Suspected Drink drivers...
Discussion
I was driving back in to Winchester yesterday early evening, when a car pulled out from the right straight in front of me (40 mph limit), had to brake to avoid it, it then started swerving all over the road (both sides, luckily not much traffic coming the other way) and driving along at 25 mph. Seemed to me a case of drink driving, but could have been something else. The car and driver was a danger to everyone around. So having followed at a good distance for a while and staying a good distance back I dialled 999 (handsfree) and gave details (location, story etc) and index to police controller who was very curteous and polite. What would have happened from there?
Just interested to know if i was wasting time of whether anything would come of it..??
Thanks
R
The two times I have done exactly as you describe they've been pretty rude to me. Not our problem sir. Has he crashed ? no ? nothing we can do. The 999 number is for emergencies only please be aware that misuse of this number could result in charges being brought against you.... and I hung up. Hmm no actually that was the second time, first one they told me to get off the line and hung up on me.
You did the right thing rje, so good on you. A drink-driver is a potential killer, so personally I have no problem with your use off the 999 system, it's what it's there for.
In the Counties your call would probably get more attention, with a car or cars being specifically sent to that location. In busier areas like the Met it would warrant a 'circulation' to all units in that area, a sort of "one to look out for", without any one unit being sent to look.
I've personally stopped vehicles and arrested the driver after calls such as the one you made.
In my area (East Sussex) if it sounds a bona fide report then it will come in as immediate response and if we can resource it at least one car will area search while another will hide near the home address to nail them if they are coming home.
To be honest though it all depends on staffing levels and who we can spare. On a lucky day, if we're all in the area and theres nothing urgent happenning you could get a number of units trying to catch them. If however we are having a mare of a night then, to be honest, we wont do a thing.
To be honest though it all depends on staffing levels and who we can spare. On a lucky day, if we're all in the area and theres nothing urgent happenning you could get a number of units trying to catch them. If however we are having a mare of a night then, to be honest, we wont do a thing.
rje said:
I was driving back in to Winchester yesterday early evening, when a car pulled out from the right straight in front of me (40 mph limit), had to brake to avoid it, it then started swerving all over the road (both sides, luckily not much traffic coming the other way) and driving along at 25 mph. Seemed to me a case of drink driving, but could have been something else. The car and driver was a danger to everyone around. So having followed at a good distance for a while and staying a good distance back I dialled 999 (handsfree) and gave details (location, story etc) and index to police controller who was very curteous and polite. What would have happened from there?
Just interested to know if i was wasting time of whether anything would come of it..??
Thanks
R
Suspected drunk drivers is a 999 call FULL STOP. You may have been speaking to a Force support officer who is not a cop. This is not an excuse it is a possible reason. You may have been speaking to a jobsworth bib. No matter both were wrong.
Complain. I urge you to. Your call is recorded and the conversation is kept for a long time (months)
These people undermine the police and should be brought to account.
Say the guy went off the road and took out a taxi rank full of people. The fatal accident enquiry (is it a coronors inquest in England) would have a field day with plod.
Please complain you could save a life its that serious. If you need help who to do this let me know.
Regards
Complain. I urge you to. Your call is recorded and the conversation is kept for a long time (months)
These people undermine the police and should be brought to account.
Say the guy went off the road and took out a taxi rank full of people. The fatal accident enquiry (is it a coronors inquest in England) would have a field day with plod.
Please complain you could save a life its that serious. If you need help who to do this let me know.
Regards
Had a dilemma on the M1 recently, a 7.5 ton box in front of me with his roof waving in the air, wooden frame and fiberglass, pulled too the side of him too attract his attention, he thought I was some road rage geezer I think and just gave me the finger.
Called 999 (hands free)they where ok once I got through too relevant dept, said they would be checking cameras straight away, hopefully accident averted.
Agree though, a number other than 999 would have I think stopped me wasting minutes thinking should I shouldn't I.
Called 999 (hands free)they where ok once I got through too relevant dept, said they would be checking cameras straight away, hopefully accident averted.
