Very interesting thread

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=141&t=442266&i=40

Chap discussing his time in prison and his driving that put him there.
Very candid, well written and worth spending the time reading the
whole thread. Thought provoking too for those of us who have no
experience of this.

Features later contributions from our very own Tallbloke.

 

In

very sobering read.

--
Steve Parry
K1200GT SE & F650
'87 Yamaha FS1 & Sukida SK90PY
and a VW Passat SE Estate for comfort
www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

God that's tedious reading.

You reckon? Yeah, I guess it might seem that way, but as far as I can
tell he had it pretty easy, and was only inside for 3 months, after
all. In all honesty, most of what the OP said just made me think "You
lucky, lucky, bastard". Really.

Prisons vary, both over time and type, as well as just from one to
another. The different experiences related in that thread by one or
two others do reflect that, but it's easy to draw conclusions from too
little data. But the fact remains that spending time inside is, for
any normal person, a life-changing experience. And probably the most
frightening thing that will ever happen to most people who find
themselves in the OP's situation or similar.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (bdotrogers a.t compaqnet.fr)
\`\ | /`/ DS#8 BOTAFOT#3 SbS#2 UKRMMA#13 DFV#8 SKA#2 IBB#10
`\\ | //'
`\|/`
`

 

Indeed. it's the bit about doing 65k miles a year, driving for years,
and one stupid mistake causes his whoile life to fall apart.

That said, I support the jail sentence, if only on the ground of
deterrence. Though reading that thread will actually have a greater
deterring effect on my than the prospect of a prison sentence, I'm sure.

Trouble is, I'm a crap car driver. If I had a vaguely fast car, I know
I'd stack it. I have a reasonable confidence in my own abilities as a
motorcyclist, but I have no illusions that I could handle a high
performance car safely.

 

Oddly, having been through the prep/public school system, the thought of
incarceration doesn't really bother me. I'm not saying "I could handle a
ten-stretch, easy", because it would **** the rerst of my life, and I'm
sure prison is nastier than I can imagine, but it doesn't really worry
me.

I believe this is not an uncommon attitude among people who've been
through the same educational palaver. You do get used to being
institutionalised.

 

<marks thread 'interesting'>

 

Funny you should say that Neil. A very good mate of mine [excellent
guitarist] spent six months inside one of London's prisons. He said
that after growing up in various private schools it was too bad.

The only thing he regrets is the waste of six months.

 

Fucking isn't it.

2 bob: "Hey everybody I am vicious dangerous scum and I ruin the lives
of innocent bikers so much they put me in prison for it."

The sheep: "Well done for sharing that with us mate, you are a fucking
hero you are, have some accolade."

 

Buggery as a nostalgia trip?

 

"But the fact remains that spending time inside is, for
any normal person, a life-changing experience. And probably the most
frightening thing that will ever happen to most people who find
themselves in the OP's situation or similar."

Make your mind up.

 

What are you talking about?

 

Interesting indeed. It comes as a shock to those who've no experience of
it. Not so much the incarceration itself, but the loss of the little
things you take for granted.

Heard in the prison van...

"Eighteen months? For ****'s sake, I could dae that staunin' on ma
heid!"

<voice from back of van>

"Issat a fact? You must be fit as ****."

 

I see no contradiction. His experiences, while bad and, as I say,
certainly life-changing, could have been an awful lot worse.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (bdotrogers a.t compaqnet.fr)
\`\ | /`/ DS#8 BOTAFOT#3 SbS#2 UKRMMA#13 DFV#8 SKA#2 IBB#10
`\\ | //'
`\|/`
`

 

That's not how I interpreted it at all.

 

Here, have a free 'not'

 

"There is only the patient's pain"

 

I didn't read it like that. In fact, oddly, I ignored the fact he was
driving a car and hit a bike. I thought he was very open, honest and
accepting of what he'd done and the effect he'd had on someone else;s
life. And I think the majority of posters to that forum read it like
that as well.

 

heh, thanks. His story made for a very entertaining Sunday lunch.

 

How far did you read the thread? If you read all of it the full story
of the crash comes out.

Admittedly, it's 28 pages so takes a while.

 

Which is why I thought is wrong that he was imprisoned.... now if he
was drunk