I had to post this little story.
Last Friday morning a friend of mine was driving to work in her BMW. As she left a 60mph zone to enter a 30mph zone she failed to notice a police car behind her, and that she was doing 70mph!!!
They stopped her and had a long chat with her in the patrol car, saying that she was potentially looking at a ban. In the end they let her off with a verbal caution. Is this a record? Her "luck" may have something to do with the fact that she is young, blonde, and very pretty!!
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I'd bet that a good telling off sticks with her longer than a month's ban. And the paperwork...
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Sounds like common sense policing. Let's have more patrol cars and less cameras.
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Common sense policing? 70mph in a 30 zone? Give me strength!
Thats way way over the limit, not just a few mph.
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Common sense policing? 70mph in a 30 zone? Give me strength! Thats way way over the limit not just a few mph.
Depends on the road and conditions really. There's a long 4 lane dual carriageway near me that's 30mph for its entire length. Would be perfectly safe to do 70mph along there when the road is quiet, and someone out of the area might not realise it's a 30mph limit unless they were specifically looking out for the 30 signs since it looks and feels like a much faster road.
Not many people do 30 along it except at the speed camera bits. (Though I generally keep to below 30, knowing they sometimes have mobile speed cameras along there)
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I think it was probably due to her just leaving a 60mph zone. Was it a 30mph zone because there were now street-lights on the road?
If it wasn't a built-up area and she was just outside the 60mph limit then a verbal warning doesn't seem too unreasonable.
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She may even have left with a feeling towards the police more like respect than resentment.
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Its the random application of the law that grates on me a bit. Do that speed past a speed camera and its an 'absolute' offence with no chance of mitigation.
Do it past plod, whos in the right mood (in this case horny it seems) and you're away scott free!
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I know the piece of road where she was stopped very well, because I drive along it several times a day. She had driven along a normal A-road that rises up a hill toward a large village. At the top of the hill the road becomes a 30mph limit (speed camera sign too) and enters the village. She was actually stopped within the village. It is fairly narrow and built up, chip shop, off licence, cafe and so on. It happened not long after 8am Friday morning and would have been quite busy with pedestrians.
I must say that I was astonished that she got away with it. She is a very fast driver and I have told her in the past to slow down. I also told her that she really deserved a ban, not just for the speed, but for not noticing that she'd had a police car following right behind here for a couple of miles!
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70 in the circumstances you describe sounds like a case for a jail sentence to me. That has to be criminally reckless surely?
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70 in the circumstances you describe sounds like a case for a jail sentence to me. That has to be criminally reckless surely?
To be fair I think she will drive more slowly now. I saw her Friday morning and the experience had definitely shaken her up. My point was that I reckon a young man driving in a similar fashion would not have got away so lightly!
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They said potential 3 month ban.
To be fair I think she will drive more slowly now. I saw her Friday morning and the experience had definitely shaken her up. My point was that I reckon a young man driving in a similar fashion would not have got away so lightly!
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They said potential 3 month ban. To be fair I think she will drive more slowly now. I saw her Friday morning and the experience had definitely shaken her up. My point was that I reckon a young man driving in a similar fashion would not have got away so lightly!
From your description it does sound as if we would all benefit from her being banned for a few months. As someone else said, the fact that she did not spot the PortaPlod behind her does suggest that her observation skills are poor. And hence not only was she speeding by a huge margin in a high risk area, but she was not even paying attention.
Still, let's hope the 'chat' had an effect.
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She may even have left with a feeling towards the police more like respect than resentment.
..or more likely, with less respect & a re-inforced conviction that men can be manipulated quite easily using feminine wiles. The police involved should be cautioned themselves for wilful neglect of duty.
Meanwhile, a bad driver learns nothing about responsible driving - next time there might be a heavier price to pay.
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She may even have left with a feeling towards the police more like respect than resentment. ..or more likely with less respect & a re-inforced conviction that men can be manipulated quite easily using feminine wiles. The police involved should be cautioned themselves for wilful neglect of duty. Meanwhile a bad driver learns nothing about responsible driving - next time there might be a heavier price to pay.
Equally possible but in the context of the post I responded to, which didn't describe the road conditions at all, not more likely. There are some very surprising 30mph limits around. I had assumed this incident may have occurred in one of them. Based on what's been posted since, I may have guessed wrong.
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So they let her off despite:
More than double the limit.
Didn't notice her speed.
Didn't notice the change in speed limit.
Didn't notice the marked (?) police car behind her.
Good grief, if that's not a recipe for a charge of driving without due care and attention then I don't know what would be!
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About 18 years ago a friend of mine was let off with a caution in similar circumstances - something like 68mph in a 30 zone AFAIR - and he's not pretty and blonde!.
