Stupidity

[aniken]

Driver moved sign to avoid fine

By LISA MILLER

November 7, 2003

NOBODY likes copping a speeding fine, but few people would go to the lengths Carlos DeMarco did to avoid coughing up.

The Blacktown man yesterday faced Parramatta Local Court accused of trying to dodge his way out of two fines – by stealing a 70km/h speed sign, erecting it under the speed camera which caught him, and taking photos to prove his "innocence".

His plan fell through when he was spotted taking the photos by a passer-by, who alerted the Roads and Traffic Authority.

Officers who attended the site found the sign had been attached with roofing screws to a power pole, just above head height – far lower than authorised speed signs.

DeMarco, 39, was snapped speeding through a 60km/h zone while driving east along Parramatta Rd at Auburn twice in November last year, doing 70km/h the first time and 75km/h the second.

He was issued with two infringement notices totalling $246 and would have lost three points from his licence, but instead decided to contest the charges.

Yesterday he was slugged with another fine for a third infringement which he admitted while giving evidence, as well as court costs of $177 and $700 for witness expenses.

All up, DeMarco was ordered to pay $1246 in fines and expenses – leaving him exactly $1000 worse off than if he had paid the first two speeding fines.

During an earlier hearing in August, DeMarco had submitted four photographs in evidence, purporting to be of the 70km/h sign which he claimed appeared on the power pole shortly before he was caught.

But three of the photos were so dark the only thing that could be seen was the reflection from the sign – which was clearly facing south rather than east.

A clearer fourth photo, of a 70km/h zone sign, was also submitted, but witnesses from the RTA were able to identify it as being a sign located just three blocks from DeMarco's home.

He also claimed he took the photos some time in November, but the witness who saw him had earlier told the court DeMarco had taken the pictures on the night of December 19 last year.

Magistrate Lee Gilmour was not impressed, finding DeMarco's evidence had been "evasive", and his claim the sign was there before he was caught was untrue.

She said as DeMarco had not received his first infringement notice until November 29, it was improbable he would go to "those extraordinary lengths to take the photos" earlier that month. "[The photo] was a deliberate attempt by the defendant to mislead the court . . . there is no other inference to be drawn," she said.

When DeMarco again claimed he did not put the sign there and began to explain his family and financial difficulties, he was quickly put in his place.

"I have found you to be a liar. Now that's it," Ms Gilmour said.

The Daily Telegraph

This report was published at www.dailytelegraph.com.au

[Guest underpsi]

I recently rebuilt a T3/T4 hybrid turbo for my freinds japper. The car was smoking for 3 days and we could not figure out why. Come to find out I left the compressor seal out when I did the rebuild. As Homer Simpson would say, D'oh!

[Macktheknife]

You young blokes, wont listen and cant be told.

Told ya once, told ya a thousand times.

Gotta stay away from that Corona p!ss.

Keep goin you'll end up like Plonky or Redhawke or Ken or Falchoon or VG or Aniken or Miss Kitty or either of the HocuS pair or ktford or or or just about anyone.

Howsomever.

Take up the XXXX offer and guess who you could end up like?

No contest huh.

[sixfan]

Macktheknife Posted on Nov 7 2003, 01:01 PM

  You young blokes, wont listen and cant be told.

Told ya once, told ya a thousand times.

Gotta stay away from that Corona p!ss.

Keep goin you'll end up like Plonky or Redhawke or Ken or Falchoon or VG or Aniken or Miss Kitty or either of the HocuS pair or ktford or or or just about anyone.

Howsomever.

Take up the XXXX offer and guess who you could end up like?

No contest huh. 

XXXX

Cause Queenslanders can't spell Beer

I don't think that's true, I think its because the department of fair trading wouldn't let them market that awful concoction as beer.

[Macktheknife]

And next your going to tell us it dont rain in Dawin in the wet right?

[sixfan]

Mac,

are you telling me you actually drink that stuff?

Or are you like every other Queenslander I've met and claim it's the nectar of the god's while drinking VB.

[Macktheknife]

*Bloody mongrel has found us out*

Nah sixfan, never drink anything but XXXX........ Bitter, Gold, Draught, and even Light once.

And certainly would never ever make such a fraudulant claim whilst drinking VB.

Goodness me, my good man. My name is my word. Never ever has anything other than XXXX been past my *&$+*@)_+....cough splutter. *Sound of keyboard dying*

[Falchoon]

I had an XY Falcon 6cylinder that I converted to V8 (302 Clevo) but left the stocky front drum brakes on and went for a test drive. Everything seemed to be working OK, car went like a rocket (compared to 6cyl) and then some flapped out V8 Falcon wanted to race me so I (stupidly) obliged. Hauling ar$e down this road doing in excess of the ton when we came to an intersection with red lights. You can probably imagine what is happening now. I put my foot hard on the brakes and instant fade, no brakes. Back through the gears, compression locking it and then valve bouncing the motor just to add insult to injury. We were still doing about 60mph at this stage and the lights were still red and there were cars in front of me waiting for the lights to change so going straight ahead wasn't an option, luckily (!) there was a left hand slip lane so I attempted a high speed left turn from the middle lane. The car drifted onto the corner traffic island and then across 2 other lanes of traffic (luckily there was no other traffic) and onto the centre traffic island of the road we'd just entered. Suprisingly the car was OK (apart from some brown, smelly stains on the seats). We drove the 2km or so back home in silence. I found out later that there was a slight buckle in my brand new 10" 12 slotters that I fitted on the back of the car just before the test drive.

I should of learnt from my earlier experience on the same strtch of road. I had a turbo 6cyl TD Coritna that I was driving along the same stretch of road at about 120mph and I was in the far right lane of a 4 lane road and one of my mates said ("it's turn right only this lane!". I was a bit slow on the uptake and my reply was something like "Huh". Then he started yelling, or was it screaming, can't recall because I was too busy tring to correct opposite lock slides and trying not to crash into the traffic lights.

It all ended good except that I blew the turbo as I went through the lights and smoke went everywhere. It was like Summernats Burnout Comp x 50. I didn't know WTF had happened. I thought the car was going to blow up. I stopped the car and we all ran for cover while the car was sitting there with smoke billowing out of it. The smoke eventually stopped and we went back to investigate. Car started and was driveable but there was oil everywhere and there was no boost. Figured then there was a turbo problem.

[sixfan]

Geez Falchoon,

that's scary!

[HocuSGirL]

...Keep goin you'll end up like Plonky or Redhawke or Ken or Falchoon or VG or Aniken or Miss Kitty or either of the HocuS pair or ktford or or or just about anyone.....

whats wrong with the Hocus pair??? you jealous or something?