Chippenham Police wnaker
Discussion
I'm normally extremely supportive of our boys in blue, and have had very few bad experiences with them over the years - sadly my girlfriend has had a brush with somebody today who's a complete disgrace to his profession.
We have recently moved the West Country. Sinead is much younger than me (21) and has no local knowledge at all. Her new employer sent her off to Chippenham today for training - about 20 miles away. CHippenham has a pretty tricky one way system and she had never been there before.
She left the office at half five and immediately got lost in the one way system. Apparently she did a couple of laps but couldn't find the road she needed (the A420, which is not signposted from the one way system).
The one way system is double yellow lined for almost the entire length and Sinead couldn't find anywhere to pull over, so she waited until she was stationary at lights and called me for help, in a state of some distress.
Seconds into the conversation the line went dead. Transpires a passing copper saw her dial on the phone and nicked her for it. She tried to explain that she was lost and desperate and had tried to find somewhere to pull over. Apparently the BIB told her that if she had stopped on a double yellow he'd have nicked her for that too.
As far as I'm concerned, if a Policeman doesn't have the intelligence and discretion to assess a situation and recognise a vulnerable young woman in distress in need of assistance, he has no right to be in that job.
The punchline is that, after nicking her, he cleared off without even offering to help her find her way.
>>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Tuesday 10th February 18:41
We have recently moved the West Country. Sinead is much younger than me (21) and has no local knowledge at all. Her new employer sent her off to Chippenham today for training - about 20 miles away. CHippenham has a pretty tricky one way system and she had never been there before.
She left the office at half five and immediately got lost in the one way system. Apparently she did a couple of laps but couldn't find the road she needed (the A420, which is not signposted from the one way system).
The one way system is double yellow lined for almost the entire length and Sinead couldn't find anywhere to pull over, so she waited until she was stationary at lights and called me for help, in a state of some distress.
Seconds into the conversation the line went dead. Transpires a passing copper saw her dial on the phone and nicked her for it. She tried to explain that she was lost and desperate and had tried to find somewhere to pull over. Apparently the BIB told her that if she had stopped on a double yellow he'd have nicked her for that too.
As far as I'm concerned, if a Policeman doesn't have the intelligence and discretion to assess a situation and recognise a vulnerable young woman in distress in need of assistance, he has no right to be in that job.
The punchline is that, after nicking her, he cleared off without even offering to help her find her way.
>>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Tuesday 10th February 18:41
ts in all professions. Your girlfriend has clearly met one today. 
Welcome to my neck of the woods !!!!
It was in Chippenham, of course, where somebody was nicked some months ago for drinking water from a bottle whilst standing at traffic lights. The story made the national media.
Something tells me it was the same "PC Bored" on duty this time .....
It was in Chippenham, of course, where somebody was nicked some months ago for drinking water from a bottle whilst standing at traffic lights. The story made the national media.
Something tells me it was the same "PC Bored" on duty this time .....
it's a great shame that the sterling efforts of most of the PH BiB are occasionally undermined by the general population of rozzers. I know this happens in all professions, but why when it is SO important that we are on the side of the Police, must "PC Bored" be such a nob?
BAd luck mate, hope your other half is ok now.
Carl
BAd luck mate, hope your other half is ok now.
Carl
M.A.M.
Now I have no wish to offend but age does give certain advantages and one of these is the premises that there are always two sides to a story. If what you report from the account told to you by your GF is true then I, like others of the cloth on this site, are truly disgusted at the manner in which she was dealt with.
However there is certain information in your post that causes me to rub my chin and before pronouncing any judgement would have liked to have heard the story from the other side.
Nevertheless whatever the outcome was I am still dismayed that GF came away with that unhelpful impression of Plod.
DVD
Now I have no wish to offend but age does give certain advantages and one of these is the premises that there are always two sides to a story. If what you report from the account told to you by your GF is true then I, like others of the cloth on this site, are truly disgusted at the manner in which she was dealt with.
However there is certain information in your post that causes me to rub my chin and before pronouncing any judgement would have liked to have heard the story from the other side.
Nevertheless whatever the outcome was I am still dismayed that GF came away with that unhelpful impression of Plod.
DVD
Dwight VanDriver said:
M.A.M.
Now I have no wish to offend but age does give certain advantages and one of these is the premises that there are always two sides to a story. If what you report from the account told to you by your GF is true then I, like others of the cloth on this site, are truly disgusted at the manner in which she was dealt with.
However there is certain information in your post that causes me to rub my chin and before pronouncing any judgement would have liked to have heard the story from the other side.
Nevertheless whatever the outcome was I am still dismayed that GF came away with that unhelpful impression of Plod.
DVD
No offence taken - I can quite understand how you could reach this conclusion from the facts given. However, Sinead has no reason not to tell me the facts (she knows I'll take the matter further and not being honest with me will only put me in a position of potential embarrassment).
I'm not concerned with the fine - despite the circumstances we must face the fact that she broke the letter of the law. I'm annoyed that the officer couldn't use some powers of discretion though and just find it within himself to be as keen on helping her as he was on giving her a ticket.
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
bad luck to your GF there MAM. Any chance of a ID number for the copper? .. he really needs a good telling off
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
bad luck to your GF there MAM. Any chance of a ID number for the copper? .. he really needs a good telling off
joospeed said:
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
bad luck to your GF there MAM. Any chance of a ID number for the copper? .. he really needs a good telling off
I have the officer's shoulder number.
joospeed said:
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
Personal favourite from that sketch was 'Looking at Me in a Funnny Way'
MAM - report the SOB.
The Wiz said:
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
Personal favourite from that sketch was 'Looking at Me in a Funnny Way'
MAM - report the SOB.
Surely "walking around with an offensive wife."
Spoke to the Duty Inspector this morning. He explained that officers have been instructed to show a zero tolerance to phone users in cars. Apparently they have been instructed to ticket all drivers "unless the key is removed from the ignition", which sounds like a pretty strange way to draw a line in the sand to me. Notwithstanding this, he will be contacting the PC involved and discussing the events with him.
Edited to add that, most worryingly, the Inspector admitted that discretionary powers "are increasingly being eroded at point of delivery." Which, to me, means that officers themselves are being converted into grey revenue collecting boxes.
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Wednesday 11th February 10:11
Edited to add that, most worryingly, the Inspector admitted that discretionary powers "are increasingly being eroded at point of delivery." Which, to me, means that officers themselves are being converted into grey revenue collecting boxes.
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Wednesday 11th February 10:11
joospeed said:
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
bad luck to your GF there MAM. Any chance of a ID number for the copper? .. he really needs a good telling off
Wearing a headscarf in a public building soon will be in France.
DustyC said:
What happens to those with keyless ignitions then? Sounds like this law hasnt been properly thought through!
That would be an interesting test case
I know at least one cerbera owner whos completed at least 1/2 of his journey 
with his keys on the kitchen table, if the rule is 'not while the keys are in the ignition' you could just quite rightly state they aren't 
IAnReid said:
Reminds me of the Constable Savage sketch on NTNON.
will we really get to the point where "walking on the cracks in the pavement" and "wearing a loud shirt in a built up area, during the hours of darkness" are chargeable offences too..
bad luck to your GF there MAM. Any chance of a ID number for the copper? .. he really needs a good telling off
Wearing a headscarf in a public building soon will be in France.
Along with any other religious symbol .. good thing if you ask me.
DustyC said:
What happens to those with keyless ignitions then? Sounds like this law hasnt been properly thought through!
Or, I can pull over, take the keys out and make a call.
The engine will still be running on the turbo timer......
Chippenham has a horrible one way system. I've done laps of it several times, lost.
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