Fecking Cop! Any advice?
Discussion
Last night my mate's AX GT ran out of fuel and parked on the lay-by on the dual carriageway (A38). He has to walk for 7 miles from his car to petrol station to get a can of petrol BUT he left warning light on and left a note on the windscreen that state that he gone to get fuel and causing no obstruction.
And he came back to the car after about 1 hours walking to get a fuel and guess what he found...the cop towed the car and put it in impound yard. He only left the car for HOUR!
The pig asked £160 without VAT and extra £16 per day to release the car!.
We went to police station last night due to my mate profoundly deaf and unable to communicate,
*Note my mate is deaf, as he have no communicate which normal hearing people have mobile and they could ask for help*
Any advice?
Cheers
TuScAn
And he came back to the car after about 1 hours walking to get a fuel and guess what he found...the cop towed the car and put it in impound yard. He only left the car for HOUR!
The pig asked £160 without VAT and extra £16 per day to release the car!.
We went to police station last night due to my mate profoundly deaf and unable to communicate,
*Note my mate is deaf, as he have no communicate which normal hearing people have mobile and they could ask for help*
Any advice?
Cheers
TuScAn
Not 100% sure but isn't a car that has broken down deemed to be outside of traffic law as long as all reasonable means have been taken to clear the obstruction. From what you say it sounds like your mate has been really harshly treated I would start with the duty Traffic Inspector and work up hill from there stating that you wish to make a formal complaint also a letter to local paper might go down well, or not. As a small note of reason I know he is deaf but if there are emergency phones on the A38 and the police removed the vehicle because they hadn't been used that would appear on the face of it to be reasonable with a non deaf driver, I think if these facts are pointed out to a senior officer the whole matter will be swept up very quickly and I would be amazed and horrifed if the £160 has to be paid or is not refunded, best bit of advise would always be to remain calm and reasonable but determined and sure as to what you want from the police I would suggest that compensation may not be reasonable and the best to hope for would be an apology and waver of the charges.
Just a thought, but if John Robson is reading this thread could he perhaps advise us how we (the general motoring public) go about making a fair and legitimate complaint against an officer without running the risk of being the target of "reprisal repression"?
I am being serious here, if the motoring public don't find a way to make legitimate complaints then I can forsee real problems for police/public relations in the future.
There are two recurring themes in these threads:
1, I got a ticket and I don't like it but it's probably fair cos I was speeding/illegally parked/drunk etc (in which case no problem)
2, I got a ticket and it REALLY isn't fair or correct or right and appears to be a genuine abuse of police power. (in which case we need to be able to get the injustice righted)
Derbyshire police are notorious for their heavy handed bully boy tactics. (and it isn't just a few officers either) As well as the incident with my Tiv I mentioned on the Dyslexic plate thread I have also had other run ins with them like this:
1988 our village PC (great bloke, really good guy and very fair) is withdrawn. 3 months later a spate of vandalism in the village (lots of minor damage to cars in the night) causes the Parish council to request a police presence. Cops park jam sandwich in village at 2.00am for 3 nights (engine running the whole time) catch no vandals (surprise surprise) so give about 20 cars in the village tickets for various "offences" instead. (cracked lenses, parked close to junction, illegible plates (dirty) etc)
Village (hardly radical trouble makers, mostly middle aged, middle class bods) gets very angry and writes to officer in charge at Ripley.
All tickets recinded!
Police officers then begin campaign of harrassment on various people in village comprising regular stopping of vehicles for bizarre reasons (effectively an excuse for random breath testing) and even banging on house doors in the evening to correct some minor matter. For example I was roused on my birthday to move my car precisely 34 inches (even though it was not blocking anything) The boys in blue had been out with the tape measures again while we slept! Their excuse was that the distance to a junction is measured from the last straight kerb stone and I was 34 inches too close on their reckoning. It was a blatant lie as they were completely ignoring a "straight" stone that had they measured from it would have made me legal (so to speak) The look of pure malevolant joy as my wife had to get dressed to move the car (it was my birthday and I had had a drink or two) had to be seen to be believed.
Frankly I have got to the point where I wouldn't piss on a copper if he was on fire, and when you think that I am supposed to be one of the more enlightened and responsible members of society (according to my mail on sunday survey scores!) you realise just what a sorry state the police have got their public relations into.
Sorry for the long post guys but this was the straw that broke my camels back!
Andy 400se
I am being serious here, if the motoring public don't find a way to make legitimate complaints then I can forsee real problems for police/public relations in the future.
There are two recurring themes in these threads:
1, I got a ticket and I don't like it but it's probably fair cos I was speeding/illegally parked/drunk etc (in which case no problem)
2, I got a ticket and it REALLY isn't fair or correct or right and appears to be a genuine abuse of police power. (in which case we need to be able to get the injustice righted)
Derbyshire police are notorious for their heavy handed bully boy tactics. (and it isn't just a few officers either) As well as the incident with my Tiv I mentioned on the Dyslexic plate thread I have also had other run ins with them like this:
1988 our village PC (great bloke, really good guy and very fair) is withdrawn. 3 months later a spate of vandalism in the village (lots of minor damage to cars in the night) causes the Parish council to request a police presence. Cops park jam sandwich in village at 2.00am for 3 nights (engine running the whole time) catch no vandals (surprise surprise) so give about 20 cars in the village tickets for various "offences" instead. (cracked lenses, parked close to junction, illegible plates (dirty) etc)
Village (hardly radical trouble makers, mostly middle aged, middle class bods) gets very angry and writes to officer in charge at Ripley.
