I witnessed some suicidally reckless driving on the M25 this morning, literally a whisker away from causing carnage.
As the perpetrator sped from the scene I was left with that old "why are there never any Police watching" feeling.
That set me thinking - has b'roomer ever seen something similar with the glorious result that there actually WAS a copper handy and he or she did do something?
I'd just feel better if I thought they didn't always get away with it
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My wife once prosecuted someone who had gone up the m/way embankment at high speed, turned over and somehow landed back right way up on the hard shoulder. By chance Plod was following. Driver white as a sheet, Plod lets him catch his breath and smells booze. "Have you been drinking sir?" Comes the answer "Drinking, drinking? Of course been I've been drinking, what do you think I am a XXXXing stunt driver!"
She also prosecuted a bloke who was seen by Plod staggering across a pub carpark and drunkenly failing to get his key into the lock of his car before keeling over. Plod walks over and asks if he is alright. "Aye Cock" he says "I'm well XXXXed, just get me into my car and I'll be off home"
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Afew years ago we were following two cars when one the one in front of us decided to overtake on a very busy stretch of road. The result was that he scraped against a car parked on the opposite side and managed to stop facing the wrong way.
We jumped out and stopped him as he tried to drive off but unknown to us the pub across the road was full of his mates wielding snooker cues etc. Needless to say because we tried to stop him and managed to get his keys out of the ignition his mates decided to set about me and my freind and we recieved a damned good beating.
Wouldn't have been very funny apart from the two coppers sat up the road watching the whole thing.
Needless to say he lost his license, two of his freinds got two years inside ( they were on probation ), and my mate got £500 towards some new teeth. He still looks like Shane McGowan.
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Posted this experience a while back but can't find it in the archives.
I was in the outside lane of a dual carriageway traveling at 50 mph with traffic on the inside of me and also in in front and behind. speed limit was 50mph.
Behind me was an articulated lorry tailgating me in a very threatening manner only a few feet off me.
What he did not realise was that in front of me was an unmarked police car( I guessed this because it was one of those volvo estates favoured by the police in our area).
Well, I did the courteous thing and pulled over at the first opportunity and he then did the same to the police patrol car. I passed him after he was pulled in at the next layby by the police for tailgating.
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My cousin happens to be a police officer and when he was in his a car someone crashed up the side of his car and he got her registration and she got done for it. So they do get caught occasionally!!!! I agree that there just never seems to be a police officer around when you need one! Thats why i would be happy to have more unmarked cars on the roads especially in rush hour traffic where people take stupid risks rather than big bright patrol cars which people can see a mile off!
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It is reasuring to see the police do take action against these inconsiderate drivers.
However, I'm firmly of the opinion that a police car should be as strongly evident as possible.Stickers,stripes,beacons, the lot!
A case of prevention better than cure, we all slow down, even if we're not speeding & pay more attention, if we see that big, white car in the mirror.
Mark
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A few years back on the M4, stuck in a tailback and some smart alex decided he'd use the hard shoulder as a personal clearway to the next exit. My feelings of helpless indignation dissolved when a car 3 behind me pulled onto shoulder as well - and switched on blues and twos....
It's sweet when that happens :o)
Terry
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Whoops, I got done for precisely this and in precisely the same way. it was some years ago, so i plead the impetuosity of youth.
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Last summer there was a horrendous queue on the M1 following an accident. A yob in an Astra decided he didn't fancy waiting and hooned off up the hard shoulder. Three artics joined forces to box him in at a walking pace straight towards the folded arms of a traffic officer some way ahead who began dealing with him. Toots of support all round. Lovely moment.
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Dont'cha just love it when a plan comes together????? My best moment was when we had trouble on certain points of our main route (Preston - Bolton). Hang on, can I just reassure people that I do have a life outside of driving buses? I know it seems that all I do is bang on about it, but this being a motoring website and all.... Anyhew, for a wee while we had members of the constabulary riding with us along a certain part of the route between Preston and Chorley. A colleague of mine had just had some spotty oik in a Nova (sorry YoungSensibleDriver!) pull out right in front of him. My friend had blasted the horn and given the old 'Nescafe' wave which resulted in said Nova driver doing a u-turn and following him. The Nova driver overtook and then slammed on in front of him. My colleague says that had there been no passengers on board he would have rear-ended him. However he did have, so he was forced to brake sharply. The passenger in the Nova then begins to throw rubbish at the windscreen of the bus. While this is going on, my colleague can hear the copper on the bus on the radio. The Nova makes the same right turn that the route follows, only to be confronted with about four police armes response Ford Galaxies with the lights going and several *very* burly policemen stood across the road. Apparently the driver of the Nova was crying when my friend finally got past. Kind of makes it all worhtwhile.....
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"straight towards the folded arms of a traffic officer some way ahead who began dealing with him. Toots of support all round. Lovely moment."
Superb.
Having seen such oafish behaviour go unpunished so many times - I feel a tinge of envy at not having been there to see that one.
Up until now I've contented myself with thinking that us who are patiently waiting in queues do it because it's right - but boy, it's hard not to feel a mug when you see them get away with it so much.
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On the way to work, there is a three-laner, LH lane is a turn-left only, while the other two are straight ons. At the intersection, there is a traffic island, lights, and a 'slip' road for the LH lane.
However, the traffic backs up in the LH lane, so all the morons go hammering down the centre lane, and either cut in right at the front of the queue (across a solid white line), or take an illegal left at the traffic lights.
Quite often, local plod sets up just around the corner, and pull over all the offending drivers.
I am told that a really inept traffic officer can keep an offender there for at least 10 minutes, doing a lot of checks, before he lets him go with a fine ... while a really GOOD traffic officer can keep you there for an hour! (and if you get snotty, that can be even longer!)
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Coming up the A12 towards Chelmsford in thick traffic - large agressive motorbike undertaking and overtaking nearly takes my wing mirror - driver of Granada in front of me reaches over to passenger seat, puts on Police hat and waves the biker into the next layby...magic!
On the other hand - stuck in stationary traffic on the M4 with wife and two friends 300 yards from exit we needed to be on time for a wedding. Stupidly decided to use the hard shoulder very slowly - met by Police car at exit to the delight of the rest in the queue.
On producing the wedding invitation and being dressed like berks I got a deserved ticking off and allowed to 'proceed'.
Matt35.
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Yep i met a nutter this morning or a young sensible driver LOL On my way to the M61 and going round a bend there is this nutter overtaking very fast 2 cars so he is then driving on the right of the road, anyhow luckily there was the pavement for me to drive on no pedestrians, why going into town there are a few speed cameras and traffic lights so he might be 10 seconds in front. The trouble is there seems to be more nutters on the road all the time.
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