RICH WILD

I got let off once for doing 92 on the motorway. Couldn't believe it! (it was night and the motorway was dead - unmarked Volvo)
Wot a top copper!

He said "It's easy done in one of those things, just keep your eye on your speed!"

If you are going the other way there is nothing legally they can do to verify your speed, they can't radar you if they are moving too, can't follow you (obviously) to check the speed with their speedo, can't VASCAR you, so basically all they can do is tell you off. Anything else wouldn't stand up in court. And if they follow you and read your speed based on their speedo, there has to be two of them for corroboration otherwise that won't stand up either (unless they have video eqpt). At least that's what used to be the law when I studied it!

Rich

[Edited by RICH WILD - 12/7/2001 8:50:28 AM]

whip

Leading on from Pete's little experience, has anyone ever been booked, and the copper swore/used abusive language? I thought there was some sort of law/guideline that they couldn't use swearwords at members of the public. Is there a possible way out of a ticket here, if the cop becomes abusive?

Thinking about it, the times when I've been pulled over and given a bo11ocking are the times when I was let off. Both times that I was done for speeding the copper was polite and by the book.

Whip

[Edited by whip - 12/7/2001 9:59:47 AM]

David_Wallis

I was out tonight coming back from the pub dropping some friends off home (not drinking)... I was driving down a road near me... out of the way between some fields with the odd turing on, and a nice sweeping bend... anyway... I wont say what speed I was doing but It was enough...

Coming up to the corner I positioned myself nicely to go around without breaking... as I was going around I noticed the cop car going other way... so I thought %^^ck and I was turning off anyway... so not really being a model citizen.. I dropped it into third and engine breaked (yeah right... used my right foot aswell!) and made a bit of distance before he had chance to turn round and see me... I then got stuck behind a car 150m further down the road. And it was turning down the road that I wanted to go down... I indicated and turned up this road... at 5mph with this guy in front and the copper now closing up behind me... I drove into the estate and parked up to drop my friend off. The copper then pulls up next to me.. (two of them M+F) in an astra... he wound his passenger window down, and he said "Is that yours" I replied yes... he replied going a bit quick there werent you, well fast enough to attract my attention... I said Yeah, Sorry... He then replied Well Take it easy, its a bit wet..

What a copper..

Cant they all be like that...

Ready for the flames!!

MichelleWRX1994

You were lucky..........

Big Bear

I have been cought doing nearly 50 in a 30 zone and got let off , with a lot of grovellin' (sp?) , so not all coppers are basteds .

scrappydoo

I had exactly the same thing except i came round a corner way to fast and almost hit the cop car.He blasted his horn really loud so i stopped and he said " slow done mate". What a top bloke. I replied "sorry, wont happen again" and that was that. Cool. Always go slow round that corner now. No need for a ticket or anything.

Scrappy

David_Wallis

Tell me about it I was sh1ttin my self... the one time I decide to put my foot down a bit...

Mind you I decided to do 71*2 down a private stretch of the m207*3 last sat morning at 3am...

Thats it for me now... Im gonna behave myself.. (14mpg doesnt help either!)

David

The Zohan

Plod probably on their way home, could not be ar$ed with the hassle/paperwork.

chiark

Dave,

Lucky sod! Glad to hear that there's a human one around here. Also, it would have been purely down to their word against yours with no evidence, so you were pretty lucky...

Take it easy

Nick.

The Zohan

Plod probably on their way home, could not be ar$ed with the hassle/paperwork.

Their Question "Is it yours?" - **** me, they must have been Special Branch to come up with a tricky question like that.

If you had said "No" in reply do you think the next question would be "Do you know whos it is then?"

M Hutton

Not all the police are harsh. Most of the ones I have *ahem* met on duty have just talked to me to calm me down.

I thank them for it and really do calm down!

Though saying that getting pulled over for saounding like I was going fast was a little thin. Still had the flipping stomach as well.

Pete Croney

I got stopped on the M25 for doing 102, coming back from a PE day, a couple of years ago. Virtually no other traffic etc...

"Do you know what speed you were doing?"
"I have no idea, I was concentrating on the road"
"We have you on video doing 102mph!!"
"Ahhh"
"If you were driving any other car, we would be nicking you and you would be in serious ****. Keep it to 85 and p1ss off"

Not all coppers are bad and these two must have been Impreza fans.

SWRTWannabe

Don't joke - I remember reading somewhere that US Customs managed to catch someone smuggling drugs because they answered yes to the question "Are you carrying drugs?" on the card you have to fill in before you can get through customs

David_Wallis

Most coppers I have seen have been ok, but I have allways managed to loose enough speed... never been caught on a motorway and never want to be... I need cruise control as I find it hard to keep a constant speed!..

