Helen in high speed road race! Innocent lives in danger

[curious george]

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11981-4621188,00.html
Except the cpos were driving, so it was OK....
Well, apparently it's not OK after all.

[Motu]

I don't see what all the fuss is about,apart from media hype.I think a Police or armed forces escort for our head of state should be free to speed if necessary,this could be a situation of national (or Labour?) importance - called it a training exercise and close the lid.

[sAsLEX]

i think this is shit aye, helen should step forward and take the rap as it is her that had them doing that.

Sure she can say all she likes about it was their decision, but if the head of your nation asked you to get there in time would you? as a public servant?

kinda like asking Zed if god asked him to do something would he, well kinda

[Sniper]

I know if I was caught doing that, would I still have my license?

[Motu]

Are our police,ambulance,firemen,armed and special forces allowd to speed in the course of their duties? Should we take that right away from them?

[James Deuce]

Are our police,ambulance,firemen,armed and special forces allowd to speed in the course of their duties? Should we take that right away from them?

No they're not. Thanks to a deaf, blind old biddy on pedestrian crossing. Ambos in particualr seem to have had a kicking in the last couple of years and their discretion to use a little more speed has been put in question.

I do agree with the point. We aren't privvy to everything that the PM is, and there may well be a very good reason for the extra burst of speed.

[matthewt]

I do agree with the point. We aren't privvy to everything that the PM is, and there may well be a very good reason for the extra burst of speed.

I believe at the time it was so she could be in ChCh to watch an All Black test match.

I wonder what our friend Andy at the LTSA has to say on the matter.

[ManDownUnder]

I do agree with the point. We aren't privvy to everything that the PM is, and there may well be a very good reason for the extra burst of speed.

Agreed - but that's for the courts to decide.

And it seems they decided not to call Helen or Jim to the stand... which I finbd dissappointing - but then... using my own reasoning, the courts had a reason to not call them...

MDU

[Lou Girardin]

The extra "burst of speed" was a 140 -160k (depending who's telling the story) average from Waimate to ChCh. Including high speed through 50k areas. There were complaints from other drivers about the manner of driving too.
But Ms clark says she didn't know how fast they were going because she was doing "paperwork". I bet the "paperwork" was wiping her sorry arse after shitting herself.
Typical Pollie to let the troops take the rap, they wouldn't have decided to speed on their own.

[ManDownUnder]

The extra "burst of speed" was a 140 -160k (depending who's telling the story) average from Waimate to ChCh. Including high speed through 50k areas. There were complaints from other drivers about the manner of driving too.
But Ms clark says she didn't know how fast they were going because she was doing "paperwork". I bet the "paperwork" was wiping her sorry arse after shitting herself.
Typical Pollie to let the troops take the rap, they wouldn't have decided to speed on their own.

You're a bloody cynic Lou!

Next you'll be saying she wishes she didn't get caught up in all this...

[madboy]

Okay, so let me try and get this straight... it's okay to exceed the speed limit if you're on urgent business? But doesn't the LTNZ say speeders are killing us?

So is there a link between exceeding the speed limit and dangerous driving? Putting aside Helen's efforts for a minute, can someone with a better understanding of physics than I explain how having flashing lights and sirens contribute to a vehicles mechanical grip on the road?

Perhaps someone should tell the Formula 1 boys - if they stuck lights and sirens on Schumacher's car, he'd be able to corner at higher speeds without falling off the road, and he'd be able to brake short of every deaf mute old lady who walks out in front of him.

[spudchucka]

But Ms clark says she didn't know how fast they were going

Having spoken to somebody that would know, I'd say she knew exactly what was going on.

[mikey]

why deosnt don brash pick this up an put it on one of his bill boards. make it a personal war as well as the ficitcious policies that just arent happening war.

maybe helen will pull somethign out of brashs past. would be good to see them go at it.

[crashe]

ok try this out for a scenerio.(sp)

If you were sitting in the back seat of a car and someone else was driving it.
Would you be looking at the speed or even taking note of the speed, if say you were looking at/reading a book/paperwork.
Sure you may look up occassionally... but would you really take it in, if you were concentrating on the paperwork or speech at hand.

Would you as the passenger expect to get a ticket.
NO.
The ticket goes to the driver of the car.

So why should Helen be charged. She was a passenger.

It was up to the driver to drive at a safe speed.

Yep she had to catch a plane... but thats another story.

Its about the speed of the vehicle.

I know that Helen write's her speeches on the run on most occassions....
and reads heaps as soon as she is in a vehicle... thats part of her job.

[TonyB]

Having spoken to somebody that would know, I'd say she knew exactly what was going on.

I would say that if she was awake at the time, there is no way she wouldn't have known. Witnesses claimed that they could hear the engines screaming from some distance away. Much of that road is not exactly smooth- straight and boring as hell, but not smooth.

I believe that the PM and her motorcade should be able to speed in situations of national importance. I'm not sure that a game of footy qualifys.

Many politicians bleat on about how we need to take responsibility for our own actions, and I agree with them. Shouldn't the PM take responsibility for hers, instead of blaming it on the people who are paid to protect her and follow her instructions? Wouldn't you just love to have her as your boss? She has a habit of dropping 'employees' in the shit to protect her reputation.