Forum Topic

Amazon vans on fire off the M4 hard shoulder bright as magnesium

Can anyone explain to me what the thinking is of this 'Blade Runner' gang vandalising cameras in the Chiswick area? Won't most of these cameras be effectively defunct come the end of next month when the zone expires. Even now for some of them they are unlikely to bring in much revenue. For instance, to get pinged by the Park Road one you would have to have looped around Hogarth Roundabout first.It's infuriating that people go around damaging public property but it makes it even worse that some of the cost they are incurring on the rest of us doesn't even serve their purpose.Does anyone know when the zone expands, will the anomaly of the local section of the A4 be incorporated into the ULEZ?

Francis Rowe ● 1145d15 Comments

The zone expands at the end of August and will include the A4 through Chiswick along with the vast majority of London within the M25. Details can be found on the TFL website:https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-where-and-when

Paul Scullion ● 1145d

Yes, the "Chiswick banana" where the ULEZ boundaries stretched in along the A4 to Hogarth roundabout will be no more on 29 August.  The cameras will be redundant as boundary cameras however they may still retain them as they could identify non-compliant vehicles within the zone (although roads with low traffic like Park Rd are hardly the best place for them).There is still a section of the M4  to J3 (A312) that isn't in the ULEZ so if a vehicle turns around at J3 roundabout , they won't enter the ULEZ but if they come off the roundabout or continue along the M4, they enter the ULEZ.

Michael Robinson ● 1145d

Presumably they could also identify vehicles with no MOT and tax.

Philippa Bond ● 1145d

Sadly not as that is not enforced by TfL.Cannot ever condone vandalism but should be easy enough to restore hopefully with an armoured cable.

N V Brooks ● 1145d

not sure how burning Amazon vans comes into this? Maybe someone can explain? Sabotaging cameras is a bit less serious than setting fire to vehicles I'd think. Just to be clear, I'm against both.

Davey Harris ● 1143d

Glad to hear it!Francis isn't advocating torching delivery vans. He has adapted Ruger Hauer's 'Tears in the Rain' monologue from the first Blade Runner film.Here's the original, "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion... I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... Time to die."

Felicity Caborn ● 1143d

One is assuming the van caught fire through vandalism, this might not be the case in fact it probably isn’t.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1143d

You are right, I was being too clever by half and the title has a potential to misled people unfamiliar with the film. Worse still, I got the quote wrong. 'Bright as magnesium' was in the original script but Rutger Hauer left it out.For the record, I am 100% against setting fire to delivery vans of all kinds with the possible exception of Yodel. Actually, on consideration, not even Yodel.

Francis Rowe ● 1143d

I'm glad we've sorted that one out ... I have seen the film, but didn't make the connection ...

Davey Harris ● 1143d

You definitely don't want to give Yodel another excuse for failing to deliver.

Richard Greenhough ● 1143d

Ruger Hauer, that name brings back happy memories.I worked as a stand in for him on a couple of productions. The likeness was striking.A true gentleman, sadly no longer with us.Amazon, uggh! I am holding out using them as long as I possibly can.

Adrian Irving ● 1142d

are you blond I imagine you to have darkish hair.

Janice Evans ● 1142d

'Amazon, uggh! I am holding out using them as long as I possibly can.'Trouble is Amazon are the only reliable delivery service. They're really good at it.

Susan Kelly ● 1142d

Evri are the utter pits

Davey Harris ● 1142d

Oh it could have been when you were both grey I suppose, will have to keep on guessing.

Janice Evans ● 1141d