Off duty - Police
Discussion
Coming to work this morning got stuck behind some traffic so wanting to make good progress I utilised a two lane bit of road to overtake two cars (its the one from winkfield on the rounabout before the legoland roundabout) the second car took offence to this and proceded to flash me as I went along my merry way up the road, then overtook another lorry on the next roundabout (legoland) and feeling curteous let an XK8 alone rather than overtake it (mistake he was the one holding everyone up!!)
Still got to the lights in windsor the car that flashed me comes along side, woman driver starts mouthing abuse thru the two sets of closed windows - I wind mine down to try and hear - so does she - turning down obscenly loud phill collins in the process. . .
She says "Do you always cut people up?"
Me "er Yes?!"
She starts ranting about how appauling my driving is (it has been on other occasions but was OK today!)
Now saying the wrong thing at the wrong time - we when she starts ranting she waves a police badge at me and says my driving has been disgraceful and that shes going to report me! What the police badge has to do with anything I don't know - if she reports me it shoud be as a citizen, if she wante to do anything she should have asked me to pull over!
So finally what is she going to report me for - who to and what are they going to do about it!
And what did waving a police badge have to do with anything?
More importantly what power does an off duty copper have over a 'normal citizen'?
Dave
Still got to the lights in windsor the car that flashed me comes along side, woman driver starts mouthing abuse thru the two sets of closed windows - I wind mine down to try and hear - so does she - turning down obscenly loud phill collins in the process. . .
She says "Do you always cut people up?"
Me "er Yes?!"
She starts ranting about how appauling my driving is (it has been on other occasions but was OK today!)
Now saying the wrong thing at the wrong time - we when she starts ranting she waves a police badge at me and says my driving has been disgraceful and that shes going to report me! What the police badge has to do with anything I don't know - if she reports me it shoud be as a citizen, if she wante to do anything she should have asked me to pull over!
So finally what is she going to report me for - who to and what are they going to do about it!
And what did waving a police badge have to do with anything?
More importantly what power does an off duty copper have over a 'normal citizen'?
Dave
I wouldn't worry too much, my guess is she is probably a civie. They seem to hand out badges to just about anyone. I have a mate who works in IT for Thames Valley and he has a badge, doesn't wave it about though.. If she was a full on Plod I doubt if she would have lost the plot and acted like that.... If she does report you its her word against yours, and it doesn't sound like her behaviour could be described as rational...
She will probaly report you for Summons for Without Due Care and attention or for Without Reasonable Consideration, especially if she was on her way into work.
The main difference between a Police Officer and a Private Citizen is that when a Civvie sees this sort of action, they have to go tpo a Police station and fill out a form which then gets bounced around and will take ages to get to Court if ever.
When a Police Officer does this (and ive known a few), then they know exactly how to write it up, and its submitted in a report as if they were on Duty and the next day its in the system.........and will go through to Court if directed by the Officer.
I guess that what im trying to say is that when a Police Officer (albeit offduty) does a report, then its an awful lot easier to bring the person to justice other that a Civvie trying to do the same.
She would have showed you her Warrant Card, to let you know that she was a Police Officer and hopefully to stop you driving in that manner.
Again,this is not meant to be patronising,its just as i see it.
The main difference between a Police Officer and a Private Citizen is that when a Civvie sees this sort of action, they have to go tpo a Police station and fill out a form which then gets bounced around and will take ages to get to Court if ever.
When a Police Officer does this (and ive known a few), then they know exactly how to write it up, and its submitted in a report as if they were on Duty and the next day its in the system.........and will go through to Court if directed by the Officer.
I guess that what im trying to say is that when a Police Officer (albeit offduty) does a report, then its an awful lot easier to bring the person to justice other that a Civvie trying to do the same.
She would have showed you her Warrant Card, to let you know that she was a Police Officer and hopefully to stop you driving in that manner.
Again,this is not meant to be patronising,its just as i see it.
Sorry Tony - thanks for the advice, no I have nothing to worry about unless she tells lies of course! But as i was always taught - and I didn't cause anyone to slow down, stop, or swerve to avoid me, I continued to make good progress and even slowed down and checked that I didn't have a rear fog light on and checked the steering she flashed me that much!
Cheers
Cheers
No, *be* worried. She might conveniently "forget" where you overtook, and "remember" somewhere more dangerous..
Not wanting to sound like I am casting doubt on all Officers of the law (most are damn fine people who would never step into shadow for a quick conviction), but there have been rather a lot of bad press recently about BiBs being a bit "creative" with statements and/or blatent lying. How do you deal with one that has strayed from the law?
(and respect to the Boys on PH - it's great to hear word from the law side as well as being social. Please don't think I dislike the Police, 'cos I don't. I know who to hate - the morons who make the laws you poor sods have to enforce)
C
Not wanting to sound like I am casting doubt on all Officers of the law (most are damn fine people who would never step into shadow for a quick conviction), but there have been rather a lot of bad press recently about BiBs being a bit "creative" with statements and/or blatent lying. How do you deal with one that has strayed from the law?
