PART TWO After I got home, the DVLA felt that I had not been punished enough. They revoked my driving license and said that I had to do a driving assessment in Bristol. I read that they do a sight test, so Mr KeenMe went to my local opticians just for a trial one. Not only did I fail, the optician said that I must not drive. I told DVLA this, so they made me go to an optician many miles away to do a DVLA sight test. I did this every month for about six months. They never specifically told me that I had passed, but instead said that I now needed to book an assessment. Therefore, I had not driven a car for years, I asked for a provisional license in order to practice with a proper driving school car. The fact that the accident, at that time, was agreed to be not my fault and had happened on a motorbike, mattered not to the DVLA. Now, it was all about car driving and making up for my mistake in riding a motorbike! This was just after one of the lockdowns, so all the driving schools were mad busy. Fortunately for me. I took advantage of Google’s stupidity in thinking that Lydney is my nearest town. It is if you are a seagull and can fly across the River Severn that is about two-thirds of a mile wide at this point! I tried somebody in Lydney and this chap had some availability! Anyway, this chap said that he dropped a pupil off at Gloucester station and so we could meet there and I would drive down the other side of the Severn to either Lydney of Chepstow station and I could go back to my station. With the cost of the lessons, train fares, and taxi fares, this was not cheap and I still have not been compensated – more of which later. My family said to just not bother with all this crap and give up, but my target was always to beat the DVLA! Legal action with them was on the cards! Anyway, the driving lessons did not start well. This person only knew how to treat it as though you were doing your driving test. I took mine over forty years ago and had slipped into what he thought were bad habits, but we did not agree. They were not bad habits as far as I was concerned! For example, there would be a few traffic lights to go through on the A48. My attitude was to just knock the car into neutral as you cruised up to the light. This was a big “no, no”! If you are first in the queue you go down through the gears to first, and then hold it in first, ready to go the INSTANT the light goes green. I would sit there in neutral with the hand brake on, as this is best for the car – his car! This was a big, “NO!” and he would get angry with me and I would get angry with him! And then there was speed. I am by myself in a 50 limit, so I would go at about 45 – really if I was on my own, I would be doing about 70, so I thought that I was being a good boy! NO! In a 50, you do exactly 50 – no more and certainly no less! “Relax! Take it easy. There’s no rush!”, Mr RED RAG TO A BULL!” said! This went on a few times and I apologised after a couple more lessons. He was trying to do what is right as if you are trying to pass a driving test, while I was not even sure if I could be arsed with this shit! After that, I just shut up and did what he told me. I think on my last lesson, he wanted to book the lesson for next week. I said, “No! I’ve my assessment on Tuesday!” He said, “Well, you will fail that! Everybody does!” He had tried to get through two people before and neither had passed first time. I said that if I fail, then I am done with this shit! I will just use taxis! The assessment is tricky shit. Three of them piled into the car and then they try to trick you into doing something wrong. It is far, far harder than a normal driving test. For example, you are told to go straight on, unless told to turn left or right. They took me off the main road where you go into a shopping centre, but it is one way and so you get a “No Entry” sign. I stopped and said it is a fooking No Entry so you cannot go straight on! £Oh yea!” they pretended to be surprised but they know the trick! It is only because I am s troppy bastid, that I did not follow their instructions. It was clearly a trick to get you to drive past a “No Entry” sign in order to mess up! Most of the area in Staple Hill is residential and 20 mph. They complained that I was driving too slowly. “For the love of God! It is a 20 mph speed limit! Let’s go on the M4 then and do some 70 mph stuff!” I said. “Oh no, we haven’t got time!” the Pussys said. Instead, we then went on the Bristol Ring Road that I know really well. It is my way to Riders of Bristol, so I know all the tricks! It is all dual carriageway, with roundabouts, where sometimes the dual carriageway it is 30, other times forty or fifty, with some 70 sections. I know it well! However, we get there and there are major road works going on, with one side completely closed, so everything is using one side of the “wrong” carriageway! There are temporary traffic lights, so big queues. I was being over taken by cyclists most of the time, as they had also shut the cycle path. Bristol City Council despises cars and this as payback! By now, I had lost interest in the whole thing. I could not care less! Anyway, we went straight back to the assessment centre and the three goons said, “We cannot tell you if you have passed or failed. We need to go and sit in a darkened room, with wet towels on our heads to contemplate!” “For fecks sake! It is my fault that Bristol has 20 mph limits and actively hates cars is it?” Whilst back at the centre, waiting for my taxi, there were lots of old boys wandering around in a daze! It was like an old peoples’ home! I was done with this crap! I heard nothing more and then about two weeks later, a new driving license arrived in an envelope. No letter, no explanation – just a driving license! “Oh, I take it that I passed, then!” I thought. And all of the categories like cars, motorcycles, lorries up to a certain weight and other shit that I don’t need! I had already bought a KTM rc390 that was in the garage and the next day I took a taxi to Thornbury Car Centre for a look. My budget wasn’t great and I had no income. I saw this Ford B-Max that seemed OK and it hade the passenger sliding doors that I wanted. And it was automatic that I wanted as well. I went in the office and asked about it. The guy just handed me the keys and said to take it out! I took it out on the A38 that I know well and broke every speed limit known to man! It was good. I went back and said that I wanted it and tried the negotiating routine. This chap got it straight way! There was a shortage of good second-hand cars and he even had people flying over from Ireland to buy cars! He said that if I do not buy it, then he probably would sell it tomorrow! As it was good and suited my needs, I bought it. This was in 2021, I think and I still have it. Ford thought it shit and dropped the B-Max quickly! I think that it is good and still like it. I will just run it into the ground. It is heavy on petrol but I hardly do any miles, so do not care. I fill it up about once a month. With at least a quarter of a tank left. As well as auto, it has the Ford PowerShift semi-automatic system that is great fun! My taxi driver fills up on diesel three times a week, so he has reason to know the cheapest places around, whilst I give not a shit! There will have to be a part three as I am done! More later!
