Friday Funday: Smile for the camera
Posted by Ingrid Koehler on May 2, 2008
Election night streamed straight to your home
Big winners and losers in the local elections yesterday. The BBC, as usual, has some nifty graphical representation of the results.
If you’ve never been to an elections count, it’s a pretty exciting time. Well, to be honest, it’s a slow build as you wait for ballot boxes to arrive, to be opened and then the endless hand counting. But obviously, it’s pretty emotional for the candidates and their supporters as you get down to the wire.
For those who’ve never seen a local count, you can see one now – online. Birmingham decided to live stream the results.
Hosted by broadcaster Adrian Goldberg, the coverage will include results, interviews with key political figures and analysis of how the evening is progressing.
Birmingham City Council’s chief executive and returning officer, Stephen Hughes, said: “In an increasingly digital age it is ever more important we seek out new and innovative methods through which to keep the citizens of Birmingham and beyond up-to-date with all our latest news and developments.
And although the results are already in (thus eliminating the element of surprise) – you can still watch the election night show. I haven’t seen the whole thing, but at a glance, it looks pretty slick.
Lollipop rage
Reckless and inconsiderate motoring on residential roads drives me round the bend, you could call it a pet peeve, I guess. And why someone would drive aggressively around school crossing guards and small kids at school opening and closing times is completely beyond me. But apparently, they do.
Now there are “lollipop cameras” to catch out bad drivers. You can read more about it (and see some dandy pics) on the gadget blog Gizmodo
Lollipop ladies, those kindly old women who man the main roads next to school, similar to the US crossing guard, have been issued with video cameras to record lollipop rage—as school-side road rage is known.
The cameras, which record traffic coming from both the front and the back, mounted on the lollipop lady’s cap, and attached to an Archos portable DVR, have been developed by a British firm, Routesafe. Several local authorities have invested in the technology to counter the increasingly aggressive behavior on British roads.
The Guardian has more – including a quote from the Local Government Association:
Councillor David Sparks, the chairman of the LGA’s transport committee, said: “It’s unbelievable that we have to take this action, but the lives of children are at risk from increasing numbers of drivers who are so selfish that they are willing to put lives at risk by refusing to stop for 30 seconds at a school crossing
Moon over the Tyne
We may not be used to lollipop ladies and gents carrying cameras, but we’re certainly used to the speed camera. What can a hurried driver do but grin and bear it?
Well, one could bare it. That is – bare a different part of the anatomy.
A passenger in North Tyneside mooned a traffic camera – much to the amusement of the vehicle’s driver.
The driver, who appeared to be laughing on the snap, will not face prosecution because no driving offence was being committed.
But Northumbria Police will contact the car’s registered keeper and could take action against the rude passenger for public order offences and not wearing a seat belt.
Jeremy Forsberg, of the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative, said: “This behaviour is simply ridiculous.
You can read more and see a snap of the offending passenger (if you so choose) here.
