Parking argument with off duty Policeman
Discussion
Whilst on holiday in Cornwall, I had a nice little "spat" with an off duty copper as he tried to park behind me in a space that was not big enough for his car. I had pulled into half a space at the end of a parking bay on the high street in Bude, at which point the car in front pulls off allowing me to pull up & fully park with plenty of space. As I am aware that there is only half a cars space behind me, I leave myself plenty of room in front (a good 5-6ft), as I am sure someone will try & squeeze in behind me & if I pull up too close to the car in front I will get blocked in. I sit in the car, kids in the back, whilst the wife nips out to pick up some pasties - compulsary when you are in Cornwall. Then I see in my rear view mirror, an X5 pulling up behind me trying to squeeze into the half a space left. I think nothing of it, as my wife will be back in a few minutes & he can then have my space.
At that point there is a tap on my window, it's the bloke from the X5 in his shorts & t-shirt asking me if I will pull forward so that his wife can get into the space behind. I explain that I do not want to do that, as I know there is not enough room for a car behind me & if I pull up to the car in front, he will then pull right up to my bumper & block me in. At this point he then tells me "I have asked you reasonably, so I will now use my Power" - I think he is going to rip open his t-shirt to reveal a super hero suit. Instead he produces his warrant card out of his pocket and declares " I am a police officer, now pull you car up". I am somewhat "gobsmaked" by his actions, and I am telling him I can not believe he has just produced his card on me - I am parked legally, and I am doing nothing wrong, I am on holiday (as quite clearly so is he) & I can not believe he is behaving in this manner. To show willing (although I don't know why), I start the car up & pull forward a foot or so - he then starts complaining that I',ve got a good 3-4 foot more I can pull up - but I have had enough by that point & I am not pulling any further forward as I really am going to get boxed in. At this point his wife pulls the X5 up to about an inch off my rear bumper.
My wife then return's & I explain the story to her, she then start's having a go at him explaining that she has friends in the force & she is sure that an off duty policeman is not supposed to use their warrant card, especially as we were doing nothing wrong. He tells us he is a Seargent from the Met, and we can have his details so that we can speak to his superior officer - I now wish we had taken them, but my wife takes his car reg instead. I have had enough of the argument by now, and pasers by are standing & looking on (hopefully as disgusted as me), so I think just pull off & go, and leave him to it. I have to ask his wife to pull back, as I now can't get out - which is exactly why I refused to pull forward in the first place.
Sorry for the long rant, but had to explain the circumstances. I am amazed that an off duty copper, who was quite clearly on holiday with his family & wife who was driving, would try to "bully" me by producing his warrant card & forcing me to box myself in, just so that he could squeeze into a parking space behind me that was not big enough anyway. I was legally parked, and as far as I am aware there are no rules saying how much space you have to leave between yourself & the car in front. I could have moved up to within inches of the bumper of the car in front, he could have then moved to within inches of my rear bumper & he still would have been illegally parked anyway.
Should an off duty policeman show his warrant card in any circumstance ? - I would like to know the Metropolitan Police guidelines on this. As per usual, after the incident we thought of all sorts of things we should have done & said, including getting his details -as I think a formal complaint may have stopped him from acting like that in the future. Unfortunately, in my opinion this man fulfills all the negative stereotypes we have about Policemen, and certainly does not give the Metropolitan Police a good name from my point of view.
Cheers,
DickyT
At that point there is a tap on my window, it's the bloke from the X5 in his shorts & t-shirt asking me if I will pull forward so that his wife can get into the space behind. I explain that I do not want to do that, as I know there is not enough room for a car behind me & if I pull up to the car in front, he will then pull right up to my bumper & block me in. At this point he then tells me "I have asked you reasonably, so I will now use my Power" - I think he is going to rip open his t-shirt to reveal a super hero suit. Instead he produces his warrant card out of his pocket and declares " I am a police officer, now pull you car up". I am somewhat "gobsmaked" by his actions, and I am telling him I can not believe he has just produced his card on me - I am parked legally, and I am doing nothing wrong, I am on holiday (as quite clearly so is he) & I can not believe he is behaving in this manner. To show willing (although I don't know why), I start the car up & pull forward a foot or so - he then starts complaining that I',ve got a good 3-4 foot more I can pull up - but I have had enough by that point & I am not pulling any further forward as I really am going to get boxed in. At this point his wife pulls the X5 up to about an inch off my rear bumper.
My wife then return's & I explain the story to her, she then start's having a go at him explaining that she has friends in the force & she is sure that an off duty policeman is not supposed to use their warrant card, especially as we were doing nothing wrong. He tells us he is a Seargent from the Met, and we can have his details so that we can speak to his superior officer - I now wish we had taken them, but my wife takes his car reg instead. I have had enough of the argument by now, and pasers by are standing & looking on (hopefully as disgusted as me), so I think just pull off & go, and leave him to it. I have to ask his wife to pull back, as I now can't get out - which is exactly why I refused to pull forward in the first place.
