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VICAR PULLED OVER DRIVING MOTORBIKE HEARSE (Had the coffin in his sidecar)
SkyNews ^
| 09/05/03
| Staff Writer
Posted on 09/05/2003 7:59:06 AM PDT by bedolido
A motorbiking vicar has complained about being held up by police who stopped him with a coffin in his sidecar which he was taking to a funeral.
The Rev Paul Sinclair was taking the body of a dead biker to a crematorium in Yeovil, Somerset, in his motorbike hearse when police flagged him down for not wearing a crash helmet.
Mr Sinclair, 37, said he explained that the hearse was taxed as the equivalent of a car, meaning he did not have to wear a crash helmet.
But the officers held him up for a further 10 minutes and took photos of the vehicle.
The cortege made it to the crematorium "with just a minute or so to spare".
Mr Sinclair runs Britain's only motorcycle hearse from his base in Whitwick, Leicestershire. He uses a 900cc Triumph Speed Triple with a specially-adapted sidecar to carry coffins.
He said: "I don't mind that the officers pulled us over because they thought something was wrong and they were checking a safety issue. That's fair enough.
"We said we had to get to a funeral, but the officer wanted to do checks and wouldn't let us go for 10 minutes. I strongly object to that."
One of the officers also took photographs of the vehicle, which Mr Sinclair described as "grossly insensitive".
"I'm just glad the family were not following behind, because if they had seen a policeman taking photos of the coffin, it would have been very upsetting."
The funeral was for motorcycle enthusiast Ronald Howell, 74, and the procession was travelling from Mere, Wiltshire, when it was stopped on the A303 last Thursday.
"The irony is that the deceased was the only one wearing a crash helmet," said Mr Sinclair. "It was placed on top of his coffin.
"He had never once been stopped by the police during his lifetime, but they managed to get him at his funeral."
Last Updated: 13:30 UK, Friday September 05, 2003
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: coffin; driving; hearse; motorbike; vicar
1
posted on
09/05/2003 7:59:08 AM PDT
by
bedolido
To: bedolido
"The irony is that the deceased was the only one wearing a crash helmet," said Mr Sinclair. "It was placed on top of his coffin."
2
posted on
09/05/2003 7:59:53 AM PDT
by
bedolido
(A Riddle inside a Conundrum within a Parable surrounded by an Enigma)
To: bedolido
Suspension too stiff?
3
posted on
09/05/2003 8:00:11 AM PDT
by
hang 'em
(it's time to vote the 'Toons off the planet)
To: bedolido
A new meaning to "Hell on Wheels".
4
posted on
09/05/2003 8:00:18 AM PDT
by
TexasNative2000
(You may disagree with me, but I will fight for your right to be in error.)
To: bedolido
Sounds like something from Monty Python!
5
posted on
09/05/2003 8:00:32 AM PDT
by
areafiftyone
(The U.N. needs a good Flush!)
To: areafiftyone
Def. a Python skit!
6
posted on
09/05/2003 8:02:47 AM PDT
by
stainlessbanner
(All hat and no cattle!)
To: Lion Den Dan; Squantos; sauropod; AAABEST; Joe Brower; Jeff Head; Fred Mertz; sit-rep; ...
Just a good read. Has to be some interesting news once every so often.
7
posted on
09/05/2003 8:08:00 AM PDT
by
SLB
To: bedolido
One of the officers also took photographs of the vehicle, Well...where are they?
8
posted on
09/05/2003 8:11:23 AM PDT
by
evolved_rage
(Davis is a POS!)
...Did it look like this?
9
posted on
09/05/2003 8:12:52 AM PDT
by
Consort
To: Consort
No, it looked like this.
10
posted on
09/05/2003 8:22:23 AM PDT
by
drgnwrks
(The road to hell will be paved with anti-war protesters. (Ain't driving a 4X4 GREAT?))
To: bedolido
He told the cops: "You'll be the death of me."
11
posted on
09/05/2003 8:41:34 AM PDT
by
jjbrouwer
(Chelsea for the Champions League!)
To: bedolido
Priceless.
12
posted on
09/05/2003 8:48:22 AM PDT
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: mhking
Ping.
13
posted on
09/05/2003 8:49:17 AM PDT
by
Petronski
(I'm not always cranky.)
To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
This sounds like a Python bit...
Just damn.
If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
14
posted on
09/05/2003 9:04:40 AM PDT
by
mhking
(No monster can survive a smoking fire and Jello!)
To: drgnwrks
I'm surprised that some evil capitalist hasn't started doing this here in America.
15
posted on
09/05/2003 11:00:14 AM PDT
by
Grampa Dave
(May our brave warriors kill all of the Islamokazis/facists/nazis to prevent future 9/11's.)
To: drgnwrks
Sidecar Mobile Crematorium
16
posted on
09/05/2003 12:56:02 PM PDT
by
Consort
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