Lack of trafpol over xmas
Discussion
Was driving on xmas day and boxing day so regulated my alcohol intake the previous evenings expecting the roads to be awash with plod looking for drink drivers.
Didn't see one! Where were they all, on arguably the most dangerous times on the road with regards to drink drivers etc? Oh yes, it's okay they've got speed cameras to do their jobs haven't they.
Didn't see one! Where were they all, on arguably the most dangerous times on the road with regards to drink drivers etc? Oh yes, it's okay they've got speed cameras to do their jobs haven't they.
They were all enjoying Christmas - after all, their Human Rights are involved!!! 
But agreed - on 24th afternoon saw only 3 cops in 140 miles...all at an accident on the M1. On 26th day (~10 miles)...none at all. on 26th evening (140 miles)...again none at all.
No wonder drink-driving is on the increase...nearly had 3 bumps on the way home B-Day night due to people incapable of driving in one lane!!!
But agreed - on 24th afternoon saw only 3 cops in 140 miles...all at an accident on the M1. On 26th day (~10 miles)...none at all. on 26th evening (140 miles)...again none at all.
No wonder drink-driving is on the increase...nearly had 3 bumps on the way home B-Day night due to people incapable of driving in one lane!!!
gingerprince said:
Was driving on xmas day and boxing day so regulated my alcohol intake the previous evenings expecting the roads to be awash with plod looking for drink drivers.
Didn't see one! Where were they all, on arguably the most dangerous times on the road with regards to drink drivers etc? Oh yes, it's okay they've got speed cameras to do their jobs haven't they.
Speed cameras don't do my job as a trafpol .... thats why I hate them !
We were out there over Christmas but unsurprisingly those with families actually like to have time with their kids ...... and my job won't pay any more to work than it has to so thats why we appear more spread out than normal.
Saw no trafpol on the M25 on Xmas Day. BUT - did see two "pretend police" Highways Agency units, in nicely battenburged Discos. They're well disguised, the only HA sign is on the bonnet, so most people were assuming they were real police and crawling past at 69mph.
We did see a real trafpol in attendance at the M25/M20 junction on Boxing day. Someone had managed (god knows how) to overturn their car 50 yards down the on-slip for the Swanley bypass!
>> Edited by outnumbered on Wednesday 28th December 13:45
We did see a real trafpol in attendance at the M25/M20 junction on Boxing day. Someone had managed (god knows how) to overturn their car 50 yards down the on-slip for the Swanley bypass!
>> Edited by outnumbered on Wednesday 28th December 13:45
outnumbered said:
BUT - did see two "pretend police" Highways Agency units, in nicely battenburged Discos. They're well disguised, the only HA sign is on the bonnet...
Easier in daylight - the battenburg is green/yellow, not blue/yellow (bugger to tell apart under sodium lights though!!!). Ones around our way are all Land Cruisers.
What I want to know is if the HA can have the money for these guys, why can't Trafpol departments have the money for real police?!? Surely can't be THAT much more expensive to equip a real trafpol car than a bloody-great Disco/L-Cruiser...and salaries probably aren't miles apart.
havoc said:
BUT - did see two "pretend police" Highways Agency units, in nicely battenburged Discos. They're well disguised, the only HA sign is on the bonnet...
Easier in daylight - the battenburg is green/yellow, not blue/yellow (bugger to tell apart under sodium lights though!!!). Ones around our way are all Land Cruisers.
I think the green yellow are paramedics, at least everywhere I've seen they are. HA and VOSA battenburgs are black/yellow.
havoc said:
What I want to know is if the HA can have the money for these guys, why can't Trafpol departments have the money for real police?!? Surely can't be THAT much more expensive to equip a real trafpol car than a bloody-great Disco/L-Cruiser...and salaries probably aren't miles apart.
Exactly! Brand new Range Rovers for the first set in Midlands. Govt fooling themselves over cost saving.
havoc said:
What I want to know is if the HA can have the money for these guys, why can't Trafpol departments have the money for real police?!? Surely can't be THAT much more expensive to equip a real trafpol car than a bloody-great Disco/L-Cruiser...and salaries probably aren't miles apart.
That's where the money from the gatso's should go, rather than in to Gordy's back pocket to pee up the wall, in which case there might be a little less resentment. At least we would see what we are getting for our money, and perhaps more scrotes would think twice about their antisocial behaviour!
havoc said:
BUT - did see two "pretend police" Highways Agency units, in nicely battenburged Discos. They're well disguised, the only HA sign is on the bonnet...
Easier in daylight - the battenburg is green/yellow, not blue/yellow (bugger to tell apart under sodium lights though!!!). Ones around our way are all Land Cruisers.
What I want to know is if the HA can have the money for these guys, why can't Trafpol departments have the money for real police?!? Surely can't be THAT much more expensive to equip a real trafpol car than a bloody-great Disco/L-Cruiser...and salaries probably aren't miles apart.
I believe we are quite expensive, somewhere around £80 per hour (total costs) per patrol and about £100 per hour on public hols.
