How To Behave In a Speed Awareness Course

[Frosties]

Right then fellas ........... more advice needed
 
Got nabbed doing 54 in a variable 40 on the M25 and been lucky enough to get an awareness course for the bargain price if £95 (robbing bastards).
 
The thing is, my natural character always leans towards having a laugh and a bit of banter (literally can't help it), so am at odds as to how to approach this course (need to have a bit of fun eh)
Options are
a) Act like a total fuckwit who hasn't the faintest clue about anything and ask stupid questions.....
b) Totally disagree with everything the "expert" *cough* explains to us just to try to get him to blow.....
c) Sit still and shut up with zero input.....
d) Hang head in shame and totally agree with everything......
 
Any advice as always appreciated...........especially anyone who knows of any really awkward questions to ask or scenarios to present which will totally screw the head of the "expert" who is just running his script.
 

[BBROWN1664]

d) Hang head in shame and totally agree with everything......

[Nightfury]

My Mum went to one of these things a little while back. 35 in a 30! Police bike sitting in a side road. Her first time caught speeding in nearly 50 years of driving! At (almost) 70 years old, she said she was one of the younger ones there!


From what she told me about it the 'experts' don't really care if you respect them or not. But the decent thing will be to behave out of respect to the others that are there.


d) Hang head in shame and totally agree with everything...... (especially as you don't know their background, maybe the 'expert' is an ex police motorcycle rider? You never know.)

[slappy]

Stop over thinking it, when I did mine it was two women taking it, both were advanced hgv trainers or somethjng like that.
It was very relaxed and a bit of humour and plain talking was encouraged even though it did have its serious moments.
Just play it by ear, see how the it goes, the "experts" might be knobheads or you could be lucky like me and get two who actually live in the real world.
One of the questions I was asked was why did I speed and my answer was because  I thought that it was safe enough at that moment to do so, they were ok with that as it was an honest answer.
The only time I felt they were running to a script was when one guy asked them what they thought was most dangerous, someone doing 5 mph over the limit and paying attention or someone doing  5 mph under the limit and using their phone at the same time,  their answer was the speeder to which everyone else disagreed.

[Frosties]

From what she told me about it the 'experts' don't really care if you respect them or not. But the decent thing will be to behave out of respect to the others that are there.


d) Hang head in shame and totally agree with everything...... (especially as you don't know their background, maybe the 'expert' is an ex police motorcycle rider? You never know.)

Got to admit you're right - hadn't thought about their particular background.
Not over thinking it Slappy - just fancied a light hearted session. But a bloody good point re speeding vs using the phone.

[Dead Eye]

The only time I felt they were running to a script was when one guy asked them what they thought was most dangerous, someone doing 5 mph over the limit and paying attention or someone doing  5 mph under the limit and using their phone at the same time,  their answer was the speeder to which everyone else disagreed.

How exactly did they justify that? Kind of curious as I would also have said that the mobile phone user was a much larger danger

[youngsterbiker]

i did one back in may. (had to drive to carlisle from perth and back in one day. was not fun) It was rather relaxed. They set the rule of phones off and not to be seen or your out, but then said there was free coffee at the back help yourself s whenever. It was quite relaxed, fun, and got the candidates involved. There was also a couple things to do as a table. (5 -6 people a table) The 2 guys running were ROSPA driving instructors. I did learn a little bit, never really felt bored. (apart from the ride there and back)
All this to say, they can be abit of fun, you might learn something and your points disappear at the end of it.

[7omly]

I'm a bit like you, love a laugh and like a bit of piss taking banter to relieve the boredom. Never been on one of these courses. Daft question but can you fail them?  Just be a bit of a kiss arse to get through it. It's nowt to do with safety anyway. It's merely a money making tool for the government.

[Frosties]

I'm a bit like you, love a laugh and like a bit of piss taking banter to relieve the boredom. Never been on one of these courses. Daft question but can you fail them?  Just be a bit of a kiss arse to get through it. It's nowt to do with safety anyway. It's merely a money making tool for the government.

Can you fail them - hadn't thought about that. Suppose you could if you walked out without completing the course. Anyone?

[NorthWestern]

when I did mine they did say that they need to feel you give a contribution to the course with input in order for them to sign you off (as mentioned there are exercises to do per table/group and they asked questions for groups and individuals to answer).


Not sure if that was just to get you to listen or an actual criteria for "passing", I have never heard of anyone failing it.

[Robbie8666]

i did one back in may. (had to drive to carlisle from perth and back in one day. was not fun) It was rather relaxed. They set the rule of phones off and not to be seen or your out, but then said there was free coffee at the back help yourself s whenever. It was quite relaxed, fun, and got the candidates involved. There was also a couple things to do as a table. (5 -6 people a table) The 2 guys running were ROSPA driving instructors. I did learn a little bit, never really felt bored. (apart from the ride there and back)
All this to say, they can be abit of fun, you might learn something and your points disappear at the end of it.

exactly what I did on mine 3 years ago (except ride there & back!!)
thought i'd be bored rigid but you can be as involved or not as you like.. most interesting point for me was the 2 people that didn't attend and they would automatically get prosecuted! lol
it was only half a day and a good way to take my mind off my wedding which was the next day 
 

[hairnet]

its more money than a ticket

nod sagely for most of it but if you want to put yer 2p in they wont mind

banter will happen

boils down to who you get doing the presentation

as robbie there were a few didnt show and they ripped the piss about about receiving the law

[Punkstig]

Don't be late, they will not let you in, have a laugh - I did!

