I have heard it all now, a phobia of speed cameras. This guy is having a laugh. Your piece states that Colin is an advanced driver, god help us if he is indicative of advanced drivers in the UK. If he is a member of the IAM, then they should dump him, fast and if he is a member of IAM I am so glad that I never wasted my time and money in taking my advanced driving lessons and test.

Any professional body this guy belongs to really need to dump him to protect thier integrity.

This guy should have his driving licence withdrawn and be banned from driving if he gets 'stressed out ' by a lump of metal, what the hell is he going to do if he is ever in an emergncy situation on the road.

Colin, wise up, grow up (and grow a set) what an absolute moron. How can you be afraid of a speed camera? What does he think it is going to do, steal his soul?

What on earth a minimum health standards for driving in the UK? Is there a standard for sanity? If there is then this guy must surely fail to meet the standard.

One final point. What sort of a man (and I use that word man very, very loosley) admits to being afraid of speed camera.

What on earth is this world coming to? Lets keep driving our cars because the sooner we destroy this planet and our race (with people like this guy as part of our evolutionary trail or creationist trail) as a race (human) we dont really deserve to go on.

By its very definition, a phobia is an irrational fear and cannot so easily be overcome as you seem to think.

As the article states, he has worked to overcome this phobia and good luck to him I say.

Darren Griffin

I take offence to philipblair's comments regarding advanced drivers and the IAM. His comments are ignorant, uneducated and mean to say the least! He should refrain from making such comments publicly and ridicule can soon turn table on those who give it!

As a member of the IAM we drive to much higher standards than many other motorists on the road and I suspect that philipblair is probably not skilled to the advanced levels set by the IAM or its sister organisation, RoSPA. Our skills are asessed by highly qualified driving examiners, often from the Traffic division of local police forces. In fact my own examination several years ago was made by a Chief Inspector from Sussex Police Traffic Division who commended my skills and likened them to his own and that of other Class 1 Police drivers. philipblair should perhaps look at his own abilities before throwing stones in a glass house!

Phobia's are as already said an "irrational" fear of something. The fact that this is irrational does not reflect on Colin's driving ability at all. Many people dislike having their picture taken by any sort of camera so this fear is not all that irrational! Some people just dont like being shown in a picture - they just dont like looking at themselves!

Obsessive compulsive disorders are also irrational! Yet a persons continual handwashing for example, does not necessarily detract from their ability to run a house, organise their kids, cook a meal etc. Therefore Colin's driving ability should not be judged in a such a harsh, ignorant and uneducated way.

Perhaps if philipblair had a similar phobia we should criticize him and see how he likes it?!!!

In response to 4X4meisters comments, I would point out the following;

I have at no point in my comments been critical of the IAM or ROSPA. In fact I would regard these organisations with the highest respect.

However any professional organisation who would allow someone into membership who can safely and responsibly fulfil the basic requirements of membership needs to look at itself. This would be equal to a professional accountnacy organisation allowing someone to practice accountnacy and to use their accreditation (ACCA/CIMA) for example, who cannot count.
As previously stated above, I hold professional drivers in the highest regard, police, fire, ambulance, bus and coach drivers all are deserving of our highest respect and it is Colin and anyone like him who does a disservice to professional drivers.

It is imperative for professional organisations to manage and control thier professional integrity for the sake of thier members and themselves, otherwise membership of professional organisations will count for nothing if membership is open to everyone regardless of ability.

What would happen if Colin was to be driving along a road where the police had set up an ANPR/Speed Trap, which he was unaware of? Is he going to make an irrational manouvre, in which he could potentially run into a bus load of school children or mount a pavement and mow down a group of innocent pedestrians?

4X4 is correct in his assumption that I have never had my driving skills assessed by IAM/ROSPA. I don't claim to be a better driver than any other driver on the road, however 20+ years of incident free driving, a clean driving licence and also 20+ years of No Claims Bonus, must stand for something.

The very nature of Colin's irrational behaviour by it's very nature does and must reflect on Colin's driving ability, in that his irrational fear could lead to an irrational action which could potentially have disastourous consequences for Colin and other innocents.

It is also a responsibility of professional organisations to protect thier professional integrity by ensuring that they observe, manage and maintain thier professional standards and do not allow anything to impede or threaten those standards.

As 4X4 further states, some people just dont like having thier picture taken, thats a given but I am positive that anyone with a pathological fear of being photographed would not become a model or expect to be regarded as a professional model and then refuse to be photographed. Likwise then how can Colin claim to be an advanced driver and how can the said professional organisation to which he belongs continue to permit him to use thier accreditation and the associated benefits?

It was never my intention to judge Colin's driving ability (harshly, ignorant, uneducated) or otherwise and in fact 4X4's choice to make a personal attack on me says more about 4X4. Colin is the person who claims to be an advanced driver, my point is that if Colin can be assessed to be an advanced/professional driver by any professional organisation then those who are memebrs and those who would aspire tocome members of said organisations need to ask the question, what does this membership mean and what real value and credibility does it carry?

I would be honoured and proud to be assessed competent to be a deemed a professional driver by IAM/ROSPA, if I were to be assessed beyond reproach to be completley competent based on thier criteria, if I was to successfully achieve those standards, however knowing that there are other members of any professional organisation to which I belong, who are unable or unwilling to deliver said criteria would greatly deter and diminish that honour and pride.

This was never intended to be a personal criticism of IAM/ROSPA or for that matter of Colin. The fact is that Colin has raised the issue of advanced drivers and I feel that I am justified in my comments and my opinions with regard to Colin and his claim to be an advanced driver and also of whichever professional organisation he is accredited by to allow him to claim to be an andvanved driver.

Send him a free sub, a good bit of PR for you guys.

Gone fishing!

Darren, you cannot be serious, you have'nt really given this guy a free subscription have you?

I want this guys face for our album cover!!!!!

www.myspace.com/speedcamerashy

www.myspace.com/speedcamerashy

Phobias may sound funny to you - but believe me that are not at all funny when you suffer from one.

I have had difficulty with motorways for 11 years - until the other day!

I went onto Paul McKennas website and downloaded his "Fear of Driving".

The difference is amazing - I have listened to it for the last 3 days - no more sweating, panicking, staying at 55m.p.h. in the inside lane. Now I can drive at 70 m.p.h., change lanes, pass HGV's etc. I'm feeling a lot more relaxed and beginning to enjoy motorway driving once again!

BTW he does downloads for many other phobias as well.

I was truly amazed at the difference and only £14.99

WOW!!!

I think my humour was much more respectable than your spam mate!

www.myspace.com/speedcamerashy