Mildly Frustrated
Discussion
Last week I had to leave work early for a dentist appointment. I was in the daily workhorse Forester xt, the plan was to drive the 20mins home as it was on the way and jump in the fun car for the last 25min journey. The route from work to home is an enjoyable B road, mainly nsl with the odd 30mph village. This is a road I have driven many times every week for over 20 years and I really do know every twist, turn and bump. After pulling out of a T junction near work I could hear some police sirens, so keeping an eye on the rear view I continue down the road and just as I go round a sweeping left hander I see an unmarked Volvo with the blues n twos on appear from the T junction. I then need to take a left turn up a long upward hill (nsl ), about 2/3rds up the hill said Volvo turns up behind me. I'm obviously going to need to give way, 30 mtrs or so ahead is a large layby so I accelerate to allow me time to pull over rather than have to stop in the road. I pull in perfectly timed to allow police car to pass which it does. I then carry on my journey. At the top of the hill is a village at which point the blues n twos go out. A bit odd I thought but no drama.
It's only a small village and you are soon into twisty nsl B road again. I drive through the village keeping to the 30mph before picking up the pace for the couple of twisty miles to the next village. At this point the Volvo is some distance up ahead (no blues n twos). I continue to drive at the nsl, what I consider very efficiently which takes in two 90 degree left turns and a steep down hill run as well as a few twists and turns. By the time I approach the next village I'm within 4/5 car lengths of the Volvo which then slows to 30 at the start of the village, I do likewise. A little way into the village the blue lights come on and I see the hand of the front passenger signal to me to pull over which I do behind the Volvo. Male officer gets out and approaches my near side, "afternoon officer", "I've pulled you over because of the speed you have been driving at", "but I have not exceeded the speed limit officer", "really are you sure sir". It's at this point I realise I should just bite my lip and apologise as arguing the point will at best make me miss my appointment and waist both our time. While the officer was talking to me an old vectra with what sounded like no back box shot out of a side road and wheels spinning took off up the road, the officer remarked he was a bigger idiot than me. That did niggle :-(.
As the title says I am mildly frustrated but it's no real biggy but frustrated enough to share my experience. I have a lot of respect for the men and women doing the job but just like many officers I enjoy driving, I consider myself a safe and competent driver and basically made good progress on a road I know very well without driving like a hooligan or anywhere near the limits. It turns out the officer was training a colleague so I'm quite sure he has a similar passion for driving.
If I have a point to make I guess it would be that I don't feel I should have been pulled over? No grudge to the officer I just feel he got it wrong in this instance.
Regards
It's only a small village and you are soon into twisty nsl B road again. I drive through the village keeping to the 30mph before picking up the pace for the couple of twisty miles to the next village. At this point the Volvo is some distance up ahead (no blues n twos). I continue to drive at the nsl, what I consider very efficiently which takes in two 90 degree left turns and a steep down hill run as well as a few twists and turns. By the time I approach the next village I'm within 4/5 car lengths of the Volvo which then slows to 30 at the start of the village, I do likewise. A little way into the village the blue lights come on and I see the hand of the front passenger signal to me to pull over which I do behind the Volvo. Male officer gets out and approaches my near side, "afternoon officer", "I've pulled you over because of the speed you have been driving at", "but I have not exceeded the speed limit officer", "really are you sure sir". It's at this point I realise I should just bite my lip and apologise as arguing the point will at best make me miss my appointment and waist both our time. While the officer was talking to me an old vectra with what sounded like no back box shot out of a side road and wheels spinning took off up the road, the officer remarked he was a bigger idiot than me. That did niggle :-(.
As the title says I am mildly frustrated but it's no real biggy but frustrated enough to share my experience. I have a lot of respect for the men and women doing the job but just like many officers I enjoy driving, I consider myself a safe and competent driver and basically made good progress on a road I know very well without driving like a hooligan or anywhere near the limits. It turns out the officer was training a colleague so I'm quite sure he has a similar passion for driving.
If I have a point to make I guess it would be that I don't feel I should have been pulled over? No grudge to the officer I just feel he got it wrong in this instance.
Regards
xxChrisxx said:
Legally you probably did nothing wrong, morally you probably did nothing wrong. However significantly gaining on a copper over a stretch of 'twisty bits' is going to draw attention to yourself. Drawing attention to yourself gets you pulled over.
Fair comment and in reality I probably knew I ran this risk, I just let my enjoyment of the drive take over. So I am an idiot after all. Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff