Woman fined for driving with an apple

Yes. Saw that on the Evening Standard placards on the way home from work...

While it does seem ridiculous, it is sometimes alarming to see what some people get up to while driving especially those who attempt to parallel-park in busy streets while being on a mobile phone...

iJust recently got my driver's permit, and it is scary to think of the people out on the road. iWas nearly hit today by someone zooming past me, although iHad clearly signaled and was already moving over... iDidn't see if they were on a phone or not, but still. Scary.

Mechcozmo said:

iJust recently got my driver's permit, and it is scary to think of the people out on the road. iWas nearly hit today by someone zooming past me, although iHad clearly signaled and was already moving over... iDidn't see if they were on a phone or not, but still. Scary.

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I fell your pain, Mechcozmo. My 16th birthday is in 4 months, and while my other friends are looking forward (or are already enjoying driving, depending on age), I am a little less anxious. I justdon't want to get in a wreck or anything. That's what scares me the most.

On topic, though... Getting fined for having a flippin' apple is a little excessive. I have seen many ladies putting on makeup in their car, or fumbling in their purses. I'm betting that most of these people get away with it... being fined for having an apple is ecsessive, though.

Just be careful on the road and you guys will do just fine. There are a lot of dumb people out there on the roads, so you do have to correct for their mistakes sometimes, just so that you make sure that you aren't the one that everyone is mad at on the road. I can't really see why eating an apple would be against the laws... It's way healthier than what some people eat on the road... *Cough* Fast Food *Cough*

At first when I read the title I though, "Damn I know we as Apple users are a minority but gosh this is beyond the call of justice!"

But obviously this was something much different.

Hi Cap'n and Mech

Approach every intersection and other vehicle with the thought: "What's the stupidest thing they could do and what would I do to avoid them. " It's surprising how many times they will pick the stupid thing: Open door into traffic. Pull out from a side street while looking in the opposite direction (always beware of anybody whose eyes you cannot see - it means they aren't looking at you...), pedestrian stop abruptly when crossing the street and run in the opposite direction. Bikes and rollerblades -- deadly because they can change direction and speed so swiftly and with zero warning.

This is rediculous. I drive with one hand with no problems, and I live in Wisconsin, we just had 8 inches of snow. Driving with one hand in that situation isn't a good idea, but normally it's just fine.

Mechcozmo said:

iJust recently got my driver's permit, and it is scary to think of the people out on the road.

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It is scary. People driving gigantic SUVs like they are F1 racers is really scary. People who drive like this think they have good skills, but when an emergency comes up, they usually panic, oversteer, and end up rolled over in a ditch. Then you've got the people who speed and tailgate during a blinding rainstorm. Bonus points when they do the aforementioned with no headlights! Of course, high-speed freeway driving is a whole other scary set of stories.

Blue Velvet said:

While it does seem ridiculous, it is sometimes alarming to see what some people get up to while driving...

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Surely you mean those women I see on the Santa Monica freeway (Interstate 10) every morning who are talking on their cell phones, using the vanity mirror to apply mascara, have a cup of coffee between their knees, a cigarette in the mouth and are weaving in and out of traffic all at the same time because they're late for work

I used to drive quite a bit as part of my job and you wouldnt believe what I seen people doing while driving down the highway at 65-80MPH. I've seen a few people reading books. Actual novels! One person was reading the news paper. Just the other day I saw a person watching a movie on one of those portable DVD players while driving. They had it proped up on the dash board. Unbelievable. Once I saw a person with a pillow behind her head so she could lean back and rest... while driving. Thats the makings for a looong nap.

The really scary part is that when people like that cause a fatal car crash, they more often than not get off because it was an "accident".

just drive defensively, expect everyone out there is a crap driver so always be alert!!! as for hte apple its a bit much

I mean, driving with an apple is a serious crime. It's far worse than burglary, rape or murder...though obviously not as bad as speeding.

...at least that seems to be the case. Or is it just that actually catching proper criminals is just a bit tricky?

AliensAreFuzzy said:

This is rediculous. I drive with one hand with no problems, and I live in Wisconsin, we just had 8 inches of snow. Driving with one hand in that situation isn't a good idea, but normally it's just fine.

