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'Guardian angel' hired by police to stop drivers speeding in Switzerland
By Carol Driver
Last updated at 6:53 PM on 11th May 2010
Drivers in Switzerland who spot a winged man dressed in white at the side of the road shouldn't be alarmed – it’s not a vision, it’s a guardian angel.
Police in the state of Fribourg have hired the professional actor to deter motorists from speeding.
The ‘road angel’, who forms part of a safe-driving campaign, will wave and flap his wings at motorists travelling too fast.
He’s the real-life version of an angel that features in the initiative’s TV commercials who is hit by a young motorist as he hurriedly drives out of his garage.
The advert advises heavy-footed drivers to 'Slow Down. Take It Easy'.
'The idea is to provide a sort of concrete protection, to have a real angel telling drivers to be responsible,' Benoît Dumas, a Fribourg police spokesman, said.
'To have a physical presence like that makes the message more visible, and it's out of the ordinary.'
The actor, whose identity has not been released for privacy reasons, works 20 hours per week and will ‘appear’ in different parts of the 670-square-mile region of western Switzerland.
'The initiative will go on until at least end of October, but it could be prolonged. After all, you know, angels are eternal,' Dumas said.
Drivers who spot the angel are being encouraged to e-mail the police – they will then be entered into a lottery for a driving lesson.
Officers say it’s too early to tell if the ‘guardian angel’ has discouraged speeding in the mountainous country, where speed limits vary from 75mph to 31mph.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... z0nhdCKERF
By Carol Driver
Last updated at 6:53 PM on 11th May 2010
Drivers in Switzerland who spot a winged man dressed in white at the side of the road shouldn't be alarmed – it’s not a vision, it’s a guardian angel.
Police in the state of Fribourg have hired the professional actor to deter motorists from speeding.
The ‘road angel’, who forms part of a safe-driving campaign, will wave and flap his wings at motorists travelling too fast.
He’s the real-life version of an angel that features in the initiative’s TV commercials who is hit by a young motorist as he hurriedly drives out of his garage.
The advert advises heavy-footed drivers to 'Slow Down. Take It Easy'.
'The idea is to provide a sort of concrete protection, to have a real angel telling drivers to be responsible,' Benoît Dumas, a Fribourg police spokesman, said.
'To have a physical presence like that makes the message more visible, and it's out of the ordinary.'
The actor, whose identity has not been released for privacy reasons, works 20 hours per week and will ‘appear’ in different parts of the 670-square-mile region of western Switzerland.
'The initiative will go on until at least end of October, but it could be prolonged. After all, you know, angels are eternal,' Dumas said.
Drivers who spot the angel are being encouraged to e-mail the police – they will then be entered into a lottery for a driving lesson.
Officers say it’s too early to tell if the ‘guardian angel’ has discouraged speeding in the mountainous country, where speed limits vary from 75mph to 31mph.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... z0nhdCKERF
GNC
King-Sized Canary
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I'll put this question here, but does anyone remember a TV documentary (BBC I think) about angels in the 1980s or '90s which described how a winged person would actually look?
It was something like having a huge wingspan and tiny legs, and a massive chest to support the wings and make them flap. I think it was to discount the notion of the traditional angel figure but can't recall the exact details. Does this jog any memories?
It was something like having a huge wingspan and tiny legs, and a massive chest to support the wings and make them flap. I think it was to discount the notion of the traditional angel figure but can't recall the exact details. Does this jog any memories?
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Angels are supernatural beings in different religions...They are carry out God's tasks.
I think every person has its own Angel who protects you and guides you in Your Life.
"I know I got Angels watching me from the other side".
Kanye West
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This thread might also be of interest:
http://forum.forteantimes.com/index.php?threads/guardian-angels-do-they-exist.42748/
http://forum.forteantimes.com/index.php?threads/guardian-angels-do-they-exist.42748/
MorningAngel
Justified & Ancient
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The parking angel thing sounds mad but it really does work. Ask nicely for them to find you a space and remember to say thank you.
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ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Grace: Lord bless this bunch as they munch their lunch.
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I ordered a cane from Amazon.com. The day before it arrived I dreamt of a tall ponytailed blond man who handed me a cane similar to the one I ordered. I forgot about the dream until a few days later I was on the street an a young man approached and said something to the effect of "Taking gifts from Michael is just as bad as taking gifts from Lucifer, both are just power hungry.
Victory
Justified & Ancient
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Today at work I took a call from a customer.
It was a long call, and the conversation went from work matters to them telling me about their life.
They told me the following, which was totally not related to my work:
They were an elderly lady, living on the Isle of Wight.
