94mph on the M1 last year.
Discussion
Seeing as there's a lot of 'I got pulled for doing ...mph' stories on the board, I thought I'd share one about when I got stopped last summer (been meaning to post this for a while).
I had left Duns in Berwickshire where I'd been enjoying the Jim Clark rally on a Saturday afternoon, before heading off to the Retro Cars show in my old Cavalier SRi130 at Santa Pod. I stopped off at Newcastle to see a friend but then got delayed by some hail/sleet/snow/torrential rain (in July) and ended up running a bit late, so had the car sitting roughly at an indicated 90 - 100mph once the weather cleared. Nothing unusual, I wasn't the fastest car on the road by any means.
Anyway, hit some roadworks just north of Sheffield - 50 limit, nobody on them, limit extended well past the works. Foolishly I accelerated rather too briskly as soon as the signs for the end of the works were in sight, along with a couple of other cars. Unfortunately due to there being three artics in the inside lane I didn't see a lone trafpol in a Landcruiser sitting at the side of the m'way pointing a gun at traffic leaving the roadworks. I knew as soon as I passed him he had 'got' me and swiftly reduced speed to 69mph and whistled a suitably unguilty tune to myself as I watched him come after me. Bugger.
I watched the rearview mirror carefully as he closed on me (rather too close) and as the blues went on he was a couple of car lengths from my bumper. I braked swiftly and pulled into the hard shoulder and got out the car.
I was met by the Officer who asked me if I 'knew what the limit was back there' and if 'I'd like to have a seat in his car?' Drat. Once inside I was told I had been doing 94mph when he clocked me and I was very lucky as it was just under the threshold for a fixed penalty and three points. I did my Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit impression and said I didn't even know my car could DO 94mph
. Worth a shot!
He then did the standard persons check and also checked the car was insured etc. Ok, I thought it's a fair cop, my 1st three points, caught red handed and all that. Not exactly fair but thems the rules and all that.
It was at this point that he folded up his FPN book, put it away and slightly sheepishly told me that he 'hadn't expected me to stop the second he put the lights on' and as a result 'the gun fell off the passenger seat onto the floor and knocked the reading off it in the process' so what I got was 'I'm just going to give you a bollocking instead, please be more careful in the future, this is your lucky day Sir!' At this point I must admit I was seriously struggling not to grin like a Cheshire Cat at my unexpectedly good luck
.
So that was me on my way again, albeit at a slightly slower pace, but grinning all the way to Santa Pod. The Officer was a nice bloke, totally honest and I have to say it's definately been my most interesting encounter with the traffic police so far.
Cheers - Dougie
I had left Duns in Berwickshire where I'd been enjoying the Jim Clark rally on a Saturday afternoon, before heading off to the Retro Cars show in my old Cavalier SRi130 at Santa Pod. I stopped off at Newcastle to see a friend but then got delayed by some hail/sleet/snow/torrential rain (in July) and ended up running a bit late, so had the car sitting roughly at an indicated 90 - 100mph once the weather cleared. Nothing unusual, I wasn't the fastest car on the road by any means.
Anyway, hit some roadworks just north of Sheffield - 50 limit, nobody on them, limit extended well past the works. Foolishly I accelerated rather too briskly as soon as the signs for the end of the works were in sight, along with a couple of other cars. Unfortunately due to there being three artics in the inside lane I didn't see a lone trafpol in a Landcruiser sitting at the side of the m'way pointing a gun at traffic leaving the roadworks. I knew as soon as I passed him he had 'got' me and swiftly reduced speed to 69mph and whistled a suitably unguilty tune to myself as I watched him come after me. Bugger.
I watched the rearview mirror carefully as he closed on me (rather too close) and as the blues went on he was a couple of car lengths from my bumper. I braked swiftly and pulled into the hard shoulder and got out the car.
I was met by the Officer who asked me if I 'knew what the limit was back there' and if 'I'd like to have a seat in his car?' Drat. Once inside I was told I had been doing 94mph when he clocked me and I was very lucky as it was just under the threshold for a fixed penalty and three points. I did my Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit impression and said I didn't even know my car could DO 94mph
. Worth a shot! He then did the standard persons check and also checked the car was insured etc. Ok, I thought it's a fair cop, my 1st three points, caught red handed and all that. Not exactly fair but thems the rules and all that.
