Driving Me Crazy

A quick example of the Mail's agenda.

Start with a headline. What can we come up with? I know:

Muslim Peer Banned From Driving After Sending Text Message Moments Before Fatal Crash

This becomes,

Labour Peer Banned From Driving After Sending Text Message Moments Before Fatal Crash once you click on the link.

Still sounds bad though. A Muslim and Labour Peer causing a death because he was texting instead of concentrating on the road. Well, actually, even the story itself puts out the incendiary device pretty early.

• Labour peer Lord Ahmed has been banned from driving after he sent a string of text messages shortly before his car hit and killed another driver.

Moments = shortly. Tell me more.

• The 51-year-old sent the last text about two minutes before his Jaguar saloon ploughed into the vehicle which had hit the central reservation of the M1.

Moments = shortly = 2 minutes. Still, he sounds guilty as sin. I bet the court threw the book at him.

• Prosecutor David Scutt said he exchanged at least five texts with a journalist while going at around 60mph.
  

  But, he added, although texting while driving is an offence this had no bearing on the collision which killed Mr Gombar, of Leigh, Lancashire.

Yes, but he was texting! If he hadn't been giving less than 100% focus minutes before, surely the accident would have been avoided? Bloody mobiles: they must have had some impact?

• Driver Martyn Gombar, 28, had escaped, leaving his Audi A4 without lights and blocking two lanes, but died when he went back to get his mobile phone.

See? I was right about the danger of using mobiles on the motorway. Any more information?

• Police said the road was pitch-black and drivers could not see the Audi until the last second.

Well, at least the average Mail commentator will have read all of this and treat the matter rationally and sympathetically. Right?

• Will this person face the full fury of the media and the law???
  I doubt it..
  Nu labours two tier britain.
  He is Untouchable..and will walk away laughing at all of us.
  Justice??

  Click to rate Rating 20
  - mr Blonde, NEWCASTLE UK, 1/12/2008

Mr Blonde does not realise that there is no 'e' in the male version and does not understand the irony of saying this below a full fury Mail story.

• Why hasn't he gone to prison???

  Click to rate Rating 19
  - John Law, Barnsley UK, 1/12/2008

• I trust every solicitor in the country will take this case as precedent to kill people (stopped in the outside lane) whilst driving and texting.

  Click to rate Rating 12

  - Tim, havant, 1/12/2008 16:36

I trust Tim will one day realise what a load of batshit his comment is. But his is not the worst interpretation of the law.

• i always thought if you caused an accident and someone had died because of your actions -that is murder then the judge brings it down to a slightly lesser crime. however to say you will have to live with it is very easy much easier than the person or family. it's like rubbing salt into a wound. he was suppose to be in a job of responcibility then he should loose his job like others would and privatly sued . this is not justice or have we3 a two tier justice now!

  Click to rate Rating 11

  - m.lane, spain, 1/12/2008 16:50

• There have been a good few people given custodial sentences for causing death by dangerous whilst using their mobiles behind the wheel and at lower speeds.
  
  Surely this landmark case (no sentence for death by dangerous driving) would allow them to appeal and be released?
  
  What a mess the law in this country has become.
  
  I guess though, if he were a Tory peer like Lord Archer, he might be facing a different punishment.

  Click to rate Rating 10

  - Jimbob, London, 1/12/2008 16:59

Not one comment pointing out the facts of the story. The Mail shrugs and says it duly published the salient aspects of the case and it's not its fault that the readers it is happy to have representing it are thick as big muck and hate Muslims and Labour. Job Done.