Let off for speeding

Author
Discussion

Gary C

12,312 posts

178 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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Marziclap said:
Baffles me. Getting pulled for something you’ve done wrong, knowing full well you’re in the wrong and deciding the best course of action is to be an arse.

I’ll be the first to admit it’s a horrible feeling having to stand there and have your arse handed to you on the side of the road, but at least I, and I’m sure most people, are mature enough to know it’s deserved!
True

I had a nice slippy island on the way home from work. One evening late I entered it in my exuberant mode and got the rear sliding a little to notice the Police car parked. As I slid by it, I started to try and work out what excuse to use.

But, honesty in the end was best.

Over over under steer

662 posts

122 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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A younger 20 year old me was taught a free and extremely valuable lesson about speeding by a Yorkshire motorway policeman.

Remapped Ibiza PD130

It was 1am driving to York northbound up the A1 (where it really opens up) and it was empty so I was making good progress, say 100mph. A car suddenly comes up behind me but in the outside lane and matches me, I’ve slowed down to 70 by the point but no matter how slow I go they stay one lane to my right matching my speed. My car is full of my life’s possessions as I’m headed to uni and I’m pretty damn low on fuel, so after 15 minutes of this I genuinely got a bit nervous, so I took an exit and rejoined the motorway all the time they followed me. So I made the stupid but seemingly logical decision at the time to just boot it, knowing that my car had a good turn of pace. So there I was, 90,100,110,120,130 watching it slowly disappear behind then just as I thought I’d made enough space to disappear off the next exit blue lights appear.

I think myself an idiot, pull over, explain the above, and that I was genuinely concerned. He averaged me at 113 but said I was going at least 20 more than that by the time the lights came on.

I was pretty damn shocked and tearful, and he just explained that I should have called the police instead of trying to get away if I was concerned.

No points, sent on my way. Best lesson I ever learned about speeding now that I’d say in that back seat.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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Marziclap said:
stuff
You got lucky several times but you probably ought to do something before your luck runs out.

Anyway, back when I was more reckless, 60ish in a 40, DC, drag racing off the lights ("drag racing" - it's been so long since I did that kind of thing that I just had to stop writing this reply for a few seconds to try to remember what it was called!). The unmarked car behind us was a police one. He got out at the next set of lights, showed his badge, told me off, I turned the music down(!) and he told me off again. hehe I apologised, appropriate attitude like you, and he let me go. Phew!

These days I'm more likely to be stopped for drink driving late at night as I'll be the one sticking to 30 in a 30 at 11pm. silly

LordLoveLength

1,903 posts

129 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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Back in the day a local section of dual carriageway had a limit increase from 30 to 40.
A couple of nights later I gave it a quick boot full getting to about 50 before turning off.
Car behind followed me and lit up the blues.
He then asked what the hurry was, and of course there wasn’t one.
He then told me he’d clocked me at 40 and it was my lucky night as he wasn’t going to report me.
Part of me was hoping he’d give me a ticket for doing 40 in a 40...

Another time I was making good progress along a dual carriageway and gaining on a fiesta with its arse on the floor presumably from being full of land whales.
We both approached a roundabout and I made to overtake on the exit.
As I was just moving to overtake on the exit a hand appeared out of the back window waving something.
I slowed and looked at a fat tt waving a flat coppers cap to get me to slow down.
I just found it so funny that 4 of them were crammed into a fiesta, no markings, at night with no other traffic around trying to police someone having the temerity to overtake something with the performance of an asthmatic snail.


Mr Squarekins

1,041 posts

61 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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I got stopped and let off years back, outside Worcester.

Hot summer evening, Honda Fire blade, about 85 in a 60, with police bike in my blind spot ( I was young ). Just spotted the tip of a front wheel but it was too late.

Stopped and warned (small no. plate also mentioned) , but complemented on the fact I'd got full leathers on even though the high temp. - so be on your way and remember the road's not a racetrack. Good approach.


TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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Average 128 in a 70. Decelerating..... done for 90 and 3 points.

Long time ago, wouldn’t happen these days. Go straight to jail etc.,...


