I've only had my 911 five minutes and I thought I might be selling up already :-(

Talk about bad luck.

Took a friend out in the car yesterday for a bit of a drive. Chatting away, nice and relaxed. Then we hit a bit of poker straight, deserted road, great visibility for over a mile, nothing behind, so I thought I'd give it a squirt. Pinned it in the first three gears. Then I see it in my mirror - flashing blue lights on an unmarked car

I absolutely shat myself as i was properly travelling.

Am green unmarked 335 full of cameras :-(

Cue me fluttering my eyelids and apologising for being an idiot, explaining I had just got the car and I'd just give it a quick blat as there was nothing about. Always keep it polite but not cringeworthingly so I guess...?

Anyway, I have to say the copper (high ranking by the looks of I as he had lots of little coloured strips on his armoured vest) was a gent, and restored my faith in coppers a bit. He checked me out, then just said I had a lovely car and if I wanted to give it the berries then to take it to a track etc, reminding me that for the 91 his camera had me doing (ahem!) I'd be looking at an instant ban.

He then went on to say he had better things to do than talking to decent folks making stupid mistakes and would rather be dealing with people like the gentlemen in the back of his car. He'd got a drunk bloke in the back who they'd caught speeding and he was absolutely leathered (scary).

I'd got off !

Still thinking about what could have been this morning. My drive bck from Birmingham to swindon was like a scene out if driving miss daisy...!

Just wondering what that episode cost in police time and resources...

Car was heading somewhere anyway. Car used a little petrol to catch naughty OP. 5 minute chat. I'd have thought about £10.

Very little.

Significantly less than the time and expense prosecuting this case.

Shame it was a straight section, would have been interesting to see what a drunk bloke looked like after sitting in the back during a blat through the twisties...

I'm presuming (maybe I shouldn't) that there is a subtext here- that being that having police cars to catch and admonish speeding drivers is better than having speed cameras and imposing fines and points.

Well, my point doesn't work unless there is indeed that subtext. Let's assume for the moment that many people, including the OP I expect, think that the example of policing described is better than automated systems. If that's true, then I am drawing attention to the fact that if we were to do away with the latter, and rely on the former to stop people doing silly speeds, the costs would increase hugely.

The moral of the story is to make sure there is nothing behind you that could be an unmarked car before you give it some welly

Yup. In my youth I got pulled twice where the copper just politely told me what I had done wrong, and what could happen. In both cases they let me go, and I remember what they said to this day.

Far better than a fine and points dropping through my letter box 2 weeks after an offence.