Brian Berry

Before I became a chartered planner I was, 20 years ago, involved in police training. We always tried to teach ' speak to people how you would like to be spoken to'. Since leaving I have had some disasters when meeting the police at ordinary incidents. This could be being redirected when there is an accident nearby, meeting officers at incidents involving planning matters, asking the way or a neighbour's car alarm going off when they were away and the car broken into. They were completely unable to speak to me in a civil and constructive manner which leaves me very disappointed . When I visit anywhere now and I am lost I always ask a member of the public for directions.

Bazza,Sorry to hear about your dilemma in getting the police to do something. The problem is that for every good story about the old bill nowadays there is a bad one. Since retiring early from the police many years ago I have only had negative service i.e. my sister in law was followed from a bus stop late at night and in the public footpath connecting the main road to our close she was rushed upon. She hit the youth with her umbrella and he fled. She came home very shocked. I phoned the police, they did not come and when I made further enquiries all they did was make out a message.

When working as a planning officer I was at a site where there was an illegal concrete crusher creating a great deal of noise and dust. The culprit attempted to hit my colleague in front of 2 police officers. When we received statements from the officers we were accused of winding up the operator and provoking him by stating to him the planning legislation. I made a complaint to their Supt and was informed that they lacked 'statement experience'.

I tried to get in touch with the local police training unit in order to clarify a point of law. The police operator refused to put me through as I did not have a name although I had stated ' any training officer will do'. I stated that I was on county council business.

In the case of your van I think that the police would view a broken window as criminal damage BUT if the offender is caught they would reclassify as attemped theft. This keeps the theft crime figures down if it is not detected.

When our neighbour's car was broken into when they were away the car alarm sounded continually. Two WPC's told me that they could do nothing about the noise and I would have to wait for the Battery to go flat and that I was not to touch the car prior to police examination. After they had left I taped plastic sheeting over the broken window to prevent the car alarm from going off, The car was never examined. I DESPAIR!

Even Lord Stevens has changed his mind after the murder of the WPC . He now advocates that the killer, when caught, should receive the death sentence.

The police force of late has suffered from having weak Home Secretaries and a politically correct govt which has affected police efficiency and morale. All the rank and file want to do is provide a service where the public have confidence in them. This confidence, badly eroded during the past 15 years, can be rebuilt with good leadership and a sound govt in law and order.

Getting back to the shooting it is not sufficient for the police authority to state that the officers were duly equipped in wearing body armour. If the villains carry guns then the only alternative, sad to say, is for the police to be armed. It is indeed a sad state of affairs but I can see no alternative.

The solution can only be towards considering the reintroduction of the death sentence for certain offences and the police being armed.

I speak as a retired officer who served in better times.

My heart goes out to the family and colleagues in what must be one of the most tragic cases there has ever been. The murderers must be caught!

I have been on the Broadstreet web site and found that if you want a new Lexus IS 200SE the picture which comes up is the new model about to be released. I wonder what Trading Standards would make of this? The price, around£20,000.

I did the same and have just sold my Lexus IS 200SE but I am still a committed Lexus fan. I have just been on the Broadstreet Web Site and they have their wires crossed. They are selling new Lexus IS 200Se models at around £20,000 incl metallic paint and the picture you see is the new IS just about to be released. I can see a few customers being unaware of these matters receiving the current model thinking that they are buying the new one. I wonder what trading standards would make of this?

My daughter did the same. She was in agony. She had to have an MRI scan which would have taken an 18 mth wait under NHS. I drove her to Brighton where she had a private scan which cost £900. This was seen by the NHS consultant who said that she need not have an op but special physio sessions which she is now undertaking. Without the MRI scan in which a special dye is injected into the shoulder the consultant would have been unable to have made the correct diagnosis.

funnily enough i don't like the bmw 1 series, it looks like a shoe.

