Good police work
Discussion
Having 8 points on my license (all gained in Wales!! where I spend 0.4% of my time) I'm a bit of a nervous driver. I now don't watch the road, pedestrians, potential hazards, etc. Just my speedo. Really safe.
Anyway I was in my X5 the other day on a long suburban straight, no other traffic or people around. To my horror in the distance plod had a mobile set up. My Road Angel was obviously asleep and I looked down to see my speedo nudging 40. S**T, I'm up to 11.
I drove past, but they didn't pull me over. Paranoid I turned round and got out of my car. They politely informed me that I was doing 39 before I even asked. The subsequent conversation went :
me "Am I going to get a letter through the post then?"
plod "No."
me "What's the situation then."
plod "Our brief is to pull over anyone doing over 38, and give them a fixed penalty."
me "I was doing 39."
plod "Yes. I discussed your driving with my colleague, and we both agreed it was responsible and not unsafe. Hence we didn't pull you over."
I was absolutely dumbfounded and at that moment realised that speed camera legislation is probably as frustrating to good traffic police as it is to the rest of us.
Every time I've been done by a camera it has filled me with rage and injustice, yet the occassions that I've been pulled over (once ending in 3 points) I've always thought they were fair. Yet every time I see a police car......................
Anyway I was in my X5 the other day on a long suburban straight, no other traffic or people around. To my horror in the distance plod had a mobile set up. My Road Angel was obviously asleep and I looked down to see my speedo nudging 40. S**T, I'm up to 11.
I drove past, but they didn't pull me over. Paranoid I turned round and got out of my car. They politely informed me that I was doing 39 before I even asked. The subsequent conversation went :
me "Am I going to get a letter through the post then?"
plod "No."
me "What's the situation then."
plod "Our brief is to pull over anyone doing over 38, and give them a fixed penalty."
me "I was doing 39."
plod "Yes. I discussed your driving with my colleague, and we both agreed it was responsible and not unsafe. Hence we didn't pull you over."
I was absolutely dumbfounded and at that moment realised that speed camera legislation is probably as frustrating to good traffic police as it is to the rest of us.
Every time I've been done by a camera it has filled me with rage and injustice, yet the occassions that I've been pulled over (once ending in 3 points) I've always thought they were fair. Yet every time I see a police car......................
Sir,
Presumably it was a 30mph zone.
My own criterea for such zone, when manning a static radar, is to stop 41mph and above. The speedo on the driver's dashboard would have been showing 42mph, possibly 43mph, so consequently, in a 30mph limit (not target) zone, I think I'm being quite fair.
That combined with the fact that me and whoever I might be working with will be wearing high visibility coats, white flat caps and the tripod will be on the kerb edge.....
Presumably it was a 30mph zone.
My own criterea for such zone, when manning a static radar, is to stop 41mph and above. The speedo on the driver's dashboard would have been showing 42mph, possibly 43mph, so consequently, in a 30mph limit (not target) zone, I think I'm being quite fair.
That combined with the fact that me and whoever I might be working with will be wearing high visibility coats, white flat caps and the tripod will be on the kerb edge.....
No Discretion said:
Sir,
Presumably it was a 30mph zone.
My own criterea for such zone, when manning a static radar, is to stop 41mph and above. The speedo on the driver's dashboard would have been showing 42mph, possibly 43mph, so consequently, in a 30mph limit (not target) zone, I think I'm being quite fair.
That combined with the fact that me and whoever I might be working with will be wearing high visibility coats, white flat caps and the tripod will be on the kerb edge.....
Und meanwhile in Kodak County Liebchen .... last Oktober - we had the story about the white hire van where the bloke hid under a rug prosecuting at 34mph...
Und meanwhile ... poor old Dibs ist on ownsome und finding that people will not break speed limnit to make way for ambulance on emergency for fear of getting pinged by scamera in Kodak Capital ...
No discretion.
It was indeed a 30mph limit.
The problem is inconsistency. I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on doing 39 in a 30, and would've taken the punishment without complaint.
It's the 3 points I have for doing 45 in a 40 (Country A Road where I was simply keeping up with traffic. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!) which is the source of my bitterness towards traffic law enforcement.
It was indeed a 30mph limit.
The problem is inconsistency. I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on doing 39 in a 30, and would've taken the punishment without complaint.
It's the 3 points I have for doing 45 in a 40 (Country A Road where I was simply keeping up with traffic. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!) which is the source of my bitterness towards traffic law enforcement.
simonharrod911 said:
No discretion.
It was indeed a 30mph limit.
The problem is inconsistency. I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on doing 39 in a 30, and would've taken the punishment without complaint.
It's the 3 points I have for doing 45 in a 40 (Country A Road where I was simply keeping up with traffic. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!) which is the source of my bitterness towards traffic law enforcement.
Sir,
I sympathise...that's why our force is much more lenient with our figures.....
Having said that, our camera vans are now 10% plue 3mph, where in the past they have been +4mph...so they are getting nearer the ACPO guidelines.
However, trafpol with pro-laser etc, still have discretion to 'peg' what they want...and my shift (8 of us) generally put the tolerance into the next 10...ie 41 in a 30, 51 in a 40 etc...On motorway..it's usually 91mph and above unless other 'factors' in the incident dictate otherwise..
No Discretion said:
That combined with the fact that me and whoever I might be working with will be wearing high visibility coats, white flat caps and the tripod will be on the kerb edge.....
Do you get many speed past you. I think if someone is so stupid they do not spot this type of speed check you really should book them as they must need an eye test.
Mrr T said:
That combined with the fact that me and whoever I might be working with will be wearing high visibility coats, white flat caps and the tripod will be on the kerb edge.....
Do you get many speed past you. I think if someone is so stupid they do not spot this type of speed check you really should book them as they must need an eye test.
Some go past in excess of the speed limit and above the limit which we could book them at..
despite hi-viz jackets and all that... However, if a driver is above our tolerance limit, they will be stopped there and then...
People DO accept the eyeball to eyeball ticket and explanation better than it landing on the doormat 13 days later..IMO
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff