Caught, booked
Discussion
I got stopped last week, doing 92 on the A11. They got me as I came over the crest of a hill, coppers in a layby a very long way away behing a parked car with a laser thingy (the copper not the parked car). I sbacked off as soon as I saw a figure standing still and when they pulled out behind me I thought they were after someone else, they then followed me for a couple of miles (me trying to drive the cerbera quietly) and pulled me over.
The copper was very nice about it, showed me the reading, gave me a fixed penalty and a choice of going to court if I fancied it..Err no thanks I got a £400 quid fine from Thames Valley a few years ago for 92 in a 70!
I was quite resigned to the fact and we had a quite a long chat about life (for instance...
Copper..'TVR Cerbera, they are pretty quick'
Me 'So I hear officer
'
What sturck me was how almost apologetic he was. He was at pains to tell me thatthe fine does not go to them and he gets no comission, I said I was well aware of that, and also pointed to the part of the ticket where I could complain if I was not happy with my treatment. I said I was perfectly happy, well apart from the fact I had just been nicked but I could hardly argue.
Thinking on, this does not really bother me, £60 is a tank and a bit of optimax, a few points for speeding (I'm clean at the mo) will make no difference to my insurance. The only issue will be that I need to be a little more careful to stop them mounting up.
Is it wrong that I'm not bothered about this? Should I hang my head in shame?
It was a clear day, the road was quiet, the car is well maintained and I was alert (although maybe if I had been a little more alert!). It is not as if I was doing 120 in a 30 in the rain at night ...
So that means I've had 3 tickets in 15 years, is there an average?
D.
The copper was very nice about it, showed me the reading, gave me a fixed penalty and a choice of going to court if I fancied it..Err no thanks I got a £400 quid fine from Thames Valley a few years ago for 92 in a 70!
I was quite resigned to the fact and we had a quite a long chat about life (for instance...
Copper..'TVR Cerbera, they are pretty quick'
Me 'So I hear officer
' What sturck me was how almost apologetic he was. He was at pains to tell me thatthe fine does not go to them and he gets no comission, I said I was well aware of that, and also pointed to the part of the ticket where I could complain if I was not happy with my treatment. I said I was perfectly happy, well apart from the fact I had just been nicked but I could hardly argue.
Thinking on, this does not really bother me, £60 is a tank and a bit of optimax, a few points for speeding (I'm clean at the mo) will make no difference to my insurance. The only issue will be that I need to be a little more careful to stop them mounting up.
Is it wrong that I'm not bothered about this? Should I hang my head in shame?
It was a clear day, the road was quiet, the car is well maintained and I was alert (although maybe if I had been a little more alert!). It is not as if I was doing 120 in a 30 in the rain at night ...
So that means I've had 3 tickets in 15 years, is there an average?
D.
What you're saying there sounds pretty typical of the current speeding issue.
The government wanted 'to make speeding as antisocial and unacceptable as drink driving'
What they've actually done is jaded everyone to it, even the insurance companies.
But they don't care, it's just another quick buck to them.
The government wanted 'to make speeding as antisocial and unacceptable as drink driving'
What they've actually done is jaded everyone to it, even the insurance companies.
But they don't care, it's just another quick buck to them.
Fair play to you for taking it on the Chin. 
You are correct when you say that you will have to be a bit more careful because 3 points is acceptable- after all, we are all human and make mistakes, but obviously you dont want any more for the next 3 years.
As ive said on numerous occasions.....its always a lot harder to give a ticket to someone who accepts what they have done and takes it on the chin.
You are correct when you say that you will have to be a bit more careful because 3 points is acceptable- after all, we are all human and make mistakes, but obviously you dont want any more for the next 3 years.
As ive said on numerous occasions.....its always a lot harder to give a ticket to someone who accepts what they have done and takes it on the chin.
tonyrec said:
Fair play to you for taking it on the Chin.
Thanks, the copper was fine with me and to coin a phrase 'it twas a fair cop gov' so no point being upperty. And I'm sure it was quite within his powers to make me go to court, which would have been an arse.
Treat others as you would want to be treated your self or something.
D.
One thing I think must have helped is that you were actually stopped and told what you had done wrong and why.
It rankles when you just get a demand for money in the post.
I speak from experience - and it was a fair cop then too - but I would have preferred to have been pulled over and had the error of my ways explained to me...
Still. You did the right thing and the cop just doing his job did the right thing. Its a bummer getting the points but hey, don't do the crime if you can't do the time...or something like that...
It rankles when you just get a demand for money in the post.
