Sorry not seen it posted anywhere,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1269178/Soldier-driving-143mph-escapes-ban-save-lives-Afghanistan.html

Should he have been let off?

Don't really care who he is, should have been banned. :yes:

I would lose my job if I lost my license too, but that doesn't mean it's a valid excuse for me to use the M40 to see if my vRS really does do 139mph....

Kudos to him for joining the forces and wishing to defend our nation, but what a tit!!!

I'm sure there are plenty of other jobs which you can do in the army. No excuse so far as I'm concerned.

To be fair, if it was the middle of the night on a clear and empty road, I think my vote would be different, but being as he was trying to evade the police, big thumbs down!

You have paid tens of thousands in tax to train this man and if he couldn't drive then this would potentially be wasted.

It is in the interests of people to have him in Afghanistan (where lets face it he might die) and doing the job he was trained for rather than sitting here and moping around banned.

It's an exception circumstance (not of him losing his job, but of it being in the countries interest) and while he didn't get a ban, I'm sure he will have been given a good number of points and no doubt a rather large *******ing back on base.

So he has:

-A fine that will be most of a months pay for him

- 6 points which if he has been driving less than 2 years is him over

- The points will most likely mean he can no longer afford to insure the focus ST and so will have to get rid of it.

Add to that he is training to go and diffuse IEDs and while I think yes you could ban him, but it gains nothing for the tax payer.

The guy won't "get off" and while I agree he is a d**k for running from the police, he obviously had a good lawyer provided to him and can expect a good bo11ocking too.

Edited 28 April, 201016 yr by cheezemonkhai

At worst he'd have to defer his training, but could still do it a later date, so I don't have a great deal of sympathy.

What will happen if he does it again ? The same reason for him keeping his licence would still be there, so it appears to give a person in the army a right/excuse to do what he pleases.

If he expects to be treated as having a responsible job, he should act responsibly, and there is absolutely no excuse for doing 143mph

You have paid tens of thousands in tax to train this man and if he couldn't drive then this would potentially be wasted.

It is in the interests of people to have him in Afghanistan (where lets face it he might die) and doing the job he was trained for rather than sitting here and moping around banned.

It's an exception circumstance (not of him losing his job, but of it being in the countries interest) and while he didn't get a ban, I'm sure he will have been given a good number of points and no doubt a rather large *******ing back on base.

So he has:

-A fine that will be most of a months pay for him

- 6 points which if he has been driving less than 2 years is him over

- The points will most likely mean he can no longer afford to insure the focus ST and so will have to get rid of it.

Add to that he is training to go and diffuse IEDs and while I think yes you could ban him, but it gains nothing for the tax payer.

The guy won't "get off" and while I agree he is a d**k for running from the police, he obviously had a good lawyer provided to him and can expect a good bo11ocking too.

Sorry but I have to disagree with you. 143mph, in roadworks, trying to escape the police, Ban Him. What makes him special??

The government have wasted billions of pounds of tax payers money in the past so I don't think another few grand will really matter

Sorry but I have to disagree with you. 143mph, in roadworks, trying to escape the police, Ban Him. What makes him special??

The government have wasted billions of pounds of tax payers money in the past so I don't think another few grand will really matter

Surely common sense could prevail and there be a conditional ban apart from when driving Army vehicles. That was the valued job continues but no driving for personal use.

Sorry but I have to disagree with you. 143mph, in roadworks, trying to escape the police, Ban Him. What makes him special??

The government have wasted billions of pounds of tax payers money in the past so I don't think another few grand will really matter

You have paid a lot to have him be a bomb disposal member of the armed forces.

He won't be able to use exceptional circumstances to get off a ban again and if he saves the lives of a single soldier who isn't blown up by an IED it is worth it.

Oh yes "I'm sorry Mrs <blank> you and your children are without a husband/father, because we thought a driving ban was more important than having a bomb disposal guy in Afghanistan/wherever" would cause at least as much outrage as this seems to be.

No point throwing good money after bad, and if you think it's a bad excuse, there are plenty of other people out there who by rights have a ban, but have exceptional circumstances that would cause hardship to others.

