Guy steals APC and goes for joy ride in Britain

on 7/14/2007 3:14 PM Bluepen said the following:

First, it was in Australia. Secondly, he was lucky not to receive the fate that the guy in San Diego got for his joy ride.

"Certainly he had authority to behave in such a manner" ???? What on

"He has been charged with malicious damage, breaking and entering, using a weapon to avoid arrest, predatory driving, possessing a prohibited drug and driving dangerously."

Predatory driving? That actually sounds quite scary!

That's a part of Britain isn't it ? Just to the south east of London..

T.

The British are more circumspect and only license more or less responsible drivers.

That being said there is an idiot who has a surplus Abbot 105mm SP that has it road licensed and drives it about from time to time. This clown has painted it bright pink and has an inflatable pig strapped to the barrel of the gun (would bet his favorite song is "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath...) but as he follows all traffic laws they permit him to do that, or did last time I saw him on the news.

Cookie Sewell

Apparently it's an M113 FSV (Fire Support Vehicle), an Australian variant of the M113; this particular vehicle was from a private collection, and the man who was arrested had been hired to help restore it.

M113 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV)- The M113 FSV was a variant fitted with turret from Alvis Saladin armoured car. The FSV was introduced into Australian Army units in the mid-1960s following the withdrawal of the Saladins and was armed with a 76mm gun, a .30 calibre coaxial machine gun and a .30 calibre machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicle's turret. The M113 was an interim vehicle and was replaced by the M113 Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle in the late 1970s. It was commonly referred to by Royal Australian Armoured Corps crews as the "Beast".

Bruce Melbourne, Australia

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com said the following on 15/07/07 17:53:

He has been around for ages and AFAIR it started out as a protest gesture against Croydon Council. He was seen still driving it around by the offices when I was in that area a couple of years ago. I think he also wanted a dummy Spitfire on his roof at Christmas as a decoration but that started to annoy everybody. :-)