Recursive

Cars Behaving Badly (Site Proposal)

Written by

jezmck

in

I have been bouncing an idea around my head (and off a couple of other people’s) and would like to open it up to your thoughts, reactions and suggestions.

Although I drive very little (I work at home), I see a lot of bad driving. A lot of the time it’s simply inconsiderate, sometimes it’s downright rude, other times it’s downright dangerous.
I have also seen many vehicles in dangerous physical conditions, and sometimes with illegal modifications.

Instead of whinging to the gf, I figured it would be much more useful to make a note of these things.
Making these notes could be useful in discovering who is to blame, and what could be done to prevent the problems in the future.

Some of you may be thinking ‘Goody Two-Shoes‘ etc, but there are too many people who complain about something and then do nothing to make it better. (Think Honda advert – Hate Something, Change Something, Make Something Betterrrr!)

The features I’ve considered for the site include:

  • Note of the:
    • Crime / Misdeed / etc
    • Vehicle Make & Model
    • Vehicle Registration
    • Driver description
      • Age / Sex
    • Location
      • Using Google Maps API
    • Rating of the ‘crime’
      • which would also show which crimes annoy us the most

All Web2.0’ified. All written in swanky OO PHP etc etc.
It would be anonymous, but limited to one report per Reg per IP per day. (Or something)

So, what are your reactions? Would you be concerned (for me) about litigation over slander etc? Would you submit reports? Would the police (or other authorities) be interested?

Comments

14 responses to “Cars Behaving Badly (Site Proposal)”

  1. Ste avatar
    Ste

    Nice idea Jez! It’s like that “How’s my driving?” sticker you see on the back of white vans, with half the phone number missing so you can’t phone up to complain!

    But I’d be really cautious about it too be honest. There are some rather dangerous characters out there on the road (as you know!) who wouldn’t take too nicely to people complaining about them on the web.

    Maybe you should think of protecting your idea first, and then approach the police with it, with the view of you developing it. That would certainly make things safer!!

    Reply
  2. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    I had been hoping that the people who do get reported would understand that it wasn’t me reporting them, and that (in all likelyhood) they were actually guilty as charged.
    Then I remembered the kind of person they’ll be.

    Perhaps it should just be a vehicle type, no reg and no driver description?

    Reply
  3. Hayden avatar
    Hayden

    I’d be worried about the legalities of naming the Reg. You would have to include a photo so that there can be no contention in that case, but even that would enhance it I think.

    It would be very good to see if there were many ‘repeat offenders’ once the thing gets going!!

    Reply
  4. Hayden avatar
    Hayden

    As a side note, I’ll try to get a photo of the Corsa around Belfast with 4 exhausts….

    Reply
  5. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    How about I let the accused to retort? Or perhaps just request that the ‘crime’ be anonymised.
    There’s also the (legally valid?) point that since the accusations/reports would be anonymous there is no offender to be accused.
    Would I be immune? Could the site not simply equate to a noticeboard at the village hall? The council wouldn’t be responsible for the notices on it.

    Reply
  6. Hayden avatar
    Hayden

    There are some very interesting cases at the moment where providers are being sued for just that. Blogs / Forums have defecated someones reputation and they can’t sue the anonymous poster so the sue the provider. Don’t think any have been upheld yet but they are certainly in the courts.

    Reply
  7. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    >defecated
    sure?! lol.

    I didn’t know of those cases, and hope (for the good of ‘common’-sense etc) that they’re not upheld. You have any links to more details of these cases?

    Reply
  8. Hayden avatar
    Hayden

    yep. No one likes their reputation to be shat on.

    Reply
  9. Ste avatar
    Ste

    Hmmm … seems to be the topic of the moment;

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/5195328.stm

    Reply
  10. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    Interesting. Especially that it was set up by Police, and local (to here) ones too.
    I have partaken in a web chat with the Merseyside police chief (re my NFHell) so there is a way I could ask him about my suggested site. Perhaps they could pay me to make it! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Timarisu avatar
    Timarisu

    YO! Bro!
    As this is my first ever comment on any blog – I’ll keep it sweet – NOOOOOOO!
    From a legal perspective, you are at risk of getting seriously slammed. Even if you complain about – say – a red Corsa with four exhausts – post it up (to more than 2 people) and accuse them of dangerous driving – every red Corsa driver with four exhausts could have a case for libel against you. Unlikely but possible.
    In my humble…
    love ya
    xxx

    Reply
  12. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    Cheers T.
    So if there’s a report which includes the reg, there’s only one person who can sue?
    And the more vague it is, the more people can prove they have guily consciences?!

    Shame, it seems the law is not on the side of Big Brother (in the proper Nineteen Eighty-Four sense) this time.

    Reply
  13. Hayden avatar
    Hayden

    Parking is another thing which annoys me. Everyone is in such a rush – they just hoik the car into a space usually rendering the surrounding spaces unusable. If people just parked properly we’d all fit nearer the door and there wouldn’t be so many people in a rush.

    Yes, I used the word “hoik”.

    Reply
  14. jazzle avatar
    jazzle

    I’m liking the ‘hoik’. 🙂

    There are many irritating habits of many irritating people.
    I’m trying to learn to ignore them, but it ain’t easy…

    Reply

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