999 Cop gave traffic camera thumbs up (twice)

[Gromit]

"A policeman has been banned from driving after a speed camera twice caught him posing with his thumbs up as he raced to emergency 999 calls.

David Mayes, 34, was first captured making the gesture with both hands off the wheel at 4.53am as a female colleague sat beside him in the patrol car.

Then, just 75 minutes later, the PC gesticulated again at the same camera in the same marked car on his way to catch a suspected thief.

The images were taken on a 40 mph road in Sheffield on July 26 2007, and show PC Mayes hurtling past the camera at 68mph and 73mph, legitimate speeds for answering a 999 call."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jse ssionid=JT04SYADZOHWTQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/ news/2008/02/01/nspeed101.xml

Dangerous idiots or just a bit of fun? - You decide.

[kwicky]

As he was on duty at the time I suppose he thought he was immune from any driving offence. As this must occur on a regular basis when called out on a 999 call only a zealot official would take him to task. What's the charge then? Not having his hands on the steering wheel?

[ludwig]

It's a fair punishment.

[squarebear]

If he was answering my 999 call, I would expect him to come as fast as he could safely drive. Whether that be 70mh or 120mph.

[ludwig]

It's nothing to do with his speed squarebear, it's the fact he had both hands off the wheel and both eyes off the road.

[squarebear]

As long as he felt he was in control of the vehicle, I have no problem with this.

[jno]

bad drivers always feel they are in control of their vehicles, squarebear, unless they actually crash. It's perfectly in order for a court to decide that anyone who was posing for cameras, and with both hands off the wheel, was not paying sufficient attention to the road ahead. 73mph and no hands??? Please don't let him be driving on my street, 999 or not.

[squarebear]

Having not been on a police driving course, I couldn't comment.

Would you feel the same if he was on the way to your 999 call?

[ludwig]

To be honest if it was my 999 call he was ansering I'd probably be even more pi55ed off about it. I mean there I am with a burglar creeping about the house and he's @rsing about like a 15 year old on the way, which could only slow him down if anything.

[squarebear]

Hey as long as he got there as soon as possible, he could be wearing a suspender belt singing, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" for all I care.

[jno]

I'd prefer my 999 call to be answered by an officer with a brain.

[beatle3]

they still do 999 calls do they...bldy lucky if get a cop around my way....although ya do see em pulling the odd driver over if got a milmetre of tyre in bus lane