I watched it. Don\'t think it was a repeat (no \"R\" against it in the tv listings)
Anyway, I was surprised the patrolman\'s patience lasted as long as it did. Speeders excuse that his partner needed the loo, only to still be arguing about it 40 mins later, and the fact that he also admitted to travelling at approx 100mph for 15 to 20 mins before being pulled over - to which the officer pointed out that he had passed 2 junctions and a service station in that time, so the speeder had plenty of opportunity to pull over for his passenger to take a leak. The speeder claimed he was a *professional* driver (lorry) and didn\'t want any more points on his licence. He already had three from a previous speeding offence. So much for claiming to be a *professional* driver.
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Moderators hat on for a moment, as with all speed related postings, this will get moved to one of the speed camera threads later today.
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I too watched this programme and was amazed that a Motorway patrol officer (operating alone which I thought was odd) had that much time to spare to deal with the matter. However, the voice over said something to the effect that until the suspect signed some paper work the matter could not be finalised. I wonder if you could get 40 minute's of an officer's time to deal with a break in at your home, a bit of vandalism etc?
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I wonder if you could get 40 minute\'s of an officer\'s time to deal with a break in at your home, a bit of vandalism etc?
You could if you told them you had caught the burglar and were going to teach them the error of their ways.....
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I agree, surely it must be better tactically to explain the situation, the process that will now roll into action & then get on with your job. Becoming embroiled in a long and ultimately fruitless conversation wastes everyones time.
Maybe it was just the camera & the patrolman was enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.
ps: I wonder if they speak in their own special vocabularly off duty..."I have to inform you my dear, that I have to take affirmative action and proceed in a safe manner to the toilet"!
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I saw it, and I?m with DD. My patience would have lasted 5 minutes then I would have done him for wasting police time, because he was. I?m surprised that he allowed this person to rabble on about it, as if he only needed the right excuse and that would have been all right. I suspect if there had been no cameras the officer would have told him where to get off. I did not find his attitude condescending.
In the other case of the drunk and drugged up motorcyclist who killed his pillion riding girlfriend (of one month) he rightly got 6.5 years, but the crash investigating officer I found irritating. I understand that they might see this too often but every case is different and jumping to conclusions (even experienced right ones) is not on.
And there was a section on mobile scameras, where the authorities where so embarrassed about it they had to call it a partnership, an admission of guilt I think.
Same night over on channel 5 was Mckintyres Steel Wheels, great prog. Basically a scam to catch absconding repeat motoring offenders. Their faces were a treat.
Sadly after taking them back to court, they all walked away with no more penalty, having ignored the court first time round?and crime doesn?t pay?
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I found the Audi drivers attitude to be appaling. Either:
a. He was telling the truth about his girlfriend needing the toilet, so why didn't he just accept the ticket and go.
b. He was trying it on, which is even worse.
But what could the traffic cop do? Drag him out of the car screaming, tell him to 'go away'? In those situations the member of the public would not take no and it is not as if the traffic cop could just walk away from the situation.
I thought he dealt with the driver in a polite manner and explained the situation in a calm manner in the face of someone who couldn't see the wood for the trees.
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I'd have liked to see more of the actual location for the mobile camera.
The fact that traffic was flowing safely with what appeared to be everyone over the posted limit seemed to indicate that the limit might be too low for the circumstances.
Still fail to see how receiving a NIP a week or so later makes the road safer if someone is driving at an inappropriate speed. By that time it's too late and you might be sending it to their executors!
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I caught the last 10 mins or so - did I hear correctly that the camera brought in £16K/day, £60K/week?!! Incredible, though hardly surprising as everyone seemed to be going over the limit on that stretch.
I really liked the way the Police (or civilian?) camera operator confessed to having 3 points for doing 72mph in a 60 zone.
Chad.
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Anothe piece of Special vocabulary.... an electric light standard, otherwise known as a lamp post. As described by the officer in charge at the scene of the \'bike crash.
Have we had any kind of light on the top of a post anyway in the last 60 years!!
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"You could if you told them you had caught the burglar and were going to teach them the error of their ways....."
I am reminded of a story I read (unsure whether true or not) of someone calling to report that his garage was being burgled and that the perpetrators were still in there. Police operator said they would send an officer over when they had one free. After waiting for over half an hour, the man called the police back and told them not to rush as he had shot the intruders and they weren't going anywhere. Within 10 mins a number of police cars showed up with sirens blazing 8-).
No word on what they did with the man after his false shooting report.
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I wonder if you could get 40 minute's of an officer's time to deal with a break in at your home, a bit of vandalism etc?
It depends on the circumstances. Police put a much higher priority on burglaries etc where the offender is still around.
Which I saw the burglar running out of my smashed-in back door a few years ago, I called 999 within seconds. Minutes later, I had two officers on hand in a squad car, closely followed by a dog-handling team and then another squad car and even -- for about ten minutes, later on -- the helicopter. They explained that it was usually very hard to catch burglars, but being this close to one was something worth throwing resources into.