But it was about 5:30am at the time, on a road with no houses on it between two villages, good visibility, there is a wide verge so the pedestrian footpath is about 25 foot from the kerb line.
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Dr_Duffy, other than the ploice and your blonde friend, were there any witnesses to her doing 70mph in a 30mph limit?
Does your blonde friend have a habit of over exaggerating the truth?
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Dr_Duffy other than the ploice and your blonde friend were there any witnesses to her doing 70mph in a 30mph limit? Does your blonde friend have a habit of over exaggerating the truth?
I don't know about the witness situation but I'm sure its all true. I saw her shortly after and she was pretty shaken up, the possibility of a ban had really worried her and she was on the verge of tears.
I know she normally drives very fast (too fast) and is quite aggressive for a woman and in my opinion overconfident. I have been in a car with her driving several times and it can be quite frightening because her anticipation is not that good either. Luckily (as far as I know) she has not yet had an accident.
Personally I would have thought a stiff fine and some points would have been in order and leave a more lasting impression. A ban would make getting to work very difficult.
She is one of those young women who is very aware of her appearance and she uses her 'feminine wiles' (is that the right way to put it?) very effectively on the male workforce, so I can imagine the policemen may have taken a more tolerant view than normal!!
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Not very fair on the unlucky drivers who normally obey the limits and have been caught accidently doing say 37 mph in a 30 limit by a camera.
She should have been banned on the spot, jailed for 6 months and car crushed ;0)
Blondes eh !
(two blondes walked into a building..........
You'd think one of them would've seen it wouldn't you).
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I would have thought a fine equivalent to two days of her 2007/2008 gross annual income [before allowances, not taxable income] would be appropriate for such appalling behaviour if a first offence - 4 days if already has a speeding fine within the past year.
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This makes me so angry, did she hitch up her skirt and unbutton her blouse! I am all for common sense policing and hate speed cameras and a warning should be given if you are maybe 10-15 mph over the limit. However a 30 limit is normally there for a reason and if I was a policeman I would defiantely book someone doing 40 mph in a thirty zone but would probably give domeone a warning for doing a ton on an empty motorway late at night. My general exprience of policeman are that they are not very bright these days, sorry if you're a cop and that offends you but that is just from my personal experience in y area, others may be different.
This shows the injutice of speed cameras. Many people are "done" for a few miles an hour over the limit and then you have sitautions like this.
Edited by Mattbod on 14/02/2008 at 13:56
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"My general exprience of policeman are that they are not very bright these days, "
I'm sure you have Einstein levels of intelligence, or you could be just talking out of your jacksie!
(Yes, I am a 'cop')
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i dont agree with the "punishment" given for the "crime" either.
But who ever said life was fair?
This links to another thread (undertaking on dual carriageways/motorways). Its not about the law its about the attitude.
What probably annoys me most is that if a bloke was stopped by a police Woman, would there have been the same sense of educcation? And not by a camera either!
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People are being their usual hysterical and misogynist selves here.
What was the girl doing? 70 in a 60, practically legal. And plod spotted her as she hit the 30 and presumably lifted off no more abruptly than necessary to allow her speed to fall back to something more appropriate. Perhaps she even braked, who knows?
Anyway, plod thinks she's going a bit briskly and gives her a wigging, which leaves her a bit flustered as it is no doubt intended to do. Then goes on his way having done, for heaven's sake, exactly the right thing.
What's all this rubbish about her simpering and pulling up her skirt? Hasn't plod ever done the right thing along similar lines with most of us at one time or another? He plays it by ear as we all do, and is only human as we all are.
Showing a bit of leg indeed. Tchah!
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I was only being light hearted about skirt business but there is a grain of truth in what people are saying here. If it was a guy I doubt if the police would have been so lenient. We do not know if it was a situation where the thirty was posted say coming into a built up area from a 60 zone. I was however stopped by a patrol car coming in from a 40 to a 30 zone and had the book thown at me for doing 37 mph. Now that is a situation where I would have expected a warning but I had no choice but to take it on the chin as most people do and pay up.
If I had been doing 70 I would have been bang to rights and would have said it was a fair cop if I was prosecuted. If you are coming into a built up area or a village where you would normally have the 30mph speed posted you should be anticipating this and slow down accordngly. Lecture over.
To my policeman friend I apologise and was again being flippant. Don't want to fuel a debate here but a friend of mine accosted a "young man" who was nicking stuff from his shop on a regular basis. He didn't lay a finger on him but gave him a stern talking to. The "young man" complained that he had been threatened and my mate is now facing an assault charge and has to pay thousands in legal fees. The "young man"? Still thieving I guess. That is what I mean by stupid. let's let that one rest though as this is a motoring forum and we are all friends here I hope. Just letting of a bit of steam.