I speak from experience - and it was a fair cop then too - but I would have preferred to have been pulled over and had the error of my ways explained to me...
Still. You did the right thing and the cop just doing his job did the right thing. Its a bummer getting the points but hey, don't do the crime if you can't do the time...or something like that...
Don said:
One thing I think must have helped is that you were actually stopped and told what you had done wrong and why.
It rankles when you just get a demand for money in the post.
I speak from experience - and it was a fair cop then too - but I would have preferred to have been pulled over and had the error of my ways explained to me...
If the officer is actually pleasant and sincere then I'd totaly agree, and I've been stopped a couple of times (many years back) by such upstanding officers of the law. However, when you are treated to a gob full of condescending and patronising twaddle, it's considerably more difficult to humbly accept your wrongdoing.
Just speaking to some one with 13 points on there license ( no they didn't get a ban the court was lenient with the last three)
He ha sto drive verywhere utterly at the limit. Saying he feels stupid when doing 30 on a wide 30 limit duel carriageway at six am.
Don't know why I posted this or what I'm getting at??
He ha sto drive verywhere utterly at the limit. Saying he feels stupid when doing 30 on a wide 30 limit duel carriageway at six am.
Don't know why I posted this or what I'm getting at??
fish said:
Just speaking to some one with 13 points on there license ( no they didn't get a ban the court was lenient with the last three)
He ha sto drive verywhere utterly at the limit. Saying he feels stupid when doing 30 on a wide 30 limit duel carriageway at six am.
Don't know why I posted this or what I'm getting at??
Perhaps you are saying that we should have variable speed limits dependent on conditions (as the french do on Autoroutes - on tfro good weather, another for bad), time of day etc?
All very good, this "taking it on the chin" business. "Taking it up the a***" could be a more applicable phrase.
The question that bothers me, is WHY were they monitoring the A11 ? presumably this was one of the nice safe, wide, well surfaced sections?
Isn't this a sign that we all ought to buy Jammers?
If the TrafPol was apologetic, why'd he issue a ticket? surely a bit of discretion wouldn't have gone amiss? (capable car, good conditions).
No. Don't take it on the chin. Argue the point *diplomatically*.
C
The question that bothers me, is WHY were they monitoring the A11 ? presumably this was one of the nice safe, wide, well surfaced sections?
Isn't this a sign that we all ought to buy Jammers?
If the TrafPol was apologetic, why'd he issue a ticket? surely a bit of discretion wouldn't have gone amiss? (capable car, good conditions).
No. Don't take it on the chin. Argue the point *diplomatically*.
C
I think that you have got your head up your own arse on this occasion. (you dont watch Dads Army by chance)...
I was trying to be diplomatic when i said "take it on the chin".......
From the sound of it, the Trafpol was using his discretion.
Once again....im not trying to be funny here, just telling it how i see it.
>> Edited by tonyrec on Friday 4th July 10:23
I was trying to be diplomatic when i said "take it on the chin".......
From the sound of it, the Trafpol was using his discretion.
Once again....im not trying to be funny here, just telling it how i see it.
>> Edited by tonyrec on Friday 4th July 10:23
Carl
You have a point, however I was doing 92 and the law says 70. Yes it is bollocks, I'm sure the conditions were safe to drive at well over 120 but unfortunately the limit is 70 come rain or shine (I agree variable limits would be a great idea as long as they went high enough!).
When I was a bit younger ** I used to get stopped with alarming regularity, to the point where on three occasions I got stopped on the way home from producing my documents (good job I am not paranoid). During this period I encountered many different types of copper from the complete w*nker jobsworth who was nothing short of a bully on an ego trip to the genuine car interested petrol head policeman. The difference is the way they stopped me was astounding and I must admit it has coloured my view somewhat.
This was further reinforced yesterday when I was at Cambridge parkside police station producing my documents.
The duty officer was completely fine with me, polite, civil, chatty NON JUDGEMENTAL. There were a couple of other people waiting to give statements or whatever, the first was taken away by a policeman with the worst body language he could have possibly given to a victim (she was a victim), crossed arms, slumped shoulders, no eye contact, miserable expression..
The next two policemen came out to talk to a young biker (16 or 17) who had a complaint. Again I was amazed at the way they treated him, not hostile but totaly unfriendly.
Do they not realise that people generally react better when presented with a positive approach?
This is now way of topic so I'm sorry. The reason I posted in the first place was really to show that there are still police out there who can handle the public, this was a pleasant suprise to me, and also to try to get peoples views on how regularly they get points.
I suppose I'd better pay the fine now
D.
