monstered by plod, what to do?

[BertBert]

[not a Bib rant]

I was on a roundabout this evening and spotted a plod-car (patrol, not trafpol) barreling up at the next entrance to the roundabout at a fair lick and not looking like stopping or giving way. I slowed ready to stop (not really to give way to plod, but to make sure we were not going to connect) but he slowed so I proceeded. He was right up my arse and we both proceeded to take the same exit. His close proximity continued along with that weaving, pulling to the right, looking to get by type body (car)-language. There was nowhere to overtake, so getting a bit edgy I pulled over and forced him to go by. He then pulled up the arse of the car in front and repeated the manoeuvre.

I thought it strange behaviour as the use of the blues would have got him onto the roundabout in front of me and past the cars in front a lot more easily and I suspect safely. He didn;t use his blues or flashing headlights or anything.

I was tempted to just stay put and see what he did behind me. What's accepted practice in this situation?

Bert

[vonhosen]

BertBert][not a Bib rant said:

I was on a roundabout this evening and spotted a plod-car (patrol, not trafpol) barreling up at the next entrance to the roundabout at a fair lick and not looking like stopping or giving way. I slowed ready to stop (not really to give way to plod, but to make sure we were not going to connect) but he slowed so I proceeded. He was right up my arse and we both proceeded to take the same exit. His close proximity continued along with that weaving, pulling to the right, looking to get by type body (car)-language. There was nowhere to overtake, so getting a bit edgy I pulled over and forced him to go by. He then pulled up the arse of the car in front and repeated the manoeuvre.

I thought it strange behaviour as the use of the blues would have got him onto the roundabout in front of me and past the cars in front a lot more easily and I suspect safely. He didn;t use his blues or flashing headlights or anything.

I was tempted to just stay put and see what he did behind me. What's accepted practice in this situation?

Bert

If you think he wants to get by, facilitate that as smoothly as possible without any sharp sudden movements.

[Westy Pre-Lit]

So is bullying drivers to move over acceptable then rather than using lights etc?

[vonhosen]

Westy Pre-Lit said:

So is bullying drivers to move over acceptable then rather than using lights etc?

That's not what I'm saying.
What one perceives to be bullying though another may not, just as how others here complain of people flashing them for what they regarded as a perfectly safe overtake.

Blue lights & two tones are to facilitate your passage through traffic, they show your intent to want to make progress.
Some times operationally it is not desirable to use them, but you still may want to make progress. In these situations your positioning etc may reveal that intent to others.

If you are minded to facilitate that progress when blue lights & two tones are on, there is no reason why you shouldn't be minded to do so when they are not.
Is using blue lights & two tone bullying ?

[John57]

Frustrated Basic Driver ? Unable to "legally" use blues and twos but going to something serious and doing what they think is right ??? Just a possibility .... Ok if they get to you first and you are getting a good kicking - not so OK if they crash on the way and injure someone!

Edited by John57 on Thursday 13th September 08:04

[gridgway]

oops

Edited by gridgway on Thursday 13th September 08:29

[BertBert]

vonhosen said:

If you think he wants to get by, facilitate that as smoothly as possible without any sharp sudden movements.

Why? So as not to make him jump??

Seriously, that's exactly what I did (the er getting out of the way thing). However, it felt like I was forcing him by. Also he had the clear opportunity to get on the roundabout in front of me which he didn't take.

Where they are not going to be using blue/twos, how are police drivers trained to make progress?

Bert

[andmole]

If anybody (BiB or otherwise) is driving like a prat then the best place for them is in front of you. That way it is easier to see what they are doing, you did the right thing letting them past.

[virgil]

vonhosen said:

Some times operationally it is not desirable to use them, but you still may want to make progress. In these situations your positioning etc may reveal that intent to others.

Sorry, Von, but by saying this you are condoning agressive and bullying driving tactics. If an officer wanted to get past, i'd expect his lights on, or at least a flash of the headlights, not him crawling all over my back bumper. There is very, very rearely as excuse for that. If he can't, for operational reasons, use lights to signal his presence then I'd expect him to hang back and wait for a safe overtaking position like any other member of the public. I honestly can't think of any example where a marked car could not signal his intent to pass, either by furious arm waving, headlight flashing etc as opposed to, if it were I doing it, dangerous driving.

