http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7149915.stm

Pretty funny I love hearing these stories. Surprised the cops wouldn't just let him go considering he's an F1 star. :D

Sorry if it's a repost I did a quick scan and didn't see it posted anywhere.

France SUCKS.

They did the same thing to Montoya a few years ago!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3020617.stm

Both caught going 122mph??

I think this is some kind of initiation into GP driving. What F1 star HASN'T been ticketed for excessive speed in the last few years.

I remember a few years ago when Jenson Button was caught for the same thing. I think the comment from the police was "we didn't know a diesel could go that fast"!!!

It's kinda ironic in a way....He's one of the best drivers in the world, kinda like fining Micheal Jordan for dunking......lol

I'm sure Hamilton is safer at those speeds than most are at the speed limit.

BUT he drives a Mercedes SUV on 24" wheels. That's probably why they pulled him over.

eff the police lolz,

BUT he drives a Mercedes SUV on 24" wheels. That's probably why they pulled him over.

Thats what I was thinkin

it would be nice if we had 85 mph speed limits :shifty

I'm sure Hamilton is safer at those speeds than most are at the speed limit.

BUT he drives a Mercedes SUV on 24" wheels. That's probably why they pulled him over.

and he has a dark-ish skin tone.

What was he doing in France anyway?

it would be nice if we had 85 mph speed limits :shifty


+1 :buttrock

Why would they let him off cause hes an f1 star?

I'm sure Hamilton is safer at those speeds than most are at the speed limit.

BUT he drives a Mercedes SUV on 24" wheels. That's probably why they pulled him over.
Profiling in France?!!! Noooooooo-waaay!!!!

Why would they let him off cause hes an f1 star?

On the contrary, he can get his F1 license suspended for stuff like this on the street.

On the contrary, he can get his F1 license suspended for stuff like this on the street.

Can they really? That seems a bit steep.

On the contrary, he can get his F1 license suspended for stuff like this on the street.

HaHa

That would be hilarious. They won't do anything to him. He is "the story".

hehe

Hmm... 85 MPH speed limits, in the US would translate to people averaging 100-105, I like.

Can they really? That seems a bit steep.

Sure, with enough incidents on report, I'm sure they can. At least they did so with Nelson Piquet.

HaHa

That would be hilarious. They won't do anything to him. He is "the story".

hehe


Yeah, the prolly won't do it to their new 'Posterboy'!, lol.

I heard this on NPR and cracked up driving home tonight.

Did you guys hear about michael schumacher taking over a cabbie in Germany so that his family could catch the flight back home??

No.


http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=893492

Haha that's pretty funny. I agree they should of let him off. Too bad no one these days drives like Keiichi used to on the streets.

Hmm... 85 MPH speed limits, in the US would translate to people averaging 100-105, I like.
I'm down. Let's make it happen.:D

its because hes black

Surprised the cops wouldn't just let him go considering he's an F1 star. :D


No way. He's not French.

its because hes black
I could only hope that the sickness of racism is not prevalent in France as it is here in the US. It needs to end.

No way. He's not French.

+1. You can't be committing two crimes at once (Speeding and a DWB) and get away with it.

I could only hope that the sickness of racism is not prevalent in France as it is here in the US. It needs to end.

I think you misworded that...I'm still trying to figure out your true intent with that comment.

it would be nice if we had 85 mph speed limits :shifty 80 is close enough... :)
I love our 80 mph zone... about 200 miles long :)

it would be nice if we had 85 mph speed limits :shifty

Have higher speed limits with increased fines if you do speed..

People who can afford it could go even faster (their cars are better suit, not necessarily the driver of course)

I think you misworded that...I'm still trying to figure out your true intent with that comment.

he means if you are black and commit a crime and get caught it's because the rest of the world is racist.

Don

Ahhh, that's what I thought. Yes, victomology is a disease.

France SUCKS.

They did the same thing to Montoya a few years ago!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3020617.stm

Both caught going 122mph??

France does NOT suck, do you have 85 mph speed limits?
I spend most of my holidays in France, the cops are
always friendly and hospitable when we needed help.

I could only hope that the sickness of racism is not prevalent in France as it is here in the US. It needs to end.

You are an idiot. Look at the French international soccer team! Thierry Henry is amazing and most of their team is black!

So are more than 60% pro-athletes and about 40% of music artists in the US

unarguable talent trumps racism and is not an indicator thereof :buttrock

Let's not be naive and turn this into a discussion of racism, that said, back OT :)

So are more than 60% pro-athletes and about 40% of music artists in the US

unarguable talent trumps racism and is not an indicator thereof :buttrock

Let's not be naive and turn this into a discussion of racism, that said, back OT :)

40% of the music artists in the USA?

Somehow african americans make up a wopping 12~% of the population yet they account for 40% of the music artists? Or are you just exaggerating?

Somehow african americans make up a wopping 12~% of the population yet they account for 40% of the music artists? Or are you just exaggerating?

What are you trying to say? You are relating two different spreads of data (I'm not sure what the percentage in terms of population is so I won't comment on that), that do not make any sense :eyecrazy

African americans comprise of more than 10% of the nations record buyers, how does that relate to the percentage in terms of population? It doesn't ... that's not how math works.

That said, my numbers are prolly more conservative, since black artists generate 25-30% of the industry's revenue and since on an average they make less than their white counterparts, I would estimate based on their overall contribution it would take at least that many of them to rake in that much. Make sense?

Can we get back on topic now? Start a thread in the 'off topic' section if you still want to discuss this.

Ahhh, that's what I thought. Yes, victomology is a disease.

it's all a conspiracy perpetuated by the man to keep the bother down! :pityfool

You are an idiot. Look at the French international soccer team! Thierry Henry is amazing and most of their team is black!

