A speed camera with manners

Aug 30 2009 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

I CAN’T believe I’m saying this but let’s hear it for the good old speed camera.

Not just any old speed camera but one particular speed camera. The polite one.

The one I passed every day for a week on holiday at Prestonpans in Lothian and Borders.

The one that kept flashing a thank-you for keeping my speed down.

Your speed is 25 mph. Thank you.

When it first happened I was momentarily started by the flash.

A glance at the speedo revealed I was within the 30mph speed limit by a good margin.

Another glance at the camera revealed it was actually praising me for not breaking the law.

And I thought … what a good idea.

We know speed cameras are as popular as Jordan at a Peter Andre concert.

But, if we must have them, at least they should be brought up correctly and say their pleases and thank yous.

Let’s have the nicey nice ones south of the border too.

It makes the driver feel all warm inside when his efforts to stay within the limit are acknowledged.

And that smug feeling when other drivers are flashed and fined is all the sweeter.

Meanwhile where were the cameras when my wing mirror was smashed on another road?

It was at a village where cars are allowed to park on both sides of a narrow twisting road.

The result: A clash of wing mirrors rather similar to two alpha male stags clashing their antlers.

There was a broken mirror on my car and, hopefully, some damage on the other car which was, I might add, going at a fair old speed out of a bend.

I say hopefully because I stopped, he didn’t, so I don’t really know.

Remember that nice camera at Prestonpans? Perhaps it has an older, meaner, brother.

And perhaps the local council could consider banning cars from parking on both sides of a busy, narrow, twisting road.

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