EddScott

Police just left my house after responding to a complaint they received regarding my driving!!

They gave my reg no. and asked if I had a blue Impreza and asked if I'd been along a certain road this afternoon. I said yes to take my mother home as she has a broken foot and can't drive. They said that someone has made a complaint but they didn't know what the details were and just asked for my documents which I gave them.

The only thing I can think of is that I overtook a car that was moving slowly on the road which is 60mph. There were cars coming the other way but not close enough to cause concern and certainly not with mother on board!

Pretty evil about this as I don't consider myself to be a risk taking driver and had I thought the cars coming the other way were close I would not have risked an overtaking manouver. Can't believe someone felt the need to complain to the police!

I've got a reference number but not sure if I should call the local station to find out the full details. I don't really want to get into an argument with the police and make things worse but its annoying having to wait to see if it gets taken further. I asked them when they were here how far is this all likely to go (working on the basis that the solicitor may need a call) and they couldn't give me any details.

Whats the point of sending police round if they can't explain what they are there for other than someone has complained about me overtaking. What consitutes safe overtaking compared to dangerous driving?

miffed!

jjones

forget about it.

wacky.banana

Not being funny but are you sure these guys were Police? There has been a scam going on in some places (allegedly) where Police impersonators do exactly this.

Don't mean to worry you, just checking that you were sure about who they said they were.

Cheers

WB

EddScott

LOL, they were the real deal

I couldn't find my MOT and while looking they got a call which they had to go to. Thats why it was quite late when they came back. Found the MOT by then and thats when I asked how to go about getting more info.

Think I'll leave it and see what occurs. Couldn't beleive it when they were at the door.

unclebuck

FFS - don't they have any *crime* to deal with. Beyond a joke IMO.

UB

Leslie

Doubt if you will find it goes any further, the complainant would need an independent witness and that would not include any passengers in his car.

Les

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

ive had this b4, nothing happend just a busy body, sunday driver, complained because i decided to get in front of him and do 5 mph for 5 miles, he was in front of me for 15 miles doing 25 in a 60.

oh well, i told them that i was concerned that there was an engine problem, and explained i kept waving the man to pass but he seemed to be happy following me at that speed, i was waving to him with my hand in a open clench position, similar to if you were going to have a wa*k. I think he took it to mean i was calling him a wan*er.

funny how some people react eh

Buckrogers

To be honest, to pissed to read your entire post, but I have had a complaint about my driving in the past.

Basically, the police cannot do much apart from warn you.

At the time I was driving like an ****, so I took it as a warning, and thought better of it next time...

cw42

iTrader: (1)

j4mou
15 miles how come you never had the oppurtunity to overtake in all that time?
and you then did even worse to him by going dangerously slow for 5 miles at 5mph while gesticulating at the guy calling him a *anker

is that for real j? that is very poor behaviour in my opinion

if someone is driving slow in front of you, give them room, and overtake when safe to do so, then drive on and forget about it
ffs
chris.

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

it wasnt safe to pass him.

busy road with lots of tight bends. nice road to drive usually.

he was going that slow it was a joke.

yes I gave him the Wan*er sign once hardly for the whole 5 miles

I fealt at the time it was justified as he had obviously been driving purposefully slowley just to pi55 me off, so returned the favour.

jamo

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Seems strange that the officers didn't have more detailed information on the exact nature of the complaint....

It is possible that someone has just made a very vague complaint about the general manner of your driving without being specific and the police have told the person that they will "have a word" with you, when all they really intend doing is making sure you are legal and making you aware that someone has went to them.

I'd say definitely dig deeper if it bothers you that much. Doing so won't make the outcome any different. If they have sufficient evidence to charge you, then you would have/will get charged regardless, so don't be put off enquiring.

If someone has made a complaint about you, you are perfectly entitled to pursue it to the fullest. At the end of the day, it could be completely fabricated and vindictive, which basically amounts to wasting the time of the police. (which is a crime, as opposed to merely a road traffic offence of which you are accused).

There will be a record of the complaint ad exact details of what the person has complained about.

It certainly doesn't sound like you will be prosecuted, and the warning is the end of it.

I find it unlikely that the "complainer" will be the oncoming car as you overtook..... imagine you are the other driver and a car appears on your side of the road, heading straight for you, perhaps causing you to brake, before they pull back in. Could you clock the registration number? I don't think I could.

It is possible that the car that you overtook complained on the oncoming cars behalf if you understand what I mean.



Unclebuck
So, if you make a complaint to the police, would you be happy that they don't act on it, sweeping it under the carpet, simply because they think it is trivial?
FFS, you can't have it both ways.
A complaint is made. They HAVE to act on it, plain and simple.



J4mou
So, you were stuck behind him for 40 minutes @ 15mph in the nationals???
I find that extremely hard to accept that in almost three quarters of an hour you didn't have even one opportunity to overtake a car that you could smoke by barely even twitching your right foot?????

Regardless, by your own admission, he was a "sunday driver", so you can almost excuse his driving, cos they all do it.
Your driving on the other hand sounds completely out of order.
You deliberately drove like a tw@t just to wind folk up and to give yourself some sick satisfaction.

Real sad mate.

RR

**** take, unless i thought the car was knicked or the driver was pissed/drugged up and no damage/accident happened and that the car driver had just made an error of judgement then there's no way i would phone the filth. Some people just love causing trouble for the sake of it. And the police should phone you, not come standing on your door step. Who do they think they are. A quick call to give you the details and that they would be keeping an eye out for u in the future. Theres other things they should be concentrating on.

