Why I don't trust traffic cops

[DaPol]

There's a stretch of what's pretty much a dual carriageway near me, with a limit that moves between 40 and 60 depending on where on it you are.

I've had times where I've been running at 60 in the outside lane - not overtaking, but planning on taking the right exit in 500 yards or so - had a set of bright lights in the rear window at zero spacing and a FLASHFLASH.

I'm planning turning right - so, I'm not pulling in to the inside lane - that would be silly.

Autodim mirror means that I can see something above the roofline, and suspect it's either a white van with works lights or...

Turns out it's a white X5 with "GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE" on the side.

A few seconds later, I stick the right hand indicator on, and this thing cuts into the nearside lane (carving up the van coming up the inside) and blasts off at what had to be better than 90, given the speed I was doing.

I was having a "chat" with the motorcycle police officers at the bike show a few weeks later, and asking what they do in bad weather, and get told they go on car patrols.

So, I get "chatting" and ask whether they'd think it was right to be tailgating a car at 60 on that stretch of road in the dark and the pouring rain.

Got some waffle about "We are trained to drive in all sorts of conditions, and we drive much better than you do". Went and started pointedly talking to someone else when I asked who'd be to blame if the police were tailgating me at high speed in poor visibility, poor traction conditions and I'd needed to perform an emergency stop with them 6 feet off my tail, resulting in their going straight in the back of me, as is not unknown on that stretch of road.

Somebody else told me it's just something they do to apparently fast cars to see if they can get an easy nick from the car speeding up to increase spacing.

And honestly, little as I like police doing this, I'll take an X5 going in the back of me over any of the NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- artics I had tailgating me through the roadworks on the M6 the other night - several inches of water on the ground in patches and I'm doing 50 bang on (according to the satnav) because it's a 50 average speed check, and I'm rather attached to my license. NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- things continually up my NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- at close enough spacing that I'm sure one of them was from a company called OLV as that's all I could see, flashing and honking - I have nowhere I can go, but these idiots want to be riding their rev limiters and to heck with safety. Prats all of them.

[RPWC]

Quite a number of years ago, a dog ran out in front of the wife's car, and she hit it. The dog was off the lead on a very busy main road. When the owner arrived, it turns out the dog was a police sniffer dog. There was damage to our car, cracked headlight, broken indicator housing, and as the car was old, the headlight mount on the from panel was rusted, and this had broken away, requiring new count to be fitted. After the dog was taken to the vet, and given the all clear, the police dog handler came to the house and gave the wife his details. The police took over 6 months to settle the claim for damage to our car. Something that would not have happened the other way round.

[Stickman]

I set very low expectations from the law and it's servants so therefore am NEVER surprised by anything that the plod do
Regards
Chris

[Mr Bone]

Originally Posted by Stickman

I set very low expectations from the law and it's servants so therefore am NEVER surprised by anything that the plod do
Regards
Chris

The only time I have any dealings with the Police where they handled the situation correctly was when two of them came to our house to tell me our mum had died. Aside from the shock of the news I felt sorry for them as they were clearly not trained to handle the task they had been given.
Every other encounter has been a show of bullying, ignorance and lies.

[mo12]

I know a couple of police officers & both say no one likes traffic cops, they would sell their own grandmothers.

[kc13661]

I personally have no issue with any officer, traffic, on the beat, or even support officers.
Many a time I have been on the wrong side of them in my life experience, and many a time I have been glad of their support in different circumstances.

Personally I think they are underpaid and under-manned and in today's society are treat like dirt.

No wonder society is screwed

[Georgies Dad]

If any of my family or myself was in trouble,I would expect them to break every law in the land to get to me ,golden rule is if you do not like the punishment don't break the law its simple as that.

[rockerbox]

Heh Rick, agree with you about their attitude around here.
Some months ago when the Dartford crossing was closed (anyone who has ever experienced Thurrock during this will know what I am talking about) I was stuck in several hours of complete carpark on the old A13 (A1306) between Thurrock services, lakeside, and the M25 slip road. So after maybe an hour, yes an hour, of everyone sitting in 3 lanes of non moving traffic, engine off, handbrake applied, I decided to get out to have a cigarette.
Now bear in mind, the complete grid lock was due to articulated lorries pulling onto the M25 roundabout with no where to go, get off, which in turn caused every other vehicle to have no way to get around the roundabout. PC Sadie Stick dives up the other side of the road, blues and twos, and screams at me to get back in my vehicle ! No attempt to control the traffic by plod, no enforcement of entering a roundabout without having an exit, no nothing, just screams at me to get back in a parked vehicle, amongst at least 100 other parked vehicles. I must admit, I told her no, I could not see that I was breaking any law, causing any obstruction or basically doing anything wrong. She had no option but to continue as there was no way they could have got their car anywhere near to me in several hours, suppose she could have stopped on a 3 lane moving A road and jumped over the central divider...

For Gods sake, why didn't they stop at the roundabout and sort the traffic blocking it all off ? I had 4 junior schoolkids on board, with a passenger assistant I may add before I get shouted at for leaving them unattended and the kids were 3 hours late getting home.

[bl52krz]

Not just Essex police. I have a camera in the back and front. All I do is attract the attention of any idiot, police or otherwise, to the fact. I get my wife to turn the camera to her side if we are overtaking anyone on the phone. She smiles and points to the camera. Had some funny reactions to that one, including expletives she tells me.I am thinking of getting a flashing sign in the rear window saying ' you are on candid camera' if anyone is to close.

[FLYING BANANA]

I've held off for making a comment, but I have to tell you this.

My brother and I owe our lives to a traffic cop. Without any concern for his own safety he pulled my brother and me out of a burning car after a serious accident. Both my brother and the officer were both badly burned, they both fully recovered. And we have stayed very good friends ever since.

So not all are bar stewards or nasty drivers.