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News headline.. speeding Grandmother

(20 Posts)
Baggs Fri 26-Jun-20 18:36:20

Isn't it safer to stay behind a dangerous driver, leaving a safe stopping distance for yourself?

Elegran Fri 26-Jun-20 18:23:32

Jane10 I wondered too why she had been left stranded at the side of the road? Is it common practice to impound a vehicle when someone is caught speeding? Was it ten minutes walk from home or 2 hours? Was it broad daylight in the town centre, or after dark on a lonely road? Was it a motorway with no pavement sidewalk? We only have half the story.

Puzzled Fri 26-Jun-20 18:08:34

Maybe we are applying UK mindsets to what happened in another country. Their laws may be different as to the penalty for law breaking.
But the headline suggests that the silly season starts earlier elsewhere.
Remember; good news rarely sells newspapers or attracts a large TV audience

Evoha16 Thu 28-May-20 16:54:52

Absolutely Callistemon - sound defence in these anarchic times ??☘️?

Callistemon Thu 28-May-20 11:03:17

Did she have grey hair though?
That's a really important point.

The other point is that she was doing 30km ph over the speed limit.
So, she was doing 18.64 mph over the speed limit.
What was she doing out anyway?

72 year old grandmother of four, with grey roots, was caught speeding at 88.64 mph on a deserted motorway during lockdown.
Interviewed outside her £450,000 home, the elderly woman said "it's my first offence, guv, and I was going to visit my even more elderly parents who needed my support; the motorway service station was shut when I needed a comfort break."

25Avalon Thu 28-May-20 10:49:26

If she didn’t know what she was doing she shouldn’t be driving. I have to say it does make a refreshing change from all our same old, same old, news here in UK even if like our news reporting it is hyped up.

Jane10 Thu 28-May-20 10:41:12

Are cars impounded at the scene though? What if was on a motorway? You can't leave a person stranded there.

timetogo2016 Thu 28-May-20 09:58:55

Yes she had a exemplary license so she says.
But it may have been her first fine/points etc but i would bet she has done the same many times and not been caught.
And i don`t care how old she is,she knew what she was doing .

Nansnet Thu 28-May-20 04:01:16

geekesse - "^There are plenty of grandmothers who like driving, and one or two have admitted to enjoying speed^" ?

I'm assuming you are referring to driving too fast ...?grin

sodapop Wed 27-May-20 22:18:06

grin love it Callistemon

CanadianGran Wed 27-May-20 21:14:35

I remember getting upset over the same thing about a year ago on the American news; a 'Killer Grandma' was on the lam, and the search was on. I thought that she had killed a grandchild, but no, she had killed her husband and another man. Being a grandmother had absolutely nothing to do with the story, and she was only 59 at the time.

Why does society need to label elderly women as grandmothers? They don't do it for men.

SueDonim Wed 27-May-20 20:55:01

grin

Callistemon Wed 27-May-20 20:11:18

SueDonim you beat me to it!

72 year old grey-haired Grandmother of 4, caught speeding at 65 mph in a 60mph area, said, as she stood outside her detached £450,000 home, it was not a fair cop, guv, etc etc etc.

Are you on GN, 72 year old Grandmother?

janeainsworth Wed 27-May-20 19:11:59

I don’t agree with your DH Canadiangran.
The reporter has merely sexed up his/her report to get more people interested.
It’s an example of what I’d call inverse stereotyping - the stereotypical grandmother would be at home benignly playing dominoes with her grandchildren, reading stories, or baking muffins or whatever.
This grandmother though is clearly a badass grandma who defies the stereotype. She breaks the law and then reinforces her image by loudly complaining that she’s already a victim of injustice.

She’s actually a stereotype herself - I think Monty Python did a sketch about evil grannies/witches and Catherine Tate portrayed a particularly horrible Nan.
She’s even infiltrated children’s TV programmes - I think it was Ben and Holly who had Nanny Plum who certainly didn’t conform to the nice Grandma stereotype.

SueDonim Wed 27-May-20 18:57:34

Did they mention how much her house was worth, too?

geekesse Wed 27-May-20 18:41:38

Read the thread ‘Can you - do you - drive?’ There are plenty of grandmothers who like driving, and one or two have admitted to enjoying speed ?

Lucca Wed 27-May-20 18:39:10

Canadiangran. good point. It’s like “pensioner Mary ....”Mum of three....”

NfkDumpling Wed 27-May-20 18:04:55

The media were obviously shocked that a grandmother could possibly have done such a thing. Surely you realise that all women over 70 spend most of their time knitting and cuddling their grandchildren.

They’ve not read Gangsta Granny.

Beechnut Wed 27-May-20 17:59:23

Was she a grandmother though ?

CanadianGran Wed 27-May-20 17:56:28

I found myself ticked off watching the news last night. The story was about a 'Grandmother' who was pulled over for excessive speeding, and had her car impounded and a large fine for doing 30km/hr over the limit.

She thought the punishment was excessive and bemoaned the fact that she was left on the side of the road without a vehicle. She went on to say that she had an exemplary driving record with no incidents in 50 years, and she was only speeding to pass a driver that was exhibiting dangerous driving. She will fight the fine in court, but will have to pay to retrieve her car after 1 week impoundment.

First, I looked at my DH and wondered why this was even on the news; secondly, what does the fact that she is a grandmother have anything to do with the story? If this was a 72 yr old man would the headline be "Speeding Grampa?"

I understand the media has to fill the news hour with some human interest stories, but it really bugged me that the fact that she was a grandmother was used at least 3 times by the reporter. DH suggested they are using it to create sympathy for the woman, but it really got under my skin.

Thoughts?