Unmarked car question
Discussion
Ok so here's the situation....
I was coming back from a Mercedes meet today, and around the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border I was following a rather irratic driver in a silver Vauxhall Omega 3.2 V6 Estate. I say irratic because the single occupant was tailgating other drivers above the 70mph limit and undertook a couple of vehicles, cutting one of the up as he squeezed back into the fast lane.
He was going the same way as me up the A47 to Thetford, where I had an advantage at a roundabout, so pulled in front of him. Looking in my rear view mirror, I noticed a white shirt on a youngish guy (looked to be mid-to-late 20s). I also noticed a pair of dark blue shoulder pips, and I kinda guessed it was a policeman. With his driving the way it was, I decided to test my theory (OK a bit foolish on my part, but I was curious). The road cleared, and before I acclerated, he was right on my back door - to the extent that I could not see his front bumper over my boot line. Acclerating up to 80 to see if he would pull me over....nothing; 90, nothing; 100 still nothing. Dues to slower moving light traffic several hundred yards ahead, I eased off the accelerating and slowed down for a roundabout. After the roundabout, the Vauxhall accelerated hard, to which I just had the edge and started pulling away. Once passed the traffic I began accelerating. I reached well into naughty numbers in front of this car, still with nothing. I pulled into the slow lane and braked. I looked in rear view mirror and on go his grille strobes and sirens, but shot straight passed me - he had to have been doing 130+mph - and away.
Please don't get me wrong this isn't a moan about Police driver's in general, just how this one was behaving. I know whats coming in terms of me speeding in front of him, but the whole situation just seemed odd.
Any ideas as to what might have been going on with him?
Thanks,
Darren
I was coming back from a Mercedes meet today, and around the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border I was following a rather irratic driver in a silver Vauxhall Omega 3.2 V6 Estate. I say irratic because the single occupant was tailgating other drivers above the 70mph limit and undertook a couple of vehicles, cutting one of the up as he squeezed back into the fast lane.
He was going the same way as me up the A47 to Thetford, where I had an advantage at a roundabout, so pulled in front of him. Looking in my rear view mirror, I noticed a white shirt on a youngish guy (looked to be mid-to-late 20s). I also noticed a pair of dark blue shoulder pips, and I kinda guessed it was a policeman. With his driving the way it was, I decided to test my theory (OK a bit foolish on my part, but I was curious). The road cleared, and before I acclerated, he was right on my back door - to the extent that I could not see his front bumper over my boot line. Acclerating up to 80 to see if he would pull me over....nothing; 90, nothing; 100 still nothing. Dues to slower moving light traffic several hundred yards ahead, I eased off the accelerating and slowed down for a roundabout. After the roundabout, the Vauxhall accelerated hard, to which I just had the edge and started pulling away. Once passed the traffic I began accelerating. I reached well into naughty numbers in front of this car, still with nothing. I pulled into the slow lane and braked. I looked in rear view mirror and on go his grille strobes and sirens, but shot straight passed me - he had to have been doing 130+mph - and away.
Please don't get me wrong this isn't a moan about Police driver's in general, just how this one was behaving. I know whats coming in terms of me speeding in front of him, but the whole situation just seemed odd.
Any ideas as to what might have been going on with him?
Thanks,
Darren
iluvmercs said:
. I reached well into naughty numbers in front of this car, still with nothing. I pulled into the slow lane and braked. I looked in rear view mirror and on go his grille strobes and sirens, but shot straight passed me - he had to have been doing 130+mph - and away.
Why did you pull into the nearside lane? Did he use the lights before you pulled over because he wanted you to move over, but maybe you didn't notice immediately?
Sounds like a BIB on a mission to me, or perhaps just abusing his position?
deeps said:
iluvmercs said:
. I reached well into naughty numbers in front of this car, still with nothing. I pulled into the slow lane and braked. I looked in rear view mirror and on go his grille strobes and sirens, but shot straight passed me - he had to have been doing 130+mph - and away.
