Yet another person extremely annoyed by the Police...

[MiniMadMike]

So heres what happened. Saturday night, sat in the car park of a well known fast food outlet in Witney, Oxfordshire, waiting for a few mates to turn up before going to the cinema. Having been sat in my car for 5 minutes, a Vauxhall Astra police car pulls up in front of me. Two officers get out and walk up to my window and ask what i'm doing. I tell them that I am sat waiting for my friends to turn up. They then ask how I can be driving a car like that (1-series, im 19 years old) and i tell them that its my company car. I am then asked to step out of my car so they can check the inside (presumably for drugs), which i do, and they shine a torch round quickly. At this point i start to get slightly annoyed, and ask why I am being treated like this when i've done nothing wrong. They say they are running an operation to find anti-social behaviour by young people in cars in the town. Then they tell me they want my name, d.o.b and reg number. So i ask why - i've done nothing wrong im just sat in a car park minding my own business. They then tell me its an offence if i dont give them my details. So i carry on with a speech about how i pay so much in tax so they can be paid to catch CRIMINALS, and not hassle me for doing nothing wrong. They pretty much ignore what i said, and told me i could be arrested if i dont co-operate. So i have to give them my name etc, once they have this they assure me it wont be going on any records, and then leave.

Now, presuming youve read this far, who else thinks this is ridiculous? I pay their bloody wages, i expect them to catch criminals, not chase after 19 year olds who havent actually done anything wrong. I was extremely reluctant to give my details with the reg of the car because at the end of the day the car is tied to my job, and i dont want it coming back to me, particularly not through work. Ive never had any involvement with the police in my life, no traffic offences, nothing. So why should i be hassled in this way? And is it really an offence to refuse giving my details when i've done nothing wrong? If they had caught me speeding or something then fair enough, but having done nothing wrong then surely that cant be right?

Ultimately it has really annoyed me, and i find myself taking a much dimmer view of the police now. I feel almost victimised despite being a law abiding citizen with a decent car and a good job. I can guarantee if i was 20 or 30 years older in the exact same situation the police wouldnt have batted an eyelid. Looks like this is becoming a police state, especially for young people!

[sneijder]

MiniMadMike said:

So i carry on with a speech about how i pay so much in tax so they can be paid to catch CRIMINALS, and not hassle me for doing nothing wrong.

If you actually did do this, therein lies your answer.

[f1dget]

You don't pay their wages!

What did you have to loose by not giving them your details?Your employers are more likely to hear about you being arrested for not giving them your details.

[Rach*]

I suspect you failed the attitude test.

[Kit80]

They were doing their jobs, sorry but a 19 year old sat in a nice car in a maccy ds car park doing nothingon - on an odds basis would probably 6/10 being doing something illegal.

I watched a show last year about how police pulled someone over who just didn't have their lights on, they asked why don't you just flash me to say that I have it is hardly a crime? but sure enough few questions later the guy was found for something illegal.

I imagine they do this kind of thing quite regularly and have fairly high percentage of 'catches' to justify it. If you are innocent then don't worry about it play along nicely, you never know you might need them one day.

[boobles]

For all they knew you could have been driving the car illegally by being just 19.
In my opinion they were ust doing there job.

[mikechandler]

MiniMadMike said:

I am then asked to step out of my car so they can check the inside (presumably for drugs), which i do

There's your problem. That, and the attitude test

[Fittster]

Think yourself lucky you're not black.

[Killer2005]

Sure they were being jobsworths but if you give them any sort of attitude back then you should expect to be treated like that

[Dupont666]

Rach* said:

I suspect you failed the attitude test.

nail head hit....

someone obviously has a huge chip on their shoulder to get annoyed at quick search, then being rude to them at the same time... How about they go and do that to you whilst you are going about doing your work...

If you saw a 19yo in a brand new bmw parked up in that nasty food chain where chavs and dealers hang out what would you think?

[HBLC]

The ol' ''I pay their wages'' line. Classic.

[off_again]

Profiling I am afraid - if you fall into the relevant profile then I am afraid that you will get stopped again and again. As a previous comment said - colour does come into it (unfortunately) and I have a few black friends who have been stopped time and time again, simply because of their colour - which is technically borderline legal, but hey its never stopped the police before....

Anyway, back on point though - young chap in a relatively expensive car (compared to the usual wrecks that most teenagers can afford) and hanging around - it is something that is worthy of investigating I am afraid. Typically profiling comes up with a type of person (age, colour etc), type of car (cost, brand and bling factor), behaviour (driving around and around or hanging around) and then location (known drug hotspots etc). Seems that you fell into a few of those and hence got questioned.

Maybe next time, comply with the police. Be polite and everyone will get on with their lives much more quickly. Having a rant about 'paying for their salaries' isn't going to do any favours and certainly will attract attention later. We are not living in a Police State and maybe they just wanted a quick sniff around. Been there, done that and its a simple and easy thing to deal with. I had years and years of GTi's when I was younger and was constantly stopped - occupational hazard I suppose - but be polite and fair and its not a problem. Once the local police know you, they don't do it again.....

Maybe try not to get on your Orange Box next time?

[Sheets Tabuer]

Be thankful you didn't grow up in the west midlands in the 70-80s

I think I still have a bruise or two somewhere

[wagon and horses]

Your attitude was bad however I see more and more how some police - usually the younger ones cannot seem to stand that someone their age or younger has a nice car.

How dare you have a 1 series @ 19 lol

Me and a friend were out in £80k worth of car when we were 21 and we were pulled, for no reason. After the law gave my mate some attitude at the side of the police car his partner walked over to my window and said 'whats in the glovebox?' I could not resist, giving the answer 'loads of drugs' - did not go down well.

[Thevet]

Maybe try doing their job and see who you would look at. Most of the older drivers like me, don't get into mischief now unfortunately, but if you respect them and accept they are doing the job we employ them to do, then I suspect you might see it slighthly differently. I agree that some of the BIB can have as bad an attitude as some of the turds that are part of our society, but I know who I would phone if there was a need for help beyond the limits of my bullet range.

[wagon and horses]

Thevet said:

Maybe try doing their job and see who you would look at. Most of the older drivers like me, don't get into mischief now unfortunately, but if you respect them and accept they are doing the job we employ them to do, then I suspect you might see it slighthly differently. I agree that some of the BIB can have as bad an attitude as some of the turds that are part of our society, but I know who I would phone if there was a need for help beyond the limits of my bullet range.

I agree its a very few BiB who have issues, I have found most to be very good - sadly its the bad ones you remember.

They just did not seem to get that some young man could be driving a nice car in a part of town where they are commonplace.

[obscene]

wagon and horses said:

Your attitude was bad however I see more and more how some police - usually the younger ones cannot seem to stand that someone their age or younger has a nice car.

How dare you have a 1 series @ 19 lol

Me and a friend were out in £80k worth of car when we were 21 and we were pulled, for no reason. After the law gave my mate some attitude at the side of the police car his partner walked over to my window and said 'whats in the glovebox?' I could not resist, giving the answer 'loads of drugs' - did not go down well.

[Hugo a Gogo]

so they asked you your name?

[omgus]

Rach* said:

I suspect you failed the attitude test.

+1

I think you managed to make yourself out to be a right bellend, i'm sure you are not a bellend, but you will realise that wasn't your best moment.

I have been a passenger a couple of times where the driver has been pulled, failed the attitude test straight away and has had the grief that comes with it. The first time it was a mate of my then OH, when asked if he had anything he shouldn't have he told them "nah mate, i dropped it off to my punters earlier." Cue car getting pretty much ripped to bits outside a petrol station until they were sure he had no drugs.
The other was after a night out, a friends friend, got arsey, got sweary, got Section 5'd, I got a taxi the rest of the way.

I have never failed the attitude test, that is one of the reasons i still have my licence. 70+ in a 30 for the record and the mother of all verbals, but most importantly no further action.

[carmadgaz]

Take it on the chin, be polite and if you have done nothing wrong you will be on your way in no time (via a breathalyser if they have just seen you come out of the pub). I've been pulled a few times, always on my way again within 5min, they are only doing their jobs.