SPEEDTRIPLE

I find it amazing sometimes to see thingss like these, and sometimes marvel at how people can be so ingenious. I wish i`d thought of some of those in the link, they look really good.

I know what you`re saying Strow, but as far as i`m concerned, i`l fight it to the death if i ever found myself in that scenario. And i will always challenge this ridiculous idea that a motorists is ALWAYS regarded as being at fault, because it`s easier, and dare i say it, more profitable to prosecute and claim damages from their insurance. In the US, they have a law called "Jaywalking" where pedestrians WILL, and often ARE prosecuted for causing accidents because of their own stupidity and neglegence. It`s way past the time where such a law should be introduced in this country. Unfortunately, that will never happen because too many corrupt lawyers make too much money from successfully prosecuting innocent motorists, who more often than not, have done absolutely nothing wrong, let alone illegal.It was quite recently that cycling pressure groups were pushing for the law to be changed so that every, and i mean EVERY RTA involving cyclist and any type of motor vehical, would automatically be the motorists fault, with 100% blame. God help all motorists if stupid politicians bring in such a law.

Not nessecarily dread, it might just be that some pallets are of poor quality. We`ve had some pallets at work that have actually been made from hard woods, and these often disappear very quickly, surprise surprise.

I built the frame of our summerhouse out of pallet wood. They were big pallets, about 10ft long, and did`nt cause any problems de-nailing them. You have to be careful about how you do it, but very often, you can find nearly new pallets dumped, and they can be stripped apart quite successfully if done the right way.

Yeah yeah yeah, yawn yawn yawn. We`ve all seen the fake films, listened to all the made up statistics etc etc etc, and i`m bored with it all. So, if a child is run over, why on earth is he or she in the road?, lack of parental discaplin and education. You don`t learn everything in life at school. So, if the child was run over on the pavement, then why is the car on the pavement, gross stupidity by the driver. One thing people should remember is that most people who are run over, are run over ON THE CARRAIGEWAY, which is there own stupidity. If somebody is run over while crossing a pelican crossing, while the lights are on read, or on the pavement, that`s the fault of the driver. But if you`re on a 4 lane motorway, or a dual carraigeway A road, and the road is empty, dry, and good visibility, there`s now harm in doing a few miles an hour over the limit, because geuss what, i`m busy looking at the road, and what`s around, rather than having my eye`s glued to a speedometer, and NOT paying attention to what`s going on around me. And i don`t give a damn if people don`t like it. For those that use the roads every day, it`s impossible to keep to a constant speed, especially when you have to go DOWN hill where speed has a tendency to creep up, and YES, EVERYBODY on this thread who drives a car, or rides a bike has done exactly that themselves. It`s just that some will always refuse to admit it, but are all too keen to play god when someone else does.

Welcome to the forum from me too Rich. By the way, that`s what you have to be to own a boat outright these days.

Yeah, but on a manual box, because you`re in 6th gear, the cruise control makes the injection system pump in a lot more fuel to keep up the same pace, yet if i was`nt in cruise control, i could`nt accelerate anywhere near as quick no matter how far i pushed the throttle down. It`s a bit weird to tell the truth.

With all the nanny state supporters around, maybe we should call for people to be locked up because they walked down by the sea in rough weather. Or lock people up for not using a zebra crossing when crossing the road. Or lock people up for sky diving because it`s dangerous. The simple fact is SPEED DOES NOT KILL. It`s the misuse of speed in inapropriate places and conditions, and the halfwit drivers who think they`re Lewis Hamilton, or riders who think they`re Valentino Rossi etc etc. I`ve broken the speed limit probably everyday i`ve been riding and driving, but only where it`s safe to do so. The diference is, i have faith in my own ability to decide when and where i go faster than the law says in safety. Not everyone needs to be told by government and authority how they can be safe, Get real and get over it. And before anybody wants to have a whinge, i can garuntee EVERYBODY on this forum has broken the speed limit at some time. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone as the book says?.

Somewhere we`ve had this discussion before i think?. What makes me laugh is when they give out percentage figures for accidents in certain circumstances. Just picking numbers out of the air, 47% due to this, 59% due to that, 67% due to the other etc etc etc. Somebody a few years back actually did a calculation of all the accidents over a given period, and added up al the "due to" factors. It worked out, adding up the percentages "due to", there were something like 300% of all road traffic accidents "due to something". In other words, ading up the percentages meant there were around 3 times the number of accidents that actually happened. It`s amazing how you can b......t people into believing what you want, just by throwing bogus percentage figures into the equasion. I wish i could remember where i read it, i would post it on here, though some would simply not believe it.

Absolutely spot on.

It`s to do with the way the car accelerates to the speed you set. When you change gear in manual, you change at an optimum time, but when in cruise control, you CAN`T change gear, or the c/c will drop out automatically. Therefore, when i was in 6th gear and switched to cruise control, my car acelerated very quickly. My car will NEVER accelerate as quick in 6th gear while operating the accelerater. so you use more fuel, as the engine IS`NT in the optimum gear. My car is a Peugeot 407 deisel, and the same thing was apparent on my brothers VW Passat. A good friend of mine at work told me his Ford Fiesta is exactly the same too. Cruise control is great when on a long straight level road for a hundred miles or more, but for British roads, it`s a complete waste of time IMHO.

