Not quite in the same vein but some muppet was right up behind me on a single carriage-way, I was doing 40 (the speed limit) like every one else.
He kept flashing his lights and decided to accelerate and overtake a group of us when he saw a break in the oncoming traffic.
He didn't seem to notice the speed camera unitl it flashed!
Edited by Chris S on 29/01/2008 at 12:42
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He kept flashing his lights and decided to accelerate and overtake a group of us when he saw a break in the oncoming traffic. He didn't seem to notice the speed camera unitl it flashed!
probably not registered to him then, so he can drive how he likes (obviously badly), whilst the rest of us who are generally law abiding, drive like rabbits in headlights should we let our concentration vary to anything other than what the speedo is doing
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An amusing incident in our family from some years ago. I have a relative, now retired, who as a serving police officer found himself towards the end of his career as a senior instructor in advanced driving techniques at Hendon. He held all the available police driving qualifications at the time and in turn taught them to others. He was also involved in the forensic examination of road accidents and had authored some officially recognized papers on the subject. Off duty one day he was involved in a minor RTA. ( not his fault ) The Police were called as minor injuries had occured and to his astonishment the conversation started to take a turn towards him being charged. He had not mentioned his occupation at this stage but gently argued that even if the accident had not been witnessed that it should be reasonably clear from looking at the evidence that he was not to blame. The officer attending got quite shirty and said something along the lines of "him being the judge of that" and that "sir" should not presume to tell him ( a very newly qualified constable ) how to do his job thank you very much ! Suffice it to say the matter was quickly resolved.
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I've had a similar incident a few years back, driving through Chorlton.
Stopped at the head of queue in left lane (left or ahead only) for traffic lights. Dark coloured honda accord type r pulls up behind. The queue behind us starts to build up. Along comes souped up golf gti in right hand land (right turn only). Lights turn green, as I set off the golf floors it off, cuts me up and zooms off in front. Honda then pulls out and overtakes me too and proceeds to chase the golf. I assume its south manchester gangs or chavs, but then blue lights come on accord and he pulls the golf over into the mcdonalds car park. Result.
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So I take it from the previous posts that what people want is more unmarked police vehicles on our roads ?
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So I take it from the previous posts that what people want is more unmarked police vehicles on our roads ?
Yes; it gets my vote.
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I've never had any problem with unmarked cars and I'd rather have them than speed cameras / red light cameras.
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"Yes; it gets my vote"
Me too!
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I think I would prefer to see an increase in "marked" police patrols with a commensurate decrease unmarked cars and speed cameras. The old "jam sandwiches" provided an effective deterrent against all forms of illegal or bad driving while properly trained crews could and often did show appropriate discretion. It raises the old chestnut that the seriousness of an offence is often a function of the context of the conditions. Visibility, weather conditions, density of traffic etc. Cameras make no allowances for these things. Also a more highly visible police presence might just have a calming effect on all types of criminality whether it be automotive or otherwise. Some streets / areas are no go areas at certain times of day for "normal" people and I would certainly feel that an increase in regular marked patrolling has far wider potential benefits than any increase in "stealth" methods which concentrate primarily on traffic offences.
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20 years ago when I lived in the South of France.
Waiting at red light for road works. Car 3 back in the queue decides he can't be bothered to wait, overtakes, and goes through red light.
Has to stop abruptly to avoid colliding with van full of CRS riot police coming the other way.
Driver dragged from his vehicle and clubbed by said police before being bundled into the back of the CRS van.
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Too right Shoespy.
Sir Robert Peel's original nine rules of policing are still relevant today:
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1. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.
2. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.
3. Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.
4. The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.
5. Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
6. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient.
7. Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
8. Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
9. The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.
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Many of those rules have been broken in the pursuit of easy convictions via automatic enforcement by cameras. In particular, rules 1, 2, 3, and 9 could do with being applied by modern police.
Edited by Ravenger on 29/01/2008 at 16:37
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Perhaps we should send a copy of Sir Robert Peel's rules to the Home Secretary, every Chief Constable and the heads of the 'Safety' camera partnerships. Just a little reminder.
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send a copy of Sir Robert Peel's rules to the Home Secretary every Chief Constable and the heads of the 'Safety' camera partnerships. >>
if a Chief Constable's performance related pay depends on what the Home Office has dictated he/she should achieve...then that's what they'll aim for
and unless traffic matters such as No Insurance become one of these 'priorities' then it won't happen....in the same fashion that Disqualified Driving etc is often ignored
you won't get more traffic cops if traffic policing isn't 'measured', because they're not directly achieving 'results'.
What a sorry state....when half those 'results' are manipulated to make the system work, which winds the public up, because they can see the easy option being taken to achieve the 'result'....rather than the police being allowed to deal with what they think they should be dealing with, which usually isn't too far away from what sensible public think they should be
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I agree, the Home Office should have a more hands off approach and we should get locally-elected chief constables.