40 years ago they lived in Ventnor.
In a terraced house, where the attics of the houses were joined.
Near a cliff top.
They were asleep in bed, naked.
The bottom of the window was open to the air, being an old fashioned type of widow which was pulled up from the inside, to leave a small gap at the bottom.
At about 2AM they woke to find the room full of smoke, and heard shouts.
They saw flames.
Quickly realising the property was on fire, they knew they need to escape.
But visibility was limited, and there was little time to act.
[They stood up and in doing so, inhaled smoke produced in part by polystyrene.
This caused lung damage, and they now have COPD.
They told me that if they get a flare up, they smoke a few cigarettes, which neutralises the body's need to cough through hairs in the lungs trying to get rid of invasive particles.
It seems counter productive, but it has kept them alive.]
The slight window opening had allowed for a small stream of breathable air to enter the room, which was also not covered in dense smoke.
This allowed some light to enter from outside, so she instinctively went towards the window.
She went straight to the window, opened it as wide as possible, and got out of the room to stand on an external window ledge.
The ledge was high up, but wide enough to stand on without panicking.
Eight feet away, but at some distance below, was a flat roof of a nearby property in the terraces.
She knew that it would be better to get to that roof, but the distance and drop were prohibitive.
From somewhere, a man appeared.
Older, a bit taller, dressed in a white robe with long white hair.
He had a serene look on his face.
He took her hand and somehow "helped" her get to the flat roof.
She then saw firemen below, who had been watching.
They were able to place ladders against that property, climb up, and take her back down to the street.
They expressed some shock that she was not wearing any clothes, they thought she had been, but it was dark soot from the fire covering her.
As they put her into an ambulance, two firemen said they were going back into the house to find the man who had been with her.
They thought he was in danger.
She said that she lived alone, but yes, a man had been on the roof with her.
A few days later she was still in hospital, and the two firemen came to visit.
They asked after her health, and apologised that they had not been able to find the man they saw with her.
They had not found a body either.
They said that they had not though it possible she could make the eight foot gap between buildings, but she had seemed to glide over the gap, rather than jump or climb.
She had never seen the man before, nor has she seen him since.
He was not recognisable as one of her neighbours.
It was a long call, and the conversation went from work matters to them telling me about their life.
They told me the following, which was totally not related to my work:
They were an elderly lady, living on the Isle of Wight.
40 years ago they lived in Ventnor.
In a terraced house, where the attics of the houses were joined.
Near a cliff top.
They were asleep in bed, naked.
The bottom of the window was open to the air, being an old fashioned type of widow which was pulled up from the inside, to leave a small gap at the bottom.
At about 2AM they woke to find the room full of smoke, and heard shouts.
They saw flames.
Quickly realising the property was on fire, they knew they need to escape.
But visibility was limited, and there was little time to act.
[They stood up and in doing so, inhaled smoke produced in part by polystyrene.
This caused lung damage, and they now have COPD.
They told me that if they get a flare up, they smoke a few cigarettes, which neutralises the body's need to cough through hairs in the lungs trying to get rid of invasive particles.
It seems counter productive, but it has kept them alive.]
The slight window opening had allowed for a small stream of breathable air to enter the room, which was also not covered in dense smoke.
This allowed some light to enter from outside, so she instinctively went towards the window.
She went straight to the window, opened it as wide as possible, and got out of the room to stand on an external window ledge.
The ledge was high up, but wide enough to stand on without panicking.
Eight feet away, but at some distance below, was a flat roof of a nearby property in the terraces.
She knew that it would be better to get to that roof, but the distance and drop were prohibitive.
From somewhere, a man appeared.
Older, a bit taller, dressed in a white robe with long white hair.
He had a serene look on his face.
He took her hand and somehow "helped" her get to the flat roof.
She then saw firemen below, who had been watching.
They were able to place ladders against that property, climb up, and take her back down to the street.
They expressed some shock that she was not wearing any clothes, they thought she had been, but it was dark soot from the fire covering her.
As they put her into an ambulance, two firemen said they were going back into the house to find the man who had been with her.
They thought he was in danger.
She said that she lived alone, but yes, a man had been on the roof with her.
A few days later she was still in hospital, and the two firemen came to visit.
They asked after her health, and apologised that they had not been able to find the man they saw with her.
They had not found a body either.
They said that they had not though it possible she could make the eight foot gap between buildings, but she had seemed to glide over the gap, rather than jump or climb.
She had never seen the man before, nor has she seen him since.
He was not recognisable as one of her neighbours.
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