Cyprus-Forum.com

[SSBubbles]

I am all for Cyprus retaining its traditional charm but to suggest that its charm would be lost if measures to reduce deaths, serious injuries and devastated families, were avoided, makes no sense.
I do not think that, for example, young teens riding, irresponsibily, on mopeds is part of Cyprus' tradition. Twenty years ago young men could not afford cars, teenagers had no access to mopeds and traffic levels were very low.
I do my very best to avoid danger on the road, I ask only that others do the same.
Lana

Hear hear!

[DANGAMAN]

I agree that the Police are at fault to some extent...

How about the parents of these children who know that there children are driving illegally with no helmets or lights?

Where does there responsibility come in?

It is all ok until they get a phone call that their child has been involved in a collision, then the Police are to blame.

We are all to blame, when was the last time we spoke to one of these kids, called the cops on them or spoke to their parents as caring citizens.

I have more than once.

[suegwyn]

It's easy to blame the police, and I agree that they are too lax in 'enforcing' the law, but parents and individuals have to take responsibility for their own actions....or lack of action as regards to parents who let thei rchildren ride without helmets etc.

Road safety should be taught in school, show them a few horror videos of what can happen, even when you wear a helmet! Police officers should stop anyone not wearing a helmet and take their keys. I have seen people being stopped, given a fine and then they get back on the bike!!

Being tougher on traffic has nothing to do with culture and tradition

[PARAMED]

Quite correct,

There are plenty of people that should and must take share of the blame.

I do feel that there will be plenty more in the future as lessons from these incidents can take a long time to learn.

[Robin Hood]

Don’t use the UK as an example regarding traffic law’s, the UK is total overkill by bureaucrats who would not have a job if they were not applying their abundant stupidity to very minor traffic offences. Try Germany as an example. The Germans are almost ‘pre-programmed’ to follow orders, if the sign says ’STOP’ then they stop. To most people, me included, there seems no point in stopping at a crossing if there is nobody on it, but the German police have ideas that preclude the use of common sense, if it says STOP then you stop. The Germans know this and generally abide by the law. Thus they have a fairly high standard of driving, that’s not to say this applies to all Germans, they have idiots too.

If every body that drove on the road had absolute common sense, then there would be no need for traffic regulations, other than a few basic ground rules. All traffic laws are basically common sense put onto paper. Those of us that have never been booked for an offence and have also managed to avoid accidents have done so through luck, the simple application of common sense, the ability to perceive the consequences of our actions and the anticipation that not every body else has been blessed with the same level of common sense as we have. It boils down to the fact that you only need rules to control idiots and it is idiots that ignore the rules. If there is no negative consequence for breaking the rules then the rules will continue to get broken.

In Cyprus there is an abundant shortage of common sense. All the rules are there to make driving safety enforceable but you have a police force that has even less common sense than the average Cypriot driver so they don’t bother to enforce anything unless it suits them. So, rather than apply the law to these kids, read the riot act to the parents of these children and threaten them with legal action if they do not control their children, they do nothing and the children die.

People die here, on the roads, mainly because common sense is in short supply. If killing children through negligence is an ‘old Cypriot tradition’, I can’t say I go a lot on your traditions!!!!

[cyprusgeoff]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=45901

If this is what the police are wasting their time with then I'm afraid we will all suffer.

Article reads: -

A BRITISH man who dropped off a friend at Paphos Airport was harassed and abused by police who accused him of operating as an unlicensed taxi driver, claimed a 43-year-old resident of Cyprus yesterday.

David Roach, a Paphos resident for the last seven years, had just dropped off the daughter of a friend at the airport at 1pm yesterday when a taxi driver accused him of operating illegal taxi rides to the airport all week.

“A taxi driver started shouting at me, accused me of coming every day this week. Before I knew it, two taxi drivers and around eight policemen surrounded me, claiming it was illegal to take people to the airport for money,” said Roach.

The unsuspecting motorist had attracted the interest of nearby taxi drivers and police officers when his ride handed him some money for petrol.