'you see that wheelie bin in the picture?'
'that's not really a bin'
'it is a bin, look'
My job here is done!

[Frosties]

Don't be late, they will not let you in, have a laugh - I did!

'you see that wheelie bin in the picture?'
'that's not really a bin'
'it is a bin, look'
My job here is done!

[noggythenog]

I thought I was pretty good with the highway code type stuff...since I passed my test in 2000 ive done car+trailer, LGV, HGV, blue lights and finally my bike test so I had refreshed from time to time.....but when I went on the speed awareness course I could see that I was a bit rusty so from that perspective it is useful.

also there are some good points on it about identifying speed limits in the absence of actual signs and stuff like when is a dual carriageway actually a dual carriageway etc.....no Im not telling you the answers 

some folks on the course maybe haven't done any refresher since they passed their tests 40 years ago so for them it is even more useful....and you may have useful life experience or some influence as a biker that you can pass to them during the discussions and that could be someone else that you save in future.

it certainly wasn't as bad as I thought it would be anyway.

[darrsi]

Was talking to a friend a few months back who attended and he said the same as Punkstig, do not be late.
He said they just shut the door and put you down as not turning up, which then obviously goes against you.

[darrsi]

You could always test the vibes by maybe turning up dressed as a funny clown, which on a positive note may add a bit of colour to the room as well.
I doubt very much there's a dress code, so certainly worth a go. 

[chaz]

have a bit of banter but not too much you don't want to be there all day, I was asked to draw a give way and stop sign, and the speed thing, if theres street lights its ?? nearly 3 years since I did mine, think is cost £75 in west Yorkshire and £89 in North Yorkshire, the fine was £60 think it's £100 now and if you compleat the course (you only have to be there and listen) then no points.

[john roche]

I had to go to naughty class a couple of year ago. It was quite good fun and the guy running the course had a sense of humour that he used to get his message across. He was realistic that speeding isn't always the worse thing you can do and didn't preach too much.


Cheers


John

[Frosties]

I had to go to naughty class a couple of year ago. It was quite good fun and the guy running the course had a sense of humour that he used to get his message across. He was realistic that speeding isn't always the worse thing you can do and didn't preach too much.


Cheers


John

Bloody hope he has a sense of humour or i'll be asleep 

have a bit of banter but not too much you don't want to be there all day, I was asked to draw a give way and stop sign, and the speed thing, if theres street lights its ?? nearly 3 years since I did mine, think is cost £75 in west Yorkshire and £89 in North Yorkshire, the fine was £60 think it's £100 now and if you compleat the course (you only have to be there and listen) then no points.

Errrr street lights = 30mph 

Banter....can't help it to be honest and have to wind it in sometimes with the boring people who don't understand "taking the piss." 

Was talking to a friend a few months back who attended and he said the same as Punkstig, do not be late.
He said they just shut the door and put you down as not turning up, which then obviously goes against you.

No worries there - I hate being late. Orrrrrrrrr even waiting for lazy shits who can't read feckin clocks or be bothered that i'm waiting   

You could always test the vibes by maybe turning up dressed as a funny clown, which on a positive note may add a bit of colour to the room as well.
I doubt very much there's a dress code, so certainly worth a go. 

Darrsi - you've no idea how tempted I am now you've mentioned it  . Vicky Pollard outfit would be easy  .  Damm you Darrsi..............


Noggy - a dual carriageway I think is when you have a central reservation     Might have a read up before I go..

[Andy FZS]

So what if you have two lanes a central reservation and street lights.....

[Frosties]

So what if you have two lanes a central reservation and street lights.....

Errrrr, still a dual carriageway I think - but a Southern one 

[Mick-H]

95 quid !!! did mine a few weeks back and sure I only paid £75 ish, wonder why their is such a difference?

[Hedgetrimmer]

So what if you have two lanes a central reservation and street lights.....

Doesn't it also have something to do with the street light spacing?

[darrsi]

I had to go to naughty class a couple of year ago. It was quite good fun and the guy running the course had a sense of humour that he used to get his message across. He was realistic that speeding isn't always the worse thing you can do and didn't preach too much.


Cheers


John

Bloody hope he has a sense of humour or i'll be asleep 

have a bit of banter but not too much you don't want to be there all day, I was asked to draw a give way and stop sign, and the speed thing, if theres street lights its ?? nearly 3 years since I did mine, think is cost £75 in west Yorkshire and £89 in North Yorkshire, the fine was £60 think it's £100 now and if you compleat the course (you only have to be there and listen) then no points.

Errrr street lights = 30mph 

Banter....can't help it to be honest and have to wind it in sometimes with the boring people who don't understand "taking the piss." 

Was talking to a friend a few months back who attended and he said the same as Punkstig, do not be late.
He said they just shut the door and put you down as not turning up, which then obviously goes against you.

No worries there - I hate being late. Orrrrrrrrr even waiting for lazy shits who can't read feckin clocks or be bothered that i'm waiting 

You could always test the vibes by maybe turning up dressed as a funny clown, which on a positive note may add a bit of colour to the room as well.
I doubt very much there's a dress code, so certainly worth a go. 

Darrsi - you've no idea how tempted I am now you've mentioned it  . Vicky Pollard outfit would be easy  .  Damm you Darrsi..............


Noggy - a dual carriageway I think is when you have a central reservation     Might have a read up before I go..

Smiley clown, not the evil looking nightmare type bastids.