Police discretion or no evidence?
Discussion
Deserted M602 last night, I was in the nearside lane, coming to the end of the motorway which becomes an A road. Whilst still in the nearside lane, a Transit van that I had noticed following me with headlights that needed levelling drew up beside me (I had had to dip my mirror, for fear of being blinded!). I looked at the Police Officer in the passenger seat, who started to shake his head in a "tut tut" fashion. So I put the window down to which he asked, without smiling;
"How fast were you going then?"
"about 80?" I replied.
"Well, we were doing 100 and we weren't catching you. Don't do it again!"
"Sorry" I replied, rather graciously.
Lights turned green and he drove off. I followed at a leisurely pace behind.
Now I know that I was exceeding the speed limit, but I wasn't doing 100, more like 90, when I passed the slip road he must have joined from. Do you think that he used discretion or simply no evidence? Or do you think it was due to the Porsche Cayman S I was driving at the time? Do you think I could have got a dig in about his headlight? I must admit I was tempted, or would this perhaps have been a step too far?
S
p.s. The Cayman's fanbloodytastic by the way!
"How fast were you going then?"
"about 80?" I replied.
"Well, we were doing 100 and we weren't catching you. Don't do it again!"
"Sorry" I replied, rather graciously.
Lights turned green and he drove off. I followed at a leisurely pace behind.
Now I know that I was exceeding the speed limit, but I wasn't doing 100, more like 90, when I passed the slip road he must have joined from. Do you think that he used discretion or simply no evidence? Or do you think it was due to the Porsche Cayman S I was driving at the time? Do you think I could have got a dig in about his headlight? I must admit I was tempted, or would this perhaps have been a step too far?
S
p.s. The Cayman's fanbloodytastic by the way!
jamesson said:
I once drove a Mondeo which operated its brake lights every time the clutch went in.
That's potentially bloody dangerous, do you find that acceptable? Personally I don't find the poor state of repair of police vehicles in any way acceptable, I wouldn't be daft enough to point out any faults to someone with the abaility to make my life bloody difficult, but I don't think it's too much to ask the the police maintain their vehicles to at least the standard I'm expected to.
Yugguy said:I would rather like to see police vehicles properly maintained that's all. I'm not having a go at jamesson 'cause he drives 'em not maintains 'em - the problem appears to be that no other bugger maintains them either, there's a panda type car around our gaff that's had the same brakelight out for a month and a half now, and how much does a bloody bulb cost?
Yeah give him a break. Would you really not want him to come to your rescue if you were being mugged cos of a minor fault like this?
I'd never criticise the Police if stopped in any way shape or form, I've always been and will continue to be co-operative and polite.
You just have to bite your lip, I suppose. But I can't help but think that misaligned lights are a hazard that need rectifying straight away. This was a GMP Transit, with no lights flashing, just out and about patrolling so I think it's fair to say that getting the lights sorted weren't of utmost importance.
You just have to bite your lip, I suppose. But I can't help but think that misaligned lights are a hazard that need rectifying straight away. This was a GMP Transit, with no lights flashing, just out and about patrolling so I think it's fair to say that getting the lights sorted weren't of utmost importance.
Yugguy said:
Yeah give him a break. Would you really not want him to come to your rescue if you were being mugged cos of a minor fault like this?
Well said.
And (almost) regardless of the true facts of the initial situation, A-D WAS 'making progress' and the copper dealt with him fairly...perhaps even leniently.
to a flesh-and-blood copper, quite frankly.the one time I didn't bite my lip I was lucky. Doing 98 on the M61 (very late at night, quiet motorway), got pulled, the copper asked me what had made me drive so fast.
I said "Metallica." Fortunately he found it funny and gave me ticket, the lucky part was that he said at that speed I should really have gone to court but the rest of my driving had been fine so he let me off. And I had nothing to complain about, I was doing 28 mph over the limit and I didn't spot him.
I said "Metallica." Fortunately he found it funny and gave me ticket, the lucky part was that he said at that speed I should really have gone to court but the rest of my driving had been fine so he let me off. And I had nothing to complain about, I was doing 28 mph over the limit and I didn't spot him.
jamesson said:
Not overly familiar with Transits, but if they have it, possibly the internal headlight levelling was incorrectly set? Also, driving a low slung car myself, I do find that headlights dazzle a bit more than in 'normal' cars.
Good points, but this was definitely one headlamp out of synch with the other.
havoc said:
Yeah give him a break. Would you really not want him to come to your rescue if you were being mugged cos of a minor fault like this?
Well said.
And (almost) regardless of the true facts of the initial situation, A-D WAS 'making progress' and the copper dealt with him fairly...perhaps even leniently.
I aint got a problem with the copper having a word, as I said fair play. He suggested I was at over 100mph though, which I know to be false. So discretion, rather than lack of evidence?
What I can't understand is why hasn't the Coxster got an auto-dipping rear view mirror? Even our Mini Cooper had one! Shocking.
Oh, he probably realised what a pain in the backside it is to try and prosecute someone for speeding when you don't have a callibrated speedo, no video etc. If you had tried to lie your way out of it by saying 70mph, they probably would have stopped you to at least inconvenience you with a producer. I've always found that if you get stopped, get out the car or off your bike and as they are walking over, hold your hands up in a 'don't shoot' pose as if to say, "Yeah I know I was making progress." and if you are asked how fast you were going don't be specific, just say something like, "Faster than, I should have been I know, not going to argue with you." I know someone very well who did exactly that and the BiB exercised their discretion. His speed was 127mph average over a 3 mile stretch of the M11. Good old Met Police!
Scott
Oh, he probably realised what a pain in the backside it is to try and prosecute someone for speeding when you don't have a callibrated speedo, no video etc. If you had tried to lie your way out of it by saying 70mph, they probably would have stopped you to at least inconvenience you with a producer. I've always found that if you get stopped, get out the car or off your bike and as they are walking over, hold your hands up in a 'don't shoot' pose as if to say, "Yeah I know I was making progress." and if you are asked how fast you were going don't be specific, just say something like, "Faster than, I should have been I know, not going to argue with you." I know someone very well who did exactly that and the BiB exercised their discretion. His speed was 127mph average over a 3 mile stretch of the M11. Good old Met Police!
Scott
jamesson said:
No, it's not acceptable, but when an emergency call comes in, we have to respond, and if that means going in a Mondeo with dodgy electrics, so be it. I'm not in a position to hold off going until a mechanic comes to sort it out. Shouldn't happen, but it does...
This happends every now and then, As Jamesson states if there are any defects on the vehicle that would make it unsafe (ie tyre defects, punctures etc) then the vehcile would be defected and not driven,
If the vehicle has a bulb out or minor electrical the if that 999 call comes in and thats the only unit / vehicle avaliable to deploy then out it goes. Once the job is done it comes back in and doesnt go on routine patrol untill fixed.
purpleheadedcerb said:
What I can't understand is why hasn't the Coxster got an auto-dipping rear view mirror? Even our Mini Cooper had one! Shocking.
Who are you? Richard Porter?
Quite right anyway! I mean...I had to lift my hand off the wheel to flip it down, surely that almost constitutes careless driving!
lambo cop said:
His speed was 127mph average over a 3 mile stretch of the M11. Good old Met Police!
Scott
Scott, When we meet in a Pub one day I will explain why this friend of yours got a warning.....
Very much so! I think they were actually impressed that he stopped as soon as they put the lights on. They thought he was going to take off as he was on a GSXR. Apparently he was clocked at 108mph on the on-slip (from Debden). Lucky man.
Scott
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