Sorry, this one sounds like a pillock trying to get home for dinner.

Virgil.

[paulsm]

Sound like a bit of a cock

[havoc]

I'm sorry, but having a badge doesn't excuse bad driving. If they need to get somewhere, they can use their lights. And as it's a marked car, how is 'not using their lights' going to help them operationally?!?

[havoc]

I'm sorry, but having a badge doesn't excuse bad driving. If they need to get somewhere, they can use their lights. And as it's a marked car, how is 'not using their lights' going to help them operationally?!?

[havoc]

FishFace said:

Not to alert a stolen car a few cars in front of their presence? Use your imagination...

Yes, but a panda car isn't exactly inconspicous, is it?!?

[GPSHead]

vonhosen said:

just as how others here complain of people flashing them for what they regarded as a perfectly safe overtake.

If you've never had someone flash at you for doing what was, absolutely unequivocally, a safe overtake, you're luckier than me.

Have you never encountered anyone doing 40 in a 60 who takes exception to you overtaking them, even though you're within the speed limit, there's plenty of room and visibility, and you don't cut across in front of them? Do you not agree that there are people out there who simply don't like being overtaken on single carriageways, for no apparent reason other than misguided pride?

Maybe sometimes when people flash an overtaker, there's a good reason for it. Other times, there most certainly is not. Some people start to beep the second that you pull out and begin the overtaking manoeuvre. We have to deal with some very bloody-minded attitudes on the roads today. Overtaking seems to be particular maligned and misunderstood by the "I think I'm good at driving but really I'm opinionated and ignorant" brigade, and IMHO the current obsession with "speed = bad" is at least partly to blame.

[vonhosen]

GPSHead said:

vonhosen said:

just as how others here complain of people flashing them for what they regarded as a perfectly safe overtake.

If you've never had someone flash at you for doing what was, absolutely unequivocally, a safe overtake, you're luckier than me.

Have you never encountered anyone doing 40 in a 60 who takes exception to you overtaking them, even though you're within the speed limit, there's plenty of room and visibility, and you don't cut across in front of them? Do you not agree that there are people out there who simply don't like being overtaken on single carriageways, for no apparent reason other than misguided pride?

Maybe sometimes when people flash an overtaker, there's a good reason for it. Other times, there most certainly is not. Some people start to beep the second that you pull out and begin the overtaking manoeuvre. We have to deal with some very bloody-minded attitudes on the roads today. Overtaking seems to be particular maligned and misunderstood by the "I think I'm good at driving but really I'm opinionated and ignorant" brigade, and IMHO the current obsession with "speed = bad" is at least partly to blame.

That's what I'm saying !!

I'm saying you may do what you consider a perfectly safe overtake & someone else considers it dangerous. You consider their reaction totally unwarranted.
OR
You may use quite acceptable positioning looking to safely overtake & someone else view it as aggressive bullying.

It all comes down to different people's perception.
What you consider dangerous I may not & what I consider dangerous you may not.

If I consider what I observe as aggressive bullying then that's what I'll classify it as. If I don't consider it to be, then I won't personally classify it as that just because you do.

Edited by vonhosen on Thursday 13th September 17:39

[BertBert]

VH, before we fall into the depths of was he right or wrong, what is the accepted mechanism to make progress when blues/twos are not appropriate?

Bert

[GPSHead]

vonhosen said:

That's what I'm saying !!

I'm saying you may do what you consider a perfectly safe overtake & someone else considers it dangerous. You consider their reaction totally unwarranted.
OR
You may use quite acceptable positioning looking to safely overtake & someone else view it as aggressive bullying.

It all comes down to different people's perception.
What you consider dangerous I may not & what I consider dangerous you may not.

If I consider what I observe as aggressive bullying then that's what I'll classify it as. If I don't consider it to be, then I won't personally classify it as that just because you do.

OK, fair enough.

[mr motor]

This isn't entirely useful in your circumstances, but realtime in-car HD video camera recording of motoring events isn't very far away. If nothing else you can alway post the vid on youtube and let other users make up their own minds!

[vonhosen]

BertBert said:

VH, before we fall into the depths of was he right or wrong, what is the accepted mechanism to make progress when blues/twos are not appropriate?

Bert

Obeying the law.