Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers

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Wed 4 May 2011 17:54
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

This is a tale a work colleague told me today in the office ,on Tuesday he was driving on the outer ring road of the city which is a dual carriageway and came up behind a Vauxhall Vectra on doing so he noticed attachments on both rear head rests and guessed that it could be an unmarked traffic car,as the lights went green the Vectra shoots off to what he reckoned was 60/70mph then slows down to approx 45mph, as said colleague cacthes up with Vectra he decided to stay behind him doing same speed,he said this then happened another three times over a series of roundabouts and straights almost as if the Vauxhall was baiting him,until it finally shot off out of sight,however he soon came upon the Vectra now sporting flashing blue lights at the rear with its driver having a chat with the the driver of a Corsa.

I am no expert but surely this baiting of drivers cannot be standard practice or even legal maybe,it seems to me a bad way of going about things not good for public relations and pretty dangerous unless of course this was just a rogue officer.

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Wed 4 May 2011 18:38
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - P3t3r

It doesn't sound good to me. It doesn't set a good example to other drivers. People will see what it's doing and whether people know it's a police car or not, they may choose drive in a similar way.

Unless they were training?

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Wed 4 May 2011 18:46
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - jamie745

I cant think what part of the training would involve driving like a spanner though.

Keystone cops springs to mind.

I read a story in the paper a while back of police who seized a sports car (no insurance or something), copper decided to joyride it for a laugh and wrapped it round a lamp post.

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Wed 4 May 2011 19:29
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Armstrong Sid

No doubt their argument would be "just because I drive like a moron, doesn't mean you have to as well"

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Wed 4 May 2011 20:19
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - daveyjp

As with all these threads concerning police driving habits unless you were in the police car you have no idea why they were doing what they were doing.

If other drivers are so concerned with another's driving habits that they try and 'control' how others drive using their own car they immediately fail the attitude test and probably deserve a talking to.

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Wed 4 May 2011 20:25
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - jamie745

The reason people have gripes with poor police driving is because we all know if it was us, the police would give us a holier than thou rhetoric about how awful our driving us. Nor would they ever miss an opportunity to do so.

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Wed 4 May 2011 21:03
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

I don't know if the officer was alone or not during the incident,but training or no training this seems like a form of entrapment and a dangerous one at that,police officers are just like anybody else and are capable of rising to the bait also.

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Thu 5 May 2011 13:02
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

I have asked him about the incident again today, he said the Vectra was the sri type?,so perhaps he was just fooling about,but he is sure he was being baited,or maybe the police officer just doesn't like bmw 5 series much.

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Thu 5 May 2011 22:14
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - dereckr

This is a second hand description of someone's version of what they believe was happening, yet some posters are quite happy to get on their "one law for them another for us" soapbox without possibly knowing the facts of this incident.

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Thu 5 May 2011 22:32
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - jamie745

Maybe so, but would it surprise anyone to come across police who have that precise attitude?

It couldve been an ex-police car driven by some twonk. It might not have been a police car at all.

It may have been a police car specifically following somebody and had to keep varying distances.

A whole treasure trove of possibilities!!!

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Fri 6 May 2011 15:01
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - ForumNeedsModerating

Very odd logic being employed here. Would the OP say that leaving your back door open

was similarly 'entrapment' for a casual passerby who might be tempted to enter & steal etc?

Admittedly, a bit dumb (leaving door open), but the desrire to steal is within the potential theif, not the householder. Same is true for the (supposed) police car - nothing wrong in varying your speed - within safe driving/traffic law & HC regulations.

If drivers can be so 'entrapped' perhaps they're not safe to be let loose on the highway anyway!

Finally, there could be 101 reasons for a police speeding up/ slowing down - they may be calibrating/testing their speed radar etc, or may have had a 'shout' which was subsequently called off etc etc.

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Fri 6 May 2011 16:47
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - jamie745

Entrapment is an interesting issue. Has anyone here seen the American show Bait Car? American cops, leave a car in an area notorious for car crime at the side of the road rigged with camera's, leave the engine on and see how long it takes someone to drive it away. Its astonishing as to how quickly it happens and how casual they are. Mother with two kids just walking by and says "oh, a car, come on girls!" and she just gets in and drives them home.

The cops remotely shut the car down and arrest them. Now its something some British police forces would like to impliment but our entrapment laws wont allow it, as it would be defined as the police encouraging somebody to commit crime.

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Fri 6 May 2011 19:57
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - PatrickO

It's all about targets & money nowadays. Things a bit quiet then see if we can bait a chap in to getting frustrated and getting his toe down a bit. Another tick in our box.

It's just not cricket is all.

I check every car I drive past to see if it's unmarked.

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Fri 6 May 2011 21:10
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

Woodbines- I agree it could have been several things that prompted his erratic driving style,however i am inclined to believe my colleague, don't forget this happened four times in all,he is not anti police and is a forty something businessman with a clean licence with 25 years experience behind him,we can give the police officer the benefit of the doubt but i fear we would not get the same in return.

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Fri 6 May 2011 21:42
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - bathtub tom

I've been a passenger in a traffic car (don't ask) and was quite surprised by the 'enthusiastic' way they drive when not on a shout.

I understand this is the way they're taught to drive.

This is apart from 'a mate told me'.

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Sat 7 May 2011 13:19
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

Enthusiastic way they drive,you mean badly, and it is what they would lecture us about not doing,if they want respect they have to play the game i'm afraid.

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Sat 7 May 2011 15:25
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - bathtub tom

No, I don't mean badly. I would say expertly. Making good progress is a phrase that springs to mind, certainly not mimsing.

I usually drive with economy in mind, but am certainly not averse to driving fast, within my and speed limits.

