Lewis fined £500 for Melbourne joy ride.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 24 Aug 2010, 04:56 (Ref:2749304)

Make of it what you will.

Scrut · 24 Aug 2010, 05:09 (Ref:2749305)

It was $500.00 Aussie $ (about 290 pound/ 350 euro).

It would have cost Mercedes Aust more to have the 'Merc' released from the impound, than Lewis was fined.

Our local law's are a joke at times.

Image courtesy of andyblackmoredesign.com

Mr V · 24 Aug 2010, 05:17 (Ref:2749307)

I wonder if they have given Lewis a monthly payment plan? I'm sure he can't afford to pay it all in one go!

**bjohnsonsmith** · 24 Aug 2010, 05:47 (Ref:2749311)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrut

It was $500.00 Aussie $ (about 290 pound/ 350 euro).

Sorry, messed up a bit there.

Chatters · 24 Aug 2010, 06:59 (Ref:2749327)

Mark Webbers nanny state strikes again!

JamesH · 24 Aug 2010, 08:10 (Ref:2749345)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrut

It was $500.00 Aussie $ (about 290 pound/ 350 euro).

It would have cost Mercedes Aust more to have the 'Merc' released from the impound, than Lewis was fined.

Our local law's are a joke at times.

Joke? Why? He broke the hoon law and got fined. Now, I don't agree with that sort of nanny law (and was he really out of control?), but surely the law has been obeyed?

If the average man on street had done the same, what would he have been fined? Same, more, less?

browney · 24 Aug 2010, 10:39 (Ref:2749377)

I don't get why this makes Australia a Nanny state?

Is there any country that holds a GP that wouldn't fine you for drifting/ doing a burn out in front of a cop?

Surely if Lewis had done this, home, in england in front of a police officer he would have been fined? Maybe he would have got away with it if he had done it in a more regional area of Australia but drifting on a city street, I reckon any cop'd get you for that!

**bella** · 24 Aug 2010, 10:53 (Ref:2749385)

Quote:

Originally Posted by browney

Surely if Lewis had done this, home, in england in front of a police officer he would have been fined? Maybe he would have got away with it if he had done it in a more regional area of Australia but drifting on a city street, I reckon any cop'd get you for that!

no he wouldn't have been busted for that in england, not in a similar situation where the road wasn't open to the public anyway...

australia isn't a nanny state because of this but it does need to work out a better way of disciplining motorists apart from ritual humiliation....

SSbaby · 24 Aug 2010, 12:22 (Ref:2749431)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chatters

Mark Webbers nanny state strikes again!

I think Webber is grateful that he doesn't live here anymore... so it's not Webber's nanny state anymore.

Anybody with half a brain knows that Webber is spot on with his criticism of Australia's road safety efforts and the ineptitude of Australian drivers. We would have to rank as the worst in the world as far as developed countries are concerned.

In fact, Webber won himself a definite admirer, here for standing up to our pollies and police.

**Woolley** · 24 Aug 2010, 12:32 (Ref:2749439)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSbaby

IWe would have to rank as the worst in the world as far as developed countries are concerned.

Someone else who's never been to Wolverhampton, then.

Bevan-L · 24 Aug 2010, 12:49 (Ref:2749444)

Lewis could hav killed a baby seal with that stunt... Glad the Judge hit him where it hurts... his pockets.... I'm sure he'll think twice now about doing these sorta things....

SSbaby · 24 Aug 2010, 12:53 (Ref:2749445)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

Someone else who's never been to Wolverhampton, then.

How about the converse of that statement... has Woolley ever been to the nanny state isle?

We have vast land mass and so many tailgaters, overtaking lane hogs, selfish and inconsiderate road users, and such very poor standard roads... and let's not include discussion about the ubiquitous revenue raisers, err, I mean fixed and hidden road safety cameras.

We do not drive Fiat Punto's as a rule down here as our roads really are wider than the average Pommy lane...

JamesH · 24 Aug 2010, 15:56 (Ref:2749521)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSbaby

We have vast land mass and so many tailgaters, overtaking lane hogs, selfish and inconsiderate road users, and such very poor standard roads... and let's not include discussion about the ubiquitous revenue raisers, err, I mean fixed and hidden road safety cameras.

Apart from the vast land mass bit, that sounds like my drive in to Cambridge every day!

ASCII Man · 24 Aug 2010, 16:18 (Ref:2749531)

Good God, they fined him for about as much as one pair of designer sunglasses!

Oh, the humanity!

E.B · 24 Aug 2010, 16:39 (Ref:2749544)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bella

no he wouldn't have been busted for that in england, not in a similar situation where the road wasn't open to the public anyway...

As far as I am aware it WAS on a public road..... as he rejoined the at the time open to the public streets from the closed streets closed for the event.

