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Cereal offender caught eating at the wheel hands herself in to police...in Staines

Woman caught eating a bowl of cereal while driving has handed herself in to Staines Police Station, but won't face porridge...

A woman who was caught on camera eating a bowl of cereal while driving has handed herself into police in Staines today.

The 51-year-old woman, from East Molesey, South West London, was confronted by David Williams who caught her driving her Land Rover with one hand, while holding a bowl of cereal with the other, as he cycled past. Williams handed his footage to police on Wednesday.

The woman, who voluntarily attended Staines Police Station, and was interviewed by officers from Surrey's Roads Policing Unit, is unlikely to do porridge - but she could face a driver improvement course or fixed penalty notice.

Surrey Police said in a statement: "On Wednesday, 17 June Surrey Police received a report from a member of the public who had seen a woman driving whilst eating a bowl of cereal at the junction of Creek Road and the A309 Hampton Court Way in Molesey.

"The woman was issued with a Driver Referral Notice for the offence of driving whilst not in proper control of motor vehicle.

"This notice will be submitted to the Force’s Traffic and Process Unit (TPU), who will review the case and make a decision regarding any further action – which could include sending the individual on a driver improvement course or a fixed penalty notice."

Williams, who is also a cycle instructor, has since been the subject of an angry Daily Mail article, which has branded people who use helmet cameras the "Cycling Stasi", and "infuriatingly, throat-throttlingly, red-mist-inducingly smug". 

Surrey Police remind anyone who believes they have witnessed an offence to report it on 101 or on their website here.

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

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41 comments

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
0 likes
Quote:

But even though most of us claim to be above average, I think we know that our driving is poor, so we're scared that we might be caught out and it's easier to get angry with camera users than go on a refresher course.

Speak for yourself...  16

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a.jumper replied to don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
0 likes
don simon wrote:
Quote:

But even though most of us claim to be above average, I think we know that our driving is poor, so we're scared that we might be caught out and it's easier to get angry with camera users than go on a refresher course.

Speak for yourself...  16

So when did you last go on a refresher course, or are you angry with camera users?  3

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to a.jumper | 9 years ago
0 likes
a.jumper wrote:
don simon wrote:
Quote:

But even though most of us claim to be above average, I think we know that our driving is poor, so we're scared that we might be caught out and it's easier to get angry with camera users than go on a refresher course.

Speak for yourself...  16

So when did you last go on a refresher course, or are you angry with camera users?  3

I'm just a driving god, my friend.  3

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a.jumper replied to don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
0 likes
don simon wrote:
a.jumper wrote:

So when did you last go on a refresher course, or are you angry with camera users?  3

I'm just a driving god, my friend.  3

Is that claiming to be above average, or do you smite down the camera users  21

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Skylark | 9 years ago
0 likes

Cheeky nosy cyclist. Shouldnt you be the one paying attention to your riding instead!?

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124g | 9 years ago
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Was it perchance Crunchy Nut cereal

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Manchestercyclist | 9 years ago
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It's so common its unreal, I had to ride slowly down the middle of Oldham road indicating to the articulated lorry driver behind me that I wouldn't let him past until he got off his phone for half a mile on Friday afternoon.

This was after watching him ride through a red light.

There is virtually no enforcement in Manchester at all.

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3wheelsgood | 9 years ago
0 likes

That's not a Landrover; THIS is a Landrover...

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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Good to see that she saw the error of her ways and handed herself in to plod voluntarily.

Shame it needed her face to be plastered over social media and a couple of days for this to happen.  35

She's sorry for what?

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whobiggs replied to don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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Sorry she got caught?  29

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Bob's Bikes | 9 years ago
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Call me cynical but has anybody else thought about this...

"This notice will be submitted to the Force’s Traffic and Process Unit (TPU), who will review the case and make a decision regarding any further action – which could include sending the individual on a driver improvement course or a fixed penalty notice."

The important word in there is COULD she could in fact end up with nothing at all or just a telling off, I mean that'l teach her.