David

Diablo

Everyone seems to have overlooked the obvious

Given it was an Astra, can we assume it was not a traffic car with calibrated equipment?

Presumably they were beat coppers as well?

If so, short of arresting you, there was bu66er all they could do anyway

My guess is they only turned around cos they were bored or thought you may have nicked it, hence the tricky question...LOL...

D

chiark

Diablo, that's kinda what I was saying in my post . Ultimately, I think they could have been arsey and tried for a prosecution, but they showed "discretion". Hey, that implies thought

Nick.

ScoobyJawa

My fiancees dad was caught a few years ago coming back from Wales on the M4 just after the Severn Bridge.

At the time he was in a 3.0 24V Senator, and thats what the motorway coppers had at the time. Anyway - he was bombing along the road and these blue lights appear, was about 3am sun morning. They pull over and the copper asks how fast he was going. He says he doesn't know. Copper says, "Well, I've got the same car as you and its taken us 15 minutes to catch you up" He was doing about 137mph. Being as he had the same car as the copper and there wasn't a soul on the road they told him to watch his speed from then on and let him go

Was about 7 years ago tho'............

Paul M

Unfortunately,
You can get done without the police having any equipment at all !!! However, if they state they measured your speed by a particular piece of equipment then this must be calibrated.

It can get so bad, that there is a case of a Vicar being prosecuted for speeding, he pleaded Not Guilty and said ' I swear on my own life in front of Jesus christ, that I was not speeding.
The magistrate aske the pc, whoobserved the Vicar, only by eye, with no equipment, that in his opiniion he was speeding.
Result: GUILTY £30 fine 3 points, £40 costs!!

another point for reference, is that a Traffic car can clock your speed, while going in the other direction, using radar, since the aoeed on the radar, will be your speed + the trafiic car speed.

Paul M

ozzy

When I first got my car a took it for a blast along a nice fast open road just outside my village. Likewise, I'll not divulge what speed (or warp level) I was travelling at, but I met some cops travelling in the opposite direction.

As soon as I clocked them I backed off, but as the approached me they flashed their lights and wagged their fingers at me. Luckily the had smiles on their faces, but I held my hand up to apologise and watched them drive off in the distance.

It was nice to see that they have a sense of humour after all

Stefan

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

I was gong up my one of my fav roads, and i saw some flashing lights in front of me, so I slowed down to take the corner, the policemen saw me, and waved me down (they had already pulled someone on the other side of the road) - so i pull down my window, and the police officer says
"you were givin it sum, or you have a very meaty car" - I replied "I have a very meaty car" we both smiled at each other, he then said "the roads are a little damp..." so I did my window up and off I went, i had to give it some though, so my car sounded the same as when he heard me <G> -

Shark

Ditto Diablo

IMHO they wouldn't be able to arrest - whats the offence ?

David

Johnny Alpha

I had a rather nice Police experience(the only nice one though, plus they never get anybody for wrecking your car, or trace a stolen that once hit me, but anyway... I digress)...

I was travelling rather sharpish towards York from Sherburn with my girlfriend when I had to slow down for a 40mph zone that's sandwiched between two Nationals on country roads. As always I dropped to the limit and coasted through. A Police car appeared in my mirror and pulled me over.

I got that sickly feeling... I was informed that they'd been trying to catch up with me for the past 5 miles. I'm always **** in the way I keep checking front and back (paranoid is good), but had never seen them. They told me how fast they'd been doing to catch up, but hadn't been able to clock me. They had a look inside the car and complimented me on it, then gave me the best advice I've ever had from a copper. "You've got a very capable car there, next time you want to enjoy it make sure we're not about."

Sometimes they're not bad...

Jake

I got clocked doing 105mph on the A1 and the first thing the copper said was thats it son youve lost your licence, but I managed to talk him round and he let me off!!!!!

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

Two of many interactions with the Speed Controlers.Riding a Norton Commando near Cambridge at a good pace,sound of wailing and flashing of lights.Me gnashing of teeth,and pooping of pants.Bike cop on Triumph Saint(shows how long ago)comes over, eyes up the Norton and says much to my relief."We are being issued with Norton Interpols soon,you dont mind if I have a butchers and a sit on it to size it up?Anything you like Sir,take it up the road, just dont book me.
Other time was on M11 playing with the usual tailgaters,mostly BMW's.Looked up at bridge,2 Range Rovers,3 assorted jam sarnies and 2 bikes.Looked down at speedo,110ish.Please make this a Ground Hog day.Rear view mirror shows bike pulling away.Tucked in to slow lane I try to blend the P1 in with the big rigs.Try to persuade the wife to swap seats.She has not got a licence to loose!Come off at Stanstead,still no bike.Turned out there had been an armed raid somewhere and they were looking for the get- away car and not little 'ol me.