He did an ill considered thing that was illegal, and was rightly dealt with as any member of the public would have. Regardless of the fact that no doubt with his skill set his maneuver was not reckless or life endangering, he has agreed it was 'naughty', not the PC thing for someone of his public profile and influence to have done, and has 'happily' copped the circumstances, which included having his car impounded on the spot. IIRC the car was subsequently auctioned off by the dealer with profits / excess over the reserve (trade value?) going to charity.

Knowlesy · 24 Aug 2010, 17:05 (Ref:2749558)

What a joke.

He should have been hung for what he did. It is that scant disregard for others safety that causes FATALITIES.

Peter Dunne · 24 Aug 2010, 17:29 (Ref:2749571)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

What a joke.

He should have been hung for what he did. It is that scant disregard for others safety that causes FATALITIES.

You crack me up Mr Knowles, you really do

Teretonga · 24 Aug 2010, 19:10 (Ref:2749643)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

What a joke.

He should have been hung for what he did. It is that scant disregard for others safety that causes FATALITIES.

He would have been fined what anyone else would have been fined for a similar offence. In that sense the Australian judge took no account of his celebrity status and did nothing to use him as a scapegoat or public example.

He treated him exactly as any Australian citizen would have been treated. The judge should be commended for his common sense and impartiality.

JeremySmith · 24 Aug 2010, 23:45 (Ref:2749750)

Rich black man driving his very expensive Mercedes in Australia...Way better than any cop can imagine...Complete rubbish..

Juarez Jed · 25 Aug 2010, 02:01 (Ref:2749771)

Don't pull the race card again Jeremy.

Teretonga is spot on. That is how the average Joe would be treated for doing a burnout on a public street in front of a cop.

Nothing to see here, move along ....

johnh875 · 25 Aug 2010, 03:54 (Ref:2749777)

Can't believe this is still dragging on - probably shows our court system is like any other when such a trial matter has taken so long to work through the system.

JamesH - the report I read said he received the maximum fine available for the offence. If anything I would say he got off relatively lightly as often the police would pin a range of associated offences on you, but of course it was a pretty minor thing and ended up being conducted in the full glare of the media/political spotlight.

Can you imagine the kick-up that would have happened to the cop had he not given LH a ticket? Not to mention any smart-aleck pulled over for the next year!

The car ended up being sold for AUD$157,000 which is quoted as $7000 more than its book price but a lot less than the $230k+ new price. (and I'm sure any diff clunks or axle problems would be addressed under warranty

)

VIVA GT · 25 Aug 2010, 07:23 (Ref:2749802)

To paraphrase Monty Python:
"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
Lewis misbehaved, got caught, and has been punished, end of.
The fact that his superior driving skills would have meant that the car wasn't really out of control is irrelevant, he was setting a bad example (although it was just high jinks)...

browney · 25 Aug 2010, 13:42 (Ref:2749971)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Rich black man driving his very expensive Mercedes in Australia...Way better than any cop can imagine...Complete rubbish..

Sorry, even if that is a joke, it is a completely a disgraceful comment that is unfair and unsubstantiated. Treating everybody equally under the law is not racist!

It should read 'guy committed offence by the Australian Traffic Law, was penalised in accordance with that law (which was a tiny penalty, especially for him)'

Look I know that no one was in danger and I couldn't care less about it, but he drifted a car, on a public road exiting a crowded place right in front of a police officer. People are kidding themselves if they think that you get away with doing this in front of a cop anywhere. It was at a GP, where there is a crowd the police are expected to actually enforce the law.

Again, if you are claiming this is a race thing, you should be ashamed of yourself.

JeremySmith · 26 Aug 2010, 00:05 (Ref:2750292)

Quote:

Originally Posted by browney

Sorry, even if that is a joke, it is a completely a disgraceful comment that is unfair and unsubstantiated. Treating everybody equally under the law is not racist!

It should read 'guy committed offence by the Australian Traffic Law, was penalised in accordance with that law (which was a tiny penalty, especially for him)'

Look I know that no one was in danger and I couldn't care less about it, but he drifted a car, on a public road exiting a crowded place right in front of a police officer. People are kidding themselves if they think that you get away with doing this in front of a cop anywhere. It was at a GP, where there is a crowd the police are expected to actually enforce the law.

Again, if you are claiming this is a race thing, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Just checking to see if you lot are paying attention..

JeremySmith · 26 Aug 2010, 00:13 (Ref:2750295)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juarez Jed

Don't pull the race card again Jeremy.

Teretonga is spot on. That is how the average Joe would be treated for doing a burnout on a public street in front of a cop.

Nothing to see here, move along ....

Pull the race card again? What Lewis did was wrong, so he has to pay a fine and it would be prudent for him not to do something like that again because he should and does know better..

The end....By the way about the moving along part of your post, that is my job...

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