Why did you pull into the nearside lane? Did he use the lights before you pulled over because he wanted you to move over, but maybe you didn't notice immediately?
Sounds like a BIB on a mission to me, or perhaps just abusing his position?
I pulled in a braked to show him I was slowing and I noticed him turn on the strobes and siren just as he passed me. He left them on, braked for the roundabout ahead and I just caught a glimpse of him nailing it away from that roundabout - I turned off the road at this point.
Darren
Firstly, I'm not sure I'd try to "test the theory". The only way you'd be proved correct is if he pulls you! Doesn't seem to make sense to me!
Secondly, I experienced something similar a few weeks ago (the plod, not the theory-testing!). As I was leaving work on the motorway, I noticed a car closing from behind, busting the limit and with strobing headlamps on. Ever the law-abiding citizen, I pulled in to let him past. As he passed I noted that he was wearing the white shirt and shoulder flashes, but the car was an old Mk.1 Vectra Estate with a thin strip of black and white checks along the bumper.
Do any of the BiB know what this may have been? And if we see anything similar should we report it?
Secondly, I experienced something similar a few weeks ago (the plod, not the theory-testing!). As I was leaving work on the motorway, I noticed a car closing from behind, busting the limit and with strobing headlamps on. Ever the law-abiding citizen, I pulled in to let him past. As he passed I noted that he was wearing the white shirt and shoulder flashes, but the car was an old Mk.1 Vectra Estate with a thin strip of black and white checks along the bumper.
Do any of the BiB know what this may have been? And if we see anything similar should we report it?
These are more often than not fire brigade officers or ambulance staff, etc. Thats aside from idiots who fit stuff to their own car illegally. Everyone assumes they are police - which is a bit frustrating as all the emergency services utilise covert cars / private cars fitted out with warning equipment.
I'm not saying it wasn't a police officer - merely that everyone's immediate reaction is that it is ..... when often it is not. The odds are that one person in a car is more likely a private car fitted out with warning equipment for whatever reason anyway; whether that be police fire or ambulance Whoever it was it does not excuse bad driving.
I'm not saying it wasn't a police officer - merely that everyone's immediate reaction is that it is ..... when often it is not. The odds are that one person in a car is more likely a private car fitted out with warning equipment for whatever reason anyway; whether that be police fire or ambulance Whoever it was it does not excuse bad driving.
mungo said:
softtop said:
When a real copper sees this type of imposter, do they allow them to carry on?
Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence - what do you reckon?
They cannot know all of the vehicles on the road who can operate in this way, who is a firearms expert, who is some secret department on a mission, just how do they deal with it?
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
mungo said:
I would be EXTREMELY suprised if that was a police officer.
1. The car is too old to be used operationally.
1. The car is too old to be used operationally.
I'm sure you're right about it not being a police officer. We do, however, have an X reg Honda knocking about these parts, as an unmarked car.
Black Type R? Think I've seen it on the M1 Derbyshire area. Came as quite a shock halfway past when I realised the occupants had uniforms on.
djohnson said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
mungo said:
I would be EXTREMELY suprised if that was a police officer.
1. The car is too old to be used operationally.
1. The car is too old to be used operationally.
I'm sure you're right about it not being a police officer. We do, however, have an X reg Honda knocking about these parts, as an unmarked car.
Black Type R? Think I've seen it on the M1 Derbyshire area. Came as quite a shock halfway past when I realised the occupants had uniforms on.
Yep I've seen that one. Looks in quite good nick. Bet it shifts as well.
mungo said:
1. The car is too old to be used operationally.
Rubbish, unless you are privy to more info on the car than is posted above or unless I live in an area that is full of old police metal - I've seen 3 unmarked genuine police Omega's in the last 2 weeks at scenes of road accidents, so although Omega's are not current models to say they are not used is incorrect. At least around here.
EDIT: To say that the unmarked Type R sounds sneaky
Edited by IT10 on Wednesday 23 August 13:41
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