As I said, I don't disagree he's an idiot for doing it, but he will probably lose the car due to the insurance so won't be doing it again.

Then add that who knows if the army won't pull him up for bringing them into disrepute and let the army system deal with him.

At the end of the day he will be on top of mines and IEDs and for all you know may well get blown sky high by one.

That would be far worse than a lifetime driving ban and lets face it the Mail would never be happy as no doubt they would claim he should have had more armour that could have been paid for by the money spend on retraining a replacement as somebody got banned.

Edited 28 April, 201016 yr by cheezemonkhai

I would love to hear the explanation as to why the driving license is essential for a bomb disposal expert... I wasn't under the impression that they drove into the bombs to defuse them.

Sorry, the guy is a ****** and deserved to lose his license... I am ex-forces and would never have expected that treatment, if I went at that speed and got caught I would expect to lose my license

I know it stinks!!..but maybe its the way forward, not unlike the US way!!...Get caught being a k nob whilst still youngish and be given an option!!...lenghty time in the "Big House" and come out with a record and never get a job or join the services and do your bit!!....or the third option...normal folk get to que up and beat you with a stick!!

K:)

im not going to get into the 'should he or shouldnt he' sketch as its been done in the post above, nothing else to add there.

but i tell you what, you can be sure that this will have stunted his career big style.

He will be charged alot of money for bringing the army into dis-repute, and no doubt will be doingalot of extra duties.

This sot of thing also follows you in a career, and thing like promotion bans for extended time periods can be put upon him. So dont think he has got away that easy.

The army will go to town on him, yet his skills will remain available for use.

Bear in mind the explosive ordanance disposal guys a permanently on duty in the uk where they called out to terrorist incidents and when ww2 ordanance is found(which happens very often)etc at anytime.

These guys are emergency response Blue light trained drivers so he would be required to drive within the uk whilst not in afghanistan on tour.

No, plenty do it everyday, didnt read when it was, or how busy etc, but lots do it and get off without getting caught, just so happens he has a good reason to keep his license.

Matt

should be banned imo army or no army rules should still apply

No, plenty do it everyday, didnt read when it was, or how busy etc, but lots do it and get off without getting caught, just so happens he has a good reason to keep his license.

Matt

B*ll*cks!!

What's the good reason? That he's in the forces? Fine, I'll re-enlist and do what the f*ck I want shall I? At least I'll be secure in the knowledge I'll be ok

People speed, yes, but not many do 140+ through roadworks. How was he to know a worker wasn't about? Plain and simple, he was a prat and got caught, and if you get caught you should be punished, a small fine and 6 points isn't the punishment.

With any luck he'll get hell from his superior officers to make up for it

should have a ban from cars but a special condition that allows him to drive military vehicles in a essential situation such as a war zone where his skills and ability to get around to defuse bombs requires driving,

It's already been said his skills could be needed here too, so that'd be hard to do. It's obviously a semi reasonable excuse, else we wouldn't be discussing it here, everyone would be just saying he should be banned. I said I didn't know the time of day etc, but if it was quiet with no roadworkers then it's not so bad, esp since he was trained in quick driving

matt

Some interesting opinions. The chap in question is actually a mechanic who will carry out repairs on vehicles damaged by roadside bombs, rather than diffusing the bombs themselves. The court ruled that without a driving licence he would not be able to begin his training.

AIUI, he hadn't received any high-speed driver training and he was already doing 100mph through the 50 limit when police in an unmarked Subaru clocked him and at that point he tried to race/lose them.

Chris

Some interesting opinions. The chap in question is actually a mechanic who will carry out repairs on vehicles damaged by roadside bombs, rather than diffusing the bombs themselves. The court ruled that without a driving licence he would not be able to begin his training.

AIUI, he hadn't received any high-speed driver training and he was already doing 100mph through the 50 limit when police in an unmarked Subaru clocked him and at that point he tried to race/lose them.

Chris

so he thought a focus could out run a police scooby? maybe he hasnt got enough sense to be in such a position of repairing damaged military vehicles!?