Not many people use them because contrary to what a lot of people believe, "cruise control" systems actually INCREASE fuel consumption. I found this out when i drove from here (East Dorset) to Brundall to pick up Lightning. I set the cruise control as soon as we got on to the non stop A31 dualcarraigeway, and only switched it off for services etc, BUT did`nt use it on the return journey. The journey up, saw an average 43 mpg, whereas the return journey WITHOUT it, saw 51 mpg. I`ve not used it since.

iI don`t know about Direct line but Admiral WERE one of the considerably cheaper quotes i got from the Meerkats. Not bothered about cinema tickets though.

Hi all, Last year when my car insurance renewal came through, it jumped by around £70 from the previous year. Karen and i both insure our cars at the same place (no names mentioned).The previous year i payed around £190 comprehensive, and Karen payed around £160. Then mine jumped to just over £260, and Karens to around £190. Iphoned them up to say i was`nt happy, but they said although they could`nt reduce mine, they could reduce Karens by £30, which we agreed to. I`d left it a bit late to get alternative quotes, but did get some the night before, which was nearly £100 cheaper, but to save a lot of hassle, agreed to stay with them, but said they WILL cut my premium for this year by a considerable amount, which they said they should be able to do. This morning, we got our renewals through, Karens has increased by around £20, which is quite accetable, but did they reduce mine?, this years quote........£438. That`s an increase in the region of £180 on a previous premium of around £260. I just could`nt believe it, so have just been on the Meerkats site, and got it down to £189. My insurance company will be getting a phone call either tomorrow or Saturday. I`ve always known insurance companies are all a bunch of thieves and robbers, but this is the worst hike in percentage terms in premiums i`ve ever had, or heard about. I forgot to say, absolutely NOTHING has changed in the last year, still only one conviction, no claims etc etc. How on earth can justify this?. And by the way, i DON`T accept the pathetic excuse "we`re paying for all the fraud etc".

I`ve been considering switching from O2 to BT, as i used to watch Moto GP on BBC and BBC red button. However, 2 years ago, the governing body of Moto Gp, DORNA, signed a deal to switch all Moto Gp coverage to BT sport, which is available free on BT broadband. The only thing is, how do i switch over, as i`ve never gone from provider to provider, so don`t know how to do it. I should say, we`ve had very few (if any) problems with O2, but when they sold out to SKY, our broadband only charge jumped from £14 per month to £25, saying we had to pay surcharges for not having their phone network, or TV network. I still wonder whether this is legal, as my original contract was with O2, with NO surcharges whatsoever, and i would have thought, seeing as they`ve taken over the service, they would have to abide by my original no surcharge contract, in which case, i will be asking for a full refund. As for BT internet, if they now encountering problems, is it worth it?.

Hi Nigel, welcome from me too. This forum has a real diverse lot, but we all have one desire, and that`s the broads, and to bet back to them as often, and as soon as possible.

I was going to suggest your good selves Andy, but you beet me to it. Andy`s comment re operational charges is a very fair point, and if you go for one of these small overnight boats, they may rock and roll a bit, so if Mrs H pie is concerned about boat movement, then a larger more stable wider beamed cruiser (which would in fact be better to compare as it is what you would be hirimg) is a much more sensible option. Freedom pod is good for what it`s intended for, but to convince a sceptic, i think it`s way too small, especially when you consider H pie`s original post where he`s trying to get Mrs H to come for two weeks. As for the picnic boats from Ferry Marina etc, i think you may find they`re not insured, or fitted for overnighting. I know Ferry Marina refused somebody to have one overnight a little while ago. I honestly think it`s best to look at Freedoms website, pic the sort of boat you would want for two weeks, then book it for a night. You never know, Mrs Hpie might love it, so a quick call to Andy (Freedom`s owner), and they would more than likely let you hold on to the boat for a few extra days, subject to availability of course?.

Ian, Why are continually being blamed for other peoples posts?. Stop being greedy and pay your tolls lolol.

Sorry Ian, i obviously did`nt phrase that very well. I was`nt getting uptight when i posted it, it`s just a distant memory now. Finny, the scenario is exactly the same, education or frontline services. A lot of us complain (and rightly so) when the BA divert monies from the navigation fund to cover various forms of beaurocracy etc, so why can`t other authorities divert SAVINGS obtained from civil service luxuries (and YES, team building excersises, TWINNING representation visits etc etc, ARE luxuries) into the very frontline services they admit we need, but are only too keen to cut when budgets are squeezed. The public are always being told to "live withing their means". something i entirely agree with, so why can`t authority act on behalf of US taxpayers and bring to an end these publically funded back door luxuries. And some people wonder why i have little respect and faith in publically funded authority?. PS, i`m not getting stressed writing that either .

Sorry you lot, i`m allergic to alcahol, so i don`t think you can beat a good old mug of tea.