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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And there was me thinking she was likely to be prosecuted and convicted for reckless driving given a ban and hefty fine. Plod and CPS demonstrate yet again they are soft on dangerous drivers. What's the point? Hardly worth all the aggro really.

Who is this woman? Name and shame!

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shaun finnis | 9 years ago
0 likes

I myself find cycle cameras annoying. Yep I use one and report idiots with it much too often. So let's ban the camera's and ban the idiots on the road. No idiot's no camera required campaign! It's simple! Lol

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Cupotea | 9 years ago
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Anyone else think if a car had overtaken him only to squeeze in front and turn left rather than wait a few seconds and flow with the traffic (like he did with the Golf) he'd have been angry? Its like braking to fit into a slot between HGVs on a motorway to get on the slip road.

Yes the woman was an idiot, but the amount of double standards that are only going to rile other road users I see in videos like this is depressing.

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GrantT | 9 years ago
0 likes

And meanwhile hundreds of cyclist commuters chomp down on cereal energy bars washed down with a biden of semi-skimmed everyday. Too many cereal offenders to count.

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jacknorell replied to GrantT | 9 years ago
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GrantT wrote:

And meanwhile hundreds of cyclist commuters chomp down on cereal energy bars washed down with a biden of semi-skimmed everyday. Too many cereal offenders to count.

Troll-oll-oll-oll  1

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Eric D | 9 years ago
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"... angry Daily Mail article, which has branded people who use helmet cameras the "Cycling Stasi", and "infuriatingly, throat-throttlingly, red-mist-inducingly smug"."

What is really alarming is that the article
"Cycling Stasi: Never mind drivers eating cereal. SARAH VINE says the real menaces on our roads are vigilantes in Lycra filming your every move"
is by the wife of the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

Ooh !

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Streetlife replied to Eric D | 9 years ago
0 likes

... so its true. The Daily Mail IS read by the wives of those who run the country ...

For the uninitiated:

The Times is read by those who run the country
The Daily Telegraph is read by those who used to run the country
The Daily Express is read by those who used to run the country and still think they do
The Financial Times is read by those who own the country
The Daily Mail is read by the wives of those who run the country
The Guardian is read by those who would run the country if only it was fair
The Daily Mirror is read by those who will run the country once the workers sieze power
The Sun is read by those who don't care who runs the country as long as she has large b***sts ...

If all the above read roadcc and cycled would we be living in Holland or Copenhagen?

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vonhelmet replied to Streetlife | 9 years ago
0 likes
Streetlife wrote:

... so its true. The Daily Mail IS read by the wives of those who run the country ...

For the uninitiated:

The Times is read by those who run the country
The Daily Telegraph is read by those who used to run the country
The Daily Express is read by those who used to run the country and still think they do
The Financial Times is read by those who own the country
The Daily Mail is read by the wives of those who run the country
The Guardian is read by those who would run the country if only it was fair
The Daily Mirror is read by those who will run the country once the workers sieze power
The Sun is read by those who don't care who runs the country as long as she has large b***sts ...

If all the above read roadcc and cycled would we be living in Holland or Copenhagen?

Come on, at least credit the source of the joke you're passing off as your own.

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hylozoist replied to vonhelmet | 9 years ago
0 likes
vonhelmet wrote:
Streetlife wrote:

... so its true. The Daily Mail IS read by the wives of those who run the country ...

For the uninitiated:

The Times is read by those who run the country
The Daily Telegraph is read by those who used to run the country
The Daily Express is read by those who used to run the country and still think they do
The Financial Times is read by those who own the country
The Daily Mail is read by the wives of those who run the country
The Guardian is read by those who would run the country if only it was fair
The Daily Mirror is read by those who will run the country once the workers sieze power
The Sun is read by those who don't care who runs the country as long as she has large b***sts ...

If all the above read roadcc and cycled would we be living in Holland or Copenhagen?

Come on, at least credit the source of the joke you're passing off as your own.