Sorry for the long rant, but had to explain the circumstances. I am amazed that an off duty copper, who was quite clearly on holiday with his family & wife who was driving, would try to "bully" me by producing his warrant card & forcing me to box myself in, just so that he could squeeze into a parking space behind me that was not big enough anyway. I was legally parked, and as far as I am aware there are no rules saying how much space you have to leave between yourself & the car in front. I could have moved up to within inches of the bumper of the car in front, he could have then moved to within inches of my rear bumper & he still would have been illegally parked anyway.
Should an off duty policeman show his warrant card in any circumstance ? - I would like to know the Metropolitan Police guidelines on this. As per usual, after the incident we thought of all sorts of things we should have done & said, including getting his details -as I think a formal complaint may have stopped him from acting like that in the future. Unfortunately, in my opinion this man fulfills all the negative stereotypes we have about Policemen, and certainly does not give the Metropolitan Police a good name from my point of view.
Cheers,
DickyT
dickyt said:
Unfortunately, in my opinion this man fulfills all the negative stereotypes we have about Policemen, and certainly does not give the Metropolitan Police a good name from my point of view.
Cheers,
DickyT
My belief about the Fuzz is that if they want (And I'm sure they need it) the respect and assistance from Middle England, they should try to behave like Gentlemen and Ladies BEYOND reproach. Cheers,
DickyT
Simple things like NOT parking on Double Yellows, Wearing Gloves when riding the quad bike bike on road, treating Teenagers like they are Law abiding citizens, NOT speeding, Not parking in the pick up only space at TESCO when buying a pie (in uniform).
When Presented with a warrant card we should always ask for name, serial number and phone number of Superior and watch whilst they do a U turn .
"I will now use my power"? What a t
t!
I'd have explained that you were originally only waiting 5 minutes for the wife to get the mandatory pasties before vacating the space for him. And then pointed out that his attitude had changed your mind for you and you were now off to find a nice spot to eat them. Then watch him fume as you lock the car up and bugger off to find a park or similar.
t!I'd have explained that you were originally only waiting 5 minutes for the wife to get the mandatory pasties before vacating the space for him. And then pointed out that his attitude had changed your mind for you and you were now off to find a nice spot to eat them. Then watch him fume as you lock the car up and bugger off to find a park or similar.
Out of interest, what power was he going to use then??
The power to direct traffic (presumably what he was doing by moving you) is "a Constable in uniform" that's why CID always call up a 'uniform' car to do a stop for them.
Then again he might've believed you were "causing an unnecessary obstruction of the highway" or "wilful obstruction" after he'd asked you to move, but in a parking bay??? A bit hard to prove I think.
When he said he was going to use his powers then you might've asked "what power is that then"?
Sounds to me like a new recruit who wants to impress his female driver with a bit of power and influence and very little knowledge and common sense.
The power to direct traffic (presumably what he was doing by moving you) is "a Constable in uniform" that's why CID always call up a 'uniform' car to do a stop for them.
Then again he might've believed you were "causing an unnecessary obstruction of the highway" or "wilful obstruction" after he'd asked you to move, but in a parking bay??? A bit hard to prove I think.
When he said he was going to use his powers then you might've asked "what power is that then"?
Sounds to me like a new recruit who wants to impress his female driver with a bit of power and influence and very little knowledge and common sense.
For all you know he could have been on an undercover operation with another PC, they could have been trying to apprehend a rapist/robber/drunk driver/murderer or child molester, how can a mere mortal like you ever understand how the police work.
Then he again he could have been an ARSE.............
Then he again he could have been an ARSE.............
Great comments - forgot to mention he was also about 5ft nothing so more than a bit of small man syndrome as well - sorry to any vertically challenged people out there !.
Perhaps I should have stayed put & waited till he had walked off & then invited all anyone to join in the new Cornish sport of "Pastie smearing the X5" ? - but that would have been a great waste of Pastie's !.
Perhaps I should have stayed put & waited till he had walked off & then invited all anyone to join in the new Cornish sport of "Pastie smearing the X5" ? - but that would have been a great waste of Pastie's !.
stuthemong said:
He sounds like a nobber, but from what I can understand by what you have written, the x5 did fit in behind you, so there was enough room for you to pull forward and then subsequently leave the space (although a reverse was required)?
Stu
No, even when they pulled up to within an inch of my bumper his rear wheels would have been well into the double yellow lines - there was enough room behind me for a Smart car perhaps, but not a X5.Stu
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff