I fought the law, and it's an ass.
Discussion
At last, my first new topic. It's rather lengthy, but I hope worth it.
Got stopped last night accused of speeding. (It happens to us all) Wooden top in a Pug Diesel accused me of travelling at 85 on dual carriageway just off St James interchange on A737. When stopped the usual line of questioning ensued.
Do you know the speed limit for this road ?
What speed were you doing ?
Of course I reply 70 to both. This happened to be true as I had noticed him pull out from a junction behind me to accelerate up to around 60 in a 40 zone at the airport so he could tailgate me prior to an approaching roundabout.
Sensing a pull in the offing I stopped at the roundabout, so we both had a standing start across it. Given I had 225 bhp compared to his 90 or 110, I suspected I would out accelerate him, thus wind him up, and predictably I did both. As I joined the dual carriageway at 60, the little Pug was being thrashed for dear life some distance behind. I continued to NSL on the dual carriageway. About a mile down the road the panda overtook then veered back into the inside lane about 40 yards in front of me and started slowing down. I in turn moved to the outside lane and promptly overtook him. A quick look in the mirror before pulling back in saw plod had now found his beacon switch, and the blue lights were on.
As the questioning progressed, Plod becoming adamant his speedo was showing 85. I invite him to examine mine. As he did, I pointed to the IRS sticker advising “this, as you will know, is the calibration sticker. It means the reading from this speedo is admissible as evidence in court that I was doing 70, not 69 or 71, 70.”
“That’s not standard on a car” he replied. “When did you get it calibrated ?”
“I didn’t, the Chief Constable did. He does it for all traffic cars.” Said I trying to conceal my enjoyment. (I wish I knew how to put the smiley icon in here) At this point a routine pull for plod to throw his weight about was fast going pear shape. “Oh, are you in the police ?” he asked, as if to imply nudge nudge, say no more and looked genuinely disappointed when I said “No”
“Well my speedo was showing 85 was his reply. Are you saying it’s wrong ?" I could only repeat, mine was showing 70 and is calibrated therefore admissible in evidence in a court of law.
“Did you not realise that when I pulled in in front of you I was trying to get you to slow down ?”. I replied “I thought you were just about to miss your turning when you left it so late.” Not what he wanted to hear. It’s amazing, Strathclyde Police provide their cars with flashing headlamps, blue beacons, two tone sirens, and the standard car horn, and this shaven headed ned thinks rather than use any of these, he’ll attract my attention by driving like a wally.
“Well watch your speed”, he finished with as he went to go back to his car. “I was” I replied.
This then got me thinking. I know a few people who have had tickets on this stretch of road and thought they couldn’t challenge them. If we both sat side by side at the roundabout, I can hit 60 in 7 seconds, the little diesel in nearer 14. This means if we both stop accelerating at 70, then by my recollection of the laws of physics I’m already around 210 yards further down the road. So if the diesel wanted to catch me he might well need to go at 85 to do so within a mile. As he was behind me, I had a further head start, and his speedo must have been showing more than 85.
I’d be interested to know from those with a better, more recent grasp of physics than I, what exactly would the differential be between two such vehicles, and how fast would plod need to travel to a catch up in around a mile ? Either that or sod physics, try it for real on a track day and let me know.
Got stopped last night accused of speeding. (It happens to us all) Wooden top in a Pug Diesel accused me of travelling at 85 on dual carriageway just off St James interchange on A737. When stopped the usual line of questioning ensued.
Do you know the speed limit for this road ?
What speed were you doing ?
Of course I reply 70 to both. This happened to be true as I had noticed him pull out from a junction behind me to accelerate up to around 60 in a 40 zone at the airport so he could tailgate me prior to an approaching roundabout.
Sensing a pull in the offing I stopped at the roundabout, so we both had a standing start across it. Given I had 225 bhp compared to his 90 or 110, I suspected I would out accelerate him, thus wind him up, and predictably I did both. As I joined the dual carriageway at 60, the little Pug was being thrashed for dear life some distance behind. I continued to NSL on the dual carriageway. About a mile down the road the panda overtook then veered back into the inside lane about 40 yards in front of me and started slowing down. I in turn moved to the outside lane and promptly overtook him. A quick look in the mirror before pulling back in saw plod had now found his beacon switch, and the blue lights were on.
As the questioning progressed, Plod becoming adamant his speedo was showing 85. I invite him to examine mine. As he did, I pointed to the IRS sticker advising “this, as you will know, is the calibration sticker. It means the reading from this speedo is admissible as evidence in court that I was doing 70, not 69 or 71, 70.”
