. Simply he was showing off, but the potential reprocussions could have been enourmous. We have a very capable armed response team in every force. They are trained to deal with the stress of carrying a gun as well as the potential implications of using the gun, bearing in mind every shot fired has to be accunted for, and then on top of that, if they do shoot someone, there is the investigation that has to be carried out to determine whether the shooting and therefore the injuries and/or death were lawfull. I have freinds who serve in places like Germany and Italy where they carry a gun all the time, and as they have told me on several occasions, there are those who have become trigger happy, especially when the threat level rises. That trigger happiness or carlessness (call it what you will) will occur here if we armed our Police. The implications of our Police being routinely armed are potentially horrendous, hence the reason why it was not intoduced back in the 80's, but then we were from a different era and a different breed.

My deepest sympathy. I had been helping him out with advice on a few legal matters, and so we had exchanged a few PM's and phone calls only as far back as late last week, seemed like a really nice lad and I had a lot of time for him. Does anyone have any idea what happened?

You got it right there Stu. It was never my intention to start a political thread, but simply a thread to express my condolences and respect to the lads father who lets face it, has other more harrowing and important things on his mind at the moment.

I am due to be the guest speaker at the Colchester advanced driving group tomorrow night. Just had an email from the organiser to say that he will not be there as his son was one of those killed at the music concert in Paris on Saturday night. I cannot even begin to imagine what he and his family must be going through. I have dealt with many hundereds of fatalities over the years, but this is something completely different. My respect to the chap for letting me know that the he will not be there but the meeting goes ahead. To be honest, if that had been me, I am not so sure that I would have been as thoughtful at a time like this.

Anyone a fan of the original 1965 Thunderbirds? If like me you are a child of the 60's, then maybe like me you grew up with it. I was fortunate enough to go to school with a couple of kids whose parents worked for Gerry Anderson and go to see them make the original programmes back in the 60's. Well, they are currently making 3 new programmes using the original studios and techniques to celebrate the 50th anniversary. I have just pre ordered the DVD as they will not be on general release, but if you are interested and want to know more, then have a look at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...1960s-recordin

Well apart from the fact that you could not pay me to become an RAC member, My full GF cover costs less than the £75 you quoted and only a margin more than your RAC cover, and you do not get relayed like AA or RAC, and they have to be with you within an hour with a vehicle suitable to recover you in the event you cannot be started, so one vehicle one destination. Using local agents as well, if they do not perform well, they lose their contract, and I know from my days running my own business, that is substantial money, so the attitude is very different and refreshing compared to the AA or RAC, but at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference or experience.

That is why I put the post in General rather than bike chat

I have been a member of Green Flag for a number of years. Breakdown insurance is one of those things you hope that you never have to use, and to be fair, in all the years I have had it, I have never had to use to whether it be ofor the bike or the car. Well, last night, I broke my duck I was coming back from Taunton and realised I needed some fuel quite urgently. I do not usually fill up in Motorway Services, but on this occasion knowing I still had quite a way to go and I had to go out later today, I thought what the hell. So pulled into Leigh Delamare, stopped at the pump, stuck in the nozzle and filled the tank. Click, tank filled, put the pump back on the cradle and the the realisation hit me, I had just pumped 50 litres of unleaded into my diesel tank. My own fault, and I cannot even think how I made such a stupid mistake, but hey ho, too late to worry about it now. Good thing was, I had not started the engine, so no petrol had been sucked into the engine or injectors. So, on the phone to Green Flag who confirmed that my policy covered missfueling and they said that it was quite busy (It was 5.45 in the evening) but they would have someone to me as quickly as possible. Their policy is to be on scene within an hour, but the text I got from them suggested nearer 1 hour 30. Anyway, long story short, within 20 minutes breakdown van on scene, very freindly and professional technician who had the tank drained and car running within 20 minutes or so and I was on my way. My cover also included 15 litres of diesel at no additional cost, although I did fill up properly just to make sure that any residual petrol was diluted. So within 1 hour of missfueling and making the call, I was back on the road and the car never missed a beat. So, to Green Flag I say thank you, very impressive, freindly, profesional and expedient service, and I know that they are even better with bikes

Think covered my main gripe here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58699 Then of course there are those who like to spout the law but have no legal background or knowledge, (either criminal or civil) those that like to tell everyone hpw to ride despite the fact that they are still on a CBT or just passed their test (although that is not as prevelant on this site), in other words so called experts who are legend in their own mind.

Taking it one step further, and what really grinds my goat as a crash investigator is how many people try and second guess the cause of the crash even though the information is sketchy at best. And I include people on this forum who are just as guilty and make assumptions without knowing all the facts. The press cannot and will not give out all the information because they don't know, or at best they will give out the information that makes it more dramatic, and in court cases, they certainly never give all the information, but everyone has an opinon on what the cause of the crash is, the legal standing, what the penalty should be, and yet they have not got a clue. I deal with accidents on a daily basis, I get to see all the documentary and photographic evidence (if there is anything) and in most cases, I have to look at, read through and study all the evidence as well as interview people before I can come to any conclusions as to causation or liablity. But how many people here make an assumption or come to a conclusion based on a badly written newspaper article? Quite a fewe here thats for sure. So the principal is the same as the comment made by the OP. One one of the reasons why the Police often look for information on how a bile is being ridden is because many witnesses tend to be hostile simply because they do not ride and have no idea of how a bike rides. I have had crashes where the witnesses have said something along the lines of "The bike was travelling at least 60MPH" when the reality was that it was actually doing no more than about 30. Or they say the bile was overtaking illegaly when in fact it was filtering perfectly legaly. It is often a case of getting the evidence into perspective and not just taking (if possible) one hostile witnesses view and getting a proper balance. Difficult to explain unless you actually do the job and understand how the system works.

