Wednesday 31 March 2010

Hyperbole Alert...

Mr Kemp then got back on and, in scenes reminiscent of the 1990s thriller Speed, kept the bus moving normally while waiting for help to arrive.
I really rather doubt that...

13 comments:

  1. Are air guns illegal now? Or was someone really arrested and released on bail for carrying a legal item?

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  2. Would it surprise anyone at this point if he'd been arrested just for carrying a picture of one?

    Such is the society we live in...

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  3. Don't forget his DNA will now be on record too...........

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  4. Nice to see words like 'reminiscent' are still used in some papers.

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  5. Nice to see words like 'reminiscent' are still used in some papers.

    Only up to a point. It also allows journalists to drift into lazy hyperbole on the mean streets of the unpromisingly named Peacehaven, don't you think?

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  6. Obo:

    Air weapons (and BB guns) aren't illegal - yet.

    However, t'was ever the case that when transporting air weapons, they are subject to legislation on weapons in public - that is, they should be unloaded and secured in a proper container. So a locked box in the boot of a car or even on the bus would've been OK - carried in a plastic bag fails!

    So while he may not have been arrested for possession of a firearm, he could be done for the way they were being transported.

    My God, I just gave a serious answer....

    D

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  7. Phew probably the most exciting tale I've read for ages. Positively breathless at several points especially as the partnership approiach swung into action with the almost seamless performance of the Sussex Police and the Brighton Bus Company, working like clockwork....I'm off for a lie down.

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  8. woman on a raft31 March 2010 at 10:47

    Do they really think Carlos the Jackal would wander about with his shooter sticking out of a supermarket placcy bag, much less use the top deck of a south coast bus as his gettaway wheels.

    For goodness sake, it's not Canvey island.

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  9. "My God, I just gave a serious answer...."

    There's time to redeem yourself.. ;)

    "Phew probably the most exciting tale I've read for ages."

    Breathtaking, isn't it? I'm sure the mean streets of Brighton double easily for the California freeways too.

    "Do they really think Carlos the Jackal would wander about with his shooter sticking out of a supermarket placcy bag, much less use the top deck of a south coast bus as his gettaway wheels.

    For goodness sake, it's not Canvey island."


    Ouch! ;)

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  10. We are correctly informed about the laws surrounding ownership and transportation of weapons powered by air, for clarification that is both weapons using bottled compressed air and those that use a mechanism to compress air to propel a projectile. Interestingly new laws do require that when sold in this country these items are a 'bold' colours, bright blue or yellow for example, to distinguish them from firearms requiring a licence. However for those who indulge in paintball or the more sophisticated air soft it is perfectly legal to purchase by mail order, transport and own weapons powered by air that unless internally inspected are designed to look and feel exactly like a range of deadly firearms.
    As the police can consider anything that someone possesses and is on display in a public place a weapon they can and will arrest anyone they choose to. It is then up to the CPS whether charges are brought. I suspect as this bloke was released without charge he had nothing that was designed to be fired from the guns on him and that the guns were in some bag went in his favour.
    I’m unsure of the status of weapons where the mechanism is in direct contact with the projectile to be fired, eg. Crossbows.

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  11. Maybe they meant "reminiscent of 1990s thriller Speed THREE"?


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_3

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  12. I didn't even know there was a 'Speed 3'! 'Speed 2' was bad enough...

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  13. Julia

    It's a "Father Ted" episode. Angry milkman Pat Mustard rigs his float so that it will blow up if it drops below 4mph while Father Dougal is driving. Hilarity ensues.

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