“That’s not standard on a car” he replied. “When did you get it calibrated ?”
“I didn’t, the Chief Constable did. He does it for all traffic cars.” Said I trying to conceal my enjoyment. (I wish I knew how to put the smiley icon in here) At this point a routine pull for plod to throw his weight about was fast going pear shape. “Oh, are you in the police ?” he asked, as if to imply nudge nudge, say no more and looked genuinely disappointed when I said “No”
“Well my speedo was showing 85 was his reply. Are you saying it’s wrong ?" I could only repeat, mine was showing 70 and is calibrated therefore admissible in evidence in a court of law.
“Did you not realise that when I pulled in in front of you I was trying to get you to slow down ?”. I replied “I thought you were just about to miss your turning when you left it so late.” Not what he wanted to hear. It’s amazing, Strathclyde Police provide their cars with flashing headlamps, blue beacons, two tone sirens, and the standard car horn, and this shaven headed ned thinks rather than use any of these, he’ll attract my attention by driving like a wally.
“Well watch your speed”, he finished with as he went to go back to his car. “I was” I replied.
This then got me thinking. I know a few people who have had tickets on this stretch of road and thought they couldn’t challenge them. If we both sat side by side at the roundabout, I can hit 60 in 7 seconds, the little diesel in nearer 14. This means if we both stop accelerating at 70, then by my recollection of the laws of physics I’m already around 210 yards further down the road. So if the diesel wanted to catch me he might well need to go at 85 to do so within a mile. As he was behind me, I had a further head start, and his speedo must have been showing more than 85.
I’d be interested to know from those with a better, more recent grasp of physics than I, what exactly would the differential be between two such vehicles, and how fast would plod need to travel to a catch up in around a mile ? Either that or sod physics, try it for real on a track day and let me know.
If he was going 15mph faster than you, that equates to 440yards per minute faster. So it would take him approximately half a minute to make up 210 yards.
He would have travelled 0.7 of a mile in half a minute if travelling at 85. It would actually take slightly longer because he would have to get up the extra speed from 70 to 85mph.
I think he would have had a better case if he'd accused you of Racing on the Public Highway
He would have travelled 0.7 of a mile in half a minute if travelling at 85. It would actually take slightly longer because he would have to get up the extra speed from 70 to 85mph.
I think he would have had a better case if he'd accused you of Racing on the Public Highway
46TEE said: Are you one of these people who buys an ex-traffic police car and then drives around pretending it still is one ??
You mean parks it behind hedges to watch the traffic, abandons it outside chip shops when I'm peckish, and blast the horn every time I want through a red traffic light cos I can't be arsed waiting ? No
I'm one of those who bought it cos for £2000 where else will I get a car with a full service history that can hit 150mph (track days of course), and comes with heated seats, air con, elec windows and mirrors, central locking, alarm, alloys, traction control and a manufacturer confident enough to offer, for an additional sum, a warranty upto 300,000 miles on major components ?
bobthebench said:
46TEE said: Are you one of these people who buys an ex-traffic police car and then drives around pretending it still is one ??
You mean parks it behind hedges to watch the traffic, abandons it outside chip shops when I'm peckish, and blast the horn every time I want through a red traffic light cos I can't be arsed waiting ? No
bobthebench said:
46TEE said: Are you one of these people who buys an ex-traffic police car and then drives around pretending it still is one ??
You mean parks it behind hedges to watch the traffic, abandons it outside chip shops when I'm peckish, and blast the horn every time I want through a red traffic light cos I can't be arsed waiting ? No
I'm one of those who bought it cos for £2000 where else will I get a car with a full service history that can hit 150mph (track days of course), and comes with heated seats, air con, elec windows and mirrors, central locking, alarm, alloys, traction control and a manufacturer confident enough to offer, for an additional sum, a warranty upto 300,000 miles on major components ?
You have obviously deeply researched the everyday work of the traffic police, for this you are to be commended, what with all that knowledge, the car and the arrogant attitude, you are surely a force to be reckoned with.
But unfortunately you haven't done your research. BobTheBench calls himself that because he is, er, often on the bench. In the legal sense. So perhaps the two of you will meet in the courtroom sometime?
46TEE said:You have obviously deeply researched the everyday work of the traffic police, for this you are to be commended, what with all that knowledge, the car and the arrogant attitude, you are surely a force to be reckoned with.
C'mon guys, lighten up a little.
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