Let off for speeding
Discussion
My Dad used to work nights in centre of Manchester so was frequently driving home at 3-4am. I bet he was stopped 4 or 5 times a year. Sometimes it was just random checks but frequently it was 40 in a 30 or driving through red lights. In 30 years he must have had around a hundred stops and he never got one ticket - I guess he passed the attitude test.
Myself stopped twice. Once when about 19 and breathalysed - passed let on my way. Second time for speeding 75 in a 60 (open country road Buxton-Ashbourne) booked and 3 points.
So the only time I’ve ever been stopped for doing something wrong I was booked!! Even worse my wife was a copper and was in the passenger seat and worked with the guy who stopped me and he still booked me!!
Myself stopped twice. Once when about 19 and breathalysed - passed let on my way. Second time for speeding 75 in a 60 (open country road Buxton-Ashbourne) booked and 3 points.
So the only time I’ve ever been stopped for doing something wrong I was booked!! Even worse my wife was a copper and was in the passenger seat and worked with the guy who stopped me and he still booked me!!
A few years back I tool my neighbour out for a spin in my chimaera.
We overtook a line of 3 cars that were plodding along on a nice long country straight,think I just snatched 4th as we passed,only for the middle car,an unmarked vectra,to pull out after us with his nice flashy blue lights on.
I pulled in shortly into a lay by and waited for plod to pull up.
I joined him in the back of his car for some serious brown nosing......
After a chat about speed(although he said that there was nothing wrong with my manner of driving,just the 100 plus mph I overtook him at) he let me on my way.
Lesson learned.
We overtook a line of 3 cars that were plodding along on a nice long country straight,think I just snatched 4th as we passed,only for the middle car,an unmarked vectra,to pull out after us with his nice flashy blue lights on.
I pulled in shortly into a lay by and waited for plod to pull up.
I joined him in the back of his car for some serious brown nosing......
After a chat about speed(although he said that there was nothing wrong with my manner of driving,just the 100 plus mph I overtook him at) he let me on my way.
Lesson learned.
Circa 1983, late one quiet eve, I was in my blue Capri 3000E, when a facelift 3.0GXL came up behind me and the race was on, after a few moments I was aware of the other Capri coming alongside me, trying to over take me via the pavement........just as Plod in a blue Triumph 2500, were waiting to pull out of a side turning to our right !
They gave chase and we both pulled over. I can vividly recall one of them saying to me “ And you, were ....... trying to over take him, on the pavement !! “ but I replied, “ that wasn’t me ! “
After a quick talking to, they left and we spent the next hour chatting 3 Litre Capris.
About 5 years ago, I briefly dated a girl who lived in the short dead end road where that Triumph had emerged from ! As I turned into her road, in my E46M3, the memories flooded back.
They gave chase and we both pulled over. I can vividly recall one of them saying to me “ And you, were ....... trying to over take him, on the pavement !! “ but I replied, “ that wasn’t me ! “
After a quick talking to, they left and we spent the next hour chatting 3 Litre Capris.
About 5 years ago, I briefly dated a girl who lived in the short dead end road where that Triumph had emerged from ! As I turned into her road, in my E46M3, the memories flooded back.
Edited by neutral 3 on Thursday 4th March 11:54
Marziclap said:
How many times have you been caught by the police / let off for speeding? And what's the fastest you've been caught for?
All of these have been recently, during Covid. I imagine I was pulled more to find out where I was going late at night during lockdown than an actual issue with the speeds itself. All times I was told I could betting a Covid fine too, but they weren't that bothered because I was alone in the car.
All of mine were late at night, good conditions and empty roads:
1st: 50 in a 30. Pulled over and had my arse handed to me at the side of the road but let on my way.
2nd: 55 in a 30 - TWO DAYS after the first. I clearly didn't learn. Saw the police car pull up next to me at some traffic lights, I looked over (WHY did I do that?) to see him sat there, window rolled down looking at me with a face like a slapped arse. Told me I better think of a reasonable explanation and to go down the road and pull in.
Got pulled, told if I had insurance, tax and MOT I'd be let on my way. Told that a marker was being placed on the car for speeding and I wouldn't be getting off again.
3rd - 95 ish going down a dual carriageway, late at night with no other cars about apart from the marked police car I caught up with. s
tting myself on this one because of said marker from the 2nd stop. No mention of a marker, just told to slow down.
4th - There is one of those 'No right turn' in my town and I, of course, turned right. What I failed to see was the traffic car using the mini roundabout ahead to come back on himself and correctly turn left down the road. Hoped by some miracle he hadn't seen me but he lit up like a Christmas tree. Pulled in, breath tested, told I could have a £200 Covid fine for not really having a reason to be out as well as the £50.00 fine for the performance on the right turn, but just told to have a good evening and go home.
All times I guess I passed the attitude test. I was just honest and admitted I'm a bit of a tt.
You've most likely got away with your poor driving because the officers have been unable to prove your speed due to circumstances and/or their own vehicle. Words of advice are mostly what you'll get - until you bump into a traffic unit who'll throw the book at you.All of these have been recently, during Covid. I imagine I was pulled more to find out where I was going late at night during lockdown than an actual issue with the speeds itself. All times I was told I could betting a Covid fine too, but they weren't that bothered because I was alone in the car.
All of mine were late at night, good conditions and empty roads:
1st: 50 in a 30. Pulled over and had my arse handed to me at the side of the road but let on my way.
2nd: 55 in a 30 - TWO DAYS after the first. I clearly didn't learn. Saw the police car pull up next to me at some traffic lights, I looked over (WHY did I do that?) to see him sat there, window rolled down looking at me with a face like a slapped arse. Told me I better think of a reasonable explanation and to go down the road and pull in.
Got pulled, told if I had insurance, tax and MOT I'd be let on my way. Told that a marker was being placed on the car for speeding and I wouldn't be getting off again.
3rd - 95 ish going down a dual carriageway, late at night with no other cars about apart from the marked police car I caught up with. s
tting myself on this one because of said marker from the 2nd stop. No mention of a marker, just told to slow down. 4th - There is one of those 'No right turn' in my town and I, of course, turned right. What I failed to see was the traffic car using the mini roundabout ahead to come back on himself and correctly turn left down the road. Hoped by some miracle he hadn't seen me but he lit up like a Christmas tree. Pulled in, breath tested, told I could have a £200 Covid fine for not really having a reason to be out as well as the £50.00 fine for the performance on the right turn, but just told to have a good evening and go home.
All times I guess I passed the attitude test. I was just honest and admitted I'm a bit of a t
t. Edited by Marziclap on Thursday 4th March 11:40
InvisibleSpider said:
You've most likely got away with your poor driving because the officers have been unable to prove your speed due to circumstances and/or their own vehicle. Words of advice are mostly what you'll get - until you bump into a traffic unit who'll throw the book at you.
I have been lucky or had a good attitude. Not sure how far the latter carries you. The 95 on the dual carriageway was indeed a traffic car, so I was very grateful to be let off for that one.
35-40 in a 30 (I'll be honest, I don't know how fast I was going but it wasn't more than half a KM between lights and a round about and I was in a 306 1.4l so it wasn't THAT fast) followed by 70 in a 60 after the roundabout
Turns out it was an undercover TO on his own in a blacked out Skoda VRS with a broken wing mirror (Hanging off) behind me. I got a telling off and he let me on my way after threatening to take my licence (Under two years of driving)
I slowed down a bit after that whenever anyone was behind me
Turns out it was an undercover TO on his own in a blacked out Skoda VRS with a broken wing mirror (Hanging off) behind me. I got a telling off and he let me on my way after threatening to take my licence (Under two years of driving)
I slowed down a bit after that whenever anyone was behind me
Early 90's was heading up to Stoke on Trent in my newly aquired Sierra Sapph Cosworth 6 oclock on a Sat morning, so it was deserted. Came of the M1 on the long uphill left hander slip road onto the M6, first bit is dead straight and slightly downhill for about 2 miles so gave it the berries and didn't lift until I saw a flash of white on my left as I went past a police car parked up on one of the observation humps, sure enough he pulled out and signalled me to follow him to the first junction and pulled off. He asked me how fast I thought I was going and I said about 85 or 90 but not completely sure as I was concentrating on the road, he just laughed and said he'd been judging car speeds for 15 years and if I was doing less than 130 when I went past him he would eat his hat, the speedo was actually showing 135 and still climbing, so a pretty good estimate, anyway he turned out to be a bit of a petrol head, had a TVR, so told me to slow down, enjoy the car, but don't drive like a dick
Was driving a rental car in Florida once, on two-lane freeway, when a cop car pulled alongside me, lit up its lights and hit the weewars, then announced over its PA system: "Driver, you are travelling at 65 mph in a 55 limit, you must slow down NOW". I bloody well did of course, and he waved me on my way. Nearly st a brick at the thought of being pulled over by armed Yank fuzz. The car had Texas plates, so maybe he thought I was armed to the teeth 
t a brick at the thought of being pulled over by armed Yank fuzz. The car had Texas plates, so maybe he thought I was armed to the teeth Edited by ElectricSoup on Thursday 4th March 13:12
80 in a 40 - over the Brent Cross Flyover on the North Circ - it's a 3 lane dual carriageway.
It was about 11pm a couple of days before Xmas in 1986/7. I was in my Alfasud and had raced someone away from the lights and just kept on going.
Given the time of year, the policeman breathalysed me, and when I blew under he wasn't interested in the speeding.
It was about 11pm a couple of days before Xmas in 1986/7. I was in my Alfasud and had raced someone away from the lights and just kept on going.
Given the time of year, the policeman breathalysed me, and when I blew under he wasn't interested in the speeding.
Riley Blue said:
85-ish on the M3 in my Golf GTI at night. Police car crept up behind with no blues on, lit up as it passed, pulled in front gradually slowing to 70, as did I. We both stayed at that speed for a couple of miles then it turned off. I never heard anything, sensible policing I thought.
Really like that approach.Got stopped for aledgedly overtaking a Panda Car at 50mph in a 40mph limit. I kept my face staright when he old me his Panda car was fitted with a calibrated speedo (I'm talking 1970's?) I must have passed the attitude test even when I mentioned I'd have to be a bit stupid to pass up a fully marked Police car in broad daylight above the speed limit.
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