MOTOR

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closing doors on our own much-loved icons.
But for those fond of a car that’s been
around since 1946, we’re sure the pain will
be even more felt.

I’VE HAD ENOUGH
Having read the Herald Sun Article
“Another Speed Trap”, I’m absolutely
disgusted that Vic Roads had the gall to
admit its electronic speed advisory signs
are not as accurate as Mr Plod’s supposedly
sent from heaven, money making, cross
my heart, 100 per cent accurate, lifesaving
apparatus. Vic Roads then also admitted that
no car speedo was reliably accurate.
Which brings me to the conclusion, does
any motorist know exactly how fast they are
driving? We may reliably have a guess in the
range of 5-7 per cent of our true speed. But
to be able to achieve a 0-3 per cent accuracy
would be impossible if the motorist drove
20-30,000km per annum. Entrapment is the
only word that describes this travesty that
is a money-making colossus for our state
government.
Jamie Vella, via email

BULLY COPS
I’m sure I’m preaching to the converted, but
I’m frustrated with our state government
using the holiday seasons to unashamedly
hunt extra revenue in the name of road
safety. Police are so focused on issuing
infringements, they actually use tactics to
bully motorists into exceeding the limit.
As an example, my wife was coming home
from an afternoon shift at approximately
10:30pm. The area of road varies in speed
limit between 110, to 60, to 80km/h. In the
60km/h zone a vehicle began tailgating her
and was clearly trying to intimidate her into
driving faster.
My wife said she noticed the reflective
signage on the side of the car and suspected
it was the police so she diligently stayed
under 60. After about a kilometre the speed
limit increases to 80. The approach to 80
is very visible from quite a few hundred
metres and is all downhill. On approach to
the sign my wife increased her speed to “just
over 60” and was subsequently pulled over.
The officer asked her how fast she was
going and she advised that she just went
over 60 but was under the 80 sign. She
literally pointed to the sign. The officer was
shining a torch onto her and could see she
was wearing her nurse’s uniform. He asked
where she was going and she said home
from work as she works in the hospital.
He gave her a warning about her speed
and let her go. I am 100 per cent confident
she had not been a nurse she would have

received a fine. This scenario demonstrates

the pressure placed on our police to issue

infringements at this time of year in the

name of road safety. Very frustrating.

David Pingiaro

GROW UP, MORLEY!

You big tosser, Morley! So you’re the

hotshot driving the flash ‘whatever-you-

could-never-afford-to-own-this-month’ that

the green Ps and ‘young numpties’ are now

trying so hard to emulate. You couldn’t

possibly be that really slick bloke on a cup

of brave pills in the drag-lane so desperate

to beat the ‘snoozer in the grey Camry next

to you’... could you?

I’ve no doubt you could also show all

those young, and so eager to learn, fans of

yours how to signal left in the peak hour bus

lane, to avoid the ‘please explain’ from the

unmarked roz, and still nail that favoured

‘inside front row’ spot in ‘The MOTOR

Three Hour Daily Grind Classic’.

The rest of us ‘older numpties’, watching

your juvenile performances, can only shake

our heads and smile to each other when you

come up against the bloke in the shiny black

C63 AMG Black who has a similarly over-

developed ego.

Like most enthusiasts, I try to get my

driving jollies at Sydney Motorsport Park

drive days or on those sparsely trafficked

Snowy Mountain or New England back

roads, that you blokes often rave about, in

a chipped and well-fettled R36. Somehow

I could never imagine Luffy, the bloke who

often stops to say g’day at those drive days,

pulling your stunts.

You’re a capable, respected and widely

read motoring journo (Cockburn has even

suggested you are actually one of the

‘grown-ups’ at MOTOR) and it’s because

of you and your mates at MOTOR that I

renew my subscription each year. I can only

presume your January 2015 column was just

a mild brain snap.

Crikey, David, grow up! And grow a lot

more between your ears and a bit less over

them.

John Farrow, via email

John. Feedback is like publicity: it’s all

good. But I can’t help but think you’ve

missed my point.

I wasn’t advocating the use of full throttle

from the green light, just making the point

that if you can be bothered moving into the

temporary third lane, you have a moral

obligation to get on with things once the

light goes green. If you don’t feel that

responsibility, stay in the centre lane and let

things flow. Chill, baby.

Again, I’m not saying you should blast

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Come say g’day!

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Warning: unlike other Facebook pages we get feisty ourselves.

“I am 100 per

cent confident, had

she not been a nurse,

she would have

received a fine”

David Pinglaro

off at full noise, but let’s be honest, you

don’t need to accelerate hard to beat most

suburban traffic, do you? And can you

really argue that getting away from

the pack and not getting caught up

in their territorial, small-dick, tail-

gating games (when that third lane

disappears) is as much a safety

measure as anything else? I ride

a motorbike, too, so you better

believe I get clear of the ruck at

every traffic light.

I kind of resent the implication that

because I make the most of gaps in the

traffic that I’m the same guy that uses bus

lanes illegally or makes a thousand futile

lane-changes every kilometre. Because I’m

with you all the way there – those guys are

goons. That’s not me.

There’s enough aggro on the roads already

without us enthusiasts starting a civil war

among ourselves. I’m all for responsible

driving but I’m appalled at the way the

government has dumbed down an otherwise

entertaining past-time. For that stance, I

make no apologies, nor do I withdraw the

statement that this nanny-state crock is the

reason most Australians now drive liked

sloths on valium.

Given your love of racetracks and

entertaining roads (and the fact you read

MOTOR) tells me you’re not one of those

sloths, so bear with me when I ramble

on about how we non-sloths can conduct

ourselves better.

Not that it makes any difference to this

debate, but yours is the only negative

response to that column, while I reckon at

least a dozen people have told me how they

share my view on the subject. – Morley