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Well we do know, pay attention boy! The rest of what I say is still valid though.
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OK, lots of cynicism re short skirts and eye fluttering.
A following check has to be completed by a suitable vehicle which has a calibrated speedometer fitted - a traffic car. Beat cars are not normally equipped as such.
A following check should be conducted over 2 tenths of a mile as opposed to laser or camera technology which can record speed in an instant.
So in this case the relevant distance could have been less than the required distance or the plod car did not have the requisite equipment. That does not preclude any Police Officer stopping a vehicle and issuing words of advice.
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Goodness Mattbod, you aren't the only one by any means. I seem to have touched a raw nerve. Take it easy!
As well as being let off sometimes, we've all come across plod in ticked-off, malevolent mode too. I wasn't sniping at you.
All the same, 70 in a 60 and slowing down a bit late... hardly death-penalty stuff.
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I suspect Fullchat has put his finger on it!!
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I had an experience similar to what fullchat described a few years ago. I got pulled over by a marked police car for doing quite a bit over the 30mph limit across a deserted industrial estate. I could of probably took it to court and argued it as he was a lone officer in a car with no recording equipment on board however as i was well over the limit (ban territory) and it would be my word against his i took his offer of 3 points and £40 and a jolly good telling off.
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In reply to Blue_Haddocks post, there is a lesser known offence of a driver exceeding the stated speed limit. Most people get convicted for doing X in a X limited zone. This other offence merely requires evidence to suggest that the Officer in question formed the opinion the driver was speeding, but cannot say by how much.
It helps, if you have another Officer with you to give credibility to your observations and even a calibrated speedo is enough. You just need to show the vehicle was driving at a speed above the posted limit. You need the properly calibrated equipment to show by how much - but not for this offence.
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The second of my grand total of three speeding fines was in 1977 when driving south at night on a quiet M1 through Derbyshire in my Dolomite Sprint. I was overtaking at a reasonable 80mph when I observed headlights approaching rapidly from the rear. Far from being a selfrighteous prat who slows to 71mph to bloodymindedly obstruct the speeder, I increased my speed briefly to 95 - 100 to complete the manouvre then pulled into the middle lane to allow the faster motorist to pass. Yes, you guessed....on came its blue light.
So much for politeness and consideration for others.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 15/02/2008 at 13:05
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We all assume that the Police car had 'tracked' her with the correct equipment for the prescribed period of time to ascertain a proper (IE: legally acceptable) reading of her 'speed'. This police car might have been a GP car or a Neighbourhood Vehicle with a 'Beat Bobby' who stopped her. Hence the result.
I know I have sometimes 'bluffed' my way through a stop and given 'strong words of advice' knowing full well thats all I can do. Sometimes the experience of having been caught is enough to dissuade them from acting like this in the future.
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Speaking on the purely hypothetical level ( since none of us know, including the OP, the exact circimstances of the incident), it does amuse somewhat that the usual rent-a-liberal voices & police spokespersons come up with all sorts of reasons why the alleged perp. should not be prosecuted - well, answer me l this: If a friend or relative had been the victim of a similar driver, doing a similar speed in a 30mph zone, would you still find yourselves being so forgiving or understanding? That's the reality.
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You have to be there woodbines. From the OP she hadn't done anything remotely unusual. The plod were there, you weren't. It was their job to give her a scolding or run her in. They did what they did.
It does amuse me that the usual rent-an-executioner voices etc etc.
What would any of us have done or thought if some unlikely horrible event had happened? We don't know. It's an utterly boring and meaningless question which in various versions shows up far too often on this site.
But no offence to you because you nearly always make sense. Just as I sometimes talk carp.
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Interesting how a speed camera doesn't account for young and blonde and very pretty!
Though neither does a speed camera account for - just come out of a 60 limit into a 30, still on a clear dual carraigeway and slowing down though carrying too much speed.
I would generally rather have common sense from real officers officers whos eyes might be turned by the occasional pretty girl rather than the 1/500 sec snapshot in time that is a speed camera.
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But no offence to you because you nearly always make sense. Just as I sometimes talk carp.
And none at all taken Lud! In fact, I do worry about my own (sometimes gouty & pompous sounding ) contributions, so welcome sporty & eloquent ripostes. As you observe, we're engaging in the equivalent of the theological 'angels-on-pinheads' debate in conjectural contexts like this - and I demand my right to talk carp too! ;)
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Dreadfully sorry woodbines! Just trying to give a professional opinion. Before anyone can make an informed decision they are entitled to be aware of all the potential scenarios. But I forgot bar room lawyers are far better qualified than I. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.
And what if??????? Lets leave it there.
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