Monday, March 02, 2009
Biker jailed for 122mph ride with son.
A man caught on camera driving at 122 mph on a motorbike with his 14-year-old son sitting on the back was jailed today for six months. Robert Bennett, 47, was caught by police speeding along a two-lane road in Devon with the youngster, who was not wearing any protective trousers or gloves, clutching on to the seat of the Suzuki 1,300 cc bike. Judge Phillip Wassall said the police footage of him was "unbelievable." Bennett, from Barnstaple, Devon, was jailed for six months at Exeter Crown Court and banned from the road for 18 months after admitting dangerous driving, the Press Association reported.
...WOW!! 122mph on a motorbike, terrific. Pillion passenger not wearing gloves, bad news. Biker given a six month custodial sentence for speeding, ridiculous.
Okay, I do not condone speeding but imposing a custodial sentence for riding a motorcycle quickly is not justice in my book. I feel that a fine and penalty points would be appropriate in this case. Instead, we the taxpayers will have to pay for Robert to be kept in prison, at the same time he will also not be paying taxes. His sentence then becomes another tax on the rest of us. What for, who was the victim of this crime?
Danger and the risk of danger is relative. Speeding along in a motor car, with it's safety cage and other features, if something goes wrong then you should be Okay. Speeding along on a motorcycle, if something goes wrong, then it is curtains for you - final. Robert is 47 years old and has ridden bikes since he was young, so I do not think that he had been driving dangerously but quickly. You do not ride motorbikes at 47 years of age and take silly risks.
Prisons are places for criminals not for quick riding bikers.
A man caught on camera driving at 122 mph on a motorbike with his 14-year-old son sitting on the back was jailed today for six months. Robert Bennett, 47, was caught by police speeding along a two-lane road in Devon with the youngster, who was not wearing any protective trousers or gloves, clutching on to the seat of the Suzuki 1,300 cc bike. Judge Phillip Wassall said the police footage of him was "unbelievable." Bennett, from Barnstaple, Devon, was jailed for six months at Exeter Crown Court and banned from the road for 18 months after admitting dangerous driving, the Press Association reported.
...WOW!! 122mph on a motorbike, terrific. Pillion passenger not wearing gloves, bad news. Biker given a six month custodial sentence for speeding, ridiculous.
Okay, I do not condone speeding but imposing a custodial sentence for riding a motorcycle quickly is not justice in my book. I feel that a fine and penalty points would be appropriate in this case. Instead, we the taxpayers will have to pay for Robert to be kept in prison, at the same time he will also not be paying taxes. His sentence then becomes another tax on the rest of us. What for, who was the victim of this crime?
Danger and the risk of danger is relative. Speeding along in a motor car, with it's safety cage and other features, if something goes wrong then you should be Okay. Speeding along on a motorcycle, if something goes wrong, then it is curtains for you - final. Robert is 47 years old and has ridden bikes since he was young, so I do not think that he had been driving dangerously but quickly. You do not ride motorbikes at 47 years of age and take silly risks.
Prisons are places for criminals not for quick riding bikers.
Comments:
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Stephen
Thank you very much, I know you are a human with ethics and conscience, I follow your blog but I don't comment, that is why I chose you among some respectable bloggers to invite you to the petition
Thank you very much, I know you are a human with ethics and conscience, I follow your blog but I don't comment, that is why I chose you among some respectable bloggers to invite you to the petition
Hi Steve
As you no doubt expected I feel compelled to comment on this issue.
As we both know fast riding on a motorbike can be very exciting, indeed I managed to wind the old KTM up to a shade over 65mph on a local bypass last weekend. I agree that an experienced motorcylist can ride at high speeds in safety in the right time and place, (even as fast as the rider in the story). In fact I would suggest that in many cases they are paying more attention to their riding then the average motorist who is listening to the radio, smoking a ciggie and generally blissfully unaware of what is happening outside their little tin can.
But in this case, having seen a video of it a few weeks ago I had reservations. The road was damp, you can see spray off the back tyre and very busy with other road users, not really the appropiate time for some sporting riding. I would personally question the riders judgement (and have riden bikes both on and off road for a similar period of time as the rider in question).
I do agree that a prison sentence is completely over the top since it is costing us all tax payers money not only for the time Mr Bennett is serving his time but possibily afterwards when he finds it difficult to find another job.
As you say prison is for real crooks. Perhaps they could start by locking up the scum who thieve motorcycles and not the hard working man/women who pay for them.
John
Did I tell you the story about two bored coppers who decided to point their speed gun at a low flying RAF jet to see how fast it was going. A jolly good wheeze except that fighter jets carry missles designed to automatically launch and eliminate any radar lock on them, Oh dear.
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As you no doubt expected I feel compelled to comment on this issue.
As we both know fast riding on a motorbike can be very exciting, indeed I managed to wind the old KTM up to a shade over 65mph on a local bypass last weekend. I agree that an experienced motorcylist can ride at high speeds in safety in the right time and place, (even as fast as the rider in the story). In fact I would suggest that in many cases they are paying more attention to their riding then the average motorist who is listening to the radio, smoking a ciggie and generally blissfully unaware of what is happening outside their little tin can.
But in this case, having seen a video of it a few weeks ago I had reservations. The road was damp, you can see spray off the back tyre and very busy with other road users, not really the appropiate time for some sporting riding. I would personally question the riders judgement (and have riden bikes both on and off road for a similar period of time as the rider in question).
I do agree that a prison sentence is completely over the top since it is costing us all tax payers money not only for the time Mr Bennett is serving his time but possibily afterwards when he finds it difficult to find another job.
As you say prison is for real crooks. Perhaps they could start by locking up the scum who thieve motorcycles and not the hard working man/women who pay for them.
John
Did I tell you the story about two bored coppers who decided to point their speed gun at a low flying RAF jet to see how fast it was going. A jolly good wheeze except that fighter jets carry missles designed to automatically launch and eliminate any radar lock on them, Oh dear.
# posted by 
: 2 March 2009 at 20:24
: 2 March 2009 at 20:24Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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