"I heard nothing more and then about two weeks later, a new driving license arrived in an envelope. No letter, no explanation – just a driving license! “Oh, I take it that I passed, then!” I thought. And all of the categories like cars, motorcycles, lorries up to a certain weight and other shit that I don’t need!" Really liked reading this bit.
Or a lucky SOB! Me and a mate, often go to Fowlers to browse bikes and they have a really good café. The Police often are there. Once I asked them if they were skiving ÷ a joke, obviously! Fowlers have the contract for Police motorcyclists clothing and it is a bit of a PR thing. I mentioned about where my accident was, and they all knew the place! They thought the accident investigation officer now has retired, I think, but he was a big help to me!
PART THREE After passing the driving assessment shite, I was now mobile. I had a car and a bike. I did not get on with the KTM. The pillion seat was like a race hump and I found it too difficult to get my leg over it in order to ride. Fowlers took it in px for a new KTM 390 Duke. Ironically, the last time that I rode it was to take it back to Fowlers (they delivered the rc390 to me when I bought it and was banned) and I could get on it quite easily. We are trying to hit a moving target here, as I was recovering! Anyway, I collected the KTM 390 Duke and was perfectly happy with it. My one does not have a pillion seat as I bought the cover thing that replaces it. I do not want to take pillions anyway, as it is hard enough just to concentrate on me! In addition, I may not be insured to take a pillion! The plan someday is to ride to Poland, for I have relative who were exterminated at Auschwitz. Therefore, I got it with the official panniers. I have not done much this year as I find the bright sun a problem. This time of year is better for me and there were some mad hot days this summer putting me off being kitted up! I bought a new helmet and all the kit (spending nearly £1000! I want good stuff in case I ever meet another mad prison officer on the road! The old Arai that I was given back to me, looked fine, but I know that I had a huge bang on the head, so I scrapped it! I have a “thing” now about the road where I was hit and avoid it now! Part 4 will be the court case and money!
