Off Duty Plods

[racingsnake]

Can an off duty plod flash his I.D. and ADVISE poeple on thier driving?
This happened to me yesterday when I had been safely making progress not exceeding the speed limit etc...
I couldn't see if the ID was real but I couldn't believe a real plod would do that off duty so I just laughed at him and called him a cock whilst laughing at his little Corsa which did the trick as he drove off.
Should I ring the local plod and inform them this guy is impersonating a plod or give him the benefit of doubt and leave it?

[JustinP1]

Here is the risk:

1) He is not police - and the police can't do anything without the details.

2) He is the police and is p***ed off that you laughed at him and called him a cockerel.


One is a waste of your time, the other is the risk of trouble. How much time do you have on your hands?

[racingsnake]

That's pretty much what I think leave it and hope he's not in a white T5 next time we meet! But part of me thinks what if this cocks some kind of vigilante and could be harrasing vulnerable people.

[Adrianq]

This has happened to me before about 5 years ago i was giving it the beans in my first car and a Renault Laguna pulled up next to me with a cock holding a Warrant card. Seemed like a Genuine copper but you dont know, this has also happened to a friend of mine when he was with his dad in a sports car and they gave the cock the middle finger salute and accelerated away from him! That was a few years before it happened to me, you might not get away with that now adays assuming it was a genuine copper but then again can they do anything if they are off duty?

[rsv gone!]

They are never off duty

[supermono]

What advice was he giving? Not breaking the speed limit doesn't guarantee safety you know (lol).

If he was just sore that you'd overtaken him and caused damage to his ego, then go for it -- complain.

But are you just sore because he'd pointed out your dangerous driving, in which case, get over it and stop being dangerous.

SM

[MilnerR]

You only have to stop for an officer in uniform, although if you do stop for a copper waving his bus pass at you then they have all the powers they would have had they been on duty. Unless there's blue flashing lights then I'd give them the coffee bean hand signal and carry on.

[havoc]

Agree with Milner except for the coffee beans.
No sense being rude about things...if it IS a copper it'll just upset them, if it's not your reducing yourself to their level.

A quick dismissive wave of the hand or similar would probably be more appropriate - an "I don't care what you're waving as it doesn't prove anything from this distance" sort of gesture. And if they then pursue you or try and block you, THEN you call the police and report the nutter...

[scotty328i]

I was driving behind a KA he (copper off duty) in fast lane doing about 60/65 on and empty motorway

I go around him give a glare - he flashes a warrant card and wound his window down and started shouting something - unknown to to what he was saying due to 65mph winds

Me and my mate got out our oyster cards flashed them back at him and gave him a 2 finger salute each.

One of the best days of my life

[johnnywb]

scotty328i said:

I was driving behind a KA he (copper off duty) in fast lane doing about 60/65 on and empty motorway

I go around him give a glare - he flashes a warrant card and wound his window down and started shouting something - unknown to to what he was saying due to 65mph winds

Me and my mate got out our oyster cards flashed them back at him and gave him a 2 finger salute each.

One of the best days of my life

I like that a lot!

[Yoda954]

Centurion: "You are ing nicked, me old beauty!

[Chrispy Porker]

The Tuscan Rat said:

rsv gone! said:

They are never off duty

You have never been on a run with me then have you ???

Seriously though, sadly with all jobs you get the odd knob who thinks he / she on duty 24 / 7...

I have seen some outragous stuff when off duty, however unless someone is being Stabed, Raped, Getting a damn good kicking or I just can't help not getting involved etc I am not interested when off duty. I certianly would not wave my warrant card at a speeding motorist etc...

However I did have a motorbike come off in front of me and break his leg on Saturday which I obviously got involved in. Did the paperwork and got six hours double pay for my efforts...

That'll buy a jar or too at crimbo

[racingsnake]

To illuminate I had crossed out of my lane to straight line an empty roundabout.
No speeding was involved, I didn't hinder anyone and checked my mirrors first I saw him and he was way back. I crossed a broken white line to take a smoother line through the island no one was harmed or had to swerve, no animals or children were harmed in the completion of this rather stylish manouvre - if I say so myself.
Nobody else was agrieved except this jumped up little dimbleby.

• I have mates in the force, not tarring all with the same brush...

[rsv gone!]

The Tuscan Rat said:

rsv gone! said:

They are never off duty

You have never been on a run with me then have you ???

So Oggs has said......

But you know what I mean, don't you?

[wasted years]

Corsa you say? Could have been legit and on duty but unable to stop you as not driving suitable car.

And yes can "advise" you when off duty - as was said earlier you theoretically are on duty all the time.

[ganglandboss]

I remember a few years ago. I was apassenger in a works van. There is a roundabout in Manchester where the left hand lane is first exit only. We were in the middle lane, for the second exit. A shitty Fiesta was in the left hand lane but went straight on and nearly hit us. The lad driving beeped him. Next thing the Fiesta has pulled up alongside us and the driver is flashing a warrant card and shouting abuse. I told him to f**k off.

I would say that the copper could do something if you drove off as he would probably say you were being spoken to about another matter. I do know however that only a uniformed officer can request documents.

[7db]

The Tuscan Rat said:

Just got my overtime for the Eco camp thing at Heathrow last month....Thankyou swampies..same time next year...

I wonder if we could just concrete the whole place over for the same amount that we're paying to police it...