Wednesday February 15, 2012

Heda_Madness's past comments

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    Would driving very fast, well and truly over the speed limit be considered dangerous driving in the UK?

    No, in that situation it would have been called speeding. Which is what it was. And I would have been given 3 points on my licence and been fined. Had there been an accident in this situation in the UK and I had somehow survived and had their been witnesses to what happened the other driver would most certainly have been prosecuted for dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention. Under British law speeding is bad, but causing an accident is far worse. And moving on to the outside lane of an expressway for no reason and then causing another car to plough into the back of you is exceptionally dangerous driving.

    And you missed the point. It wasn't possible for me to flash my lights. Or beep my horn. I had to react instantly because otherwise I'd have been dead. No excuse for me driving above the speed limit, if the police had stopped me I would have begrudgingly accepted the fine for speeding. But I find it hard to understand how anyone can not see that just because you're driving under the speed limit (and at a guess I'd say they were at 40 km an hour in the outside lane) that it can't be regarded as dangerous driving.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    GW, I don't disagree with that. However it's interesting to see one trying to defend why they have such tunnel vision.

    A few years ago I was driving on the Tomei. I was driving fast, very fast, well and truly over the speed limit. We approached Hon Atsugi and so I moved in to the outside lane to allow any traffic to filter on. A car came on to the empty expressway and moved into the outside lane where I was travelling. I was the only car on the road and I had no choice to move into the middle lane. If I'd tried to have breaked I would have gone through that car. It would have killed me and would have ruined his day.

    Some will rightly say that I was at fault for driving too fast. It's somewhat surprising that at least one other would argue that that driver had the right to move to the outside lane as he wasn't breaking the law.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -2

    Heda_Madness

    One would be prosecuted for dangerous driving, the other could be prosecuted for careless driving or driving without due care and attention.

    In the UK the police will often drive above the speed limit to ensure that traffic moves freely. But it is THEIR job and THEIR responsibility to decide that. Not yours.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    People speed. Aren't you aware of that?

    And it's safer for all of us if those people are speeding in the outside lane as opposed to having to zig zag between lanes because selfish drivers like you are saying. I am driving at the speed limit. I am safe to be here. It is my right. etc

    Which, in my opinion, makes you an extremely dangerous driver. Because you're not driving the road conditions. And are dangerously unaware as to what goes on around you.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    If you're sitting in the outside lane with noithing inside of you then you would be in breach of the law. Because as I mentioned before,

    You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

    So by sitting in the outside lane when there is nothing inside of you then you are in breach of the law. Whatever speed you are travelling at.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -1

    Heda_Madness

    British Motorway police will often travel above the speed limit to ensure that traffic moves freely.

    And it doesn't matter what the speed limit is. In your example, if the three cars are travelling within the speed limit you are happy for them to travel at that speed. Whether the limit is 60 km/h or 80 km/h they are not breaking the law.

    The speed limits are set by the police and it is the police's responsibility to enforce them. If you're travelling at 80 km/h in the outside lane and the middle lane is empty and someone has to undercut you to get past then you are far more of a danger then they are. It's not your responsibility to enforce the speed limit but is your responsibility to ensure that your actions cause no danger to other drivers and careless driving (as this would be classified in a British court) is exceptionally dangerous.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • 0

    Heda_Madness

    1) Yes 2) No 3) Of course you are. 4) No 5) No 6) Good question. So I presume you would be happy to sit behind a car in the outside lane travelling at 60 km an hour with an empty road in front of you because they are travelling at the speed limit?

    I always brought up to drive that your driving should never affect the way that other drivers need to drive. Don't hold them up if you can avoid it. Don't pull out in front of them unless you can get on your way without impeding them etc. I guess you were told just think about your self and don't worry about any other road users. They'll stop or move over for you.

    UK laws state: You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

    Given that this law is either not enforced, or doesn't exist then perhaps it would go someway to explain why there are so many fatalities on Japanese roads.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • 1

    Heda_Madness

    Zipping around between the lanes is wrong and I'd never try and defend anyone who does that. I absolutely HATE having to undertake and will only do it if there is no other option. However the vast majority of Japanese drivers will sit in either the middle or outside lane when there is nothing inside of them and this is what creates the problems. In the UK the outside lane is called the overtaking lane for a reason and you should spend as little amount of time in there as possible.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    So you think you can drive in any lane you want to and sod those others behind you? Pick a lane. Drive at whatever speed you want to and sit there?