** I used to work nights, when I switched shifts I suffered a bit with late nights so used to drive round cambridge, carefully of course.
You have a point, however I was doing 92 and the law says 70. Yes it is bollocks, I'm sure the conditions were safe to drive at well over 120 but unfortunately the limit is 70 come rain or shine (I agree variable limits would be a great idea as long as they went high enough!).
When I was a bit younger ** I used to get stopped with alarming regularity, to the point where on three occasions I got stopped on the way home from producing my documents (good job I am not paranoid). During this period I encountered many different types of copper from the complete w*nker jobsworth who was nothing short of a bully on an ego trip to the genuine car interested petrol head policeman. The difference is the way they stopped me was astounding and I must admit it has coloured my view somewhat.
This was further reinforced yesterday when I was at Cambridge parkside police station producing my documents.
The duty officer was completely fine with me, polite, civil, chatty NON JUDGEMENTAL. There were a couple of other people waiting to give statements or whatever, the first was taken away by a policeman with the worst body language he could have possibly given to a victim (she was a victim), crossed arms, slumped shoulders, no eye contact, miserable expression..
The next two policemen came out to talk to a young biker (16 or 17) who had a complaint. Again I was amazed at the way they treated him, not hostile but totaly unfriendly.
Do they not realise that people generally react better when presented with a positive approach?
This is now way of topic so I'm sorry. The reason I posted in the first place was really to show that there are still police out there who can handle the public, this was a pleasant suprise to me, and also to try to get peoples views on how regularly they get points.
I suppose I'd better pay the fine now
D.
** I used to work nights, when I switched shifts I suffered a bit with late nights so used to drive round cambridge, carefully of course.
fish said:
He ha sto drive verywhere utterly at the limit. Saying he feels stupid when doing 30 on a wide 30 limit duel carriageway at six am.
Tell me about it.
I tend to stick to 30's and 40's.
a) It' *really* pisses other drivers off.
b) It really shows up how utterly stupid some 30's and 40's are.
Fair enough, you lot reckon that was discretion - I have to agree that a fpn is better than court!
Ok, but still... why are they monitoring a *safe* bit of road? doesn't seem very productive from a safety angle.. just the usual motives I suspect.
I hope we all keep the speed down around town now, but it seems a bit of a shyster tactic to laser on a good road. Ok, I have done warp speed on the A11 in the past, but 92 is hardly a danger to society?
Remember peeps -- only speed in a convoy, never on an empty road. Far safer to break the law when you're not the only one
C
Ok, but still... why are they monitoring a *safe* bit of road? doesn't seem very productive from a safety angle.. just the usual motives I suspect.
I hope we all keep the speed down around town now, but it seems a bit of a shyster tactic to laser on a good road. Ok, I have done warp speed on the A11 in the past, but 92 is hardly a danger to society?
Remember peeps -- only speed in a convoy, never on an empty road. Far safer to break the law when you're not the only one
C
rude girl said:
b) It really shows up how utterly stupid some 30's and 40's are.
Or how stupid some drivers are
Quite right - followed some prat the other day on a twisty NSL A road at 40 mph (30 on the corners). Slowed down when we reached a 30 on the edge of a village .... but he didn't and carried on at 40 and got flashed by a GATSO ...
Other extreme - this morning on the way in to work I got overtaken as I was doing 30 in a 30 and holding the moron, who had been tailgating me for a couple of miles, behind me up.
Some people should not be allowed on the road .....
Oh that's it, you've gone and done it haven't you? You've pressed the button! I'm normally fairly placid in the car, even if I get cut up, but the one thing that is absolutely guaranteed to get me ranting is the idiots who do 45 down an NSL and then carry on at 45 when they get in to a 30. To me it's a sure sign that they have no idea what's going on around them.
Medication......
Medication......
fish said:
Just speaking to some one with 13 points on there license ( no they didn't get a ban the court was lenient with the last three)
He ha sto drive verywhere utterly at the limit. Saying he feels stupid when doing 30 on a wide 30 limit duel carriageway at six am.
Don't know why I posted this or what I'm getting at??
I know how he feels. I drove around for about a year in the mid 90's with 11 points. Doing 70 on the motorway with artics up your bum and everybody else steaming past ain't fun.
toad_oftoadhall said:
If you're having a dig you're gonna have to be a lot less subtle than that! ;-)
Oh put your handbag down you big Jessie.
You said yourself you slow down to annoy people who don't spot the 30 limit, so it can't be you I'm having a dig at, can it? (unless you were lying of course
) 
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