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Apart from an incident in Oldham where I failed to indicate when turning right in a right turn only lane, they have never been anything other than polite. The one in Oldham must have been having a bad day because he ranted like a lion when the situation didn't warrant it. I was polite in return and he eventually calmed down and gave me a 7-day wonder. I don't think I've ever got away with anything but I did once spend half an hour with a police rider talking about Capris after a stop. At the end of the day, they are just people doing a difficult job that I wouldn't want to do. I try to be nice to everyone because life is too short not to. At the end of the day, they are just people doing a difficult job that I wouldn't want to do. I try to be nice to everyone because life is too short not to. Totally agree
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Another time in my 87 Chevy Camaro on way to work I got pulled by an unmarked patrol car for speeding (40 in 30 limit), got a bit annoyed with the officer as he was pretty sanctimonious as I sat in his car. I demanded to know why he had pulled me (all the other cars in traffic were also doing 40) and I laboured the point that it was because of the car (which he denied) and sort of 'made up' the fact that I had been stopped many times in the last week with it and had never been stopped in my old car. He still denied it but I still pushed the point. Got a ticket from him on the day, but never got it followed up with the expected fine or points, so maybe it really was because of the car and maybe he felt guilty?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Attitude towards the policeChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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WD's story reminds me of when I bought my 106 GTi all the way back in 2016
I bought it from a Snowy Edinburgh, where the weather was rubbish all of the way back home.
After battling with a non-working heater and a slightly warm running engine, which bleeding the cooling system resolved, I ended up hitting the M6 on sketchy part-worn tyres. It's a bit of a miracle the car stayed on the motorway! I was being overtaken by just about everything in this pocket rocket!
Eventually, I filled up with fuel at Manchester services, where a marked X5 pulled up. He drove away as I went to pay. However, he was then behind me on the motorway. I was doing 75mph on the speedo. Sounds silly but I knew why he was going to pull me over. I figured I may as well act like I had nothing to hide.
Sure enough after a mile, the blues and twos came on. After sitting in the back of the X5, the conversation went as follows:
Cops (C) : "Good evening, sir. Do you know why we've pulled you over" Me (M) : "Yes, the Peugeot is coming up as having no insurance"
Coppers give each other a strange look M: "I bought the car today and I'm aware that the last guy canned the insurance on the car, so it would not show up on your system" C: "Do you have this insured" M: "Yes, I insured it just before I left Edinburgh" C" "I don't suppose you have a printout of the insurance" M: "No, as I didn't have access to a printer ; I'm Based in Warwick"
Decent looking lady officer spots I have an iPhone. Sorry for the description!
C: "You have an iPhone there I see" M: "Yes, I've struggled to keep it charged up in that Peugeot coming back, but it's been handy for the directions!" C: "If you can grab the email to show you're insured, it will save all of us a trip to the police station"
I then find the email
Male Copper : "Good to see this. However, you will get stopped again we suspect driving back to Warwick. If you take a note of this case no, it will basically let the other coppers know what the situation is"
With that in mind, I went on my way, back to Warwick.
Yup, that pricey iPhone 4 back in the day, which was the first SmartPhone I ever bought, really helped me in that situation. You can argue it was almost a necessity there and saved alot of hassle.
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At the end of the day, they are just people doing a difficult job that I wouldn't want to do. I try to be nice to everyone because life is too short not to. Exactly this. I have a couple of cousins on the force here in New Zealand. One has been on the serious crash squad in a major city for a long while. As a result of this he has seen a lot of things that people shouldn't have to see. The after effects remain with him as evidenced by his humour which has become very dark.
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From the other side... An old drinking pal of mine was in Traffic and one day he came into the pub complaining he was knackered. "What's up then Frank?" I enquired. Turned out he was chasing a guy over Chelford (Cheshire) way when the bloke did an emergency stop and started legging it across a ploughed field. Being a quick thinker, and also built for comfort rather than speed, my pal crashed his SD1 through the fence and got as far as he could before the car became stranded. Apparently, now not in the best of moods, he got on the bullhorn and informed the escapee that, "If you don't stop effing running, I'll effing kill you when I catch up with you." Fat chance. To his amazement, the guy stopped in his tracks and Frank ambled over and arrested him. Crew were called out to recover the stolen car from the side of the road and a Cheshire Police Rover from the middle of a field! Turns out the 50 yard walk across the furrows is what had knackered him.
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I couldn't agree more. Having a pleasant attitude goes a long way!
I once had a brand new BMW X3 on loan to WhatCar in late 2012, which I had for the evening following a photoshoot. Naturally, I had no documentation about the insurance or the loan as I was just driving it and dropping it off to BMW the next morning. In the evening, I was pulled over in a south London suburb and surrounded by a police van and another car. Initially, they had suspected me of burgling somewhere and potentially stealing the vehicle.
One calm and polite conversation later and I was sent on my way in about three minutes. Just as well, as I didn't fancy bothering the Editor-in-Chief at a late hour, after he had been so nice as to let me come and work alongside his team briefly. In all fairness, an early 20's lad in a brand new M-Sport trimmed X3 is a little hard to justify. Had I been one of these mouthy chavs that are always screaming "curse word the Feds", I would have found myself in a spot of bother.
Lesson here: Be polite and well-spoken. The police are just doing their jobs and are reasonable folk in the UK.
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Last Edit: Oct 6, 2020 19:00:15 GMT by mikehamid
Project - 1990 Trabant 601 Daily - 2006 Saab 93
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elfman
Part of things
Posts: 394
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Lesson here: Be polite and well-spoken. The police are just doing their jobs and are reasonable folk in the UK. I agree totally I have only ever been stopped twice in well over 45 years of driving once by a very cocky young policeman on a bike when i was about 19 and the car was belching out smoke, i was dealing with him ok unit my future father in law turned up and upset him, but he let me go say he would have me next time... he never stopped me again as my future father in law was head of the local Magistrates ! I don't know what was said but it seemed to do the trick thank god.... But the moral of the if i was left alone I think all would have been ok anyway. I kept looking in the Mirror for a Police bike for a while after...lol The second time was 26 when I police man stopped me and apologised as he only wanted to see the car... I long not finished building it and it was in one of the car mags a few months before, he was a great chap who just loved cars and enjoyed me showing him the car.... he jokingly asked if i made a run for it would he have got me...I said NO WAY he laughed and shook hands and waved me on my way... so yes they are human....well most of them.
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Only been stopped twice. Once after spending the evening in my MG Metro razzing around the donut in Chesterfield as was the way in the 90’s. I was actually driving sensibly and he pulled me saying he thought I was speeding. I assured him otherwise and after a quick inspection told me my tyres were getting ready and a 7 day producer. I thanked him and was on my way.
2nd time wasn’t really a stop. I pulled up at petrol station to fill the Mini up when I patrol car pulled up at the opposite pump. Copper got out and started filling his
‘Nice Mini, looks well’ ‘Cheers’ ‘What year is it?’ ‘Ha ha I knew you were going to ask me that. It’s a 94’ ‘Then you know what I’m going to say then. Just get em changed for me will you?’ ‘Yes no problem’ ‘Cheers and it’s still a nice Mini’
I had black and silver plates on it. Still have on the back. Must get it changed at some point.
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I got pulled a few times in my Beetle in early 1996. I was doing a rolling restoration and it was looking rather sheddy, with odd panels and primer everywhere. Got a tug one night on the way back from the pub, sat in the back of the car and breathalysed while PC had a wander round. They let me go, advising me to tidy it up a bit. Few weeks later the car was painted. Coming back from the pub again, I see the traffic lights on a crossroads turn amber as I get to them, so I sneak through and turn left, then pull over to drop my mate off a few houses up. Plod does a u-turn in the middle of the crossroads and blue lights on. Older coper goes on the offensive, telling me I'd jumped a red light, I politely reply that in my judgement and the direction I was going it was safer to go through the amber than stop, and eventually he agrees. Younger copper is having a wander around the car and calls over "didn't I stop you a few weeks ago? Looks much better now..."
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1968 Cal Look Beetle - 2007cc motor - 14.45@93mph in full street trim 1970-ish Karmann Beetle cabriolet - project soon to be re-started. 1986 Scirocco - big plans, one day!
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Looong time ago. I had my license about 2 weeks my mate about 3 days....Both had never been trough a RBT. We were driving around just to drive around. New license, "new" car etc etc. You know the drill. We see a RBT on the other side of the road. We pass and, check our status; No alcohol in our system, driving license, insurance, MOT/APK, all checked out fine.....So, we turn around for our first RBT. We got pulled over immediately. Nothing to fear...We get the all clear on all the above!! Awesome! But young man, the copper asked; "why are you not wearing your seatbelt".....My mate got his first real fine and got away with $25 fine or something. I paid half. That was in 1985.....I still remember this as it happened yesterday! We got of lightly as we both were lost for words.
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When I got my first car in 1971 (a 56 ZA Magnette) I used to get stopped and checked on an almost daily basis. One young Scots sergeant with an ego bigger than his brain, seemed to make it his lifes ambition to nick me for something, ANYTHING! Now in those days I drove like a total hoon (still do really but that's another story) He knew it, I knew it, but he could never actually catch me doing anything wrong. And despite many hours wasted at the roadside, I was always calm and polite, more than I could say for him (he insisted on calling me "laddie" though I doubt there was more than a handfull of years between us)
But as a consequence of his irritating obsession, I got on very good terms with the desk sergeant at my local nick as i'd save up my producers and take them in in batches of 4 or 5, most of them with this guy (I'll call him sergeant Gillespie) name on them.
Eventually, the desk sergeant suggested that what I was living with was harrassment and I should complain, by then I had accumulated 50+ producers without a single charge. I didn't want to initialy, as I couldn't see it doing any good and probably would have made things worse. But I got fed up in the end and thought "why not?" The desk sergeant (think George Dixon) helped me fill the form in, I think Mr Gillespie wasn't popular at the nick.
About a week later, I got a letter of apology from the boss of the Traffic division of the Met (which I had framed on my bedroom wall for several years) and I NEVER saw Gillespie again, he was transferred out, pronto. I won't say I was never STOPPED again, but the incidence decreased massively after that!
Steve
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carledo I was once stopped after driving up an access only road to avoid a set of very poorly signposted roadworks. Got to the end of the road and plod steps out and stopped me. I was polite, he was less so. Got a producer and went on my way. Went to my local police station to get the producer signed off and the desk sergeant looked at the name on the form and exclaimed "not him again" - turns out the copper who stopped me had spent full shifts sitting at the end of that road nailing every single car that came up there.
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1968 Cal Look Beetle - 2007cc motor - 14.45@93mph in full street trim 1970-ish Karmann Beetle cabriolet - project soon to be re-started. 1986 Scirocco - big plans, one day!
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I've only ever been stopped twice in my driving career. Once was on a motorbike that wasn't far off scrap. I was following a police bike down the bus lane (this was before we were allowed to use bus lanes)
He pulled me, asked why I was in a bus lane and I replied that I was just following him so I assumed it must be OK. Bike was absolutely hanging. Got a producer, had no insurance. Had lapsed by a week. Fortunately the policeman was an OK chap. Basically said there was nothing he could do to stop a court appearance as it was an offence not having insurance, but could see it was an oversight. I assumed it had auto renewed. Went to court, police man was there and he said that the court should be lenient as I did have insurance but it had recently lapsed and had insurance the day after the incident. Court agreed and got no points, and a £100 fine all in.
Second time I was on the M62 going into Leeds where it turns into a 50. Saw a Nissan Sunny ZX Coupe in the distance and thought it was worth a closer look. So I maintained 70mph to catch up. Big Range Rover pulled me and asked what I was doing so I told him. He asked why didn't I see a police range rover behind me, to which I casually replied that I was watching where I was going, not studying cars in the rear view mirror. I knew there was a car behind me following too closely and there was another lane for them to go around so I didn't concern myself with it too much.
Didn't like that answer. 3 points and a fine. Threatened me with a charge of something to do with racing the Nissan, but the Nissan was miles in the distance, never actually caught up with it to look so I'm sure his video footage would have backed me up. So I wasn't concerned.
I don't think I was rude to him, but I don't see the point in lying or sugar coating the truth.
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elfman
Part of things
Posts: 394
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I sold my last competition car ( road legal) because every time I went out for a run I would wonder after if I had been clocked by a lazer or cam etc... I always drove on very quiet county roads late evening but it was always in the back of my mind. I remember again when I was young racing around everywhere with my tuned up 1150cc engine lol ...(only about 80 bhp but seemed a lot in a Mini then) and i was clearing a local village and overtaking a car and out in the middle of the road, when I spotted a policeman holding (at the time) one of them new speed guns.... My car had a sporty exhaust so could be heard easily, and as I spotted him, he turned to look at me....luckily he was pointing the gun in the opposite direction away from me..(Gulp) by the time he hard turned I was back to 30mph and the car i was overtaking behind me ....bit of a close call...lol I don't think i could have talked my way out of that one..
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melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 1,984
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About ten years ago when we lived in Aberdeen, my girlfriend and I went to Fraserburgh one day in our tatty Dutch registered Saab 96 V4. At some point on the A90 I saw a police car approaching in my rear view mirror, and when it was behind us it kept hanging at our tail. I wasn't speeding or anything and couldn't really think of a reason for them to stop us. However, I was a little concerned that if they would, our foreign registration would be a bit of an issue as it's of course illegal to drive a non-UK registered car in Scotland as a Scottish resident. To my surprise, the kept following, but didn't stop us, and no matter how many opportunities they had to overtake, they just kept following, even into Fraserburgh. We went straight to the lighthouse museum, and when we parked up there they stopped right behind us. A male and a female officer got out, and she said 'I thought you would never stop!' Upon which I asked why they hadn't stopped me, as they had the power to do so after all. Then she said something to the effect of 'we didn't think it would go down well if we stopped you just to ask what car that is. My colleague is sure it's a Volvo, but it's a Citroen, right?' They were very friendly by the way, and we must have chatted for a good 20 minutes or so. They never asked about the Dutch registration, despite me accidentally telling them we lived in Aberdeen. Not many real criminals to chase in North East Scotland apparently.
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www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
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kiziti
Part of things
Posts: 51
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Oct 10, 2020 11:15:45 GMT
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Hmm, I've never been pulled over. My driving instructor was a former police driver and seemed nice enough, plus he encouraged me to carry some speed on roundabouts because they are "fun". I still think about that occasionally but am quite conscious of the back end getting shifty - RWD 60s cars with relatively skinny tyres. Obviously if I wasn't white and very middle class by appearance I would likely have a totally different experience, as some of my friends could attest. Hello halkyon Your Pao looks nice n tidy tidy esp round the screen, whats it like underneath and rear sills?.....that little bit on the arch ain't a problem, I'm using ACF-50 on everything, used it in the past and found it to be an excellent product. Re suspension I may have a couple of top strut rubbers, will dig them out and have a look at the condition and get back to you. With regards to shipping I try to use Parcel Monkey ( I think they buy empty container space off Parcel Force, their prices are good, i've shipped few bits to the U.S and found them to be at least 40% cheaper than parcelForce even though they use the same container + you use your local PF Depot to deposit, never any problems, NEVER under weigh or under measure your parcels as apparently they use digital measuring as they will go into a 'holding bay' awaiting extra payment, and they will charge big! for the inconvenience. I will remove my screen prior to painting as I want to clean down to the metal as i've had a few Pao's rot in that area + will get a new screen as corner is frosted. I've sourced a lovely set of old JDM wheels but they are 101.6, I've been advised re wobble nuts, I'm still considering they are perfect for my build but they're in Japan, as you know shipping/import is brutal....... All the best with yours Regards Adrian
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Oct 10, 2020 12:56:04 GMT
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As far as I can remember I've only been tugged twice in my driving career (1984). Once was very early in the morning on the way back from a party, the cops drove past in the other direction before U turning and pulling me over because "as I drove past I could see your pupils looked to be excessively dilated giving me reason to believe you may be driving under the influence of drugs"
I wasn't.
It was best just to roll with it and I ended up with the standard producer.
Second time was after the car behind me gave every indication of wanting to race down some country lanes outside Oxford. We had a very exciting 15 or so minutes (me in a Citroen Visa GTi) before the car behind got bored and turned its blue lights on.
When asked what I thought I was doing driving at speed I explained that yes it was silly to be racing at night. Wouldn't do it again etc. Sent on my way. I don't know if the police enjoyed the race. It wasn't really all that fast otherwise I guess they would have ended it sooner.
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Last Edit: Oct 10, 2020 12:56:26 GMT by Shortcut
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