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Locally elected Chief constable equals politician. A politician being in direct control of the Police makes my spine quiver.
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Bring back the Watch Committee.
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It seems to work in the USA. If you cheese off the locals, they vote you out. Besides, politicians already control what the police do through targets.
Edited by nick on 29/01/2008 at 19:20
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8<
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/01/2008 at 19:28
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Surely a Chief constable would have to be a qualified policeman.I bet not many politicians are.
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Motoring, motoring, motoring! Discuss - or else 8< 8< 8<
DD.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/01/2008 at 19:26
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Driving down the M6 today and spotted a coupe of police patrol vehicles parked on a slip road - J17? Thought something up.
Then saw/passed loads of other police cars too - total was about a dozen in the end! But knew something up. One car stopped northbound.... then eventually saw the the APNR camera van on the bridge over the M6 :-) Obviously doing their job today.
Wish they did this sort of thing more often.
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Two ANPR camera units out today in London (Camden Road, and Old Kent Road) I have, between the Met and Hertfordshire Constabulary, seen about 6 ANPR checkpoints in the last three weeks! They always seem to do a roaring trade
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i was a pedestrian in london when i saw a motorbike pull a wheelie away from a light, was so funny cos there was a police bmw bike immediately behind him, justice was done that day
walking along a country road i saw a motorbike go over the brow of a hill so fast he jumped about 4 foot into the air, watched by a motorbike cop in a layby about 25 yards in front of him
was in a city centre about 20 years ago when about 10 big skinheads threatened to kill some normal looking lads walking past, shame the normal looking lads were off duty soldiers who promptly decked the lot of them, was soooooooooo funny, and the cops round the corner thanked the soldiers saying "weve been wishing we were allowed to do that for ages" as they didnt take anybodys name or address and just sat in their cars, not sure cops these days would be so sensible
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" Driving down the M6 today and spotted a coupe of police patrol vehicles parked on a slip road - J17? Thought something up.
Then saw/passed loads of other police cars too - total was about a dozen in the end! But knew something up. One car stopped northbound.... then eventually saw the the APNR camera van on the bridge over the M6 :-) Obviously doing their job today.
Wish they did this sort of thing more often"
Errr..we do. Every day!
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>>Wish they did this sort of thing more often"
I'm sure they do that sort of thing pretty often - it's just that inevitably we don't all see it because they are targetting different places.
Most of us presumably drive a similar route (say to work and back each day) a lot of the time. If we saw an ANPR van there every day we'd complain that they weren't moving about. If it is that predictable then the people driving without insurance will go a different way.
I do quite a lot of different journeys and see the vans fairly often.
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I'm sure this is vaguely related - a good speed trap last night on the way home by West Mercia. The road into Blakedown (links into the A456) there was a marked Police car facing the traffic, but slightly obscured by a parked car. Further down was the unmarked Vectra waiting to stop people. I should point out that this is a 30 limit, and I try to never exceed 35mph on that stretch. But you do get the muppets driving down at 50 sometimes, so I fully support the Police action. I'm also guessing that it was operating an ANPR check at the same time?
Wasn't you MLC was it?
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Nope.
That was likely to be an ANPR operation. Doesn't sound like a speeding set-up.
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I think all the big brother type cameras in our city are running ANPR software. I`m all for it.
Regards
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Thought you'd reply midlifecrisis :-)
I'd not seen that many cars on that section of the M6 before although thinking about it have seen it on part of the M62 before. I guestimated about 12 cars actually - ranging from Range Rovers to estates etc.
I'm glad this is targetting cars that do not have tax, insurance, etc. often because the drivers needs to be gotten off our roads.
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I'm actually a bit further south. ;)
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They are also using ANPR as a way of keeping a check on our traveling criminals. The basis being that such people are never likely to bother with ins, mot, car tax. Once stopped for any of those offences, it's amazing what turns up in a vehicle search or a check on outstanding warrants.
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On a similar vain, step-son two years ago had this car broken into outside our house. They failed to steal because the battery was flat - but they did some damage.
But the fools left a sample of blood that matched the DNA database :-) They got done for more than that and I was told when giving a statement that these days the police can charge criminals for crimes for years ago once they get some DNA.
I'm all for this sort of thing. Yes things could go wrong but we deal with that and I'll take the risk.
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"I'm actually a bit further south. ;)"
Thought you were but knew you would probably reply ;-)
Keep up the good work.
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May have posted this before but:-
Twenty or so years (during an IRA "flap") arrived at Euston to hear a tannoy for the owner of the red BMW in the bus bays to remove it immediately. Foppish 25 yr old yuppy claims it, but not quickly enough to save him from a booking.
Transport Plod's finger wagging complete he drives off, turns right into Eversholt St and right again against prohibition signs onto the Euston Road. Pair of Met guys on motorbikes duly follow him and pull him over........
Much merriment on top deck of following 68 bus!!!!
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