70ish in a 30. Long time ago. Sent on way (helps to be in mil uniform).


Don’t speed anymore.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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The first time I ever drove outside my local area was to a Slayer gig in London, and on the return journey I was pulled over on the Salisbury ring road as I was apparently driving so fast they assumed my car must be stolen.

I then managed to engage the WPC in conversation about my home town and the fact that her sister lived there, and we left on very good terms.

30 years later I'm still driving like a tt without consequence.

Gary C

12,312 posts

178 months

Saturday 6th March 2021
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Didn't exactly get let off, but near Newtown in Wales I overtook a tanker in my EVO V in heavy rain. The road was nice and wide but there was a car coming and I could see its headlights.
Nipped past the tanker pulling max revs and got in front, then noticed it was a police car. Brake lights came on, blues flashed then all went off as the driver must have decided it was never going to get anywhere near in the middle of Wales in a Peugeot in the rain

Got chased out of a car park once. Covered in snow so time for a bit of fun. Car at the other end suddenly lit up, so I let the car continue its spin until I was drifting back towards the exit, left the carpark as the police car struggled for traction, nipped over the bridge and down by the river and could see it with blue lights just exiting. Nipped further into town and doubled back and sat for a few seconds with no lights on, car flashes past with lights still on, once round the corner I started up and went back the other way.

Never heard anything, must have been too far away for a number and they didn't have recorders on panda's in those days smile

Good job I'm a reformed character these days.

wink


Biker 1

7,690 posts

118 months

Saturday 6th March 2021
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1987, M25 anticlockwise, 7am, driving a small renault van & amazingly light traffic. I got to 110mph on a downhill section & didn't spot the two bike cops merging in from a slip road. I was pulled & told them it was a 'fair cop'. Got done for 90mph. 3 points & my boss paid the £30 fine! I think I would be locked up with hard labour if I did that today. Clean license ever since....

NMNeil

5,860 posts

49 months

Saturday 6th March 2021
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Not speeding but;
It was about 3 am and I was in my patrol car writing some reports.
A car slows for the stop sign, doesn't stop, just slows a little and drives straight through. Comes to the next stop sign and does the same thing.
Pulled him over and asked, "Didn't you see the stop signs?"
His reply got him off with a warning "I saw them both, but it was you I didn't see" rofl

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Saturday 6th March 2021
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Biker 1 said:
I think I would be locked up with hard labour if I did that today. Clean license ever since....
There are plenty of recent examples of lenience above, not really fair to make digs on the basis of generalisations.

I mean, a guy ended up with a 3 month ban for 150mph on a recent Traffic Cops show, that’s good going!

Heaveho

5,279 posts

173 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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It was a different world in the 90s. I got away with 122mph in a 30 on a trading estate. Yamaha YPVS 350. The officer in the police car that stopped us was correctly reported for assault. I didn't hear any more about it and neither did he.

I witnessed an RTA 3 years later, the same copper attended, we recognised each other, and when I asked him why he hadn't pursued me for the speeding, his response was " We lost some paperwork on that ".

Edited by Heaveho on Sunday 7th March 00:20

Durzel

12,232 posts

167 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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kiethton said:
Was pulled over for this (I still maintain I wasn't speeding)....



(Click through and it should play)

Been a good few years since I was pulled (and let off) for anything though.

2016 - pull, S59 and Mag's appearance
<2016 mainly because I looked 16 and was driving a S-type/335i late at night in dodgy areas...always a check details and on way though


Edited by kiethton on Thursday 4th March 21:15
I thought it was going to be for catching up to them in the (presumably) 30mph limit.

Traffic cars tend to drive at the speed limit in my experience, so if you catch up to them or overtake them then it’s pretty obvious to them that you’re speeding.