“I have been to the airport two times in the last six months. Once last Wednesday when I picked up my friend’s daughter, as he’s not very well at the moment, and today (yesterday) when I took her back to the airport.

“I was helping out a friend. The daughter innocently gave me some money for the petrol when I dropped her off. I didn’t ask her for it, but when she offered I said thank you. I won’t say no to petrol money,” said Roach.

However, according to the British national, this did not stick with the police who insisted on taking him down to the station for questioning.

“Eight cops and two taxi drivers all came up to me. The police superior was very abusive to me. I told him I’d done nothing wrong and was perfectly capable of getting in my car and driving off.

“They wanted me to go down to the station with them. I said if you’re not arresting me, then I don’t want to go. The man in charge threatened to take me anyway if I left.”

Eventually, the police let him go, but not before booking him for an expired road tax.

“They kept me there approximately 25-30 minutes. They took my details and address, and said it could go to court. If it does, I will make a right farce of it. I have a white two-door Pajero, it’s not exactly a commercial use car,” said Roach.

The 43-year-old questioned the heavy-handed tactics of the police, who refused to reveal their names. He added that the behaviour of the police and taxi drivers would not encourage people to return to the island, or to take taxis.

“Cyprus is low on tourism. Friends coming over to visit are a big part of tourism. Perfectly innocent people seeing this will say why should I come back. I certainty won’t take a taxi again. Everything I did was within my rights, it’s not illegal to take petrol money,” he said.

Asked whether he knew the taxi driver in question who made the accusations that led to the police intervention, he replied: “I’m an entertainer and this taxi driver has seen me sing my heart out in bars. I don’t know what made him think I was taking his business.”

I think someone needs to get a grip on this police force, and fast!

[SSBubbles]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=45901
If this is what the police are wasting their time with then I'm afraid we will all suffer.
Article reads: -


A BRITISH man who dropped off a friend at Paphos Airport was harassed and abused by police who accused him of operating as an unlicensed taxi driver, claimed a 43-year-old resident of Cyprus yesterday.

David Roach, a Paphos resident for the last seven years, had just dropped off the daughter of a friend at the airport at 1pm yesterday when a taxi driver accused him of operating illegal taxi rides to the airport all week.

“A taxi driver started shouting at me, accused me of coming every day this week. Before I knew it, two taxi drivers and around eight policemen surrounded me, claiming it was illegal to take people to the airport for money,” said Roach.

The unsuspecting motorist had attracted the interest of nearby taxi drivers and police officers when his ride handed him some money for petrol.

“I have been to the airport two times in the last six months. Once last Wednesday when I picked up my friend’s daughter, as he’s not very well at the moment, and today (yesterday) when I took her back to the airport.

“I was helping out a friend. The daughter innocently gave me some money for the petrol when I dropped her off. I didn’t ask her for it, but when she offered I said thank you. I won’t say no to petrol money,” said Roach.

However, according to the British national, this did not stick with the police who insisted on taking him down to the station for questioning.

“Eight cops and two taxi drivers all came up to me. The police superior was very abusive to me. I told him I’d done nothing wrong and was perfectly capable of getting in my car and driving off.

“They wanted me to go down to the station with them. I said if you’re not arresting me, then I don’t want to go. The man in charge threatened to take me anyway if I left.”

Eventually, the police let him go, but not before booking him for an expired road tax.

“They kept me there approximately 25-30 minutes. They took my details and address, and said it could go to court. If it does, I will make a right farce of it. I have a white two-door Pajero, it’s not exactly a commercial use car,” said Roach.

The 43-year-old questioned the heavy-handed tactics of the police, who refused to reveal their names. He added that the behaviour of the police and taxi drivers would not encourage people to return to the island, or to take taxis.

“Cyprus is low on tourism. Friends coming over to visit are a big part of tourism. Perfectly innocent people seeing this will say why should I come back. I certainty won’t take a taxi again. Everything I did was within my rights, it’s not illegal to take petrol money,” he said.