All tickets recinded!
Police officers then begin campaign of harrassment on various people in village comprising regular stopping of vehicles for bizarre reasons (effectively an excuse for random breath testing) and even banging on house doors in the evening to correct some minor matter. For example I was roused on my birthday to move my car precisely 34 inches (even though it was not blocking anything) The boys in blue had been out with the tape measures again while we slept! Their excuse was that the distance to a junction is measured from the last straight kerb stone and I was 34 inches too close on their reckoning. It was a blatant lie as they were completely ignoring a "straight" stone that had they measured from it would have made me legal (so to speak) The look of pure malevolant joy as my wife had to get dressed to move the car (it was my birthday and I had had a drink or two) had to be seen to be believed.
Frankly I have got to the point where I wouldn't piss on a copper if he was on fire, and when you think that I am supposed to be one of the more enlightened and responsible members of society (according to my mail on sunday survey scores!) you realise just what a sorry state the police have got their public relations into.
Sorry for the long post guys but this was the straw that broke my camels back!
Andy 400se
This is horrendous but before you go off on one try giving them a ring and being civil (if poss!!!) Some Derbys. Constabulary numbers I hope are useful:
Derby division: 01332 290100
HQ: 01773 570 100
I would suggest the HQ number. We had a fair amount of difficulty with a vehicle registration prob. recently but the traffic division seem to be fairly reasonable (I marked contrast to Nottingham
)
You haven't really got a case against the police as they could argue that your friend could have made more effort to contact them sooner, by going to the Little Chef for example. I know this is, arguably, unreasonable but there you are... Also a car which has run out of fuel is not subject to the same rules as one which has broken down. "Free Recovery" zones become "Flaming Expensive Recovery" zones if the break down was readily avoidable.
Derby division: 01332 290100
HQ: 01773 570 100
I would suggest the HQ number. We had a fair amount of difficulty with a vehicle registration prob. recently but the traffic division seem to be fairly reasonable (I marked contrast to Nottingham
) You haven't really got a case against the police as they could argue that your friend could have made more effort to contact them sooner, by going to the Little Chef for example. I know this is, arguably, unreasonable but there you are... Also a car which has run out of fuel is not subject to the same rules as one which has broken down. "Free Recovery" zones become "Flaming Expensive Recovery" zones if the break down was readily avoidable.
Do you live in Denby madmak? If so problems with police slightly deeper seated than "middle class bods" might realise... If not then it is the usual snotty attitude of Derbys. police towards legitimate complaints. I think JR should probably keep out of this forum for the mo. 
Edited by jaydee on Tuesday 27th November 11:26
Edited by jaydee on Tuesday 27th November 11:26
Not that exciting, just explains why plod keep a close eye on some of the populace (and vice-versa):
Local pub (no names, but it's in Denby and you might find the Masons there?)has car accident in car park. Stationary car is rear ended, victims remonstrate and are told by guilty party to F off as he "knows someone" and has no insurance anyway.
Victims "know someone" too and return the next night armed to the teeth (guns, baseball bats, taser.) Police are called and arrest terrified guilty party from car crash. Armed men are allowed to escape in their utterly discrete Shogun.
No probs. at the pub for weeks then owner's Jag burnt out overnight. Pub licence is called up for renewal and revoked, owner/manager sells up £1.5m investment for £200k to local businessman.
Guilty party from the car crash (seemingly wholly innocent in subsequent incidents)has house raided and far-right literature is supposedly seized. He is now in prison and the then owner/manager now lives in Spain.
Odd set of coincidences (all I of which I can provide evidence of) huh ?
Local pub (no names, but it's in Denby and you might find the Masons there?)has car accident in car park. Stationary car is rear ended, victims remonstrate and are told by guilty party to F off as he "knows someone" and has no insurance anyway.
Victims "know someone" too and return the next night armed to the teeth (guns, baseball bats, taser.) Police are called and arrest terrified guilty party from car crash. Armed men are allowed to escape in their utterly discrete Shogun.
No probs. at the pub for weeks then owner's Jag burnt out overnight. Pub licence is called up for renewal and revoked, owner/manager sells up £1.5m investment for £200k to local businessman.
Guilty party from the car crash (seemingly wholly innocent in subsequent incidents)has house raided and far-right literature is supposedly seized. He is now in prison and the then owner/manager now lives in Spain.
Odd set of coincidences (all I of which I can provide evidence of) huh ?
Tuscan, I would definately chase this one up. A layby, note, and person is deaf, this is clearly unsuitable police behaviour. The car had broken down but was not causing an obstruction (and had lights on, to show that it hadn't been abandoned), this is real heavy handed and poor police work.
If you don't get any joy from the police. Go to the local papers, they love things like this. BUT chase this one up. Your friend should not only get a the fine/expenses etc. refunded/revoked he should get an appology from the police over this matter.
If you don't get any joy from the police. Go to the local papers, they love things like this. BUT chase this one up. Your friend should not only get a the fine/expenses etc. refunded/revoked he should get an appology from the police over this matter.
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