But I was out with my chums on Christmas morning. And we were bl**dy busy! Still had time to grab a speeder though.
Trust me, he deserved the ticket!
Lack of plod full stop!!
I can regularly drive from Manchester to Poole or Brighton/south east in general and not see anyone
ohh except once BTP who appeared to get a little pissed off and put his lights on and drove past us all when a group of us passed him at high speed only to be caught up again when he'd slowed down, perhaps that urgent assistance request at Bournemouth railway station had been cancelled, never mind.
I can regularly drive from Manchester to Poole or Brighton/south east in general and not see anyone
ohh except once BTP who appeared to get a little pissed off and put his lights on and drove past us all when a group of us passed him at high speed only to be caught up again when he'd slowed down, perhaps that urgent assistance request at Bournemouth railway station had been cancelled, never mind.
jewhoo said:
I did approx 250 miles on xmas day/boxing day and the standard of driving was absolutely appalling. Xmas morning was the worst. Saw zero trafpol.
The problem is its the one or two days a year that a lot of people venture on the roads to travel any sort of distance, when they normally stick to A/B roads for a sunday drive !!
jewhoo said:
I did approx 250 miles on xmas day/boxing day and the standard of driving was absolutely appalling. Xmas morning was the worst. Saw zero trafpol.
Standard of driving this morning was, unbelievably, worse!
Driving in, never seen so many MLM zombies. Made overtaking a right pain, as continually getting held up by one MLM overtaking another at 2mph more. Inside lane intermittently clogged with trucks or 50mph Focuses with ALL lights on (
), plus I tend to behave myself when misty. But add to the mix TWO OLM's!!! First (and biggest pain) was a Grand Cherokee with tints...sitting on the dotted line on the LHS of the outside lane, took me about 20secs to work out that there wasn't anything inside him, by which point he was about 50yds from someone in lane 2, so I waited...and waited 'cause he couldn't do more than a 5mph overtake. Then when he's past I wait, then flash...then wait...then look inside him, see it's clear and flash again. He once more drifts left, so i think "Great, he's moving, just not indicating!" Except no. Cue another flash, and finally he moves over, lets me past, then moves straight back into lane 3 blocking the car approaching behind me!!!
After him everyone was a saint. A lunatic, half-asleep saint with all the car control of Mother Theresa, but you get the picture.
I read in The Times
over the Christmas period that alcohol-related deaths on the roads had increased exponentially since Labour came to power. The journo argued that this was largely because of the number of police being diverted away from traffic duties following the proliferation of scameras.
Whether that's true or not, I certainly didn't see any plod over the Christmas period. Up until the past couple of years, the BiB used to set up checkpoints on all major roundabouts leading into the major towns in Mid Sussex. I don't doubt that this had a preventative effect.
This year, they've placed bashed up cars on the roundabout, which (i) I'm sure don't act as such a deterrent (bashed up cars don't lock you up and take away your licence) and (ii) tend to distract drivers from the job in hand.
I'm certainly not blaming the police, but our government with their brutally short-sighted traffic-related policies
over the Christmas period that alcohol-related deaths on the roads had increased exponentially since Labour came to power. The journo argued that this was largely because of the number of police being diverted away from traffic duties following the proliferation of scameras. Whether that's true or not, I certainly didn't see any plod over the Christmas period. Up until the past couple of years, the BiB used to set up checkpoints on all major roundabouts leading into the major towns in Mid Sussex. I don't doubt that this had a preventative effect.
This year, they've placed bashed up cars on the roundabout, which (i) I'm sure don't act as such a deterrent (bashed up cars don't lock you up and take away your licence) and (ii) tend to distract drivers from the job in hand.
I'm certainly not blaming the police, but our government with their brutally short-sighted traffic-related policies
Hanse Cronje said:
Lack of plod full stop!!
Aren't you dead ?
.... in our evening paper this week
An officer with 15 years service has written to the Evening News to express fears over policing in Norwich, following revelations of why city police were quitting the force.
The officer, who did not want to be named, wrote: "We are dangerously short-staffed on the front-line, constantly being asked to attend dangerous jobs with insufficient back-up.
"It is only a matter of time before a serving Norfolk officer is seriously hurt as a result."
The letter comes just days after Norfolk's chief constable Carole Howlett wrote to us defending the running of the force.
Last week a Freedom of Information request by the Evening News revealed why officers in Norwich had decided to leave their jobs.
The Central Area exit interview papers raised a raft of concerns, including complaints over too much paperwork, political correctness, resource mismanagement, poor senior management and long hours.
The officer's letter continued: "Your article in relation to criticisms of our job is spot on, but unfortunately the picture is much worse than this.
"Officers are continually having their rest days cancelled to cover shortfalls, and I regularly work 12 hour shifts without a meal break, due to shortages.
"In my service I have seen front line staff levels drop by more than half and the management response is to 'risk assess' things and refuse to believe the situation is bad."
The letter goes on to state how community support officers have no real powers and have just created more work for police, and of how the administration system is tying officers up in red tape.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff