What do they ask and why?

Just about to turn right out of my road this morning and saw signs for a cencus and a load of bods in hi vis jackets. Thinking they might be doing emission testing I went the other way. Not that I have any reason to worry

Anyone else seen one?

David

 

Normally ask where you are going, where you've come from and what is the purpose of your journey. Sometimes they don't ask questions and just hand you are free-pay form to complete and send back. They normally only have coppers there as it is a lawful requirement to stop for the census people but the census people don't have the authority to make you stop themselves - hence the plod.

 

I work for a company who uses Census data, the people should ask if you mind, you do not have to answer the questions, you do have to wait until told you can leave, so if 6 cars get stopped,you can't leave 'til the ones in front have gone. So you may as well answer the questions.

 

there a pain in the **** caused a 3 hour tailback on the A3 last year just to ask a bunch of useless questions...They didnt like the answer and of course the plod have nothing better to do

 

Yes ask a few questions. I got stopped on a Motorway Slip road going on to the M11 last year!!!!!! By a Census when i questioned the safety of stopping a ladden diesel van on a slip road and there fore stopping me from being able to achieve a safe speed to merge with the traffic flow (no swearing pretty much these words) the copper told me to shut up or he would make me empty the whole van out so he could "turn it over and delay me by at least an hour". Essex traffic cops are the best aren't they!

 

I got caught last summer 4 times in two days on 4 different roads.
Each occasion was during rush hour and caused a massive tail back.
The fourth time the person who handed me the questionnaire was the very same person who handed me one the day before, and she recognised me too.
They are a pain in the u-know-what!
I wonder hour many working hours are lost every year because people are stuck in a queue for a census.

 

My dad was also similarly threatened by a police man when he refused to answer there questions (and there wasnt any option about did we mind answering them either).

 

Must admit I told them to F*** OFF and threatened to complain to the station (had ago at Transport 4 london as it was) then left straight away

 

They do ask if you mind taking part, so I assume you can refuse to do so. I was asked the usual (start-point, end-point, purpose of travel) but also if I'd travelled on any motorways (the chance would have been a fine thing -- there weren't any in the area).

[Edited by carl - 4/9/2002 10:30:54 AM]