Driving into this morning and home tonight I went past two laybys where the boys in blue were pulling in vehicles - signs coming up to the laybys said "Traffic Census".
I can't recall seeing this before in 20 years of driving, so the question is what exactly is a traffic census? Random vehicle and doc checks by another name? As it's Avon & Somerset police I wouldn't be suprised.
Much to my surprise I wasn't pulled this time - driving an older car that's a bit rough around the edges (albeit legal and regularly serviced) I seem to get pulled more often than I'd like - they always seem disappointed when they have to let me carry on....
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Ive been stopped for censi (?) a couple of times. They ask where you are going, where from, how often, etc.
probably planning a bypass or other road building exercise.
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Yes you get asked the postcode you came from, the postcode you are going to and why you are doing it.
I had a really awful row with a plod once because I didnt have the time, and asked him if he could let me go and get someone else. If he could have locked me up and thrown away the key he would have done.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Funny that, how they're under resourced, yet can always take the time to pull you, go over the car, and fill in a doc producer form. When my car was stolen a few years ago, I got the impression I was wasting their time reporting it, and didn't see a single policeman.
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Didn't DVD (or another informed Broomer) tell us that the officers were mostly probationers & it's also art of a training exercise?
The cunsus just MIGHT give a more accurate detail, of whats going on, in that area, but I prefer the more definitive, joint operations mounted by Police, Revenue & Customs, Trading Standards Health n Safety & whoever else they can involve & give selected vehicles a thorough once over.
Might not always be financially viable, but certainly produces a few surprises!!
Like the highest number of black economy workers crammed into an un taxed, non MoT'd, minibus, driven by banned/non qualified drivers, the day after signing on the job seekers allowance!!
VB
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Maybe, but this "discussion" I had was with the plod pulling me in. He was an experienced plod on a motorbike.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The plods running this lot today looked like the full works - there were three sites, two patrol cars and at least three fully uniformed officers at each site.
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AshT it wasn't anywhere near Stoke Gifford by any chance if so then it's something to do with a proposed bypass , mind the bypass was proposed about 15 years ago but is back on the plans at the minute much needed too but locals wonder if it will be used...cheers...Keo
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Whenever I've been througha census they just hand you a q/aire to fill in later, then you drive off along the q/aire strewn road...total chuffing waste of time and manpower.
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The police pull you in because if they didn't everyone would just drive past.
The census takers themselves are usually temps on minimum wage and they ask what postcode you have come from and what postcode you are going to and the reason for your journey.
I have memorised the postcodes for Lands End and John O'Grouts and tell them I am a buyer for a US construction company looking to buy heavy plant.
All nonsense but its an act of anarchy which I enjoy and that doesn't get me arrested by the Boys in Blue who as mentioned have no time to investigate when my house is burgled but all the time in the world for this nonsense.
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Outstanding! Go on what are the postcodes then?
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Lands End. TR19 7AA.
John O'Groats. KW1 4YR.
I tell them I work for Haliburton and am travelling from their HQ to Caterpillar HQ to discuss the purchase of heavy plant.
All absolute nonsense which is faithfully written down and no doubt faithfully enter in to some computer database.
Everyone seems happy and sometime they wish me luck!
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And has anyone built a bypass from lands end to john o' groats for all this american traffic?
No they aint
Proves its a waste of time
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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They did one *on* the M56 a few yrs ago, just before Manchester Airport, in the morning rush-hour.
Eventually they gave in and abandoned it, but not before it had caused absolute pandemonium - people where hours late for work, missed flights etc.
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Hi Keo - no, not Stoke Gifford. One at the top of Burrington Coombe on the B3134, one about 2 miles further up the road, and one on the A368 between Ubley and Blagdon. As far as I'm aware there are no planned bypass or road improvements anywhere around there, so why the use of so much manpower?
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I know the Stoke Gifford one was to do with a proposed bypass but also to measure possible impact of a large house building project locally which no one wants but we all know it's going to happen . Look around the sites of where these census were and ask if possible house building or similar about to be happening...cheers...Keo
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AshT
If you think it's a conspiracy write to the said Constabulary and ask them to tell you under Freedom of Information Act why they were doing it. The response will probably cause you to fall alseep due to it's mediocrity.