Agree though, a number other than 999 would have I think stopped me wasting minutes thinking should I shouldn't I.
gently bentley said:
Suspected drunk drivers is a 999 call FULL STOP. You may have been speaking to a Force support officer who is not a cop. This is not an excuse it is a possible reason. You may have been speaking to a jobsworth bib. No matter both were wrong.
But that ist the problem .. und when we do the BiB bash stuff ... ist really these types who let you down that we all vent spleens at.
]quote=gently bentley]
Complain. I urge you to. Your call is recorded and the conversation is kept for a long time (months)
These people undermine the police and should be brought to account.[/quote]
Yes they do.. but ist there another non-emergency number which we can use? I do know the ones to the forces in whose areas I drive my car. Not always open like 999 ... but the one I think we are supposed to use as und when appropriate - urgent but not emergency level. I think the upset might come if the 999 ist heavy load at some times in some areas.
Und yes - did dial the non-emergency number once to report car which had broken down in L2 - und Muslim women were obviously panicking inside. Lancs police were on the ball for once very quickly to sort it all out.
It was when Dibs was trafpol there of course
,, but I do not know if he was the one who sorted it out. It was on M55 by the way Our kittens like the fun fair as pre-school year treat. [quote=gently bentley]
Say the guy went off the road and took out a taxi rank full of people. The fatal accident enquiry (is it a coronors inquest in England) would have a field day with plod.
Please complain you could save a life its that serious. If you need help who to do this let me know.
Regards
[/quote]
I would dial 999 if the other number was "out of hours"... or maybe the Crimestoppers one....
yeah all valid points. All I can suggest is in a case like this dial 999. You are spot on about crimestoppers. I have good personal experience of them and they pass the message on straight away.
I understand the bit about you might even be out of the force area and only know the number for your local area HQ.
Here is my advice on this. Nearly all of us have mobiles now. Look in the phone book get the number for your area HQ and put it on your fast dial #1 or under 'aaapolice.' This will get it right to the top of your address book because when you do need the number I bet you can not remember it. Also god forbid if something does happen and you are unable to speak for long you can get the call made quick and leave the line open. The police can keep the line, listen and call trace even historically (including location of handset)
Don't worry about different areas. I have had calls transferred from an English tourist visiting Glasgow who called his local office in Devon to report an incident he did not consider an emergency and he did not know any of the Scottish Police numbers. (Why would he?)
Don't have hands free? It does not matter you can use that phone to contact the police. If you get stopped by the police whilst doing this.....eh then why you phoning them.
Just a funny because its this time of year. I have worked in 999 briefly.
I'll tell you the sort of calls that I took.
. Send the police out right now there is a deer in my garden. (So its a wild animal)
. Can you tell me if Rangers are playing at home today I want to go to the shops but I don't want to get caught up in the traffic.
. Settle an argument for us mate. When did Glasgow City Police become Strathclyde was it 1976 or 77
. You'll need to come out and jail the manager of this pub. He never let me finish my pint and its only 5 to 11 on my watch and I set it by teletext today. You speak to him and tell him what time it is.
. Ive got a burst pipe and can't get any plumbers to come out until tomorrow can you send the police out to have a look I want one that knows about plumbing.
. where is my local police station?
. Is it still free admission to the Kelvingrove museum
. Can you park in the city centre for free on a Sunday (I don't know ask the council who control and enforce parking)
. Ive moved house and need to tell the council tax people can you give me their number.
. What day do the bins go out in ......... Street.
Ah every one a gem.
Wildcat. I can't resist it its just a wee thing of mine. Its not a dig and I don't want people to jump in and start a whole new thread. Its just this. See when you saw the car broken down in L2 and phoned the police because you saw the muslim women inside panicking why would you bring our attention to the fact they were muslim? Was this fact a pivitol part of the story? Would it be more accurate to say you saw women in the car panicking? Oh hell there you go I know Ive opened a can of worms. Im going to hit the send button and regret this now.
gently bentley said:
Wildcat. I can't resist it its just a wee thing of mine. Its not a dig and I don't want people to jump in and start a whole new thread. Its just this. See when you saw the car broken down in L2 and phoned the police because you saw the muslim women inside panicking why would you bring our attention to the fact they were muslim? Was this fact a pivitol part of the story? Would it be more accurate to say you saw women in the car panicking? Oh hell there you go I know Ive opened a can of worms. Im going to hit the send button and regret this now.
