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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not go on a speed awareness course

303 replies

sPJPPp · 08/04/2015 09:51

The course will be 97 and the fine is 100.

I would get three points and my insurance will go up by about 40 next year.

The course is 2 hours drive away and will take 4 hours. So the best part of a day taken away.

Aibu to just take the points as 40 to loose a day off is just not enough.

OP posts:
Runningupthathill82 · 08/04/2015 16:35

I think you're lucky to be offered the chance to go on the course, OP. Not all police forces have it as an option, IME - when I got caught speeding I had to pay the fine and take the 3 points.
Would have far rather gone on a course, learned something, and avoided my insurance rocketing in subsequent years.

AuntieDee · 08/04/2015 16:46

The course will teach you how to deal with tailgaters, OP, so you aren't put in that position again...

ilovesooty · 08/04/2015 16:53

With any luck the trainers will spot exactly how negative the OP's attitude is and kick her off the course.

Ketchuphidestheburntbits · 08/04/2015 17:22

I've never gone above any speed limits so have never had points or an accident after many years of driving. I suspect that Op and many other pp are the ones who regularly hoot and swear at me as I drive along at under 30 in a 30 mph area! Smile

MamainMilan · 08/04/2015 18:37

I suspect that Op and many other pp are the ones who regularly hoot and swear at me as I drive along at under 30 in a 30 mph area!

You see, whilst I'm sure you are a careful driver, I actually think that drivers who routinely stay significantly under the speed limit aren't the most considerate road users either.

You say people swear and hoot at you regularly. That's quite extreme!

UptheChimney · 08/04/2015 18:38

YABU OP and you sound quite arrogant as a driver. Not safe at all, that sort of attitude.

Theycallmemellowjello · 08/04/2015 18:42

Have to say I'd pay the fine! Agree it's not enough for that amount of hassle plus a lot day of work.

Theycallmemellowjello · 08/04/2015 18:45

Just read some of the posts here. Some really horrible things being said to/about the OP. She's been offered a choice by the mags, and it's not evil to pick the financial penalty! If you're such a great person for not speeding, why not focus some of that moral superiority on not being horrible to strangers on the internet?

Icimoi · 08/04/2015 18:51

LOL.

It was the fog light using tailgater!
It was because I was going downhill!
It was because I didn't notice the speed limit change!

SoupDragon, you missed the empty road in the dark (empty despite the tailgater), and the allegedly inadequate signage.

MamainMilan · 08/04/2015 18:53

If you're such a great person for not speeding, why not focus some of that moral superiority on not being horrible to strangers on the internet

I'm not sure which posts you mean to be honest. The OP wanted to know AIBU. The general feeling is yes, she is.

Many people admit to speeding. No-one's having a go at her about that. It's her attitude to taking the course, the content of it (or as she imagines it to be) and her comments about her own driving which seem to have attracted criticism.

I'm glad she's taking the course - it seems the right thing to do. Maybe she'l come back and say how informative it was!

ScOffasDyke · 08/04/2015 19:12

I took the points, it was worth it to save 4 hours of my time. My insurance premiums have gone steadily downwards (I think because the value of my car is decreasing).

The course is offered to anyone caught speeding within certain parameters, providing they haven't been on a course in the previous 3 years, so it will be an option if I'm caught again.

Never ever ask for a court hearing, you'll be stung with a higher penalty and possibly more points too.

Cockbollocks · 08/04/2015 20:14

You sound like an incredibly aggressive, Selfish, intolerant driver.

Which is why Yabu and definitely need this course.

richthegreatcornholio · 08/04/2015 20:39

suspect that Op and many other pp are the ones who regularly hoot and swear at me as I drive along at under 30 in a 30 mph area

If this is happening to you regularly then that suggests you are driving too slowly for the conditions. If the conditions allow then you should be driving at 30 in 30 limit.

