Advised to drive dangerously (in writing) by the Police.
Discussion
InitialDave said:
Did you cut up someone using the supposed "left only" lane to go straight on? And said person was immediately revealed to be;
1) unimpressed
2) a copper
3) pretty sure you knew damn well they were there, as well as where they were going, and did it out of a petulant sense of "well, it's their fault, they shouldn't be there"
Wow, that's the best response yet! 1) unimpressed
2) a copper
3) pretty sure you knew damn well they were there, as well as where they were going, and did it out of a petulant sense of "well, it's their fault, they shouldn't be there"
Yes, I knew they were two officers in an umarked car that I decide to cut up for the fxxx of it... sussed!
Wow again!
sospan said:
Interesting topic.
OP is not going to post a copy of the letter he claims to have had. He would do so unless it doesn’t exist or match his interpretation/claims of the wording in it.
He asks in his opening post who to contact re the letter.
The answer is the person who signed it.
A second option is to show it to his local police sergeant.
A third option is a formal complaint.
I suspect he has opened up a can of worms to generate a typical PH scenario of posts by others.
OP...PROVE me wrong. Post the actual letter.
Show evidence of actions taken re my advice above on contacts.
Sorry all but forgot the pace of the internet and that I should be online 247 to answer all questions. OP is not going to post a copy of the letter he claims to have had. He would do so unless it doesn’t exist or match his interpretation/claims of the wording in it.
He asks in his opening post who to contact re the letter.
The answer is the person who signed it.
A second option is to show it to his local police sergeant.
A third option is a formal complaint.
I suspect he has opened up a can of worms to generate a typical PH scenario of posts by others.
OP...PROVE me wrong. Post the actual letter.
Show evidence of actions taken re my advice above on contacts.
To the above, I have sent letters to the 'head of staion'.complaints and the local commisioner asking why I should ignore the highway code. I have, in response, no answer but a repeat that I should do as the letter writer says in an email copied from the commisioner.
I have tried emailing Sussex safer roads but they seem unwilling (after confirming I should use the left lane to turn left) to answer any more questions now they are aware it involves Police officers.
This is a genuine question as rule 184 of the highway code clearly states that on on approaching a roundabout you should take notice and act on all the information available to you, including traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings whigh direct you to the correct lane.
I do now have the letter on my computer but don't wish to post it with the name ofteh officer that sent it on it so will have a look at wether I can blank it with stuffon my computer (not particularly tech savvy) or may have to get my friend to scan it again with the details covered.
I will however attempt to post another pic of the junction to the roundabout which is located in Polegate, East Sussex. Cophall roundabout If i'm correct for those that feel I'm withholding info.
CanAm said:
OP, I know that roundabout well, and it is badly laid out. My wife hates driving around it.
Could you confirm which road you were entering from and which was your intended exit.
Yes,was coming out of Polegate and heading to the exit that has the services. It seems to work quite well but you have to 'go for it' in peak times from the entrance due to the fast flow of traffic. Could you confirm which road you were entering from and which was your intended exit.
Bennet said:
OP, if you'd been clear and open from the start of the thread you could have had 95% of people on your side from the first post.
I'm sure many people would still be interested to see the letter.
I'm sure many people would still be interested to see the letter.
Sorry, not trying to be elusive just perhaps not as internet savvy as I should be starting a thread.
Who_Goes_Blue said:
Finally he`s posted it. And no surprise that the thread title is total garbage.
Is it? Does driving in a manner that could cause an accident not seem dangerous?Are you suggesting I should ignore the highway code and follow the advise from the chap that found the markings confusing that apparently nearly caused a law abiding officer to have a crash due to my terrible driving?
How bad does a crash have to be before it's dangerous?
This has made me think!
Should I follow the advice and cause an accident (which would obviously be my fault) would it help in the aftermath if I produced a letter advising me I should ignore the advise offered from the highway code at this location?
Hi JNW1,
The letter advises me to ignore the highway code and drive in a manner that apparently caused two officers to nearly have an accident. They felt the need to follow me to a dead and and shout at me so I do believe they nearly had an accident unless.. do you think they were lying?
Too dangerous for me, I'll stick to the right hand lane.
The letter advises me to ignore the highway code and drive in a manner that apparently caused two officers to nearly have an accident. They felt the need to follow me to a dead and and shout at me so I do believe they nearly had an accident unless.. do you think they were lying?
Too dangerous for me, I'll stick to the right hand lane.
woodyTVR said:
The arrows would be better if they weren't there. They serve no purpose if you can pass the first junction.
The copper is technically right but he's an idiot for not expecting you to take the Service station lane and an even bigger idiot for arguing the point. I'd imagine most people posting in the advanced driving forum would say he should have anticipated it and driven accordingly because technically you're in the right too and very likely to go into that lane.
In fact I'd post this in the advanced driving section but word it as though you were the one in the left lane and someone from the right lane cut you up. Unless they've read this I bet the majority tell you, you were stupid.
I have no qualms with internet peeps thinking I'm stupid, what I can't get my head round is ignoring big freaking arrows! The copper is technically right but he's an idiot for not expecting you to take the Service station lane and an even bigger idiot for arguing the point. I'd imagine most people posting in the advanced driving forum would say he should have anticipated it and driven accordingly because technically you're in the right too and very likely to go into that lane.
In fact I'd post this in the advanced driving section but word it as though you were the one in the left lane and someone from the right lane cut you up. Unless they've read this I bet the majority tell you, you were stupid.
Presumably whilst making your judgement about the copper being right (for neglecting to note road markings and follow accordingly as is suggested in rule 184...etc) you took into account the keep clear markings and the accessability of the roundabout when at peak times,with backed up traffic, only the right hand lane has access to the roundabout?
Caddyshack said:
This is why people have been negative, it DOES NOT advise you of that, the letter does not tell you to "ignore the highway code"...the way you wrote it was "I have a letter telling me to ignore the highway code"....we would then expect those words.
Surely you can understand the difference?
The letter explains how to interpret the highway code and agrees it is confusing.
What we do all agree is that the Police should have been more careful as it would be very safe for any other driver to assume that they were going to turn left, therefore they should have pre-empted that.
As I stated earlier I was under the impression following the highway code was mandatory and have pretty much tried to follow those rules for a fair few years without any incidents. Surely you can understand the difference?
The letter explains how to interpret the highway code and agrees it is confusing.
What we do all agree is that the Police should have been more careful as it would be very safe for any other driver to assume that they were going to turn left, therefore they should have pre-empted that.
I'm informed in the letter that I should have been in the left hand lane to take my preferred exit but I have to agree I'm not advised to follow this advise though I'm pretty sure that is what the letter implies, apologies for the bad thread title,
How does the letter explain how to interpret the highway code.
How on earth does anyone in a position to advise on driving find the road markings difficult?
Bad thread title, possibly - finding the road markings very confusing, that's were I'm lost!
Marcellus said:
OP at this point where were you in relation to the Police car?
My thinking being if you were in front then yes police were being a bit t
tish, but if they were in front they might view it the other way.I was at the front of the right hand lane, they were in the left hand lane. When an opportunity arose to enter the roundabout in a safe manner I put the pedal to the metal and unleashed the full power of my turboless diesel works van that I've owned for over 16years in a crazy attempt to cut them up, cause an accident and realise my van is worth more to me intact than being in an accident for driving like a tw@.
Or I could have just started executing the manouvre earlier as the traffic passed me (in the righthand lane) before it passed the traffic in the left?
JNW1 said:
I agree the OP could have given the thread a better title but I don't agree the letter explains how to interpret the Highway Code; it just tries to justify the actions of officers who it seems were far more at fault than the OP. If (as the OP has now suggested) they were taking the final exit off the roundabout to head to London then a) what then on earth were they doing in the left lane approaching the roundabout and b) how did they have the bare faced cheek to then criticise the OP for his driving when they were the ones in the wrong?
Rather than writing a letter trying to excuse their incompetence the author would have been better reminding his own colleagues about the Highway Code (and perhaps politely suggesting that when they next make a mistake they don't adopt attack as the best form of defence by taking it out on an innocent member of the public!).
I was lucky to get this letter, apparently I'd been given incompete details when I asked for their ID and was initially told they were untraceable. Rather than writing a letter trying to excuse their incompetence the author would have been better reminding his own colleagues about the Highway Code (and perhaps politely suggesting that when they next make a mistake they don't adopt attack as the best form of defence by taking it out on an innocent member of the public!).
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