Odd speed camera van, or was it ?

LoadsaMoney · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:02

As title, i was coming down the A690 from Durham earlier when i passed this werid white van sitting in the parking spot a canny bit inside from the national speed limit signs (so it was sitting inside the 70 zone, and its just along from West Rainton if anyone knows it, heading towards Sunderland), anyway was odd as i always do 50 along there (its 50 before the national signs), then when i get to the national speed limit signs i speed up a bit as you do, but was odd today, as i got to the signs and started speeding up as normal, but then i spotted this white van sitting there in the parking spot further ahead, so like you do i paniced and took my foot of the gas and looked at my speedo (which was only on 55, as id just started acclerating up, so i ended up going by the van at 55 speedo reading), and then i was like eh wtf am i doing, im in a 70 zone here.

Anyway seen as it was odd, id decided to come off at Rainton Bridge and go back up, and then come back past it again to see what it was, but it was just a little white van (one of those small vauxhall jobs about the size of Postman Pats van

), the back windows were whited out (not blacked like speed camera ones), it had the red and white stripes at the bottom of the back doors, but had no pics of speed cameras on it anywhere like they do, no Police signs on it, nothing, just had one of those little white spinning things you normally see on the top of water vans spinning round on the roof, and on the side as i drove past from what i could see, it had like a little logo, swirl thing it looked like (definately wasn't the pic of the black and white camera the speed camera vans have on), and a bit writing next to it, so i dont have a clue what it was, definately didnt look like a camera van (as iv passed them loads of times up on the A690 further along at Stoneygate, and those ones are always the big proper Police van ones with the black windows, speed camera pic's plastered all over em, and big hole in the back window where you can see the camera) and when i went by the first time, a guy in the outside lane went belting by it, so anyone any ideas what it could have been, it didnt even have any of the back windows open (like they are on the camera vans where you see the camera looking out), and also there was a huge speed camera sign at the front edge of the parking spot, which is what also made me go back round for a bit more of a proper look (wasn't one of those signs that they stick up just when they there, this ones a huge one thats been erected there permanently on 2 black poles, ohh err

).

Any ideas then.

Oh and sorry for the long read btw, best way i could explain it all really.

Bradmax57 · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:12

tbh it could be anything, any vehicle that routinly stops on the side of the highway has to have chevrons on the back I think, our work vans had to have them put on for health and safety reasons as we are constantly stopping on roadsides but thats for other reasons

could have even been some one inspecting the camera sign

LoadsaMoney · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:16

Bradmax57 said:
tbh it could be anything, any vehicle that routinly stops on the side of the highway has to have chevrons on the back I think, our work vans had to have them put on for health and safety reasons as we are constantly stopping on roadsides but thats for other reasons

could have even been some one inspecting the camera sign

yeah i was thinking it could have been just some workmen sitting there, having a break, sarnie or summit, as it definately wasn't a camera van from what i could see, no doors, windows were open, and the windows were whited out as i said, they didn't look like the black plastic things on the back of camera vans, was just odd as it made me panic when i saw it, and i was thinking, i wonder if im done here as im doing 55 (indicated) in a 70 zone.

Jonners · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:19

Sorry to hijack this thread but I may have fell a victim to the lovely people from safespeed today I recall perhaps doing between 41-45mph on a 40mph Dual Carriageway in Oldham, do they operate with just one rear door open?

It looked pitch black in the back of the van :confused:

I'm going to need lube aren't I?

mejinks · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:21

sounds like a traffic survey van, although the rules have changed and now speed cameras can be concealed in the back of horse boxes.

Jonners · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:28

I was reading that. Down in Wales.

Weirdo's

But aren't safespeed linked to the Police? The last thing I want is points + fine even though I should have been watching my speedo.

Bradmax57 · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:41

Tupac said:
Sorry to hijack this thread but I may have fell a victim to the lovely people from safespeed today I recall perhaps doing between 41-45mph on a 40mph Dual Carriageway in Oldham, do they operate with just one rear door open?

It looked pitch black in the back of the van

I'm going to need lube aren't I?

i dunno, 41 would be a crime, 44 your on what used to be the 10% threshold

LoadsaMoney · 8 Apr 2008 at 18:51

I was also thinking, maybe its sitting there in the 70 zone trying to catch those doing 70 before they come into it, but it just seemed to be to far along inside the 70 zone for me, i would have though it would have sat nearer to where it starts so they can track you well before the 70 starts to see if your speeding, just seemed to me like they would have had about a couple of seconds if that to grab you, as by the time you got into this vans view, you were practically right at the start of the 70, as the road curves round a bit before the national speed limit signs, and also comes up from a slight dip, but as i said, no windows were open, they were whited out, not black, no signs anywhere (like those black and white camera pics) etc... on it.

LoadsaMoney · 9 Apr 2008 at 19:46

Actually might have been one of these.

http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/police/dscd0395.jpg

but no back windows, or doors were open.

LoadsaMoney · 9 Apr 2008 at 20:10

I suppose though if it was one of those, then i should be fine, as when i spotted it, i took my foot off and looked at my speedo straight away, and it was indicated 55, but i was in the 70 zone, so i was 15 under, and i was thinking to myself wtf am i doing this is a 70 zone, so why am i worrying about doing 55. :confused:

LoadsaMoney · 9 Apr 2008 at 21:24

Oh dear, im having a blonde moment, it says that van maintains the cameras, thats the one that goes and changes the films in the fixed jobbies.