The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006 - Auto Trader UK – Features - News and Reviews Hub


The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006

The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006 - The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006

01 September 2006

WELCOME to Alex Eckford's Weird World of Wheels.

Each week, we'll be bringing you the essential strangest motoring news from around the world.

Don't forget to come back every Friday for your new helping.

Got any stories you think we should feature in the Weird World of Wheels? Send them to us at editorial@autotrader.co.uk.

This week:

The law on an ass

The police - striking fear into the hearts of criminals the world over.

Less so in South Africa.

A government minister recently told a stunned group of officers if a car isn't available to drive to a crime scene, they should take... other forms of transport.

Responding to claims police were underequipped, South African Minister for Safety and Security Charles Nqakula told assembled officers: "If you don’t have a car, ride a bicycle or a donkey."

Don't want to get caught by the fuzz in South Africa? Simply leave a bag of carrots at the scene of the crime.

The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006Fare dodgems

Certain motorists are exempt from the London congestion charge - disabled drivers, licensed taxis, breakdown vans, and... dodgems?

Carters Steam Fair were told each of their bumper cars would incur the £8-a-day charge if they set up their dodgem ride in Covent Garden.

Fair organiser Seth Carter said: "We've got 20 cars, and at £8 a day each that's £800 a week. The congestion charge put us off and we didn't go in the end. They haven't got any number plates so I don't know how they would have enforced it."

Transport for London later admitted they had made a mistake.

The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006Beware of monks accepting gifts

Is it wrong for monks to accept gifts? £70,000 gifts? £70,000 gifts with air con and leather seats?

Officials in China think so, and have voiced their displeasure at Shi Yongxin, the Buddhist monk in the charge of the temple which claims to be 'the birthplace of kung fu', who was given a Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 (right) by local officials for 'services to tourism'.

Since the controversial monk took over the temple in the 1980s, 1.5 million tourists visit the site each year. Yongxin, who has a chauffeur, defended receiving the gift by claiming  Chinese religious figures had always won respect by contributing to society.

The Weird World of Wheels: 1st September 2006Gasto fast

Speed cameras are getting better.

By better, I mean they're becoming more accurate.

In the past the cameras have been accused of giving inaccurate readings at high speeds, but manufacturers of new Gatsos in Holland recently showed off by clocking F1 test driver Robert Doornbos driving at 202mph on a public road.

Organised by the camera's makers, the stunt required a road across the De Afsluitdijk dam to be closed for safety reasons.

Missed a previous edition of Weird World of Wheels? Take a look through the archive now.

Got any stories you think we should feature in the Weird World of Wheels? Send them to us at editorial@autotrader.co.uk.





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