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Its a pretty comfortable shoe. I just traded my IS200SE in for a 116iSport. I wanted a hatch and I really rate it. Ok I know Clarkson doesn't like it but we all have our preferences. :duh:

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spose ur right, saw this nice modded 1 series the other day

BMW 116i

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Don't get me wrong. I still rate Lexus very highly and I think their aftersales service is second to none. Just felt like a hatch for a while. Will probably return for a nearly new diesel IS in 3-4 yrs time. Its good to try another marque as, after experiences show , the Lexus people are at the top of the tree.

funnily enough i don't like the bmw 1 series, it looks like a shoe.

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Its a pretty comfortable shoe. I just traded my IS200SE in for a 116iSport. I wanted a hatch and I really rate it. Ok I know Clarkson doesn't like it but we all have our preferences. :duh:

I took my Lexus 200 stainless steel exhaust end off before trading it in for a BMW 116i Sport. I fancied having a hatch for while. Anyone wanting an exhaust end please e-mail me: brian@cunliffeberry.fsnet.co.uk

I have a Lexus 200 SE /petrol/stainless steel exhaust trim

It is in VGC and I can let you have it for £20 plus postage.

Genuine reason for sale.

I do know that a few years ago criminal damage under £25 was not crimed but if the culprit was caught it became a detected crime. Good for the detected figures.

If an old lady was attacked outside a shop and thrown to the ground after having a handbag snatched it was crimed as a ' theft from the person' If the culprit was caught it suddenly became a detected robbery.

I have a book ' How to lie with statistics ' by Darrell Huff. Interesting reading.

The above was from personal experience!

The best thing to do under these conditions where utter plonkers rule the force is to get out. There is a life outside the police force, I know, I did it!

A day before my MOT the nearside headlamp misted up. I was obviously concerned but the following morning it had cleared back to normal. It last happened about a year ago. I should add the car passed the mot.

Mines:

April 2000 W reg

28,000 Miles

It is a great looking car and having seen the photos it looks good from any angle.

As a senior citizen I have no objections to you youngsters driving a mature man's car! We don't all go up the motorway at 40mph. I will give you Lexus owners a wave as I pass.

Much prefer to watch Amanda Burton in ' The Commander' and she drives the top of the range metallic silver Lexus Coupe. Series by Lynda La Plante about the Met.

Ravstar, I agree, when we all see it on the stand we may appreciate it fully. At least it makes a modern statement and is not a car for fuddy duddies!

Like most new designs it takes a bit of getting used to. Second time round it looks better. One could get used to it!

I have just seen in Autocar mag that the new model ( IS 200 ) is due out in March 2006. I have not seen anything positive yet as to how it will look. Has anyone seen anything ?

Having acquired my Lexus in Sept 2001 I fed' Lexus' in to the Freeserve search engine and found the owners web site. I mentioned the site to many older drivers who have Lexus models but have found in the 'senior citizens' category that many are not computer literate and shy away from purchasing one. I look upon Lexus models as being cars for all ages. I find that my 200SE is fast enough but I find looking at the hotter versions at meets to be very interesting.

I have been along to a few meets and have found that a large percentage of the Lexus 200 owners to be in IT. I am a retired Chartered Planner and age wise are in the 'old git' category. I have however found the Lexus crowd to be extremely friendly, after all we have something in common ' the car'.

I have a W reg 200SE and have had two new audio units fitted with no problem.

The warranty for the audio was extended by Lexus to 5 years.

Before we close this thread I would like to know how easy it is to change the Battery? I have a W reg IS200SE and although everything is OK at the moment the time will come when the Battery needs to be renewed. I feel a bit apprehensive that if I take the Battery out the progamming may be effected. I read somewhere that one should put the new Battery in at once with no delay but I do not know if the correspondent was referring to Lexus types.

I found it pretty easy fitting the mud flaps. I had to take the rear wheels off to drill the couple of holes for the rear flaps which was easy.

I have just had a 4year service done by Auto Tune of Hedge End, Southampton. The full service cost £210 and I can tell the difference in crisp acceleration. They explained everything to me and I certainly got value for money.