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Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 1:22 pm
by DJG
I have noticed a white transit type van with blacked out rear windows parked in the first lay-by of the dual carriage-way bit of the A33 going towards Reading. It has been there several nights over the last 2 weeks.

No markings or sign written on the side.

Do they use plain white camera vans? Previously I have seen them sign written as "Traffic Safety Camera" or similar.

Unfortunately I think I may not have noticed it for the first couple of days it was there..... (Even worse noticed it the first night, forgot about it the second!)

Waiting to see if I get something through the post [img]images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

David

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 1:28 pm
by JohnH
Have also seen a white unmarked camera van in a lay-by on the A322 between Bagshot and Bracknell generally in the morning so maybe the same van.

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:26 pm
by DJG
Hmmm,

It was there again tonight. Thought they were meant to be making cameras more obvious. So much for being a deterrent.

David

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:54 pm
by JohnW
David,
Why not stop next time & go and ask them what they are up to [img]images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 11:09 pm
by Dippy
Be very careful speeding on that part of the A33. I used to regularly see speed traps along there (fortunately I no longer need to go that way).

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 8:23 pm
by Riz_RS4
A word of warning chaps and chapets, in my opinion most police forces are using them alot (possible due to the sunshine). Saw one on the M74, A1M and on the parkway round-a-bout! the last one was the most intresting one, the van wasnt even near the bridge overlooking the northbound M1! It has 3 devices on the bridge onlooking each M1 lane all wired up with the cable going into the van, the driver of the van sat there whilest the cars on the slip road has their drivers looking amused and crossed at the sametime! [img]images/graemlins/rocketwhore.gif[/img]

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 11:36 am
by Thorney
Be very careful speeding on that part of the A33. I used to regularly see speed traps along there (fortunately I no longer need to go that way).

Whereabouts? I hack up and down there quite a lot at some daft speeds and not seen one? Not been for a while but thought as the stretch is pretty much accident free (unlike the rest of the A33) thought it was a pretty safe place to (ahem) conduct 'stuck throttle' tests. [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 10:38 pm
by DJG
Hi Thorney,

I drive up and down this bit of road on my way to and from work and have tended to use it for a bit of stress relief too. Like you have taken the view that it is accident free and never visibly policed then fairly safe to play.

The same white van with blacked out rear windows has been parked on the first lay-by on the first dual carriageway stretch after the Wellington monument (towards Reading), always at the first part of the lay-by). Don't see it when I look across the carriageway in the morning, but it has been there 7 or 8 times in the last 10 weekday evenings between 7pm and 8 pm. Must admit I considered doing what JohnW suggested and stopping for a look, but have so far bottled it (Not sure quite what to say).

Sweating it a little until next week as the 2nd night it was there I went past a bit fast [img]images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img](not too bad fortunately).

What annoys me is that it is obviously designed as a revenue raiser rather than a traffic slower as it is not sign written etc. Thought the current approach was to have cameras etc visible.

You could drive past it at moderate speeds a few times and then find you have got yourself banned!

Cheers,

David

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 12:34 pm
by Riz_RS4
Best thing todo is hire those new range rovers which can handle a 5ton yank on the tow hook, park infront of the white van and stay there in it for a few minutes, so they coppers will think your just having a rest or something, get out carfully, hook em up and then get back into the range rover, get your mate to have a pair of big cutters ready in the back!

Floor it woooooosh and watch them screem [img]images/graemlins/jump.gif[/img] the quickly cut the rope and drive off, remember to cover the reg plate too!

If only...........

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 1:07 pm
by ChrisG
Yes Riz !!!!!!!!!!
There is an unmarked Omega, dark blue, on that road as well.
So is must be a Thames Valley police van, not Hants nor Surrey.
Best Dave checks this out , in the interests of road safety of course. [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 12:34 pm
by Greg_S
Yeah the one with cameras for each lane they have at the A1M junction northbound at letchworth quite often. use to see it alot when going to work. Cant see the van until your on top of it because it is obscured by a tree.

Re: Camera van? Berks/Hants border.

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:44 pm
by Joules
Scary business driving these days, someone in work just bought a 20v Fiat Coupe and gained 6 points in 2 weeks!!! some may say justice served ...lol [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

One was a van the other .... copper jumping out from hedge trick.

I trailed a yellow van down the M53 which had blacked out rear windows and camera unit written on the back and sides. I'm sure it was 'traffic'

Is this a new tactic??????? [img]images/graemlins/rocketwhore.gif[/img]