Live to ride...

 Yesterday I decided to take a test ride on the new Harley Streetglide (nearly £18 grand... WT??) with the new, puny 1690cc motor. 

What a pussycat. I got up to 75 before I realised the hi-fi whip antenna was caught up on the front bumper of a Ford Focus that had been parked up at the dealers and which I was now towing. Then to top that I found a pizza delivery moped, complete with spotty yoof rider, had been sucked into the air cleaner. Apart from that it pulled quite well from 35 in 6th. Went back and went into the BMW dealer next door (owned by the same franchise) and was rather taken by the R1200R. I think I’m going all minimalist in my old age.

 

A Victim of crime, a victim of the system

A couple of days ago I sat through a BBC reporter's interview with a woman by the name of Claire Waxman. It was as compelling as it was horrendous and excruciating.

Claire was the victim of an obsessive `stalker` for nine years. As a former police instructor I predict that the BBC News 24 channel interview will become an integral part of the public protection training regime for many years to come.

As I listened to her story, told with great calmness and clarity, something terribly sad occurred to me. I actually believe that she would probably have faired better at the hands of the State had she suffered a sudden and temporary loss of self control and ran him over in her car and killed him, as almost happened during one of her countless stalking encounters. Certainly, the law has several legal precedents and statutory defences to such things when committed in extremis, under duress, diminished responsibility or even, streching it somewhat, under automatism. Either way, that result would have arguably put her life back to normal far quicker than the status quo. But then again, why should she have to be pushed to that limit?

Set aside 30 minutes.

 You have 5 days left to watch this online

Who's best?

During my 32 years police service I worked alongside many homosexual officers, but for 99% of the time I didn't actually know it and 100% of the time I didn't care. Most of them kept their sexuality to themselves, it was a generation thing and I know times have changed but, I reiterate, most of my former colleagues' sexual orientation and preferences (with a few exceptions) was kept very much to themselves. Had I known, it would have made not a bean of difference to me whatsoever. So, I am a little undecided about what to make of the following story, from a Constabulary newspaper:

Hampshire Constabulary
has maintained its position
as the UK’s top police force
for lesbian, gay and
bisexual (LGB) people.
We came 14th in this year’s Stonewall
Workplace Equality Index, which ranks
organisations on their commitment to
LGB employees.
Chief Constable Alex Marshall said: “I
applaud the achievements of the
Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and
all the organisations that enter into it.
“The fact the competition has
become much tougher is testament to
the progress the country as a whole is
making in improving the quality of life
for lesbian, gay and bisexual people,
both in the workplace and in our
communities.”
Top of the index for 2012 was Ernst
and Young followed in second place by
the Home Office.

I had no idea there was a competition.

A Reminder

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r090

The above link will take you to the BBC Radio 4 website and a 30 minute programme available on the BBC iPlayer, called "The Long Walk". It is well worth a listen. I knew the man who is the subject of the story, he was based at my station. I had cause to see him and his colleagues work on many occasions. It was a daily occurrence. Bad  days. Bad times. Amazing man.