Why I don't trust traffic cops
 

Ahhh I hate them! Don't know about anyone else but they think they're untouchable round here. So many times now I've had them blast past me at 80mph or more, seen them lane hogging, undertaking, even seen them flash their blues and twos just to get through a red light on one occasion and see them turn them back off on the other side.

A few months back on the way to visit the girlfriend I had one that was obviously eager to clock out of his shift as the police station was in the same direction I was travelling in, had him follow me for miles inches away from my bumper down 30mph resident streets. This was at night but lucky for me I spotted it was a police car as usually I'd think "what the hell are you doing", and put my foot down just to clear a gap...but then guess who'd be pulling me over. When we came to a set of traffic lights he was turning left (which was green) and I was going straight on (which was red), so I stop and I see him turn left and blast it down the road foot hard down well exceeding the 30mph limit in an area where there's houses everywhere :mad: I've had them drive excessively close to my rear bumper on many occasions now. Round here they do that on purpose at night to see if you'll put your foot down so they can pull you over, as it's not always easy to spot it's a police vehicle behind you especially when they're so close all you can see are two bright headlights in your mirrors.

Well tonight's incident really has had me wound up. Heading home at 11;30pm doing down the A13 which is a dual carriage way round my way and I was going down the 3 lane section. Spotted the police car from a mile off. He's going in the 1st lane and I'm in the 2nd going quick than him (still at 70mph) so I'm coming up to overtake him. In front of him is a lorry so I'm thinking is he going to move over? Well he doesn't and there's a exit slip road coming up on his left so I think well maybe he's exiting there hence why not overtaking the lorry. Well I get right up to him in the 2nd lane about 1 car distance away behind him and he just changes lanes straight in front of me making me slow down. I'm like what the hell?

I'm still going to go past him so I change into the 3rd lane and am now slowly passing him. He's decided to speed up so it's taking a while for me to pass and he's long passed the lorry with the 1st lane now empty till the end of the earth so now he's lane hogging. As I get 3/4 way past him he decides to speed up and comes up next to me, so now he's undertaking. I look across and he's staring at me, obviously got a problem because I've dared to overtake his royal above the law back side whilst all the other cars stayed half a mile back not daring to pass. So I look at him and go "what?", like what's your problem. So he puts his foot down (baring in mind I'm already doing 70 so he's well exceeding it now) and undertakes me and then cuts in front of me AGAIN! for no reason what so ever, there are no cars in the 1st and 2nd lanes!

So now he's lane hogging in the third lane, speeding after cutting me up with no other cars ahead of us as far as you can see. Total scum.

I so wish I had a dash cam, need a front and rear one for moments like this. Blatantly had a serious problem because I'm not scared to overtake him. In the space of 2 mins driving, he cut me up twice, undertook me, was speeding and lane hogging. Now if I did that and he spotted it guess what the result would be! :mad:

absolutely hate them, can't be trusted at all.

Agree with you Rick, as an ex-Essex boy I know what the Essex traffic cops can be like.

it's got bad down here. All they're interested in are easy ticket wins so motorists are targeted as it's quick cash in and no one can fight against it, easy money in and easy work. Comes to proper police work and catching real criminals that are affecting people directly, making them feel unsafe even in their own homes and they're not interested, because that would mean actually doing some work.

then they wonder why people don't have faith in the police no more. Only ones I've ever come across are either totally utterly useless, liars, or think they're above the law.

In Thurrock you pay tax to get your bins collected, that's about it. Non existent police service, hospitals are overcrowded so if you need to go A&E take a sleeping bag and a stash of food and a few movies as you'll be sitting in there for several hours before you're even seen, can't ever get a local doctor's appointment - call up your doctors because you're sick and they'll say we're busy but have a slot free next month when you're feeling better, roads are a tip looking like they've been cluster bombed and they keep doing those stupid patch work repairs that just crumple away after 2 months. so many cars are being damaged by pot holes, our local community facebook page have so many posts every week where someones hit a pot hole and completely destroyed their alloy wheel, council not interested in compensating and will do everything they can to wriggle out of paying up. I've hit so many in the last 3 years I am amazed that my Apex's are still in one piece, they really are solid wheels as several times now I've expected to find a nice dent in the rim. The areas look like a scene out of walking dead looking abandoned for years nothings trimmed or maintained by the council, we don't even get Christmas lights no more or flowers put up on the hanging baskets in our town centres like we used to. When I actually sit there and think what do I get for my money, I get my bins collected (and even that goes out the window when it comes to a bank holiday weekend) and I get streetlighting at night, and we're lucky to even have that as in the surrounding areas they turn them all off at night!

Don't know if you know that the film GRIMSBY, showing it as a run down area was actually filmed in Thurrock - Tilbury to be precise.

I can`t say the police here in South Yorkshire are like that, I have overtaken police vehicles a few times, even them doing 25mph in a 30mph zone.
If I were in your position Rick, in your first post, I would have hung back as soon as you realized he was playing "cat & mouse"
Get the cameras fitted, mental notes of their Reg and if that driver is always behaving in the manner there is probably other complaints logged.
Don`t get wound up, hang back, even if it makes you a bit late getting home.
Good luck.
Ken.

Defo get some dash cams fitted mate, at least you will have evidence if anything arrises from idiots like this.

Report him! Go to local police station and report the incident. I too have had as issue with Hampshire traffic police and made a complaint... it went no where but I reported it. If there are a number of complaints then perhaps something will get done.
I know the argument, it's my word against theirs but nevertheless make a complaint!
If go get no-where go higher, chef constable, police commissioner, mp. Am I a police hater... only Hampshire traffic, as for the rest they have a very difficult job to do and officers such as Rick-Sta has encountered may make the lives of he good ones more difficult .

macafee2

Totally agree Rick what do we pay for? sounds a bit like that down here.Roads are very bad im surprised i haven't been pulled for being drunk the number of times a gently swerve to miss them NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- joke.Our street lights go of at around midnight total darkness for people coming home and not good for ladies.Tip hours have shortened right down and i guess you may of read about the man who had his Jag pinched of his own drive the police have done nothing ! Shambles all of it,oh hasnt council tax just gone up.....Also here there are hundred of homes being built so more cars on roads = more congestion,no we cannot get a docs appointment either but i guess more un affordable homes = More council tax money !

I was on a local dual carriageway recently with one of them on his mobile phone, he was in the slow lane but I drew parallel with him and looked at him. He looked at me and quickly put it down.

If I had somebody in the car with me I would have got them to take a picture and see if he got 6 points and a £200 fine? It probably would have been ''operational requirements'' or some other excuse.

Next time you encounter this, take the reg number and location ,and time,then REPORT it as dangerous driving.. I live on a semi main road, it's a B road, but at its northern end is a junction for a dual carriageway. Our road carries a 30mph limit throughout its length, apart from the last 200yards of the northern end, where it is 60.Hardly anyone sticks to the limit, traffic heading south, doesn't slow for the 30zone, heading north ,they see it as a warm up,strip for the 60 zone. I have complained to the police many a time about it,even flagging down passing traffic cars, they aren't interested. If I was speeding in another area though, Imwould sharp be brought to book. One rule for them ,one rule for everyone else, as usual.