NotoriousREV

I had a driver complain about my driving on the M6, he actually pulled into a service station to report me to the police because I had the audacity to flash my lights at him because he had twice attempted to box me in and then wouldn't move out of Lane 3 when Lane 2 was clear for him to do so. As a result, while passing the next services a stealth Range Rover (you know, the ones with flourescent markings and a lightbar) followed me for about 5 miles and then pulled me over. They said they had observed my driving and could see nothing wrong and were very apologetic but said they had to follow up the complaint. Imagine that, someone driving perfectly within the law with a police car sat 3 inches off their back bumper

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Ahh well, look on the bright side. They called at your house where your documents are, so you won't have to go to the station to produce your documents like if you were pulled over instead (as if anyone keeps their paperwork in their cars these days!!).

I lost an hours Lunch because I was driving at 3:30am on a Tuesday morning in a Nissan Sunny....please someone tell me why would this be suspicious?

King RA

Unfortunatley I find myself doing this more and more these days. If somebody is driving 25mph in a 30 or 40 in a 60 e.t.c, I quite often overtake and slow down to a **** taking speed myself. They're taking the **** out of me in the 1st place so I'll do the same to them.

These people need to be shown how frustrating it is for people behind them, and this is the only way to do it.

Oh...and I really enjoy doing it too hehehehehe

gsm1

Here in London the coppers wouldn't bother coming round your house if you had driven dangerously, smashed someone's car and then fled the scene. They've obviously got too much time on their hands up there OR the person making the complaint knows the coppers.

jaycee

Driving a Nissan Sunny at ANYTIME would be suspicious enough to pull you over and question your state of mind!!


Jason

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

LOL I knew someone would say that! But it is what I had to drive to work to prevent my pride and joy being nicked/damaged. A scooby at 3:30am however, I would understand

TheManOnTheStreet

Why?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

What is the most likely time of day a scoob gets nicked?

Scenario - your in bed, Tea leaf breaks in and takes keys in the small hours. I know this, and the Police most certainly do know this - I live in a lovely area

TheManOnTheStreet

No, I was wondering why a Scoob required such different treatment from the police compared to any other car on the road at 3am?

juan

I've had a couple of instances where I've had to take serious avoidance action where pr!cks coming the other way have been overtaking someone when they didn't have enough room. Had to get off the road on one occasion and almost to a standstill in the other (Subaru no less - typical b road, bank holiday traffic all the way along his side with no breaks and he's just sitting on my side of the road passing people with no hope of pulling in when he meets oncoming traffic - what a c**k muncher).

Call me a trouble maker but I would have loved to report these tw&ts but chances of getting their plates, or even thinking about it whilst you're trying to figure out wtf they think they're doing are next to zero.

Also we get the odd jerky boy thrashing round the estate - plenty of kids pets about and its a twenty limit. There's one @rse in his mx-5 who always tries to get his back end out round the corners ffs. Last time I saw him I was making a mental note of his plate and made sure he saw me doing this as I mouthed the digits. He slowed down alright then. Next time I'll be on the blower. Bang out of order.

stevencotton

You also need witnesses, my recent complaint against another driver is going nowhere because I have no witnesses.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

RR,
LMAO
Is your number readily available via BT/Directory Enquiries?
Or do you have it emblazoned down the side of your car?
Have you ever heard of Ex Directory?


Regardless of whether the drivers phone number was obtainable or not, a warning should always be given in person and not over the phone where you cannot confirm who you are speaking to.
Enquiries must be made to ascertain who the owner is, then who was driving, then that person must be interviewed and warned or charged. This cannot be done over the phone.
The police may also want to see your documents, can you do that on the phone?
The car may require to be inspected. Can that be done on the phone?


They are the Police, thats who.


Plonker.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

King RA,
Why? Does it make you get to your destination any quicker? or does it just make you feel smarter?

The drivers you are talking about are not "taking the ****".
9 times out of 10, they are older folks and perhaps they are uncomfortable driving at 60mph on a single carriageway, 6 inches from the hedges etc.
Grandad-Racer? Don't think so.
Perhaps you and other should appreciate that there are drivers who aren't confident to driver at or above the speed limit therefore they stay below it. Erring on the side of safety and they get slated?


So you are suggesting that they drive outwith their abilities, and outwith their comfortable speeds?
They don't even realise they are being frustrating, they are simply slow.
Why don't you just pass them and get on with it, and act your age?


Very juvenile.
No wonder more and more people are thinking that all Subaru drivers are w@nkers.....

TheManOnTheStreet

Small point, but being ex-directory doesn't stop the authorities having access to your number....

juan

agreed talizman.

the limit is the MAXIMUM, not the COMPULSORY.

20 years ago my parents nearly lost their lives when a drunk driver hit them at 85mph on the wrong side of the road.
My old man is now a bit nervous and doesn't do much more than 45 down derestricted lanes.

He doesn't do it to **** people off, just because of whats happened to him previously.
I'm sure he appreciates n0bheads steaming past him when its dangerous then slowing down to 20.

TheManOnTheStreet

Yeah, the father in law got hit by a runaway truck when he was out driving last year. I think he has recovered now, but for a while, he was taking it pretty easy on the roads.....not too hard to work out why.

As someone else said, overtake them, and leave them behind. If you were in such a rush anyway, why dilly-dally trying to prove a point?

StickyMicky

had the same thing about me when i was 17

supposed to have been 2 diffrent reports from diffrent people
2 off duty coppers in the same car more like it

told them where to go
no proof
no chance

all i did was a undertaking move on the motorway (yeah yeah put me in the stocks and pelt me with wet sponges) if the muppets had off used the middle lane i wouldnt have had to undertake

TheManOnTheStreet

Sorry, who was the muppet in your example?