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If they do pull you in you are perfectly entitled to refuse to answer any of their questions. I always do refuse as, indeed, I also refuse to answer anyone who comes up to me in the street or knocks at my door with a clip-board.
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I'm all for privacy but I do my best do avoid being pig-headed. Who cares if they know I'm going from Addlestone to Egham to see a friend? Really? Anyone? Because I couldn't give a flying duck. ;o)
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What on earth are the police doing, conducting a census to assess by-pass need? Isn't that something for the Dept of Transport or whatever they are now called?
Surely the police are paid to enforce the law, not conduct freelance censuses for other departments.
They'll be doing opinion polls next - or running burger stands.
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The census was being done by some agency working on behalf of some other agency the police (one officer in each direction) were there to direct you to carry on or to stop as requested by the agency guys. There was no checking of vehicles going on just questions where are you going to, coming from , purpose of journey how often do you make this journey do you always use this route, and at what times...cheers...Keo.
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"If they do pull you in you are perfectly entitled to refuse to answer any of their questions."
And if you do they'll find themselves perfectly entitled to look for any fault in yourself and your vehicle; if there is none it will take all the more time to find!
Meanwhile, "CRIME MARCHES ON".
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On the odd occasions that I've been stopped for a census the police have played no part whatsoever in the census itself, they are purely there to stop and/or control the traffic. I do believe that it is compulsory to stop if indicated to do so by a police officer.
However, the census is carried out by pen-pushers, not the police.
If you actually ask the pen-pushers whether you have to answer their questions or not they will reply that you do not. It is purely voluntary.
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Guys, its only a census lets not get too "Wolfie Smith" about the whole thing.
Although I must admit to sniggering at the thought of them trying to analyse Thommo's answer.
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>>the Boys in Blue who as mentioned have no time to investigate when my house is burgled but all the time in the world for this nonsense
Probably not the actual copper involved who decides what he should be doing that day. And there would be outrage and uproar in The Sun and the like if there was an accident near the census, even if unrelated, and it wasn't the police interfering with the traffic.
Damned if you do.......
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However, the census is carried out by pen-pushers, not the police.
So if I said I had a corpse in the boot which I was transporting from my house to some deserted woodland to could bury it, they'd just jot it down and wave me off?
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Round here (Norwich), they have traffic surveys. These measure traffic flow at busy interchanges and are always carried out by pensioners with clipboards sitting in their Daewoos and Hyundais.
They always seem to choose days when there is less traffic about!
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IanS
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I think we SHOULD get all "Wolfie Smith" about it, or else we risk turning from Citizen Smith into My Family, to use a tortous TV analogy.
It's a waste of time, money and resources... and yet we're afraid to speak up because they're in uniform. I'm not advocating chavvish behaviour, but those types don't care what they say to them do they? Maybe we should all be more assertive but in a polite, well-mannered and structured way.
Something needs to be done, because normal people get treated like dirt in this "Great" Britain of ours. Time for the worm to turn.
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A tortuous analagy maybe, but quite an amusing one. Did you know that he was once described as the finest shakesperian actor in England, and I think by Gielgud ? - (if not Gielgud, someone of similar standing).
I agree with much of what you say, but perhaps not applying it to a road census. I've been stopped from time to time in Aylesbury. Its not a big deal, its not intrusive and nobody abused me - or at least, that's how I found it.
Surely there are other more important subjects where we should absolutely be jumping up and down ?
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HEADING WAY OFF TOPIC.
I have seen Robert Lindsay play Macbeth. It was the best performance I have ever seen in a Shakespearian play.
He is one of the finest actors of his generation. His performance in GBH (now being re-shown on More 4) is amazing.
He should have been a major Hollywood star but his Hollywood career tanked after appearing in the dreadful 'Bert Rigby, you're a fool' which was created as a vehicle for him but absolutely tanked.
Runs before the mods catch him...
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Bert Rigby was bad. And very disappointing. GBH I haven't seen. I shall look out for it.
By all accounts a rather pleasant chap as well.
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By all accounts a rather pleasant chap as well.
Unlike the nasty moderator who is now asking everyone to return to discussion on motoring.
DD.
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