Part 4 Oh, a P.S. on the driving shit: when I see the general standard of driving on UK roads, it is so appalling that it makes me spit that I was made to go through the assessment! If people drove, as they normally drove on UK roads, then I reckon about 60-70% would fail. On money, last February, I think that it was, I had to meet my barrister and solicitor in my barrister’s chambers in Lincolns Inn. We had my brother, my solicitor in my barrister’s office and the other side in another room. Only my barrister was allowed to go between offices to get an offer and then bring it back. My solicitor and barrister were going for a million and the other side’s first offer was around £200.000. I was just a spectator, but my barrister does not normally get out of bed in the morning for £200,000! Back and forth, it went with offer and counter-offer! It got to about half past three and the feeling was that we would not agree today amd we would have to come back and do it all again! That was something that I did not really want to do, as getting up to Temple is a pain from Gloucestershire! Anyway, at about four pm we got there! Not a million but acceptable! My solicitor told the other side that she would go to the High Court next month and tell them that we have reached agreement, so we can drop the case. Obviously, that was a condition of the agreement that we drop all court action. Simple, you would think! Both sides agree on the settlement value and a High Court case can be dropped! No! The first judge said he could not agree it as the settlement is above his pay grade! Therefore, it goes up the scale until a judge says that he is not a happy bunny and wants to see us in the High Court! Therefore, it is back to London again, for me. We meet at my barrister chambers, before the meeting and agree that my solicitor and barrister would go ahead and one of my solicitor’s para legals would accompany me because I walk quite slowly and we do not want to miss our time. For anyone who has not been there, the High Court is, a bastid for those who are not fit. First, you have the stone steps with no hand rail to get in. Then you have to go through airport style security. In front of us were a group of Japanese tourists, all with Nikons round their necks. The security guard explains in broad cockney, that you cannot bring cameras in to the court. “Hah, camera good! I take picture!” “No, me old mucker, no cameras are allowed in!” “Hah! Good camera! From Japan!” “No, you cannot bring them in here!” I think that he showed them a sign and they finally get it! Then me. I warn them that I will set everything off, but they motion me forwards, Of course, the fecking thing goes wild! “Oh, you must of forgotten to put you keys in the tray.” “I effing told you that I have a metal hip with loads of metalwork in my leg! I can’t pull my leg off and put it in the tray!” “Now, I am riled up. I cannot be the first one to go to the high court with serious injuries! And then I am just allowed through, anyway! We have to go to the third floor and ask the way to the lift. We are given the wrong information and the para legal has to go back to security in order to wake the monster! Eventually, a helpful security guard come back to show us. It is back outside, back down the steps, and then we have to use another entrance. She has a security pass and can open all the doors, as this is not a public entrance. Then through lots of old, dark corridors, and eventually we are shown the lift! So, by the time that we get to the Judge’s office it has already started. At the front right, by the judge’s desk, sit my barrister and another barrister from the other side. This barrister is actually from the same chambers as my barrister. She says nothing the whole time as there is really nothing for her to say! I was working out the costs! About £10,000 I reckon, for the other side to pay! What it boils down to is that the judge is really pissed off with my solicitor and he wants to make her suffer. There was a report put in by a psychanalyst working for my side to say that he was unsure of my mental facilities to look after the settlement. He subsequently submitted a new document to say he thought me recovered now and would be fine. However, this judge was fixated with this old report and didn’t think that I should have the money. My solicitor patiently explained that she did not focus on the report as it had been updated to say that my mental function was now fine. However, the Judge was off the gauge with anger at her for not addressing his concerns about the over-ridden report. As we were getting nowhere, my barrister asked for an adjournment to consider things, which was granted. Since then, I have done another ZOOM call with this psychoanalyst and he cannot understand the judge’s fixation with an old report. He thought the guy a bit odd in being obsessed with this report written years ago, and subsequently updated. As my solicitor always pointed out, the money was always going to go in a trust that she would be a trustee of. Therefore, there was never going to be a mad, splashing out on Bitcoin! The most that I was looking for was about fifteen grand for a new Monster to replace the one killed in the crash! Even now, I am no further forward and do not know what is happening. To be honest, it has gone on for so long that I want to concentrate on other things in my life, that I enjoy! The only thing that I know for sure is that I plan to take the train to Plymouth – I can do it non-stop from a local station – and then take the Plymouth-Santander ferry, just as a foot passenger. Maybe April or May next year. I do not know how long that I will stay in Spain for, yet, but a while. The only thing to come good from my High Court visit is that my solicitor has put in an official complaint to the High Court about their unfriendly disabled access provisions. However, it is an old building and not really suitable for modern times! I just need to know that there is no danger of me being summoned to the High Court again! I’ve also said that I don’t want to go to the High Court again. I live about one hundred and twenty miles away and last time, I said nothing. I am quite happy to leave things for my solicitor and barrister to sort out. I trust them, even though this judge doesn’t!
I got the KTM 390 Duke new from Fowlers. Very happy with it. Although sneered at as only a "poxy 390", it will do over 100 mph in speed trap Britain and is very good on fuel. I've never measured it exactly, but probably about sixty mpg. I have not done it yet, but there is a KTM navigation app you can get on your phone that can bluetooth to the dash for navigation with the phone in a pocket. I got it with KTM hard paniers for touring and got the little, factory screen. One thing that I got wrong (well, there are probably lots of things that I get wrong!) was I paid extra for the touring seat. It has extra padding but makes the bike too high for me and I cannot comfortable put my feet down. I've stopped using it and use the standard seat. I wasted my money, as i find the standard seat fine and I can get my feet down to the floor when I stop! I haven't done many miles yet, but I haven't got a bad word to say. I wanted something light and this is light (about 150 kg) and easy to ride. The fuel tank isn't massive, but the bike is economical, so one hundred and fifty miles from a tank full is easy. Quality is not quite up with Ducati, bur not far behind, and much better than most other stuff. I was originally planning to go on to a 790 Duke next, but as Ducatis are mad light then it will be another Ducati - maybe a Monster, or maybe a street fighter. Trouble is, I will need my compensation money for another bike. Not only do I not know when I will get it, but it will be put in a trust. I will have to get about fifteen thou past the trustees and I don't know how that will pan out!