It was at this point that he folded up his FPN book, put it away and slightly sheepishly told me that he 'hadn't expected me to stop the second he put the lights on' and as a result 'the gun fell off the passenger seat onto the floor and knocked the reading off it in the process' so what I got was 'I'm just going to give you a bollocking instead, please be more careful in the future, this is your lucky day Sir!' At this point I must admit I was seriously struggling not to grin like a Cheshire Cat at my unexpectedly good luck
. So that was me on my way again, albeit at a slightly slower pace, but grinning all the way to Santa Pod. The Officer was a nice bloke, totally honest and I have to say it's definately been my most interesting encounter with the traffic police so far.
Cheers - Dougie
nel said:
You spawny git!!
Moral of the story - if given the flashing blues after being radar gunned, brake test them...
As opposed to the git in a jam sandwhich that brake tested me in the outsie lane of a DC for some reason I still can't fathom at all, even now - 10 years later.
Luckily I was driving almost exactly the same model car as said BiB, so the brake test was a fairly even match
I once had one follow me into Northampton on the A45, a good few years ago, in an Escort Mk 1 Panda Car. He tried to 'push' me into going over the 40 limit, as he'd seen me slow from about 55 when I saw him. I was in a Mk 1 Granada Ghia coupe (very nice car in the 70's). We got to some lights so I stopped with them on green, got out, walked back in the rain and told him that if he didn't leave 1 car length for every 10 mph I would give him a braking test, then discuss the damage to the front of his car and the back of mine with his guv'nor. He went a bit white, said nothing and I drove off. Point made, I think.
Streetcop said:
He should have filled you in and then said you'd attacked him.. 
only joking of course. That sort of thing never happens
I think he probably saw the funny side of things in the end as he was smiling when I drove off. I just think he couldn't think of a suitable reply at the time.
I was than a middle-aged businessman in a nice suit, with a new and relatively expensive company car, in a built-up area (with witnesses), didn't get angry or swear and spoke calmy and nicely. He well knew what he had done and must have been all of 22 years old.
Maybe he learned something that day.
Whenever I've been stopped and knew I was wrong I've always admitted it, been as pleasant and contrite as possible. Maybe that's why I've had so few convictions (3) in 45 years of driving high mileages at fairly high speeds in all sorts of cars.
All-in-all the BiB I've met have, in the main, been very pleasant, honest and sensible. I suppose there is always the exception, but then you know that and there must be colleagues you are not particularly fond of due to their bad attitude ( I do watch The Bill!!).
A fair few years ago was driving my MKII Aatra SRi down the A6 south of Carlisle towards Penrith - overtook a while Vauxhall Senator at about 65. This car's headlights came on and it started following me fairly closely.
I thought 'nutter' and sped up - white Senator still following at the same distance behind.
We sped up and sped up - by this time my I was totally bricking it thinking I had a psycho on my tail. Was doing speeds in excess of 100mph and overtaking on double white lines etc, etc!!
Eventually reached a sleepy hollow village with shop, local people outside talking, etc so screeched to a halt.
The Senator pulled in behind me and blue lights came on from behind the grille. 'Oh my giddy aunt!!' I thought.
I got out the car, the (Police) driver got out the car. He proceded to rant on about teaching his trainee drivers with 'idiots' like me on the road - thought I was done for until I told him that I thought he was a lunatic and that I was being chased.
Immediately said officer backed down and gave me some 'Mind how you go, sir' type of advice and allowed to go on my merry way.
I should have billed Cumbria Police for the underpants!!
I thought 'nutter' and sped up - white Senator still following at the same distance behind.
We sped up and sped up - by this time my I was totally bricking it thinking I had a psycho on my tail. Was doing speeds in excess of 100mph and overtaking on double white lines etc, etc!!
Eventually reached a sleepy hollow village with shop, local people outside talking, etc so screeched to a halt.
The Senator pulled in behind me and blue lights came on from behind the grille. 'Oh my giddy aunt!!' I thought.
I got out the car, the (Police) driver got out the car. He proceded to rant on about teaching his trainee drivers with 'idiots' like me on the road - thought I was done for until I told him that I thought he was a lunatic and that I was being chased.
Immediately said officer backed down and gave me some 'Mind how you go, sir' type of advice and allowed to go on my merry way.
I should have billed Cumbria Police for the underpants!!
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