Ballsy move overtaking a traffic car though when not on the motorway. Nothing legally saying you can’t of course, but you are drawing attention to yourself. If you or the car aren’t 100% legal you’re inviting a pull.

gtidriver

3,334 posts

186 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Around 2004-2005 I was in the outside lane on the M25, chatting to the wife when I noticed a blue light fire up on the car behind, I pull over one lane, the cop car follows me, I pull over to the next lane and he still follows me, I pull over onto the hard shoulder, stop and get out, he asks me what the speed limit is on the motorway, I reply 70mph. He asks me to get back in my car and he goes back to his car, after a while he gets out and asks me to join him in his car, I get a bking about driving at 105mph, he shows me some photos of crashed cars and ask what my punishment should be, he starts talking about taking me to court, I interrupt him and say that the best option would be to give me a stern talking to about speeding and then to let me go, which he did. He did tell me after that his incar video recording equipment was faulty so that's how I got away. Most coppers are nice people.

Many years ago driving through northern France I tell my then girlfriend about a speed trap that id seen few days before, id slowed down, we went through the zone so speed back up only to trip another one a few kms just up the road, it was a car with a camera on the rear panel shelf. The police were waiting for me at the toll booth plaza, that one I didn't get away with. £60 fine.

The Belgians also don't have a sense of humour when it comes to speeding either, followed for 10 kms with blues and twos on and I didn't notice him, my excuse was it was raining, When he finally stopped me I enraged him so much when I said I hadn't noticed him, I think if could have shot me dead he would have, 125mph in a 60mph zone £200ish fine.

Spleen

5,453 posts

120 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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I'm more amazed that you drove for 10kms without checking your rear view mirror even once.

TTmonkey

20,911 posts

246 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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Spleen said:
I'm more amazed that you drove for 10kms without checking your rear view mirror even once.
Beligian roads? I’m amazed he managed to speed without ruining his car on potholes etc.

Spleen

5,453 posts

120 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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TTmonkey said:
Spleen said:
I'm more amazed that you drove for 10kms without checking your rear view mirror even once.
Beligian roads? I’m amazed he managed to speed without ruining his car on potholes etc.
Aye, those Beligian roads huh?

cmvtec

2,188 posts

80 months

Monday 8th March 2021
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A good few years ago I was working a night job as a takeaway delivery driver.

I had finished my shift and was off to the petrol station to fill my Honda Accord up. I had about a tenner's worth of petrol in it when a car screetched into the forecourt and a copper was bellowing at me for going "too f**king fast".

I have no idea where he saw me or how far he had followed me.

kiethton

13,883 posts

179 months

Monday 8th March 2021
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Durzel said:
kiethton said:
Was pulled over for this (I still maintain I wasn't speeding)....



(Click through and it should play)

Been a good few years since I was pulled (and let off) for anything though.

2016 - pull, S59 and Mag's appearance
<2016 mainly because I looked 16 and was driving a S-type/335i late at night in dodgy areas...always a check details and on way though


Edited by kiethton on Thursday 4th March 21:15
I thought it was going to be for catching up to them in the (presumably) 30mph limit.

Traffic cars tend to drive at the speed limit in my experience, so if you catch up to them or overtake them then it’s pretty obvious to them that you’re speeding.

Ballsy move overtaking a traffic car though when not on the motorway. Nothing legally saying you can’t of course, but you are drawing attention to yourself. If you or the car aren’t 100% legal you’re inviting a pull.
Indeed - was a panda car (they use Astra estates in E Sussex) - car was 100% legal and the Mrs was even asleep in the passenger sear - she woke up as we were stopped.

The panda car was doing ~26 GPS in the village (was was 30 GPS) and accelerated to ~40-45mph coming out so I jumped past it where the opportunity allowed - was another dawdler doing ~35mph ahead that I'd hoped to get past at the next opportunity. I was accused of doing 65mph mid-overtake (I didn't) - thankfully knowing there was nothing wrong with the car and in the knowledge nothing wrong was done he was put back in his box and we continued out blat with nothing more doing.

Jimmy No Hands

5,007 posts

155 months

Monday 8th March 2021
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Never caught, fortunately.

My best mate was in the armed forces for ten years. Had multiple instances of being caught and let off. He used to call his military ID the "get out of jail card". laugh

Whether there's much truth in it, I don't know. Probably helps that he was usually on the way to camp.