The other day I was driving to work around mid-morning when a new Astra in front of me, which was driving slowly, suddenly put his foot down.

I thought to myself Hmmm! and followed suit, as you do. We went on for about a mile at speed and then I suddenly wondered why the cars in front of the Astra were pulling over? Doh !

Still driving as close as I dare, he suddenly flashed his blue light from inside, I thought ****! what a fool I was but luckily it was him warning me to stay off rather than pull me over.

Phew !

 

next time try & look at what the driver is wearing normaly give the game away.

years a go in Sutton Surrey PC Plod had a green astra complete with capital radio stickers in the windows, looked like an ordinary car until you saw who was driving it !!

 

I will try but you know how it is you see them speeding off and all you can keep an eye on is the car and the road of course!

Thanks.

 

Some of the Omegas round here have cuddly toys on the parcel shelf.Look for the dayglo jacket on the back of the seat and the white shirt and epaulettes(sp?).

 

Don't forget the obligatory **** star moustache

 

Hmmm...I have a tendancy to do this (being a typical scooby driver!) - But I always chase cars with ONE driver. Someone told me that unmarked cars usually have two people - was this the case for you?

 

I know a couple of the marked cars round here, and occasionally i will see the green mondeo with only 1 occupant... So I'm not sure thats true. I think if they have video they only need one copper.


Andy

 

As far as I know, if they are breaking the speed limit and you aren't and you give chase then they are guilty of entrapment.

Even more so if they come up quickly behind you, and you race away, as your defence will always be that you were scared for your life road rage etc etc etc.

Of course, none of this works on a marked up car

Either way though, you're still as guilty as "the man behind the grassy knoll". As am I

 

let me just dispel the 'I always chase cars with ONE driver. Someone told me that unmarked cars usually have two people' myth totally and utterly. Though it prob depends on what the car is.
Unmarked traffic normally has 2, unmarked town cars can be 1 or 2 or more (if there training)

couple of years ago riding into work on my zx6 kawasaki through horley heading north to london bout 11pm (worked nights in the city).
Came up behind burgandy 5 door astra in 30mph limit, one person in car, no signs of cameras near mirror or in back window or anything, filtered past him at lights, xr3i pulled out in front of me.
xr3i full of 'lads' who were looking being, larking around etc.
decided i didnt like sitting behind them much, so nipped past a bit sharpish as speed limit went up to 40.
was somewhat surprised to see another car nip past the xr3i as well...could only think of burgandy astra

decided to just chug along and see what developed.
Went past a slow moving car (doing under limit) and car behind me overtook it as well.

Decided this was not a good sign so stuck rigidly to speed limit. as entered the 30mph at salfords blue lights erupt behind me.
Pull over, car stops behind.

Get off bike, turn off and remove helmet look behind and its the burgandy astra, one bloke in it, no cameras, no calibrated equipment and blue lights in the sun visor which are visible when its in the 'down' position.

asks me the speed limit for the road, asked why i shot past the xr3i (explained i just wanted past asap as they were larking around) pc advises me to overtake them slowly and stick to speed limit, i explain id rather shoot past asap and get past specially when its late etc.

he was quite ok, but from talking to a friend in the met could have happily gone to court if he wished and just said that in his x years as a policeman his opinion was that i was in excess of the speed limit and i would still have been done on that basis even without video or calibrated equipment.

Have an even funnier one involving a firestorm and a rover 800 with video camera but thats for another day




[Edited by ptholt - 12/31/2002 8:07:14 PM]

 

AFAIK, a police car can only pace you from behind, and then must do so for 1/8th of a mile to get a speed reading. So if you're behind them I'm sure they can't do for speeding, but may find something else.

Paul

 

Pavlo - you're right on the following bit. Probably right on the second bit (probably more from a practical than legal point of view though)

Basically, I think that the officer has to convince the court that the police car remained at a constant distance from the target vehicle at a set speed.

 

I always chase ambulances too.

Nice impression of scooby drivers you must give.

 

RB5Caterham -- I guess from your username you have an RB5 and a Caterham. Surely an Astra doesn't present much of a challenge to either, so why did you bother?

 

Just a bit of clarification when it comes to being prosecuted for speeding.
If two officers (each corroborating the others opinion) believe that you are driving in excess of the speed limit, then that is sufficient for a successful prosecution. No calibrated speedo needed, No following for a set distance. They can be in front or behind. In point of fact, they could be standing on the pavement watching you drive by.
The caselaw is Swain v Gillett.
Don't make yourself obvious, but if you do- hope the copper's a Scoobynetter!

 

I didn't think that police could speed or drive erratically without putting their lights on?

 

Allegedly you can chase a cop car which is chasing someone else 'cos they can't keep an eye on 2 cars at once

 

Surely the strong smell of Bacon was a bit of a giveaway

 

PTHOLT

Firestome ? Rover ? with your reputation ? Do tell

 

Carl, I do have an RB5 but no Caterham, apart from the name of the place I live. I dont know why I chased after really probably because it was a Friday !

Thanks all for the replies and advice etc.

On another topic I remember seeing a bug-eyed scooby once with a very dodgy "Ambulance" sticker on the back and a blue light!

 

I was once in traffic following a fatal RTA on the road from ewell to the A3 (tolworth r-bout) and there was a black unmarked bug eye with blue lights in rear windows and stick on one on dash, unknown as to who or what it belonged to, but it certainly DIDNT have a std exhaust!

used to see a red unmarked one on the m3 and a green one from godstone traffic partolling m25/m23 around surrey + sx.

 

Tolworth is exactly the area where I saw this one.

 

On the subject of plain cars and video cameras, dearest son got caught by a black Volvo Estate in Bromsgrove, on the highway between there and Redditch. Overtook the car and whilst waiting in a traffic queue at a traffic island was asked to find a safe place to park for a chat, by the passenger (a PC in uniform).

He was informed that his speed was in excess of 70mph, although no fix had been made on his true speed, when asked what his speed was he told them 70mph, where upon they showed him the video recording showing the unmarked car speed at 70mph, and him overtaking it. There's your ticket sonny, reason for issue, speed in excess of 70mph.

Go to court, try to say that the reason for issue is not legit, tough luck sonny, 60 quid and 3 points, video clearly shows you overtaking a police car in excess of 70mph, naughty naughty.

Just in case you think dearest son is a silly boy racer, no he is an RAF pilot, in his uniform when he was nicked.

Moral of the story, don't think they have to get a fix on your speed to bring about a prosecution.

 

BuRR

Back in '85 driving down the M3 came up behind plod in a RR at the lights (near Eastleigh - gone now). They pulled off & I followed but didn't overtake. I was doing 70, no more. After about 1 mile they pulled me & nicked me for 70 in a 50 It was at that point but they pulled when it was national. I made the point that I had been following them, but I still got summonsed & done