Asked whether he knew the taxi driver in question who made the accusations that led to the police intervention, he replied: “I’m an entertainer and this taxi driver has seen me sing my heart out in bars. I don’t know what made him think I was taking his business.”

I think someone needs to get a grip on this police force, and fast!

Beggars belief!

[PARAMED]

No it does'nt,

They are no doubt related, apart from that petrol money from Paphos to airport for a friend indeed, and he could always have refused to accept.

Something like this came up last year, when residents meeting relatives were holding up joke signs, the same elements got hot under the collar in thinking they were touting for business and gave the folk a similar going over.

[Z4]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=45901

If this is what the police are wasting their time with then I'm afraid we will all suffer.

Article reads: -

A BRITISH man who dropped off a friend at Paphos Airport was harassed and abused by police who accused him of operating as an unlicensed taxi driver, claimed a 43-year-old resident of Cyprus yesterday.

David Roach, a Paphos resident for the last seven years, had just dropped off the daughter of a friend at the airport at 1pm yesterday when a taxi driver accused him of operating illegal taxi rides to the airport all week.

“A taxi driver started shouting at me, accused me of coming every day this week. Before I knew it, two taxi drivers and around eight policemen surrounded me, claiming it was illegal to take people to the airport for money,” said Roach.

The unsuspecting motorist had attracted the interest of nearby taxi drivers and police officers when his ride handed him some money for petrol.

“I have been to the airport two times in the last six months. Once last Wednesday when I picked up my friend’s daughter, as he’s not very well at the moment, and today (yesterday) when I took her back to the airport.

“I was helping out a friend. The daughter innocently gave me some money for the petrol when I dropped her off. I didn’t ask her for it, but when she offered I said thank you. I won’t say no to petrol money,” said Roach.

However, according to the British national, this did not stick with the police who insisted on taking him down to the station for questioning.

“Eight cops and two taxi drivers all came up to me. The police superior was very abusive to me. I told him I’d done nothing wrong and was perfectly capable of getting in my car and driving off.

“They wanted me to go down to the station with them. I said if you’re not arresting me, then I don’t want to go. The man in charge threatened to take me anyway if I left.”

Eventually, the police let him go, but not before booking him for an expired road tax.

“They kept me there approximately 25-30 minutes. They took my details and address, and said it could go to court. If it does, I will make a right farce of it. I have a white two-door Pajero, it’s not exactly a commercial use car,” said Roach.

The 43-year-old questioned the heavy-handed tactics of the police, who refused to reveal their names. He added that the behaviour of the police and taxi drivers would not encourage people to return to the island, or to take taxis.

“Cyprus is low on tourism. Friends coming over to visit are a big part of tourism. Perfectly innocent people seeing this will say why should I come back. I certainty won’t take a taxi again. Everything I did was within my rights, it’s not illegal to take petrol money,” he said.

Asked whether he knew the taxi driver in question who made the accusations that led to the police intervention, he replied: “I’m an entertainer and this taxi driver has seen me sing my heart out in bars. I don’t know what made him think I was taking his business.”

I think someone needs to get a grip on this police force, and fast!

Christ almighty

[baby-come-fly-with-me]

I say leave it as it is. Of course it's a tragedy but if you want to be policed beyond recognition go & live in the UK. I for one, enjoy the laid back attitude of the constabulary, albeit I am actually law abiding anyway. Why does everybody feel the need to bring the island into the 21st Century ?

Just go with the flow. Unfortunately accicents like this will always happen, the police and no end of road lighting won't stop them.

BECAUSE...children are getting killed and hurt, and the layed back chilled (funny comment from you) police in cyprus are in actuall fact breaking the law themselves by allowing this to happen. Example can you imagine a surgeon being lazy and alowing someone to die?? NO. thats what the police in cyprus are doing, they are lazy and before running the uk down, they need to go there and be showed what they have to do to make society a safe place...never mind going to uk