Besides that, since when was "breasts" such a terrible profanity that it needs to be asterisked out?

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vonhelmet replied to hylozoist | 9 years ago
0 likes
hylozoist wrote:

Besides that, since when was "breasts" such a terrible profanity that it needs to be asterisked out?

Ironically, the original joke finishes with "as long as she's got big tits", which does drift towards the realm of things people might want to censor.

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Matt Triban | 9 years ago
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Is she on snap, crack(le) and pop or somethin'? Booyakasha. West side.

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hampstead_bandit | 9 years ago
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more helmet camera = more motorists getting caught = an eventual change of motorists behaviour

camera footage is evidence, rather than your word against theirs

Check out this guy, very busy having a conversation in heavy traffic in Camden 2 nights back, driving along not even holding the steering wheel!

//ep1.pinkbike.org/p6pb12363067/p5pb12363067.jpg)

Put his phone down very quickly when he realised he was on camera

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Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
0 likes

She handed herself in to help herself.

She, and others like her, do not give a hoot about anyone else's safety.

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andyp | 9 years ago
0 likes

'Or maybe some Daily Mail reading idiot that does something just as stupid, might see that their are consequences and reconsider their behaviour.'

That is also possible, and hopefully more than just possible.

I think the cameras are a great idea, and I'm very pleased that this particular fuckwit was caught.

However to say that *only good can come out of it* is absolute bollocks.

'By the same logic, you don't want terrorists caught and punished in case some other terrorist somewhere gets angry about it and blows something up?'

I would have to say that a) you have no idea what 'logic' means, b) you have no idea what I was trying to say, and c) you have no grasp of reality.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to andyp | 9 years ago
0 likes
andyp wrote:

'Or maybe some Daily Mail reading idiot that does something just as stupid, might see that their are consequences and reconsider their behaviour.'

That is also possible, and hopefully more than just possible.

I think the cameras are a great idea, and I'm very pleased that this particular fuckwit was caught.

However to say that *only good can come out of it* is absolute bollocks.

'By the same logic, you don't want terrorists caught and punished in case some other terrorist somewhere gets angry about it and blows something up?'

I would have to say that a) you have no idea what 'logic' means, b) you have no idea what I was trying to say, and c) you have no grasp of reality.

Well (b) is because you didn't say it very well, but apology accepted.

Care to explain what you mean by (c) or are you just chucking abuse for the sake of it?

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danthomascyclist replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 9 years ago
0 likes
FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
andyp wrote:

'Or maybe some Daily Mail reading idiot that does something just as stupid, might see that their are consequences and reconsider their behaviour.'

That is also possible, and hopefully more than just possible.

I think the cameras are a great idea, and I'm very pleased that this particular fuckwit was caught.

However to say that *only good can come out of it* is absolute bollocks.

'By the same logic, you don't want terrorists caught and punished in case some other terrorist somewhere gets angry about it and blows something up?'

I would have to say that a) you have no idea what 'logic' means, b) you have no idea what I was trying to say, and c) you have no grasp of reality.

Well (b) is because you didn't say it very well, but apology accepted.

Care to explain what you mean by (c) or are you just chucking abuse for the sake of it?

He's misquoting my original post and mixing it with your points. I think he's confused himself.

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webster | 9 years ago
0 likes

The only motorists that are getting annoyed by the headcam wearers are those who risk having their driving standards criticised. If their driving is good enough then they have nothing to worry about.

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a.jumper replied to webster | 9 years ago
0 likes
webster wrote:

The only motorists that are getting annoyed by the headcam wearers are those who risk having their driving standards criticised. If their driving is good enough then they have nothing to worry about.

But even though most of us claim to be above average, I think we know that our driving is poor, so we're scared that we might be caught out and it's easier to get angry with camera users than go on a refresher course.  2

Avatar
PhillBrown | 9 years ago
0 likes

Quit the moaning about the driving offence(s) and let us address the important issue here... That, is not a Range Rover, It's a Land Rover.

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