Speeding on Ivy Lane

Yesterday, I attempted to organise a community speedwatch event on Ivy Lane as a background activity whilst we* chatted to some of the residents about complaints of speeding on the road.

I'm not a fan of the whole speedwatch idea. I remember talking to someone from head office at the Party conference last year and telling them how rubbish it was. I don't know, therefore, quite how I found myself organising one. I suppose the reason is that it seemed an appropriate activity that would be enough of a pull to get everyone together in one place to have a chat.

Unfortunately the speedwatch didn't work out - someone had nabbed the coppers gun from the police station (an inside job?!), and the residents said in no uncertain terms that they wouldn't have done it anyway. After all, it's the job of the police they said.

The funny thing is that everytime someone from the ward gets nabbed speeding themselves, they ring me up to say that the police should be out catching murderers and thieves.

So we just can't win**.

Anyway - I was chuffed that so many of the residents turned out. I notified 30 houses and had 10 residents. It gave us an opportunity to discuss some wider issues and I hope the residents found it worthwhile speaking to us. I've picked up some action points and I hope we'll be able to fully investigate the Ivy Lane situation.

* we being: Erika Wenzel, Wesley Fitzgerald, John Nicholson, Cllr Sandy Bentley and myself.

** At this point I was on the cusp of dropping into "Why do I bother?" mode, which after two bouts of abuse on the Weston I think I'm still teetering on the edge of....