From my experience of the other place, I don't take any section as truly private. Not that I ever said anything bad, but that's just the way things are. In truth, I started to find the piss-taking a bit toxic.
I’ve never heard of the compo going into a trust fund before, is it just over a certain amount that it applies? When I got mine which was into 6 figures they just paid it out directly to me.
I could be wrong in this case but i think the Trust thing is solely down to Perry but i know advisors always bring up the trust thing for large amounts/long-term. You ought to consider 698 Mono maybe but perhaps the seat is too high also. https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/hypermotard-698.98617/
I have a "thing" about bikes for the road having those mad high front mudguards! I just can't do it! On the trust thing: the discussion between me and my solicitor wa before the hedge stuck in his oar was that I could not be bothered to look into interest rates, stock markets, and other investment shite, so I was quite happy to let somebody else do it for me. I think that there are better tax implications as well, on the profits, if the money is in trust. It was an idea. Possible tax benefits and saving me hassle. At the High Court meeting, I think that my solicitor was trying to tell the judge that their would be additional safeguards, including her as a trustee, just to get the judge off everyone's back. So, the trust that she was thinking about would have safeguards and maybe she was trying to assure the judge that the money would not just be given to me to blow. In truth, at the moment, I just don't know anymore. As I said before, my focus is on getting my ST3 back on the road and planning trips next year. First the one to Spain, and then to the Orkney Isles. I won't buy another bike until our side have the money.
Well Perry in spite of there being a lot of pisstaking, and there was, it was just that I would have thought. You also seemed to take it in very good spirits. Everyone there is rooting for your compensation resolution and actually gave you some very good and compassionate advice. Both for your claim and your ongoing rehabilitation. No one on the forum is involved in any way with regard to your posts being compiled and sent to your solicitor, or anybody else for that matter. Anyway mate you seem like a nice guy and I for one was looking forward to meeting you on the forum ride next year.(ish) All the best!
-- I don't bear any grudges to the other forum. I just feel more comfortable here. I think that seeing it as a new member does, when I didn't want to use my original I.D. made me see the place in a different light. I accept fully that it may be me, but the "man the fook up, and don't dare moan at the 'elite', pussy!" comebacks were a little too toxic for me. I think the everywhere, including here, has to keep in mind that nobody is compelled to join, post, comment, or react. People come to these places for fun, enjoyment, knowledge sharing, amongst many things. When it no longer becomes fun, the whole point of being there loses sense. To lighten the mood: I went to see "Paddington In Peru" last night. I had no expectations, It was just an impulse as I spend more time than I want to at Paddington station. It was surprisingly good. Not Earth shattering, but if you are thinking of going to the cinema, it is worth watching.
It may be me, and I accept that. I do not ,or one second, believe that anyone in that forum would of played any part in helping this guy compile all my postings, going back years. If it was ever to come up, then I would say that I can't even remember what I posted a week ago, let alone years ago. Not only do I not know how this guy did it, I am more concerned as to why he did it. What was his point? I may of said it once and it may be in his notes, I know that I have brain damage and know much of what i post is shit, What's his point? I just was a bit hacked at the way that the new American guy was treated. He made a mistake and didn't realise he has to pay to become a member to advertise a bike. A nice Ducati single that i would be interested in buying, if he wasn't in the USA! Just a pm to say that non-members are not allowed to advertise bikes would of been enough - not multiple people ripping into him for doing it! Anyway, for Ducati singles, anybody should be allowed to advertise them. In fact any Ducati! I don't know what the rules are here, but I just think that for somebody advertising a Ducati on a Ducati forum, he should of been met with a little bit more understanding!
The answer to that may be."Well, you just shouldn't post anything!" My reply to that would be quite terse! We agreed settlement over six month's ago and I am miles away from getting it! No date is in site while I am losing out big time! The settlement amount was agreed and that is what I would get. If I had got it in March, that amount could have earned about forty thousand by now. Even clueless dick could have made £20,000! So don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do! I can't even organise my trip to Spain, in case I am made to go to the High Court again to watch more Judge grovelling!
@PerryL All your posts to the public forum are available via your profile. All one has to do is click on messages and it brings up all the public posts you have made Making a list of them is simple without any help from anyone else
All good Perry, but I am unaware of this american guy. Sounds like he didnt read the forum rules. Like me!
He probably didn't - like everybody! Anyway, it matters no more. I'm here and that's it. I have no illusions about privacy and even have @Ducbird as my new stalker!