That is half the problem I was first taken ill in July and spent a whole month in Hospital bed ridden because I was so weak and ill. I was then discharged and told to rest, but, because I don't get paid if I am off sick, I was actually working again within 24 hours of being discharged, all be it light work mainly on the phone and email. The other problem as such is that heart failure is a life long condition unlike a heart attack per se, so I am stuck with it and I have to change my lifestyle quite significantly in order to manage it, the worst being that I can drink no more than 1.5 litres of fluid a day, and because I am on diuretics, I am constantly thirsty. At the moment, I also have to self inject 2 doses of Wofarin into my stomach until the pills kick in, which if it is the same as a diabetic type of injection, then they have my sympathy, because it is not nice, but hopefully this will cease after my blood test tomorrow morning It was hard telling Lyn Jarvis that I would be unable to team up with Valentino Rossi at Yamaha next season

I had a phone call from the Hospital at 8.30 the other morning to say that they had looked at my MRI and CT scans and found clots on my lungs so get yourself in here with an overnight bag. Panic sort of set in fearing the worst but it transpires that it is quite normal in heart failure cases and they need to put me on blood thinners (anticoagulants) to clear the clots and for about 5 days I have to self administer by injection for a few days until the tablets kick in, which hopefully wll be after my next blood test in a couple of days. It transpires that at some stage in the past I have also suffered a heart attack (which I was not aware of) and which is different to heart failure which is my diagnosed condition. I know there have been a few PM's sent to me, so my apologies for not het getting back to you, I have had my mnd on other things, but I will respond in the next few days

Many people think that manufacturers fit the hard wired lights because it is as a result of legislation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The idea was implemented by the manufacturers to save a few shillings in construction and therefore increase profit margins slightly. Downside is that ultimately it could cost them millions because there have been a number of crashes which have been attributed to the daytime running lights and the riders inability to be able to turn them off. It is called the Halo affect and I am investigating just such a case now.

I am improving slowly day by day thanks for asking. I have made a gradual return to work (I am fortunate that I work from home) and I feel about 85% of what I was before I became ill. Medical staff are pleased with my progression, just need to sort out the kidneys and then slowly build up my strength.

6 weeks ago you may recall I was heading off on holiday on our cruise. Well, we went. Half way through I was taken ill but had to endure to rest of the trip not able to walk or eat or do anything for myself. Got home, managed somehow to drive home but within an hour I was in Hospital. Turns out I have suffered heart failure,(which is different to a heart attack) I have had 16kg of fluid removed from my lungs and feet so far and for the first 2 weeks in Hosital I was totally unaware of my surroundings. I was unable to do anything, I can never recall being so zapped of strength or unable to walk 2 yards, I was unable to eat I was totally incapacitated. I still have a way to go, but I was discharged yesterday after 4 weeks, appetite restored, still get out of breath but this will improve and I can do a lot more than I could even a week ago, and then once I can lie on my back after l the fluid has gone I can have the CT scan and tey can decide what type of pacemaker I have My grateful thanks to everyone at the Royal Berks Hospital, CCU they have been outstanding So just thought you may appreciate an update as to why I have not been around.

See you all in 2 weeks Tomorrow morning, off down to Southampton, board the Azura for 2 weeks in the Baltic. See you next month and keep it on the black stuff....

Once you get an admittance of liability from the other side, they (the third party) are obliged to mitigate their losses and pay for any private medical treatment in order to try and speed up your recovery process.

Next time he says something about being a full licence holder, come back at him and say something along the lines of Full licence = little willy So when he says "ive got a full licence though, he only a little learner"... You can reply "Maybe a little learner, but my willy is bigger" That tends to shut them up Or something along those lines...

Some of you are aware that my firm is the title team sponsor of Talan Racing. Well... After a great weekend racing at Snetterton, the new website has also been launched which gives more of an insight into the team. http://www.talanracing.co.uk/ Please spread the word about the team. The more publicity we can give them the better

Thanks for that. On all the cruises we have done, we always have a standard balcony cabin (Deck 9 this trip) and we never bother with fine dining, prefer the buffet, but good to know that you rated the food. The ship has just come out of Hamburg (last Friday) after a major refit, and getting her bow painted with the Unon flag similar to Britannia, so I expect her to be clean, but good to know that you would recommend her again. Thanks for that.

18 months ago we did a cruise to the Baltic on the Carnival Legend with an overnight stay in St Petersburg in Russia. Had a great time seeing places like Estonia, although for me the biggest disappointent was the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. Anyway, she who must be obeyed wanted to do that trip again and so she has just booked 14 nights on the P & O Azura for 14 nights in June out of Southampton. Done Carnival (Legend and Glory - 3 times on each) and Royal Carribean (Indepenendce of the Seas - 2 cruises on her) a number of times, but this will be our first time with P & O and on the Azura in particular. She came out of Hamburg last Friday after a refit (she is 5 years old after all), so just wondered if anyone on here has any experience of the ship. At £1100 for 14 nights all in, (which includes tips and car parking) I can't complain about the price, especially for that time of year, and she looks a nice ship, but looks can be deceptive and the reviews on sites like Cruise Critic are mixed. So any observations most welcome