Exception to the rule...

Not mis-worded at all....simply put, racism needs to end!
I think you misworded that...I'm still trying to figure out your true intent with that comment.

Watch your mouth. I think you may need to re-read what I said ...racism needs to end. I could care less about the french soccer team, my statement(which I stand behind 100%) simply states that the sickness of racism needs to end.
You are an idiot. Look at the French international soccer team! Thierry Henry is amazing and most of their team is black!

Not mis-worded at all....simply put, racism needs to end!

Both true racism and victomology do need to end.

3 more posts after this one and this thread gets locked...any bets, anyone? anyone?

Hamilton got caught speeding in France right? I'd suggest we get back on that subject. His SUV have tinted windows? I'm sure the cops had no idea as to his color or race before they nailed him going over the limit. Pretty sure that could be hard to spot even if he had the top down on a convertible. I don't see racism here.

This is simply a speeding ticket, to be funny its an English vs French thing or a Renault vs McMerc thing maybe!

Why should he be treated any differently because he is famous, and at that a famous race car driver. Kinda like the celebrities in the States. A bunch of degenerate rejects that expect the world handed to them because they half ass acted in some crappy movie that was a rip off of something done years ago. Besides Hamilton knows better or at least should know better; and as a role model he should not be driving fast and aggressive off the track. If anything they should do more than a slap on the wrists.

Personally I don't care what color he is. Grow up and do something productive instead of bitching and complaining about the injustices of the world. We are not all equal and if you think we are than you are an idiot and I stand by that, 100%.

France SUCKS.

They did the same thing to Montoya a few years ago!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3020617.stm

Both caught going 122mph??

You SUCK.

If it had happened in the U.S. he'd have gotten a lot more than a 1 month suspension and a $600 fine.

I've lived both in France and the US and I can tell you racism is a lot more prevalent in France. Either that, or they're just fine with speaking their minds, while Americans are preoccupied with being politically correct and not saying anything they actually think. Either way, racism needs to end, as was already said. We may not all be the same, but we shouldn't treat people based on stereotypes.

Anyhow, I think Hamilton would've gotten the same treatment if he was white and French. The rule is that most people can drive safely at 130km/h and above that, the percentage of people that can't drive safely becomes dangerously high. The police has no way of knowing who can and who can't drive safely, so they have to treat everyone the same. So they did the right thing by giving him a ticket. The fact that he's a celebrity shouldn't have anything to do with this. Maybe the fact that he's a good driver could, but as I said, they don't have a way to judge driving skills and adjust speed limits individually by person, so the same law/limit has to apply to everyone and has to be enforced.

Maybe one day your driver's license will have a chip noting your driving skills... and the radars will remotely read that and issue you a ticket only if you're driving beyond your ability :) But even then, you have to consider state of mind, fatigue, distractions, etc.

Well said todor!

Maybe one day your driver's license will have a chip noting your driving skills... and the radars will remotely read that and issue you a ticket only if you're driving beyond your ability :) But even then, you have to consider state of mind, fatigue, distractions, etc.

Unfortunately, speed limits aren't just about an individual driver's skill, but about the skill of all the drivers on the road. When someone goes that fast, he's not just relying on his own skill, but on the skill of the other drivers on the road to see him, avoid him, etc.

If it's all about the single driver's skill, then FIA should allow me on track w/ Hami w/o a superlicense...

(This is from the perspective of a guy who just bought a 16 year old a car and is scared to death because she's not going to be able to anticipate what some of the loony drivers around here are going to do in front of her)

Unfortunately, speed limits aren't just about an individual driver's skill, but about the skill of all the drivers on the road. When someone goes that fast, he's not just relying on his own skill, but on the skill of the other drivers on the road to see him, avoid him, etc.

If it's all about the single driver's skill, then FIA should allow me on track w/ Hami w/o a superlicense...

(This is from the perspective of a guy who just bought a 16 year old a car and is scared to death because she's not going to be able to anticipate what some of the loony drivers around here are going to do in front of her)
Agreed, it's not just about a single driver's skill. My comment about the chip was more of a joke, but yeah, all drivers on the road need to collaborate, and when someone is going a lot faster than everyone else, it doesn't really work. Granted, if the fast driver is good, he's not going to require that anyone "avoid" him, but even then, some less experienced driver may get scared and swerve unexpectedly to make way for the fast car and thereby cause an accident.
In any case, the speed limits must always be set in such a way that there's a margin of safety. Unless you assume that all drivers are skilled - like on German autobahns - but I hear that they're about to introduce speed limits there too due to a high rate of accidents.

There have been speed limits on most of the Autobahns since the early 90's (maybe even the late 80's...can't remember for sure). The limitless stretches are still there in a few places, but it's not the free for all it used to be. An extremely high ratio of fatality accidents was the reason. [Interestingly, there were fewer accidents per capita compared to the US, but the fatality rate was something like 7x higher.]

You are an idiot. Look at the French international soccer team! Thierry Henry is amazing and most of their team is black!

lol, but isn't the NBA popular for our african american players too? which means, racism is close nil in our borders =)...

kidding aside, racism is a plague that is present in all corners of the world...some have it worse than others...it's just human nature. not that i accept racism...but just let it slide as long as no physical harm is done on my family due to racism...

now back to topic...Lewis Hamilton deserved it...=) driving a benz on 24' at that speed...common =) and being an F1 racer should know even better...thus the term, "leave it on the track" =)....

Isn't that kind of like arresting a policeman for carrying a gun off duty?

Isn't that kind of like arresting a policeman for carrying a gun off duty?
No, it would be more like arresting a policeman for killing someone with his gun off-duty (and not with the purpose of "serving and protecting"). He broke the law.