(and respect to the Boys on PH - it's great to hear word from the law side as well as being social. Please don't think I dislike the Police, 'cos I don't. I know who to hate - the morons who make the laws you poor sods have to enforce)
C
Hertsbiker - so she waved a badge at me, didn't ask me to stop didn't ask me my name etc etc. At the end of the day its my word against hers - whats to stop any police officer reporting people they don't like for anything? She had no passenger etc Like I said before if it was that bad she could have stopped there and then and called it in from a phone box or mobile! So go on then whats the worst that could happen! Realisticly not theoretically!
david a said:
Hertsbiker - so she waved a badge at me, didn't ask me to stop didn't ask me my name etc etc.
The policy is that she is not allowed to stop you, ask you to stop or otherwise halt your progress unless she is in a vehicle equipped with the relevant warning equipment (marked or unmarked) If she was in her own vehicle, she would have been aware of thes policy. Also she may not have had a radio with her to summons help if the situation had got out of hand and you decided to assault her, or make off from her.
She attracted your attention and showed you her badge to make you realise that she had seen the manouvres you had completed and that in her opinion they were not safe or considerate in the circumstances.
She will have to deal with this in the correct way and as she did not stop you at the time, she must send you an NIP within 15 days (including the date of the offence) if she is considering section 3 RTA 1988 (Careless/inconsiderate) driving offences.
If you have not received the paperwork NIP/Sect 172 notice to name the driver, within the allowed time for it to be sent (sounds confusing but means that you don't have to receive it within the 15 days) then you can forget it. If a month goes past and you have received nothing, you can start to forget it.
david a said:
At the end of the day its my word against hers - whats to stop any police officer reporting people they don't like for anything?
Nothing stops a Police officer doing this except a sense of professional pride and the knowledge that to be found out will have very serious consequences.
Why make it up when there is so much going on and so many to chose from? I doubt you could make the allegation that 'she made it up because she didn't like you' fit because there were many other drivers to pick on at the time and you don't know her or she you. Why then would she suddenly pick on you when there are so many others to chose from unless you stood out from the rest?
My guess is that she will get to work, realise that she has got a little hot under the collar, realise that to follow it through is probably more hassle than it is worth (paperwork and inevitable court time), have a cup of tea, tell the rest of her shift what a wank3r you were and to look out for you in the future and then get on with her life dealing with the mundane tasks of sorting out the plethora of reports in her tray requesting her to help inadequate humans get on with their lives too!
adam a said:
She had no passenger etc Like I said before if it was that bad she could have stopped there and then and called it in from a phone box or mobile! So go on then whats the worst that could happen! Realisticly not theoretically!
So your word against hers, unless she has had the gumption to jot down some registration numbers of the people that you inconvenienced and goes through PNC to get their details then obtains statements to corroborate what she saw! Then you really would be in the sh1t
. I have done this before to great satisfaction 
So, you will have to hold your breath for at least a month and hope that she decides the 'cuppa and spleen venting' at briefing this morning is enough to dampen her ardour
Many years ago (about 1988) I was on the way to catch a train and running late, I went to overtake a car (who at the start of the manouerve had left a good gap between him and the car in front), but as I overtook he just shut the gap so I had to overtake him and the car in front of him. I agree I had to pull in sharpish, as there was now some traffic coming the other way.
The guy I cut up, flashed his lights several times, and I put my had up to say sorry, a flat hand, but he continued to flash his lights, so I proceeded to ensure all the doors were locked and started to memorise his registration number. We got stopped in an queue at a set of traffic lights and he's still flashing his lights, I looked round and he then raised a helmet up off the passenger seat (in retrospect quite a cool move!!), he motioned me to a pull into a side road and then I received a bollocking about my driving, which was fair I had cut him up, but I also received a bollocking about using 'a guesture liable to acuse a breach of the peace'. Now this I hadn't done, but after a brief discussion he let me on my way. I still caught my train as it was running late, so the overtaking wasn't required anyway.
Maybe the rules have changed madcop, but he wasn't in a vehicle equipped for anythingh, it was his own car and he was on his way to work.
Never heard anything further and since then I've made sure that none of my guestures could be construed as a gesture liable to cause a breach of the peace!!!!
davidy
The guy I cut up, flashed his lights several times, and I put my had up to say sorry, a flat hand, but he continued to flash his lights, so I proceeded to ensure all the doors were locked and started to memorise his registration number. We got stopped in an queue at a set of traffic lights and he's still flashing his lights, I looked round and he then raised a helmet up off the passenger seat (in retrospect quite a cool move!!), he motioned me to a pull into a side road and then I received a bollocking about my driving, which was fair I had cut him up, but I also received a bollocking about using 'a guesture liable to acuse a breach of the peace'. Now this I hadn't done, but after a brief discussion he let me on my way. I still caught my train as it was running late, so the overtaking wasn't required anyway.
Maybe the rules have changed madcop, but he wasn't in a vehicle equipped for anythingh, it was his own car and he was on his way to work.
Never heard anything further and since then I've made sure that none of my guestures could be construed as a gesture liable to cause a breach of the peace!!!!
davidy
david a said:
Coming to work this morning got stuck behind some traffic so wanting to make good progress I utilised a two lane bit of road to overtake two cars (its the one from winkfield on the rounabout before the legoland roundabout)
FWIW I was run off the road at that very section a while back - someone was executing much the same manoeuvre that you describe.
Except when we came round the roundabout, me in the left lane and him in the right-hand one, he straightened the road out and would've taken the front end off my car if I hadn't taken avoiding action. Maybe that's why your lady plod had a go?? That kind of thing happens all the time there, I've seen it happen to other people too...Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff