A State of Lawlessness

Author
Discussion

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I live in London (between where the Northern and Piccadilly lines end). If I'm not out everyday fitting windscreens during the week, I'm off to various football locations to manage the team my son plays for at the weekend. I get around. A lot. Not just locally (but all over the country for work).

Everyday I will see, blacked out windows (at the front of the car) incorrectly spaced characters on a registration plate; people looking down at their lap as they drive (clearly on the phone) navigation devices stuck to the windscreen directly in front of the driver's view; people on their phone (either very obviously or in a 'oh look, I'm talking to my phone' kind of way). Then there are the kids jumping around in the back of the car, the commercial vehicles in the outside lane full of payload; the truck with debris falling off the back; the car with bits of trim hanging off at a tangent to the car... I could go on and on and probably make a list of scores of 'offences' I see on a daily basis.

They do it because there is no deterrent, or they are really that dumb/ignorant.

Have we stripped our police force that much that we have become lawless on the roads?

Surely a strategy to pull every car over with on-the-spot penalties can't be that hard?

Or to some plod not care any more? Like the two I saw on the A12 who were behind a bloke watching a movie on a tablet balanced on top of his dash. They just weren't interested.


Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Was anyone speeding?

Get out of Greater London, it's nowhere near as bad in the Shires... yet.

Though you have a lot more doddery old folk to navigate.

LosingGrip

7,806 posts

158 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Cutbacks...

Not because they don't care about this stuff (although some aren't fussed about dodgy number plates), but not enough time with their workload.

TGTiff

407 posts

183 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I agree with theOP.
I drive the M6 / M5 and because the car uses a lot less fuel at a steady 70 rather than 70+, I stick to the speed limit.
Everything (apart from HGVs) is overtaking me.
Police nowhere to be seen!
MLMs, cars weaving all over, you name a class of bad roadcraft and it is there.
I'm sure if the police had the resources this could be reduced by some good old fashioned Traffic Police!
Remember the days of a 'Jam Sandwich' parked uup alongside the motorway every few miles. Bring that back I say!

jesusbuiltmycar

4,534 posts

253 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Not that I agree with him but there are some London vigilantes like this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6g2GP912ku4lPd-...

Looks like teh Met will prosecute based on video fottage of a driver using phone wlist sationary in traffic...

sibriers

34 posts

55 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Just as bad down here in Sussex..

Some "highlights":
No front numberplate
Illegal LED halogen replacement bulbs
Failed headlights, brake and tail bulbs
Driving at night with only DRLs - Clue's in the name people...
Phone and sat nav mounted centrally on the windscreen
Windows 90% steamed up
Parking facing oncoming traffic with stupid adaptive HID suncore bstards blinding everyone

These are all super easy to spot but presumably no-one gets pulled and as a result people just don't bother and don't care how it might impact other road users..

Boils my pish

Durzel

12,232 posts

167 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Glassman said:
They do it because there is no deterrent, or they are really that dumb/ignorant.

Have we stripped our police force that much that we have become lawless on the roads?
Yup.

Think about how often you actually see a Police car driving about? I mean just driving around, not tearing off on the way to a job.

In London I would presume there is the greatest density of them, but accordingly they have a higher concentration of serious crimes to deal with (when was the last time someone got stabbed in Royal Wootton Bassett?) so the minor stuff has to get deprioritised.

I’m in a reasonably rural location and I think I’d be lucky to come across a Police car once every couple of weeks. I’m confident I could drive around with no plates for several weeks without ever coming across any cop, much less one in a position or with the time to stop me.

So yeah, this stuff goes on because statistically the chances of being seen and being stopped are so low.

greygoose

8,224 posts

194 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
LosingGrip said:
Cutbacks...

Not because they don't care about this stuff (although some aren't fussed about dodgy number plates), but not enough time with their workload.
Exactly, when the population goes up but the number of police goes down then it is impossible to cope with all areas of crime. Apparently Boris will provide another 20000 police but we will see if it happens or not.
What is also needed is more funding for the CPS, courts etc so that prosecutions take place beyond the most cast iron cases and investment in probation services etc so that criminals are effectively monitored and prisons rehabilitate prisoners rather than act as schools for crime with drugs freely available, it will need a lot of money and political will to get it done.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
All parts of the state want more money. Where do you stop?

ChocolateFrog

24,847 posts

172 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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Almost all of those things I don't really care about. Looking down at your lap while driving is going to cure itself sooner or later.

What bugs me more is the number of uninsured drivers, they're everywhere.

Johnniem

2,660 posts

222 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I live in a good part of SE London and every day I get on and off the train to and from central London and smell wacky baccy. Local school kids openly smoke it on the station platform! I smell it on the buses. I smell it in the street and this morning, at 7.30, whilst waiting for a bus, someone driving a car (stuck in the traffic) was smoking a fat spliff. This is a common occurrence and there is no retribution for these people. Openly smoking the stuff in the street and not giving a jot of worry about any consequences. I am all for using the stuff (I don't) as it seems to be less of an issue than alcohol but I recently heard that drug driving has overtaken (apologies for the pun) drink driving as an offence.

Edited by Johnniem on Wednesday 15th January 10:42

psi310398

9,036 posts

202 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Durzel said:
SNIP

In London I would presume there is the greatest density of them, but accordingly they have a higher concentration of serious crimes to deal with (when was the last time someone got stabbed in Royal Wootton Bassett?) so the minor stuff has to get deprioritised.
I have a friend/colleague with whom I stay when in that neck of the woods, so I sometimes read the local rag...

Actually, a girl was robbed at knifepoint in RWB in December...

TBF the only actual incident I can recall, back in late 2018, was when two RWB men did get as far as Calne before stabbing someone (allegedly)smile.


MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Has the OP ever left the UK?


eldar

21,614 posts

195 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
jesusbuiltmycar said:
Not that I agree with him but there are some London vigilantes like this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6g2GP912ku4lPd-...

Looks like teh Met will prosecute based on video fottage of a driver using phone wlist sationary in traffic...
Fottage on video? Someone’s been busy on pornhub...

psi310398

9,036 posts

202 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
eldar said:
Fottage on video? Someone’s been busy on pornhub...
I think that's frottagesmile.

Durzel

12,232 posts

167 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
psi310398 said:
Durzel said:
SNIP

In London I would presume there is the greatest density of them, but accordingly they have a higher concentration of serious crimes to deal with (when was the last time someone got stabbed in Royal Wootton Bassett?) so the minor stuff has to get deprioritised.
I have a friend/colleague with whom I stay when in that neck of the woods, so I sometimes read the local rag...

Actually, a girl was robbed at knifepoint in RWB in December...

TBF the only actual incident I can recall, back in late 2018, was when two RWB men did get as far as Calne before stabbing someone (allegedly)smile.
Damn it! There’s me thinking a random choice like that would be the least likely to have a stabbing. frown

Torquey

1,888 posts

227 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Its a shame that we need (lots of) police to keep us from doing wrong.

Surely the root problem is lack of education or/and respect.

CzechItOut

2,154 posts

190 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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You'd think most of those things missing front plates, broken headlights, front fogs on and even on phones could be easily detected using cameras.

psi310398

9,036 posts

202 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Durzel said:
Damn it! There’s me thinking a random choice like that would be the least likely to have a stabbing. frown
Aye, it's a veritable Gomorrah!

steveo3002

10,493 posts

173 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
why cant there be a plain clothes cop /car at locations , then hand out on the spot fines and it would self fund , no need to cry about cut backs