Ed Does anyone here believe that Princess Diana's car crash was suspicious?

[Andy_Ross]

Again a non sequitur. Here is a picture of the traffic camera at the head of the tunnel in Paris, claimed to have been taken in 1998.

View attachment 58807

STRATO - Domain not available

www.fantompowa.net

Of course, a lot of this speculation is unsubstantiated silliness. However, do you really believe there were no traffic cameras near the tunnel? So presumably, drivers are free to speed through it knowing they can't be caught. Obviously this defies common sense.

A speed camera is not the same thing as a traffic camera.

A speed camera would take one or two frames if the car was speeding past it and if it had film in at the time.
If the film runs out before it's changed then no pictures are taken.
I know that UK speed cameras don't all have a camera unit in them all the time, there are more sites than cameras, they move them around.
If there is no camera the sensors still work and the flash unit still fires, it still acts as a deterrent.

A traffic camera is used to monitor traffic for congestion or road obstructions, they have operators who monitor them constantly to check the traffic flow mainly at busy times when the roads are congested.

 

[Andy_Ross]

I literally just addressed that specifically, and did so repeatedly long upthread, with links to the official report (which the CT claims is the origin).

Eta: regarding the reasoning for shutting cameras down after 11PM, that's simple mechanical sense. The longer the sensors are actively monitoring, the sooner they will wear out and need to be replaced. The old fashioned and outdated sensors are not cheap. The Paris Urban Traffic Unit presumably found that the cameras were not picking up enough speeders after 11PM to warrant the extended monitoring, so shut them down after that time as a matter of frugality.

The traffic cameras weren't looking for speeders, they were monitoring traffic flow at busy times. They are a different thing to speed cameras.

 

[Thermal]

The traffic cameras weren't looking for speeders, they were monitoring traffic flow at busy times. They are a different thing to speed cameras.

Fortunately, it doesn't even matter. The fact that they were shut off at 11PM nightly is enough to dispense with the conspiracy theory of "mysterious malfunctioning of 10-14 cameras".

Eta: I just went back and looked at the French investigations report. They indeed say that the tunnel camera was not a speed camera, but monitored congestion. It provides poor detail in good conditions, and at night is extremely poor. It is not activated by speeding vehicles, and is routinely shut off at night because there is no significant traffic to monitor

 

[Mojo]

If you want a conspiracy around Chucky, then try how the buggery bollocks that brain-dead twerp got into Cambridge and then managed to graduate having spent a chunk of his time away at Aberystwyth.

Start with Cambridge admissions procedures in the early to mid 70s...

No, start with "heir to the throne". No conspiracy needed.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

No, start with "heir to the throne". No conspiracy needed.

There's the story (possibly apocryphal) that one of them (either Chucky or Prince Handsy) was talking to their protection officer and asked them why they (the officer) didn't go to to university, the man's reply was "Because I got the same results you did, Sir"

 

[zooterkin]

There's the story (possibly apocryphal) that one of them (either Chucky or Prince Handsy) was talking to their protection officer and asked them why they (the officer) didn't go to to university, the man's reply was "Because I got the same results you did, Sir"

According to The Tatler: https://www.tatler.com/gallery/how-the-royals-did-in-their-a-levels

two A-Levels; a B in History and C in French. He then went on to Cambridge University, graduating with a 2:2 degree in History. Allegedly, his bodyguard who attended all his lectures with him sat the exams too - and beat him to a First

 

[Mojo]

There's the story (possibly apocryphal) that one of them (either Chucky or Prince Handsy) was talking to their protection officer and asked them why they (the officer) didn't go to to university, the man's reply was "Because I got the same results you did, Sir"

“What is wrong with everyone nowadays? Why do they all seem to think they are qualified to do things far beyond their technical capabilities? People seem to think they can all be pop stars, high court judges, brilliant TV personalities or infinitely more competent heads of state without ever putting in the necessary work or having natural ability."

Unlike the Queen, King Charles will have no sense of caution, only of entitlement | Nick Cohen

A monarch who does not know his place would be a disaster for an unstable Britain

www.theguardian.com

 

[Thermal]

All right, so how we doing on the crash being suspicious?

-10 to 14 cameras "mysteriously malfunctioned": False.

-the one camera that should have caught a speeding vehicle was mysteriously not working: False. It was not a speed camera, and was turned off as scheduled.

-government surveillance cameras were certainly everywhere in Paris in 1997: False. They didn't even start rolling them out till 15 years after the accident.

-Hewiit was deported from England to Germany: False. Hewitt was a military officer, and foreign deployments are routine in the military.

-Charles and the others liked to dippy their dickies all over the place: Irrelevant.

-weird things happen to a lot of these celebrity-adjacent flakes: True, but irrelevant. Dogs, fleas.

-the white Fiat was involved in the crash, but was never positively identified: True. Very likely Le Van Thanh, but proof positive not established, and he seems entirely uninvolved anyway.

Is this where we are at with determining this car accident was a "hit"?

 

[catsmate]

So how did the errant speeding motorist get a ticket when caught on a nearby camera 15-minutes prior to the accident?

Evidence that this happened as you claim?
And The Independent's article is worthless as we know there weren't fourteen cameras in the 150 metres of road

 

[catsmate]

Woeful paucity of critical thinking skills here. I note that your ill-tempered insults are an indication of your lack of confidence in your assertions.

I see you're getting defensive, again, when your parroted nonsense is challenged.

We await proof of your claims regarding the number of cameras and that they were in fact being recorded. Your lack of evidentiary citations is an indication of your lack of confidence in your assertions.....

 

[Axxman300]

At this point I have Colonel Mustard (SAS) killing them in the study with a candle holder.

