The telegraph this morning had a report today that we need more Police.

That's something I've said all along ,accurate cameras but lots more highway patol to catch the real transgressors.

I e-mailed a letter to the editor on 9/1/06 which wasn't printed.

I have been criticized for writing about everything except school zones.

The biggest thing against "flashing lights" is the cost of installation and maintinence,so lack of money will be the excuse for deferring action.

I try to highlight obvious waste in government spending in differant areas.
I e-mailed this in but the editor must have thought I was a bit greedy so soon after my last e-mail, and it wasn't printed.

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Update 31/1/05 This was in todays Leader

The highlighted bit on the right, says "tipped off"

No doubt the water board would get neighbours and passersby ringing in and dobbing in most of the illegal water useage.

Buried leaky hoses are not only wasteful but would be nearly impossible to police

The problem with impounding a car is that the driver might not own the car, or isn't the only user and that is used as an excuse in court.

I think a way around that is explained in my The "P" plate crisis catetgory

You can have your car impounded for hooning, why not wheelclamping the vehicle back at the offenders home for driving while disqualified?

In the same paper on the adjacent page was this item.

Notice the "two counts of driving while suspended."
If these alledged charges are proven, wheelclamping might be a reminder that driving carries responsabilities.

I've noticed a few of these ads in the paper lately, and it appears that the millenium trains are great ...now.

No doubt they are a great bit of technology but at what price?

What I'd like to see in the ad is the original tender price of suppling these Millenium trains to State rail and the total amount that has been spent to get, and keep, these trains "smooth, safe and realiable"

"It utilises Realiability Centered Maintenance, more common in the aircraft industry."

How much does all this cost?

Maybe they should have this sort of " realiability centered maintenance" for Sydney Ferries.

I think with these ads coming out we might get announcement of more trains being ordered soon.

I had to have a dig so I e-mailed this in to the editor,and it was in the paper 27/1/06

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An aeroplane has to be pretty realiable as you don't coast to a stop if there's a problem at 40,000 FT.

.What do you need in a train?

You need somewhere for the people to sit, a heater for winter, air conditioning for summer.
You need a driver,an engine,brakes and a whistle.
You don't even need a steering wheel as the thing runs on tracks.

Modern train, like cars and most things are over-engineered and with that overpriced.

Had your car serviced lately,and how much did it cost?
How much does it cost to have a millennium train serviced?

Have a look at the www.downeredi.com website. Click on "Media release " then "Archives," scroll down to 4 May 04 and (read more)

The multi-skilled minister Mr Costa is saying how good the mellenium train is but as the article says he doen't sign off on the other 558 trains and carriages.

Scroll down the archive and the Mellenium is mentioned back to 2002 and even Mr Scully has a gig.
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Update 31/1/06
Another "smooth and safe millenium train" half page ad in the telegraph this morning.

Why?

Not to be outdone, the Sydney Ports has also got in the act, with this 1/3 page ad in the Leader today.

It's reassuring that they're looking out for us, I feel a lot less alarmed.
I can't wait to be told by way of expensive ads how good the buses are now.

In an hour and a half the M7 becomes a real toll road when the free "softening up" period comes to an end.

I believe the M7 is very good, even though there was confusion with drivers having multiple choice speed limits at one spot.

"Its someone elses fault" was the reply when asked about this problem.

Someone wrote in to a paper and asked why would they build such an important road with only two lanes?

The state government has this idea to only use private money, hence tollways to get roads builtand toll companies don't mind if traffic ambles past it's e-pass sensors, as long as they go past.

But wouldn't it make better sense for the RTA/GOV to kick in the extra needed, to make it three lanes now, rather than have to do it at vast expense later, (not to mention the traffic disruption)

Speaking of toll roads, the Cross city tunnel got a mention this morning.
In a report in the Sunday Telegraph it's alledged that the lawyers who did the tunnel contracts for the Gov. also worked for the tunnel people.

It must help when you know what the other side is thinking.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWell there's relief from the dreaded school zones for drivers over the Summer break , but it'll be on again next month.

Ask anyone and there are few people that have got used to them.

Drivers need to slow down at schools or anywhere for that matter,
depending on conditions.

To make drivers aware of school zone times, they need more than just signs .

Flashing lights would be the answer.

The holiday road roll in Australia has been the worst for years.
A very sad time for the people left behind.
What is not really mentioned is the toll of the badly injured and maimed.
Its as though it's only news if there's a fatality.

How many lives were permanently changed through being injured in an unreported accident over the Xmas break.

This letter was in the paper.

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This makes sense if everyone does the right thing.
What do you do if people don't?

I e-mailed this in.
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My letter wasn't published.

In Febuary 05 there was consternation when buses that couldn't attain the alledged speed were being booked by one of the speed cameras on the Spit at Mosman( I wrote about it on 17/2/05)

The official line was that the camera was only faulty with buses.

There seems to be something amiss in the old dart
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Here's a photo taken in Britain.

It appears the motorists there, can get mixed messages too

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What speed is it here?

We drove back from the southcoast yesterday, very glad to be in an airconditioned car as it was nearly 44 celcius outside.

There were so many cars parked with overheating problems on the way back I regreted that I didn't have extra water on board to help a even a little.

Not knowing what speed is allowed where, is still a nightmare

I think the many differing speed zones must be there to keep drivers alert.

At one point, all of a sudden there was a sign saying speed camera 80 and before you know it, there was the camera. I think/hope we got through unscathed, time will tell.

We didn't see a change of speed from 100 and I/we can't imagine missing the normal 3 speed camera warning signs.(Mrs Santa helps me drive)

A lady customer this morning has just finished a 12 month probation. She went through the Kogarah school zone twice on a double demerit day and when she wrote in, the RTA "forgot" to tell her that because of her unblemished driving record, she could have had an offical warning for the first offence and copped the 2nd.

She was given the the choice of a 3 month's cancellation or twelve months good behaviour.

Why would anyone drive through a school zone that has all the warning signs and road markings and two cameras get caught twice in one day?

Because just signs doesn't seem to work

Maybe flashing lights would make drivers aware of WHEN it's school zone time.

Haven't seen anything about the results of the "independant" appraisal of the RTA's "flashing light" trial which finished end of LAST June.

How long to state the bleeding obvious, and at what cost?

Every time I drive South on the highway at Sylvania Heights I can't help but see two flasing lights which help advertise a car battery business.

Why wouldn't "flashing lights" work at school zones to attract attention.

Lights flashing means it's school zone time and 40klms and no flashing lights it's the normal safe speed.