i hate police....
i hate police....
Author
Discussion

matt-man

Original Poster:

2,667 posts

248 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Got my FIRST speeding ticket today...bloody rozzers did me for 49 in a 40 in my sleepy village at 8 in the morning whilst they 'camoed' themselves with their jackets in the dafodils...they didnt even have the courtest to pull me over, just a ticket in the post. I now dislike the federals even more than i used to!

Wasnt even in the wedge, it was in my astra...ordered myself a road angel now, hopefully that will save any future ones!

Rant over

silverback mike

11,293 posts

282 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Hiding in a bunch of daffodils is a bit extreme, and something I certainly couldn't be arsed to do.

Hate is a strong word, were pretty normal blokes really, trouble is, when called to a job (I'm not on about pro-laser speeding jobs) people don't tend to want our attendance, hence 90% of the time end up with someone trying to punch lumps out of us.

Of course, this is swiftly followed up by their face hitting the floor rapidly.

Comiserations on the speeding ticket, if it's any consolation I had one too.

L1OFF

3,770 posts

285 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
My rule of thumb is
30 in a 30,
40 in a 40
everything else is fair game.

rev-erend

21,619 posts

313 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
mungo said:


Either way stop whining and take it on the chin


It's a fair cop

nick heppinstall

9,071 posts

309 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
silverback mike said:
Hiding in a bunch of daffodils is a bit extreme, and something I certainly couldn't be arsed to do.

Hate is a strong word, were pretty normal blokes really, trouble is, when called to a job (I'm not on about pro-laser speeding jobs) people don't tend to want our attendance, hence 90% of the time end up with someone trying to punch lumps out of us.

Of course, this is swiftly followed up by their face hitting the floor rapidly.

Comiserations on the speeding ticket, if it's any consolation I had one too.


How did you get a ticket then Mike ? Do you get called up infront of Inspector Morse for a bollocking ?

matt-man

Original Poster:

2,667 posts

248 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
agreed, i was obviously going too quickly but 1 i dont believe i was going that fast and 2 it is in an unfair location, as well as hiding in the dafodils! Just as a long dual carrage way comes straight into a 40...

Hate is a strong word i agree, and i do have friends who are policemen and i obviously dont hate them, but i personally believe, and on the whole they agree with me, that the time and money being spent on speeding is rediculous. Its obviously more important than all the drugs and gun crime which goes on in this country. And of course, as we all know, the 'Safety cameras' are doing a lovely job of reducing accidents on the road...

I guess i just dont agree with tickets 'turning up' in the post from mobile cameras. Why dont they pull you over any more? Even is they just warned you of what you were doing wrong and issue a ticket if justified, at least you would feel like the operation is run by humans...in fact, warning offenders would probably give better results and respect from the general public than a ticket on their doormat.

I ALWAYS see police on the side of the road, and this time they were definatly not to be seen. I just thinks its unfair...especially when there are alsorts of stories about police getting away with it. In the Daily mail on the 27th of october 2005, it said this 'Mr Owen, architect of a series of anti-speeding campaigns, was driven by a constable in a marked police car which reached 82mph on roads with a 40mph limit and 86mph in a 50mph zone' and HE got away with it!

Whys that then?? I dont think thats fair!

>> Edited by matt-man on Thursday 20th April 09:37

l33

3,469 posts

253 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Matt,
What you need to do is request for:

1. A certificate of competency from the officer who zapped you. He needs to be trained to use the speed gun AND certificate needs to be in date

2. A calibration certificate. Law states that a speed measuring device muct be calibrated and hence accurate. Most radar guns and speed traps do not have in in-date callibration certificate.

Its more than likely, if you ask for these 2 items, you will get off with it.


L33.

matt-man

Original Poster:

2,667 posts

248 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Cheers L33, Ive already requested a photo and the calaboration licence. Supposodly they should be on the way to me, but ill also have to ask about the guys certificate!

Lets wait and see if they appear in the post!

bhardy

467 posts

287 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
I have no problems with camera's or speedtraps in front of schools or dangerous places, the problem with our dutch police is that they don't intend to make the road safer, they just want to earn as much as they can. It's like you see in those old american movies where they stand behind billboards... Can't see how those guys come home after a day of work and be pleased with what they have done that day.


>> Edited by bhardy on Thursday 20th April 09:43

l33

3,469 posts

253 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
matt-man said:
Cheers L33, Ive already requested a photo and the calaboration licence. Supposodly they should be on the way to me, but ill also have to ask about the guys certificate!

Lets wait and see if they appear in the post!


Funny, talking about photos, there was a story of the guy who got done for speeding. He got through the post a photograph of his speeding car and a £60 fine.
He thought is would be funny to sent back a photograph of £60. So he did.
Some rozzer found this amusing and replied with a photograph of a pair of handcuffs.
The £60 fine was then duly paid...

Medusa

301 posts

256 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
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Hello matt-man

Bad news, but do not rely on a Road Angel for mobile cameras. They are great for fixed, I changed from a Road Angel 2 to a Navigator. By the time a Road Angel 2 lets you know there is a mobile, most times you will already have been done. The sensors for the number plate area are supposed to help but I do not think they are that effective. A lot more money and supposedly becoming illegal in the future is a Valentine one. They reportedly get nearly all mobiles in time.

silverback mike

11,293 posts

282 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
It's quite well known that I'm not a great fan of camera's for the sake of it. Outside schools, and other areas of similarity I don't fall out with them though.
At the beginning of a shift, checks are done initially on the vehicle, emergency equipment, and calibration dates of the equipment carried. So, you may get away with it if the officer was a bit slack, rare I would think, but you never know.

We don't get extra money for every ticket given, and yes, as your mates will tell you, discretion is the best tool in the armoury, and a camera can't do this. However, the limit is set, you were over that limit, so were zapped, this precludes the ability of an officer to use his or her discretion dependent on circumstances. We can draw whatever inference from that as we wish.

More police on the beat is the solution, but it won't happen unfortunately.

silverback mike

11,293 posts

282 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
nick heppinstall said:
silverback mike said:
Hiding in a bunch of daffodils is a bit extreme, and something I certainly couldn't be arsed to do.

Hate is a strong word, were pretty normal blokes really, trouble is, when called to a job (I'm not on about pro-laser speeding jobs) people don't tend to want our attendance, hence 90% of the time end up with someone trying to punch lumps out of us.

Of course, this is swiftly followed up by their face hitting the floor rapidly.

Comiserations on the speeding ticket, if it's any consolation I had one too.


How did you get a ticket then Mike ? Do you get called up infront of Inspector Morse for a bollocking ?


Ahem...move along please, nothing to see here....
SP30 offence from neighbouring force.

matt-man

Original Poster:

2,667 posts

248 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Sorry if i have offended anyone, my post last night was after a very long day at work and speeding ticket was the icing on the cake.

Noone likes speed cameras, just going to have to keep out the way. I guess its probably when you read all sorts of stories about people getting away with stuff, like i got pulled over once as a young lad in my 205 GTI and got a producer and severe telling off for being in a 'cruise area' when i was going to my girlfriends! Funny thing was my mate got pulled over at the same time, had one bald tyre and got nothing!

Still, thats the way it goes i guess!

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Thing is, it's not like speed cops (to use a catch-all phrase) were only introduced last weekend. As soon as you're over the posted limit, make sure you have your wits about you.
Assume worst-case (ie they ARE hiding in the daffodils) and you stand a chance of spotting them.
That said I got nicked by the infamous Cumbria ANPRs: I can put forward all the reasoned arguments I like but at the point they snapped me, I was speeding.
Ironically I was in the company van and neither of my sports cars, but hey ho. Had I been in the cars I'd probably have been going even faster...

firefox1712

1,772 posts

284 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
In reality, this is a fair cop.

However, I believe the officers need to be visible and in uniform for the ticket to be valid. There were problems in Essex some years ago regarding just this. I don't know for sure if this is totally tickety boo legal wise - maybe the police officer on this forum can let us know.

There are many points regarding the instrument itself - calibrated, are they being used correctly etc.. However, over the years a number have been shown to be inaccurate - sometimes wildly. As regards radar guns, my father told me he worked on the basic technology years and years ago and they were just no good.

Unfortunately many people just give in and pay up. If you are confident you were not driving that fast I don't think it would be unreasonable for you to question it and have it explained fully.

I drive fast cars - like many of us PHers. Just along from here I drive at 20 mph in a 30 limit because there is a school here - most other people use it as a racetrack on their way to the swimming pool and leisure centre. On the open road I drive my cars quickly. There are a number of open roads around here that have speed limits - and varying ones at that - as you go through villages. It is often hard to see why you need to reduce speed, but you just have to have your wits about you - so I keep to the limits.

As regards the police in general, I can speak only with regard to Essex Police. They are, in short, the laziest shits you will ever find. In the summer they drive around in Escorts et al with lights across the roof wearing Ray Bans and trying their hardest to look like CHiP. When you report a crime, they might just record it, but then they do nothing; nothing at all. Even when you give them information as to who the offender might be. "Do you have a video of the offence taking place?" they ask.

They let drunks off with a nothing -they're just too lazy to do the paperwork - and that is virtually from the horse's mouth.

So Mr Policeman, maybe you can let your colleagues in the various forces throughout the country know that your support is low amongst the public because you've brought it upon yourselves. Do your job and you might get some respect back.


JJ

sadbloke

436 posts

250 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
If matt-man has quote "ordered myself a road angel now, hopefully that will save any future ones!" there is a clear intention to speed on a regular basis? It will be interesting to see the insurance quote next year for the wedge if he gets any more.

l33

3,469 posts

253 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
sadbloke said:
If matt-man has quote "ordered myself a road angel now, hopefully that will save any future ones!" there is a clear intention to speed on a regular basis? It will be interesting to see the insurance quote next year for the wedge if he gets any more.


I don't think Matt-Man has clear intention to speed, He was just pointing out that occasionally, we all speed, intentionally or otherwise. Its too easy to be cruising along at 40mph, watching the traffic instead of the speedo. You unknowingly creep up to 45mph and "ZAP" the camera has got you.

Obviously, speed-limits aside, there is a time and a place. 08:30am past a school is clearly not the time or place. HOWEVER, country road that you know, good viability, no cops lurking in the daffodils, good road surface, car and brakes in good condition... well, if you drive a wedge, you know how it is. Its just with the sweet sound of that V8, when you plant your right foot, you simply can't help yourself.

At least with traffic cops, there is some reasonable judjement and the option of a slap on a wrist. What the camera can't see is the tossers in their chaved up sh1t-mobiles who weave in and out of the traffic, undertaking, generally being bad drivers and know where the speed cameras are. The camera will never catch these muppets.
BRING BACK TRAFFIC COPS. ALL IS FORGIVEN!

matt-man

Original Poster:

2,667 posts

248 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
No Sadbloke, i dont 'intend' to speed, but i want to do everything i can to avoid getting another ticket!

Im sorry, but anyone who owns a TVR, as L33 has said, will push the loud pedal in the right locations...if not, they should go buy a Daewoo!!!!

Crazy really that i do about 25000 business/pleasure miles a year in one car plus the wedge, and ive NEVER been flashed by a camera beofre and i get done 500 yards from my house! Madness!

Firefox...i guess your not going to sign up to the Essex police then!

shithotfast

1,134 posts

297 months

Thursday 20th April 2006
quotequote all
Sorry Matt, but you were done fair and square... very upsetting though for all of us who drive for a living knowing that we could end up doing 33 in a 30 limit four times in a day and be out of a job! But the law is the law! Its just tough tits!

Better to drive with no tax, no insurance, no mot - all the money you save will pay the fines! (and a camera doesnt care!) (only kidding!)

What is upseting for me is that there could be two outcomes from this kind of thing.
1) Police chap stops Matt and says "dont be a tosser again - or your done" - Matt drives slower from now on... or.....
2) We all look for technical points to get the offence overturned, which is fully LEGAL but must be just not "right". Could end up breaking the law, but find a loophole gets you off !! - ....mad.....