No doubt at other times police would be grateful for a comprehensive description.
voyds9 said:
gently bentley said:
Wildcat. I can't resist it its just a wee thing of mine. Its not a dig and I don't want people to jump in and start a whole new thread. Its just this. See when you saw the car broken down in L2 and phoned the police because you saw the muslim women inside panicking why would you bring our attention to the fact they were muslim? Was this fact a pivitol part of the story? Would it be more accurate to say you saw women in the car panicking? Oh hell there you go I know Ive opened a can of worms. Im going to hit the send button and regret this now.
No doubt at other times police would be grateful for a comprehensive description.
Fair point. So how many cars were broke down in L2 with distressed women in it? I knew I would regret this.
voyds9 said:
gently bentley said:
Wildcat. I can't resist it its just a wee thing of mine. Its not a dig and I don't want people to jump in and start a whole new thread. Its just this. See when you saw the car broken down in L2 and phoned the police because you saw the muslim women inside panicking why would you bring our attention to the fact they were muslim? Was this fact a pivitol part of the story? Would it be more accurate to say you saw women in the car panicking? Oh hell there you go I know Ive opened a can of worms. Im going to hit the send button and regret this now.
No doubt at other times police would be grateful for a comprehensive description.
Ach! They looked so afraid at the time. Traffic was undertaking them und overtaking them... beeping horns loudly as well und no doubt giving not very sympathetic glances for having the "bad manners" to hold them up ... und no one seemed to try to assist getting them to hard shoulder either. They were very very vulnerable. Und I did mouth to them as I passed the I would try to get them help ...und it was perhaps the only time I have ever used the hands free handy thingy when driving.
I am not even sure how the law or pedant of policeman would view a member of public stopping to help push the car to safety either.. even if it seem common sense to do so given that I understand ist offence to stop on hard shoulder to assist another - police und AA etc apart.
I gave the police an accurate description of the car und the women.. und I think they got there quickly as radio traffic news reported that police had moved the broken down car to hard shoulder when I was further along the road.
As said they seemed totally panic stricken - und I was seriously worried about their safety. I mentioned their description so that police could send a WPC Trafpol if they could given some sensitivities.
I just recalled the incident as it happened. Had they been Indian.. or young girlies.. I would probably have typed that .. ist photographic memory card I have in my grey cells.
und Mad Doc say ist computer like.. und you know that computers are usually "wimmin" in terms of "logic" 
I called '999' whilst driving home on the A31. Bloke in one of those pikey type 4x4s driving very erratically. He parked up so I did too and got out, identified myself, explained my reasons for stopping him and required him to wait. Which to be fair he did. Wasn't happy, and he admitted he'd come from the pub down the road and had had a drink. It took 20 minutes but I did get a traffic car on blues and twos to my aid.
He went to amber so it was his lucky day, but I genuinely think Jo Public would get a similar response in my force. Any controller who advises it isn't an emergency needs a severe talking to.
He went to amber so it was his lucky day, but I genuinely think Jo Public would get a similar response in my force. Any controller who advises it isn't an emergency needs a severe talking to.
frazer guest said:
several years ago i was following an artic on the M1 past sheffield. the truck was all over the place, (driver tired, ill, drunk?), moving from hard shoulder to lane 2. i phoned the police and they where more than happy to take my call.
if the person on the other end of the phone is rude / stroppy with you, just remember that it is a person and we all have bad days. if you notice dangerous driving and you report it, you have done your duty as a citizen. if the controller doest want to do anything about it, then that is up to them.
Agreed.
And perhaps if the driver is involved in an accident, god forbid, then at least you have done everything *you* could - and perhaps the mistaken choice or inability to respond can be used for the powers that be to impove their policies if necessary.
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