Mark(a lot older but no wiser)

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

Two of many interactions with the Speed Controlers.Riding a Norton Commando near Cambridge at a good pace,sound of wailing and flashing of lights.Me gnashing of teeth,and pooping of pants.Bike cop on Triumph Saint(shows how long ago)comes over, eyes up the Norton and says much to my relief."We are being issued with Norton Interpols soon,you dont mind if I have a butchers and a sit on it to size it up?Anything you like Sir,take it up the road, just dont book me.
Other time was on M11 playing with the usual tailgaters,mostly BMW's.Looked up at bridge,2 Range Rovers,3 assorted jam sarnies and 2 bikes.Looked down at speedo,110ish.Please make this a Ground Hog day.Rear view mirror shows bike pulling away.Tucked in to slow lane I try to blend the P1 in with the big rigs.Try to persuade the wife to swap seats.She has not got a licence to loose!Come off at Stanstead,still no bike.Turned out there had been an armed raid somewhere and they were looking for the get- away car and not little 'ol me.

Mark(a lot older but no wiser)

scud8

iTrader: (1)

I had a very similar experience to David about 12 years ago (in my R5 Turbo days). It was about 2am and as I went round a corner rather quickly a cop car passed me going in the other direction and flashed his blue lights. I decided to make a run for it, turned left at the next roundabout and was within 50 yards of being out of sight when I saw the cop car hair up to the roundabout and come tearing after me. Needless to say I slowed right down and he pulled me over.

The copper was well p***ed off, and if he could have done me he would, but

- he was on his own in the car
- he never managed to clock me exceeding the speed limit
- the left turn was a completely legitimate route to my destination (although not the normal route) so he couldn't prove I'd done a runner.

Diesel

I always admit what speed I was doing, and have often been let off where there was no perceived danger. I think it's a good policy, but doesn't seem to be recommended here.

Absolutely never act dumb or take the **** by saying you were doing 75 when it was 105. Were I a copper I'd book you for being cheeky there, and that is 3 points alone!

I got a downgrade to fixed penalty once at 116 on the Vascar on the M4 in my TVR. I did have to convince the copper to do this, but I think the reasons were valid, and he was not keen on being forced to ticket people purely to be seen to be active to his superiors - this guy had intelligence and discretion. I had gratitude and respect!

Never bull**** them, and dont drive dangerously, and you are in with a fighting chance, as I believe most coppers are decent. Their level of decency always depends on you...

D

SUBTYPER

Slightly different story two days after buying my first WRX 4door took my girlfriend and two mates out for a spin at about 2am. So we went down to an unused industrial estate and at that time absolutely no traffic about. We were admiring the rapid and flambouyant acceleration when my mate mentioned cars are all well and good in straight lines but how does it handle, as at the other end of the estate there was a very nice roundabout. I took the car down to the roundabout and as the red mist fell put it into the roundabout and let rip with all 260 hp four wheel powerdrifting around the roundabout. Just getting the tail at a very ncie angle of attack when looking down one of the slip roads noticed a white Ford fiesta with the strangely modified decals and additional go faster blue lights. After immediately dropping a log decided the car should return to a normal angle of going around the round about without the headlights lighting the island went off in the desired direction adn imediately stopped. Waited for the inevitable and sure enough the same forementioned modified fiesta turned up and two officers climbed out both female both dam fine looking. So after she asked me the same silly question is this your car? and me replying saying yes. She looked at her colleague and with a smile said glad he stopped would of never caught this rice rocket. I looked out at the other officer who did a vehicle check and a persons check then she asked if she could have a look under the bonnet. Me thinking it was to check the numbers obliged and when she saw the engine said thats rather a nice sight and mentioned i was obviously quite a skilled driver holding a power slide like that but antics like that should be kept for the track. She then gave me this internet bbs service and mentioned you lot organised track days. I nearly dumped our lass and was going to marry her after she let me off with a ticking off and a Internet sight for Subaru Fans. We still keep in touch and have even taken the two offcers for a spin in the new Type R i have just bought and funnily enough i am still seeing my girlfriend thankgod.

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

Sorry for repeating myself,repeating myself,repeating myself.
Must be Ground Hog Day,Ground Hog Day,Ground Hog Day.

Mark(just the once)

David_Wallis

Johnny Alpha...

York to sherburn... doh... nice roads... I used to buy parts for my car at kvm in sherburn.. at the old airfield... and still buy parts from simpsons near york... road in question was a58... to wetherby.. but nuff said!!!

David