 

[catsmate]

Poor logic.

No, a fact. Based on my decades of tech experience, my knowledge of data recording and management systems and the technologies used in them.

I note, with no surprise given your history, that you have failed (as usual) to produce any refuting evidence.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

I'm actually getting a bit worried now. Back in the day I rented a little apartment at the foot of the Tour Montparnasse where I got up to all kinds of no good. It never occurred to me that I might have been under constant surveillance.

To anybody who watched any of the footage, I'm truly sorry. Young, horny and reckless. You know how it is.

Since it got posted to the internet, the number of people you need to apologise to has exploded. I'd post a link but since everyone already knows it...

 

[catsmate]

Sigh. More "whataboutusm", distractions and dubious or unknown sources.
Drivel.

 

[catsmate]

I literally just addressed that specifically, and did so repeatedly long upthread, with links to the official report (which the CT claims is the origin).

Eta: regarding the reasoning for shutting cameras down after 11PM, that's simple mechanical sense. The longer the sensors are actively monitoring, the sooner they will wear out and need to be replaced. The old fashioned and outdated sensors are not cheap. The Paris Urban Traffic Unit presumably found that the cameras were not picking up enough speeders after 11PM to warrant the extended monitoring, so shut them down after that time as a matter of frugality.

Also the office wasn't staffed hence there would be little point in keeping the cameras running.
Plus these were traffic management cameras, mainly used to detect issues with traffic flow, not generally a problem at 11PM

 

[Thermal]

Also the office wasn't staffed hence there would be little point in keeping the cameras running.
Plus these were traffic management cameras, mainly used to detect issues with traffic flow, not generally a problem at 11PM

That's actually caused a lot of the confusion here. The camera was operated by the Paris Urban Traffic Unit. As their name clearly indicates, they are a traffic monitoring body, not regular speeding enforcers. That they shut their party down when traffic is non-existent is kind of a no-brainer, when you think about it.

But many of us intuitively think of a traffic camera as constantly/intermittently recording (or triggered by speeders) as they largely work now, with images digitally stored for varying lengths of time.

So I think it's excusable to have been suspicious initially of a traffic camera that was reported to not capture a traffic incident right in front of it. But after the critical evaluation it has been given here, there's no excuse for clinging to a disproven reading of the facts.

 

[catsmate]

That's actually caused a lot of the confusion here. The camera was operated by the Paris Urban Traffic Unit. As their name clearly indicates, they are a traffic monitoring body, not regular speeding enforcers. That they shut their party down when traffic is non-existent is kind of a no-brainer, when you think about it.

But many of us intuitively think of a traffic monitoring camera as constantly recording (or triggered by speeders) as they largely work now, with images digitally stored for varying lengths of time.

So I think it's excusable to have been suspicious initially of a traffic camera that was reported to not capture a traffic incident right in front of it. But after the critical evaluation it has been given here, there's no excuse for clinging to a disproven reading of the facts.

And certain people deliberately play on the misunderstanding.

In 1997 the digital video revolution was starting. Multiplexing allowedsl record-to-disk based DVR, but it was cutting edge and expensive. Most cameras were analogue and recorded to tape, or simply weren't recorded.

 

[BartholomewWest]

I read a little bit about James Hewitt. IIRC, He was thrilled when he got sent to Germany. He crowed to Diana "I've finally got the chance to command my own squadron!" or something. He couldn't understand her anger at this. Women, they just don't understand! Don't they understand this is a promotion!?

Diana read this properly and coldly told him "You notice how none of the Parker-Bowles ever get sent to Germany?"

When I tell people this story, they snort with disbelief and amusement that Hewitt could be this hilariously dumb. They react with incredulity and say "No way did he really think that! Are you serious!? Wait, he actually thought it was a promotion!? You are kidding me! "

They can't believe that he thought it was real! They say "Oh, are you sure he isn't just playing dumb cause he wants to avoid more trouble with Charles? Maybe he's just scared of Charles."

And "Maybe the publisher told him to say that....cause they don't want to be sued by Charles. No way did he think it was a real promotion!"

And these are people who aren't into CT at all.

 

[Thermal]

And certain people deliberately play on the misunderstanding.

In 1997 the digital video revolution was starting. Multiplexing allowedsl record-to-disk based DVR, but it was cutting edge and expensive. Most cameras were analogue and recorded to tape, or simply weren't recorded.

Right, and Paris was already planning its updating of their already outdated equipment, and the expansion of the public surveillance grid, which was rolling out in force by 2012. That the cameras in use in 1997 were already antiques has been established; they weren't even part of the cutting edge series that became ubiquitous a few years later.

 

[Thermal]

I read a little bit about James Hewitt. IIRC, He was thrilled when he got sent to Germany. He crowed to Diana "I've finally got the chance to command my own squadron!" or something. He couldn't understand her anger at this. Women, they just don't understand! Don't they understand this is a promotion!?

Diana read this properly and coldly told him "You notice how none of the Parker-Bowles ever get sent to Germany?"

When I tell people this story, they snort with disbelief and amusement that Hewitt could be this hilariously dumb. They react with incredulity and say "No way did he really think that! Are you serious!?"

Military officers do in fact relish being given commands. It's a big deal, career-wise. As you point out, Hewitt (the 'victim' himself) was quite enthralled with this deployment. It's exactly what officers want.

Also, Germany is not exactly across the globe from England. They are as close as under 200 miles apart, and being buddy nations, moving back and forth between them is not a hassle.

Eta: you live in Eastern PA, yes? Would you think a military stationing in Pittsburgh would be a banishing punishment, when it actually advances your career significantly?