Droflove · 08/04/2015 20:45

The course is excellent. I think every person behind the wheel should have done one. Make the effort to go do it. It might save your life.

Mrsstarlord · 08/04/2015 20:48

I found the course really helpful, it has definitely improved my driving. I didn't think that i was a bad driver but was caught doing 38 in a 30 after a sleepless night in hospital with ds who had just come out of surgery - i literally didn't notice that I was speeding.

There were definitely 2 groups of people on the course, those who were pissed off with being caught but thought 'its a fair cop', and those who thought they were good drivers and spent the time arguing with the trainers. The second group came across as total knobs and got pretty much every question wrong.

If you open your mind and lose the attitude you might learn something

richthegreatcornholio · 08/04/2015 20:55

A word of advice BTW, get a radar/laser/fixed camera detector. Has saved my ass on a couple of occasions!

SoupDragon · 08/04/2015 21:39

A word of advice BTW, get a radar/laser/fixed camera detector.

Or, and this is a radical idea you might not have thought of, don't drive like a selfish cunt in the first place.

richthegreatcornholio · 08/04/2015 22:14

Or, and this is a radical idea you might not have thought of, don't drive like a selfish cunt in the first place

Or, think for yourself and drive to the conditions not some arbitrary number rather than being some brain dead moron who doesn't speed but is an otherwise awful driver. Who are you calling a cunt by the way?

SpinDoctorOfAethelred · 09/04/2015 01:42

Having read the thread, you'd be better off going, work-wise, even if it is an entire day. Don't get me wrong, you've got a great opener for your stand-up gig. I think the juxtaposition of I know exactly why I speeded and it was the stupid cunt behind me and Anyway I take responsibility as I should of pulled over in a layby and let her pass is sheer comic genius, but you still need some more material to fill up the rest of your slot. But plenty of people have testified on thread to indicate you'll encounter plenty of comic inspiration on the course for the rest of the act.

Can I have tickets to the gig?

Stinkersmum · 09/04/2015 02:32

I took 3 points and paid £60. It didn't affect my insurance at all.

Snottybiyatch · 09/04/2015 08:07

Actually the people who are saying that insurance may not be affected may well be onto something. I used to work for one of those extremely risk averse motor insurance company call centres and for the purposes of underwriting, all parking offences were ignored and two speeding offences within a year were ignored.

That may have changed since my day of course, but in any case I think we're all agreed that the actual speed is not the hot issue here.

Grin Spindoctor

And far be it from me to speak for Soup, Cornholio, but I am pretty sure s/he was not calling anyone specific a cunt just a hypothetical someone who drives like a selfish one!

Sorry if I'm misrepresenting you Soup

Snottybiyatch · 09/04/2015 08:09

And straight back at ya Cornholio ....who are you calling a moron?

Snotty put those buns DOWN!!!!

Original poster
sPJPPp · 09/04/2015 08:40

Wow more insults at my driving for getting one ticket in 15 years, bonkers anyone that thinks they know enough to make such a judgement.

Haha at bragging you do below 30 in a 30 and regularly annoy people. In my experience the slower drivers are the dangerous ones they stick to the limits or well below them but drive totally unaware. Its not the speed that matters its how you react.

Yes I think I'm going to get one of those devices, annoyingly it looks like they all plug into lighter socket and i need this to connwct my phone for podcasts on long drives.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 09/04/2015 08:56

Podcasts or another speeding fine. There's your choice OP.

MamainMilan · 09/04/2015 09:23

Wow more insults at my driving for getting one ticket in 15 years, bonkers anyone that thinks they know enough to make such a judgement

I'm fairly certain that you can see in fact that hardly anyone is 'insulting' you for getting a ticket. That's hardly big news - many people do.

You are probably well aware that it's your attitude to the course, and to your driving skills as you perceive them, that have attracted the criticism.

And people are probably judging you because of the comments you've made, and indeed, responses like the one above.

I'm glad you're going to the course - I hope you find it worthwhile, OP.

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