OTOH, when I didn't discover a burglary until I got home, police response was at a much lower level.
In the incident being discussed here, we had the offender caught red-handed exceeding the speed limit by more than 40%, at a speed which would likely cause automatic loss of license ... and telling a bunch of porkies when caught.
I didn't see the programme, but it sounds like exactly the sort of driving which merits a heavy police response.
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When will people learn! As a young and foolish driver, (and sometimes not so young) I learned to pass the attitude test.
Get stopped by the boys in blue, argue the toss, wriggle, smart answers are not the answer. Plod intensly dislike drivers who cant admit, or even worse dont know they have done anything wrong.
Correct attitude has probably saved me about 6 points and £xxx fines in 25 years.
Dont think correct attitude will get you past driving at 100mph plus tho.
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Have to agree with RF here, I've saved myself many (but not all) convictions over the last 40 years. DON'T ARGUE.
As an aside, what do other BRs do when stopped? I always make a point of getting out of my car once I've stopped, I don't sit and wait for the cop to get to me. It just seems the natural thing to do. I know this is not what happens in the USA.
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In my motorcycling days I was regularly stopped and didn't argue, got off loads of times. In my last 20 years on four wheels I have never been stopped. Damn that's done it now.
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Presumably ND was reading the article in the Telegraph on
?Monday. On ringing the police to say that there were burglars in the house next door and being told that they'd send a crime reference number in the post, author of article said 'it's OK, we'll go and sort them out.' Car arrived rapidly iirc.
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It depends on the circumstances. Police put a much higher priority on burglaries etc where the offender is still around.
I can agree with this. Last year I saw a lad trying to break into a house, called 999, gave them the details, all the while he was trying to break in, finally he got in, the police arrived and he was arrested. They arrived within about 5 mins of my call, which isn't bad in anyone's books.
I gave a witness statement and then followed this up a few months later and was told that he got a custodial, which was nice.
Jonathan
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I think that the officer didn't really explain the offence at all to the Audi driver. I personally would have removed his licence from him for 10 years and have his car auctioned away or scrapped not because he was speeding, but because he was tailgating.
Speeding at 100 miles per hour on an empty motorway is in my opinion o.k because it is safe since you have the correct stopping distances etc. But tailgating is the real offence and I was suprised that the officer did not even once mention it to the offender.
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One thing that does worry me is operation of the police 'in car equipment'. Whilst having to follow the speeding drivers at XXX speed, the police officer must press buttons and read off a display lower down down the dash, as well as panning the in car camera to follow the driver if need be.
I know this may be no more the general public fiddling with the radio, but surely the police must set an example of how it should be done?
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another reason why he should not be operating single handed
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well I thought that the cop got it about right.For all the guy's whingeing and wailing he was never going to get anywhere.Talk about losing your dignity!!And then I would presume he gave permission for the episode to be shown on national television.I think I would have crawled away and hidden.
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Maybe the appearance fee covered his fine?
But not the points.
Or the egg on face!
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I disagree strongly with the idea that the Policeman was anything other than polite. He had someone in his car who was blankly refusing to accept the consequences of his actions. He was unfailingly polite, direct and honest throughout, and I was amazed at his patience.
V
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Quite agree I cant believe the guy thought that any amount of pleading or whatever was going to get him let off with a warning for 100mph.
In any case not spotting a fully marked Volvo estate with all the flourescent bits should probably have got him done for careless :-))
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yup there is the sin, anyone who cant spot a fully dressed cop car needs to be shown the error of his ways.
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The DVLA guy - John Moore, featured on the programme. I have met him he is a truly passionate public servant, if they were all like this this this country would be a better place to live in.
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No he probably didn't give permission since his face was blurred out
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>>at a speed which would likely cause automatic loss of license
he only got three points... (£150 fine, but that's neither here nor there)
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>>at a speed which would likely cause automatic loss of license he only got three points... (£150 fine, but that's neither here nor there)
The traffic cop did say "I'll stick my neck out and say you will not lose your driving licence"
The speeder was clocked at 98mph, and it's only a ban if clocked at doing over 100mph.
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5 years ago I went to court for 116 on a deserted m25 at 3am by two policewomen, I was nice as pie and even pulled over before they got up to me because I knew they had clocked me. I got 3 weeks ban and a fine. Fair doos and I'll not do it again, what can I say, I was young and foolish and near the end of a long drive. However, when I appeard in court all the people there had been stopped a hour or so either side of me for 100mph+ speeds, but a woman that had been clocked at 96mph got 6 points plus a fine. This guy was clocked at 98mph AVERAGE, admitted to higher, and he only got 3 points. The cop may have stuck his neck out to say he wouldn't be banned but he couldn't have ben 110% sure unless he, perhaps, had added something to his report. Either way the guy said that he would no longer be able to drive if he had any more points so he was up the proverbial creek anyhow....if even that part of his begging tirade was to be beleived.
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Yeah, but where's the justice? SWMBO just got 3 points and £60 for 35 mph on a four lane dual carriageway. This guy does 28 over the limit and tailgates and still only gets 3 points.
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