If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

- George Washington

Saturday 7 May 2011

Rollerblader vs Gatso

Seen in the Torygraph:
Link
Sam Tuffnell, 28, believes he was rolling close to 40mph when he caused a speed camera to flash on a road in Hastings, East Sussex.

Wearing a high visibility vest to ensure the camera would pick him out as he whizzed by, Mr Tuffnell used the momemtum of a hill descent to trigger the camera reaction.
If you watch the video clip on the website, he really was travelling. To be honest, it all looked like great fun. An element of risk, sure, but that's what life is all about. You can bet your bottom dollar that someone's going to object.
"This sort of activity should always take place off the road under supervised conditions and ideally with protective clothing being used", Neil Hopkins of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership said.
Through pursed lips, no doubt. They really are the most miserable bastards, aren't they?

He was wearing a high-viz vest, after all. What more do they want?

10 comments:

  1. I watched it on the news. They took great pains to pick a road with no side roads to cause danger. I personally think that they thought it through, and pulled of a truly epic stunt.

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  2. I read this in the Torygraph but thanks for the video link.
    "Miserable bastard" was exactly my reaction to the words of Neil Hopkins too.

    Incidentally, how did the Road Safety Partnership identify Sam?

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  3. The only rollerblader wearing high-viz in the area? I mean, that's got to be unique.

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  4. What a guy, I take my hat off to him.
    I used to rollerskate in my younger days (quads not bloody inlines) and speeds like that are definately possible but you would need a very smooth road.
    Once at a roller rink I jumped over 15 people lay down (before H&S rules). If you timed it right you could make the jump, get the landing purposefully wrong, flip arse over tit and go crashing through the fire escape door into the street for some great laughs.
    I jumped a wheelie bin on the school grounds too.

    I still have the boots, I wonder if I still have the ability?

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  5. Great thought, but probably best to leave it as a thought.

    I used to skate a lot at the Rollarena (sp?) in Leeds. Great place for meeting girls, if I recall correctly.

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  6. Wonderful.

    Only thing that beats it is the miserable mealy-mouthed "People shouldn't have fun unless we've approved it in advance and coned off the area" git.

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  7. I've just thought through FE's comment:

    They took great pains to pick a road with no side roads to cause danger.

    Or, to put it differently, a road on which 40mph is actually probably quite safe for cars? Hmmm...

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  8. And properly supervised, don't forget that. I wonder where they are going to find someone suitably qualified. There's a training opportunity for some council employee! Rollerblading Community Safety and Outreach Officer, part-time, £25k pro rata with full pension rights.

    Sign me up.

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  9. I read this in the Torygraph but thanks for the video link.
    "Miserable bastard" was exactly my reaction to the words of Neil Hopkins too.


    High Vis Clothing

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Comment is free, according to C P Scott, so go for it. Word verification is turned off for the time being. Play nicely.

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