Robin, in a bizzare way, i think that`s what is needed, as if EVERYONE was to put rubbish beside bins so that the place becomes an eyesore, local authorities will HAVE to do something to stop it, and the cheapest thing is to provide a regular reliable refuse service. Finny, i would disagree with your comment re budget cuts being a reason to stop refuse collection. My ex girlfriend (before Karen and i got together) worked for the Kent education department as a data bod of some sort. Several times a year, she would be off work on so called "team building" excersise. These team building excersises could be anything from an all expenses payed coach trip to the theatre with dinner thrown in, all expenses payed day trips to france, again with food thrown in, she even had a family weekend at Alton towers, though she did have to pay for the food on that one. When i quized her about why they had these "team building excersises", she said it was because they did`nt spend all their annual budget, and had to use the money somehow, or next years budget would be cut by the amount saved on this years budget. She was`nt very happy when i said it`s immoral wasting public money like that when they should be doing their best to cut unnessecary expenditure. The simple facts are that a huge amount of tax payers money is being diverted to such things as "team building excersises", rather than being saved, which could pay for the now non existant refuse collection bins and service by many local authorities, such as Norfolk, and now as i`ve recently found out, down here in nearby Christchurch. Tax is OUR money, and WE the tax paying public should have the last word on what OUR tax money is being spent on.

Down here in Sunny East Dorset, we have a large green lidded bin for recycling, a large brown lidded bin for garden waste which is a paid for option, which we have, and a smaller black bin for general household waste (landfill), plus a green box with black lid for glass, and a small all brown kitchen waste bin, which we use as a compost bin outside the kitchen door, which then gets emptied into OUR compost bin. Ours seems to work very well, but the neighbours had some extra black bin bags left behind as they would`nt fit in the bin. We also have a garden incinerator, and a lot of burnables gets burned up. As for the bins on the Broads, i`l dispose of ANY waste in ANY bin near to hand. Yet again, authority is NOT doing what it`s payed to and supposed to, and must be forced into doing so by direct action. If the rubbish is there, it simply MUST be dealt with. I`m not advocating fly tipping, god forbid, but rubbish MUST be disposed of as quickly and safely as possible. One other thing, NOBODY should ever consider picking up, inspecting, and / or disposing of other peoples litter, or litter lying around. It`s a serious health hazard, and should be seriously frowned upon. The relevent services are prepared for these tasks, you are not, so do NOT risk any health issues.

We always prick Snorkers (what they called sausages in the film "The Cruel Sea"), as it stops them bursting when we grill them. We never fry them, and we prefer them to be only just cooked, like we like our bacon. That way, they don`t dry out.. I have to say though, bangers have ALWAYS been a favourite of mine, ever since i was a toddler.

As i said, i`m not anti cyclist, and as i`m sure every poster on this thread will agree, it`s more than likely the MAJORITY are considerate, and appreciative road users, and i don`t have any arguement with them. It`s the cycle warriors i can`t stand. There was a film clip on car crash Britain where a cyclist was cycling in the cycle lane, and catching another cyclist pretty quickly. This was all being filmed by his own helmet mounted go pro thingy, and when he wanted to pass the slower one, he just moved out into the main carraigeway WITHOUT even looking round to make sure it was safe to do so. He obviously pulled out in front of a car, and when the driver tooted his horn, the cyclist just turned around, looked at the driver, mouthed some expleatives, and stuck up his fingers. His downfall (excuse the pun) came when he turned back, only to realise he had veered off course, and clipped the kerb sending him tumbling. Yeah, serves you right mate. I don`t cycle much these days, but have good intentions to get back into the saddle. Like Strow, i was a keen leisure cyclist, and tended to mostly cycle around the lanes of North Kent, just south of the main A2 near Gravesend. Some of these lanes were not wide enough for two cars, and often, we would hear a car from behind, and would wave them by when the coast was clear, and giving them a wave of gratitude at the same time. I don`t think we had any issues with impatient drivers, with the exception of a driving instructor who could`nt get her pupil to turn left, or go straight on. We tried to go round them several times,, and eventually shouted at them to move. The driving instructor got a bit indignent over this, so gave me some verbal abuse, which i duly returned, so she tried to jump out of the car while it was still moving. Not exactly a good roll model for a new driver. Just goes to prove there are good and bad cyclists, AND drivers. Back on the subject though, I DO like the idea of a Broads wide cycle track system, but hope none of the tolls is taken to help pay for it, even if the DO say "ah, but boaters might have a bike on board".

I`m NOT anti cyclist, far from it, but i really get aggrivated when you see some of the stupid things they do, and the motorist gets the blame. I`ve seen some truly shocking films from cyclists themselves on You tube, and they wonder why people have no respect for them, and they don`t have to pay to use the roads, or have to have insurance, and they don`t have any form of roadworthyness certificate, yet they can tear around the streets at well over 30mph, and not even legal required to wear a crash helmet. There`s been some excellent film footage on that programme "car crash Britain", and i have to admit, i do utter the words "serves you right". By the way, before anybody has a go, i`ve got a "Claude Butler Zegato" mountain bike in the garage, and i did the London to Brighton cycle ride, though it was 20 years ago. Come to think of it, i did the last 5 miles in the back of an ambulance because i got taken out by another cyclist NOT looking where he was going.