    Maybe it's just a British thing but if you tried that in the UK you'd be in a bit of bother.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -5

    Heda_Madness

    You drive on the inside lane. Unless you're overtaking and then you move into the middle lane. Unless you're over taking and then you move to the outside lane.

    The times I see drivers meandering along the express way is because people are sitting in the middle or outside lane and the inside or middle lane is free. And that's dangerous. And that's what causes people to undertake which causes accidents.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • -6

    Heda_Madness

    One nervous driver deciding to shift lanes to get out of their way would have been all it would have taken to cause a pileup like this one, but worse.

    So if the nervous driver hadn't been sitting in the wrong lane they'd have been able to bomb down the outside lane to their hearts content? It's the nervous driver I have contempt for. And anyone else who sits in the middle/outside lane when there is nothing in the inside.

    Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini

  • 1

    Heda_Madness

    Minello7, you may want to read up on the Chernobyl disaster and discover what happened there and why it covered such a large area of Europe.

    Posted in: Rice from 5 Fukushima farms shows high radiation levels

  • 0

    Heda_Madness

    When I spent a year teaching by the sea in the first week we had an earthquake drill and that involved going to the top of the school to protect yourself in case of a tsunami.

    The fact that there would appear to be no such guideline in place is wrong. Whether it was 5 minutes before the tsunami arrived or 90 minutes, it doesn't matter. There should have been a procedure in place. ALL along that coast are signs saying 'expected tsunami inundation area end'. They've historically had tsunamis. They know the danger of tsunamis.

    The procedure may not have saved these children's lives. There may not have been enough time to do anything but it's appalling that there was nothing in place.

    Posted in: Families of 2 kindergarten kids killed by tsunami to file suit

  • -1

    Heda_Madness

    Of those 25%, I wonder what percentage were living in the 20 Km exclusion zone? Pretty high i high would imagine.

    We recently met a person who returnes to Minami Soma after he had spent 6 months living in Machida.

    'why did you come back?'

    'Because Machida is horrible'.

    Posted in: 25% of displaced Fukushima residents do not wish to return home again: survey

  • 0

    Heda_Madness

    ignoranceisrife

    Spot on. And I apologise for being drawn into the debate that's off topic. As you rightly say this is from Miyako and as someone who was there in April and I can assure you that it's very, very far from Fukushima.

    And I personally don't like to call it debris. I know that it is in the true sense of the word but as I'm sure when you've been there you haven't seen it as debris. But part of people's lives.

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

  • -2

    Heda_Madness

    It"S me, I haven't claimed any credentials. I have simply repeated what I've been told by the people who build Geiger counters.

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

  • -3

    Heda_Madness

    So then perhaps you can explain why you're getting all excited about someone walking through the contaminated spot (it's not a hot spot by any definition). As you have such a strong science background you feel the need to highlight it, perhaps you can tell us what the expected reading would be for the shoe. Once it's walked home. And how that compares with what the background reading is.

    Substantially lower? Same as everything else? You don't say. It's almost as if it's been diluted..

    Go back to your university (at least I'm assuming that's what SUNY is) and measure the radiation that's on the ground. And then measure it in the air. Guess what, the radiation levels will be higher on the ground - and almost certainly as high as you're currently getting in Japan.

    You're measuring something and then comparing them with other results.

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

  • -2

    Heda_Madness

    Look, I've repeated what I've been told by members of safecast, an organisation that builds Geiger counters. I've seen them laugh at people getting excited when they put the Geiger counter on/near the ground and getting excited over the false data.

    Test however you like. But the data at one metre is acceptable data.

    And if that's not good enough, look at Darren's post. We've disagreed on pretty much everything with regards to this incident yet he also says that you should be measuring at a height of one metre.

    But keep taking your readings and I'll be very happy to see those from one metre.

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

  • -2

    Heda_Madness

    So you're using it wrong then? At least according to the members of safecast who have told me that unless you have the top of the range equipment (costing thousands of dollars) you are going to get distorted data. In fact it's almost like you're testing soil samples which a Geiger counter isn't equipped to do. It's like measuring the temperature of the kitchen and holding the thermometer next to the open oven door.

    The definition of a hotspot (according to What Zichi posted) is when at a height of one metre the area is 1msv higher than the surrounding area. I haven't seen anything online to dispute that. Or what safecast say.

    I may be wrong, and if i am please provide links, but basically your results carry no scientific data. The 1 metre ones are very useful though.

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

  • 2

    Heda_Madness

    Japan Gal, how high above these hotspots are you holding your Geiger counter?

    Posted in: Tokyo starts disposal of tsunami debris from Iwate

Follow us

Facebook
Twitter

View all