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Is your car automatic? nearly all the cars over here are manual so you need both hands, left hand to change gear and right to steer.

Now if she had gone into someone and caused a bad accident then i dont think people would consider eating a piece of fruit normal.

Plus the roads over here are nothing like those in america.

Driving with an object in your hand will always prove a hindrance, it is however down to the law to show a bit of common sense. I cycle a total of 150 miles a week in London, and the number of times I see people driving whilst on the phone astounds me. It makes me sad to see so many inconsiderate road users.

I even saw somebody eating a bowl of cereal (with milk) while driving (at about 60mph) on the highway one morning. Unbelievable.

Of course, I've seen many people reading the newspaper while driving. Surprising...not really.

What gets me is the tractor trailer drivers talking on cell phones and making sharp turns at the same time!

Applespider said:

I can't believe that this one even went to court. I thought part of the reason they had banned mobile phones was more to do with the lack of concentration on the road while having a conversation - now, if it had been an Apple iPod then I could have understood but a piece of fruit!

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I'm with the police on this one.

If you've only got one hand on the steering wheel in a corner and your other hand is holding something, (sounds like she was either eating or about to eat) you ain't in full control of the car. Period.

As garybUK has said, if this women had crashed and had injured or even killed someone she'd be lambasted.

She was in the wrong. Sounds like she needs a retest to me.

I was on my way to work one morning and a girl on a step-thru scooter was exiting the roundabout in front of me at about 25-30mph. She was wearing a full face helmet in short sleeves and an even shorter skirt with high heels obviously a school uniform. Riding one handed past a Police station while texting on her mobile!

mpw said:

in short sleeves and an even shorter skirt with high heels obviously a school uniform.

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hahahahahahahaha

garybUK said:

Is your car automatic? nearly all the cars over here are manual so you need both hands, left hand to change gear and right to steer.

Now if she had gone into someone and caused a bad accident then i dont think people would consider eating a piece of fruit normal.

Plus the roads over here are nothing like those in america.

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In the good ol' US of A, almost everybody drives automatic, so they can yak on a cell phone while "fallin' back" in a gangster-style seating position that puts their head behind the B-pillar. it works especially well in US-made cars with their massively overboosted steering; you don't need to move the wheel much to whip a 5500 pound GMC Yukon around, I suspect they had one-handed driving in mind when they tuned the power steering.

Maybe she gave the policeman attitude when she got pulled over; that's the quickest way to turn a warning into a ticket.

Is it just me, or is the defendant in this case FINE!

Mr. Durden said:

The really scary part is that when people like that cause a fatal car crash, they more often than not get off because it was an "accident".

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Like my other half that was rear ended by a woman a few years ago doing 60mph through the Fasttoll lane (speed limit 30mph). She was charged with reckless driving. She went to court sobbed that she had a "bad day" and wasn't paying attention. The judge dismissed the case, stating that she should have been charged with failure to pay full attention. Between her car and my other half's car and the car he was pushed into, there were three totaled cars (A Del Sol, a BMW 5 series, and the woman's Caravan - At total of $65K in property damage, and my other half had $20k in medical and lost wages for just his injuries). Sure her insurance company either raised her rates, or maybe even dropped her. But she should not be on the road IMO.

Instead of paying for more police enforcement, we build damn soccer complexes, or hand out tax breaks to all ready wealthy companies. What a crock.

I, too, agree that the woman shouldn't really be eating an apple while driving, but this was just excessive.

Sometimes it's just a bit embarrasing to live in a country where they spend thousands of pounds to track one woman who's eating an umbrella. Haven't these people got anything better to do?

And if they dont have anything to do, they should go to Southwark and sort that damned place out - it's like the ghetto there!

/asif

Southwark is a large and very varied area(eg dulwhich triangle)please don't try and pigeonhole people because of where they live.

Peterkro said:

Southwark is a large and very varied area(eg dulwhich triangle)please don't try and pigeonhole people because of where they live.

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For those of us on the other side of the Big Pond, could someone explain? Sounds interesting.

Chip NoVaMac said:

For those of us on the other side of the Big Pond, could someone explain? Sounds interesting.

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The Good News about Southwark

The eigth most deprived borough in the country (allegedly)