Fatality at Balham?
 

Roland Perry wrote in message ...
In message , Ian
Johnston writes
if you came home at midnight and saw water coming froma blocked
gutter, would you immediately shin up a ladder - ather than wit till
the morning - because that's how they do things in Reykjavik?

I've been called out at 2am to inspect leaking gutters at the workplace
I was responsible for; if that helps.


And you repaired them there and then, did you, leaving no part of the
job until the morning?

Ian

Fatality at Balham?
 

David Hansen wrote in message . ..
On 9 Feb 2004 11:18:27 -0800 someone who may be
(Ian Johnston) wrote this:-

The steel wheels on steel rails do not really pick up evidence and
distribute it further down the track. If necessary fit some sheets
of plastic under the rails and let the trains pass. Easy peasy, even
with conductor rails.

With all due respect, that's just plain silly.

You fail to explain why?

No, I think you covered that ...

Are you seriously
suggesting that trains could run through a murder investigation scene,
at speed

Possible murder scene.

Oh, that's OK then. It might not have been a murder, so let's just
disturb evidence and wait for a few days (till Sunday afternoon) to
have a shufti.

I didn't mention the trains running at speed. Doing so would rip the
plastic.

Oh yes. The plastic. I like the plastic. You're going to cover a
couple of hundred yards of track with plastic in such a way that the
rails are fully exposed but everything else is hidden. And as you do
this you can ensure than no evidence is going to be disturbed in any
way. What's the plan - hoik the track up with a crane and lay it down
on a hell of a lot of cling film?

without hindering the investigation in any way?

I don't think it would hinder the investigation in any way.

Absolutely. Not at all. That's why the police almost always wrap crime
scenes in plastic for a few days before doing any investigation.

When the police have extracted themselves from the chip shop and are
ready to make a start then they could be allowed to do their work,
outside the peak periods.

Go on. Tell us about the obviously traumatic encounter you've had with
the rozzers. Let it out.

Ian

Fatality at Balham?
 

In message
(Ian Johnston) wrote:

[snip]

Go on. Tell us about the obviously traumatic encounter you've had with
the rozzers. Let it out.


mode=wooden spoon

Don't mention the rubber gloves!

/mode

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

Fatality at Balham?
 

In message , Ian
Johnston writes
I've been called out at 2am to inspect leaking gutters at the workplace
I was responsible for; if that helps.

And you repaired them there and then, did you, leaving no part of the
job until the morning?

We did what was necessary to keep the (24x7) workplace running normally
until further notice - the other option being to abandon ship. And then
fixed it properly later. In the case of the trains, what is missing is
the "restoring normal operation" aspect.
--
Roland Perry

Fatality at Balham?
 

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 07:08:25 UTC, David Hansen
wrote:

: On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 01:09:21 +0000 someone who may be Roland Perry
: wrote this:-
:
: In the case of the trains, what is missing is
: the "restoring normal operation" aspect.
:
: I think the problem is that the trains are not considered important
: by the police. The utterances of our unlearned friend Mr Hidden
: don't help.

If a body was found in suspicious circumstances at 1am on the M8, do
you think the police would cover stuff up with plastic and wait until
after the morning rush hour to look for evidence?

Ian

Fatality at Balham?
 

"Ian Johnston" wrote in message
news:cCUlhtvFIYkV-pn2-15gYwGsdV2Bd@localhost...
If a body was found in suspicious circumstances at 1am on the M8, do
you think the police would cover stuff up with plastic and wait until
after the morning rush hour to look for evidence?

Not a particularly good example. There are numerous examples of fatal
crashes in which the evidence is dragged off the road within hours -
basically as soon as the ambulances are gone.

'Getting the traffic flowing' is seen as a priority on the roads - even
where some effort at investigation is made, often one or two lanes will be
open. There doesn't seem much concern for disturbing potential evidence
there.

Richard

Fatality at Balham?
 

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 12:46:11 UTC, "Richard"
wrote:

:
: "Ian Johnston" wrote in message
: news:cCUlhtvFIYkV-pn2-15gYwGsdV2Bd@localhost...
: If a body was found in suspicious circumstances at 1am on the M8, do
: you think the police would cover stuff up with plastic and wait until
: after the morning rush hour to look for evidence?
:
: Not a particularly good example. There are numerous examples of fatal
: crashes in which the evidence is dragged off the road within hours -
: basically as soon as the ambulances are gone.

Bad comparison:

1) This ain't a mere fatal crash. There is a suspicion that the victim
was murdered. Done away with. Killed. So they don't just bag him and
have a quick shufti for tyre marks. They look for clues, and
bloodstains and all that other deerstalker hat and magnifying glass
stuff.

2) Remember, the body was found at 1am.

: 'Getting the traffic flowing' is seen as a priority on the roads - even
: where some effort at investigation is made, often one or two lanes will be
: open. There doesn't seem much concern for disturbing potential evidence
: there.

I see that a main road in Birmingham was entirely closed for the
morning rush hour a couple of days ago after a child was killed by a
police car.

Ian

Fatality at Balham?
 

: Not a particularly good example. There are numerous examples of fatal
: crashes in which the evidence is dragged off the road within hours -
: basically as soon as the ambulances are gone.

Bad comparison:

1) This ain't a mere fatal crash. There is a suspicion that the victim

Fatal crashes are often killings caused by someone's crime. Why should they
be dealt with less seriously than murders?

I see that a main road in Birmingham was entirely closed for the
morning rush hour a couple of days ago after a child was killed by a
police car.

We have had 5 children killed in my (small) town in the past year - 4
pedestrians, one cyclist - all but one killed by illegal actions by a driver
(cyclist driven into, 3 children killed in separate incidents by drivers
failing to give way when turning). Speed implicated in all 5 cases.

No prosecutions and no serious investigation - roads quickly reopened. It's
a scandal that is being ignored.

One suspects the only reason your case was properly investigated was because
the PCA would be involved.

Richard

Fatality at Balham?
 

On 12 Feb 2004 09:00:57 GMT someone who may be "Ian Johnston"
wrote this:-

If a body was found in suspicious circumstances at 1am on the M8, do
you think the police would cover stuff up with plastic and wait until
after the morning rush hour to look for evidence?

You fail to spot the fundamental difference. If one was to build a
bridge over the surface of the M8 that motor vehicles could use then
one would have a comparable situation. The height of this bridge
above the road surface being the same as the difference in level
between the ballast and rail head.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Fatality at Balham?
 

In article ,
Richard wrote:
"Ian Johnston" wrote in message
news:cCUlhtvFIYkV-pn2-15gYwGsdV2Bd@localhost...
If a body was found in suspicious circumstances at 1am on the M8, do
you think the police would cover stuff up with plastic and wait until
after the morning rush hour to look for evidence?

Not a particularly good example. There are numerous examples of fatal
crashes in which the evidence is dragged off the road within hours -
basically as soon as the ambulances are gone.

A fatal crash is not necessarily the same as suspicious circumstances.

--
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