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Fri 13 May 2011 05:01
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - cellarman

Enthusiastic way they drive,you mean badly, and it is what they would lecture us about not doing,if they want respect they have to play the game i'm afraid.

And you of course are suitably qualified to show them the "correct" way to drive ? Dear me, all the "anti` s" are out in force tonight !

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Sun 8 May 2011 10:34
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - ForumNeedsModerating

As you say GAOH : "..however i am inclined to believe my colleague, don't forget this happened four times in all,he is not anti police and is a forty something businessman with a clean licence with 25 years experience behind him.."

Which makes it even more unlikely in my view - why would they bait someone who probably looks & drives like a pliiar of the community (..and presumably they could have checked out your colleague & his car real-time..) ?

If they were 'baiting', surely a youngish driver in a souped-up Saxo or a tasty looking sort in an aged BMW would have yielded a better 'result' ?

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Fri 13 May 2011 04:53
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - cellarman

Maybe so, but would it surprise anyone to come across police who have that precise attitude?

It couldve been an ex-police car driven by some twonk. It might not have been a police car at all.

It may have been a police car specifically following somebody and had to keep varying distances.

A whole treasure trove of possibilities!!!

I get the impressionthat perhaps you have had issues with the police (re motoring) at some time in the past, that is usually the case with some one who obviously loves to have a pop at them at every given opportunity.

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Fri 13 May 2011 10:15
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - cellarman

The reason people have gripes with poor police driving is because we all know if it was us, the police would give us a holier than thou rhetoric about how awful our driving us. Nor would they ever miss an opportunity to do so.

And you know this because ??? You yourself have been on the receiving end or because "my mate told me !"

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Fri 13 May 2011 04:41
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - cellarman

As with all these threads concerning police driving habits unless you were in the police car you have no idea why they were doing what they were doing.

If other drivers are so concerned with another's driving habits that they try and 'control' how others drive using their own car they immediately fail the attitude test and probably deserve a talking to.

Well said !!

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Sat 7 May 2011 19:04
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - BBBB

Me thinks you are letting your imagination run away. Unless you were in the cop car then you have no real idea what the reasons for what you think was unusual driving.

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Sat 7 May 2011 22:39
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - primeradriver

Not really sure what the story is here. Dual carriageway, presumably speed limit of 70, unmarked car slows to 45, overtake surely?

They can't 'get' you for overtaking on a DC within the speed limit. I do it all the time on motorways when the numpties are convoying a police vehicle at 55. Drive past at an indicated 75, never an eyelid batted.

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Sat 7 May 2011 23:00
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - daveyjp

Primeradriver.

What do you do if the unmarked car speeds up to 70 as you are passing?

(a) Speed up

or

(b) Ease off

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Sun 8 May 2011 02:34
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - primeradriver
Continue at the speed I am doing and if the unmarked car is breaking the law by undertaking I have it on my video camera in case they decide to get bolshy with me.
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Sun 8 May 2011 12:37
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - barney100

i think the polce take the Michael, they lecture us on road safety etc. i know one of these 'special' coppers and his advanced driving course sounded positively hairy and definitely illegal. however the application of the blue lights etc is carte blanche to do as you please. Its a do as I say....not as I do thing.

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Sun 8 May 2011 14:18
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - greenhey

I don't understand.

If you are a sensible driver, you drive at the speed allowed and appropriate to the conditions.

Whatever other drivers do, whether they are police or not, makes no difference.

And, as I understand the OP, this car was not using blues and twos so was not asserting it was going to an incident.

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Sun 8 May 2011 15:20
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - jamie745

There used to be an unmarked traffic car in this area a couple of years ago which was terrific. It was a mk3 Mondeo ST220, silver with a gary boy style bodykit, covered in lights and side skirts etc, it looked like a chav's car, until out of nowhere the lights appear in the grill and under the car and the police sign lights up in the windows.

Tremendous motor. Went like hell too!

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Sun 8 May 2011 16:55
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - tanvir

I've been tailgated by MARKED panda cars on a few occasions this year, when doing the speed limit. I never bothered complaining or taking number plates because, to be honest it would be a waste of my time

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Sun 8 May 2011 21:19
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Gotanoldhondar

This thread has certainly split opinion no shock there then regarding the police ,what is apparent is that there are some police drivers who see the roads as their playground and this element when caught need to be thrown out and made an example of,for me there is too much protection of police who do wrong and that is why they do it to begin with.

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Fri 13 May 2011 05:08
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - cellarman

This thread has certainly split opinion no shock there then regarding the police ,what is apparent is that there are some police drivers who see the roads as their playground and this element when caught need to be thrown out and made an example of,for me there is too much protection of police who do wrong and that is why they do it to begin with.

My you do have issues !!

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Fri 13 May 2011 11:49
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Bobbin Threadbare

I've been subject to this as well. Once I was doing a fair lick (say 85mph) on a 4-lane stretch on the m'way, and a police car came right up behind me and tailgated until I had space to move over. They didn't nick me, they were just pushing me to get past!

I've had it on other motoways too; cruising along at 70mph, overtaking calmly, and a pair of coppers in a marked car came hammering up behind me and tailgated. I took my time moving back over. I don't appreciate it from regular drivers, let alone cops. They can be the worst speeding offenders too (traffic cops in family!)

It is also my understanding that entrapment is not permitted in England (although I think the rules are slightly different for Scotland). Any legal bods out there who can explain it?

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Fri 13 May 2011 12:48
Unmarked Traffic Car Baiting Drivers - Dutchie

A few years ago diving from Sheffield Meadowhall ,nighttime I was driving about 80mph.Overtaking a few cars went back on the outside lane car behind me following for about twenty minutes.Moved back to the inside lane to about 70 mph.Car overtook me flashed his blue lights once indicated left and carried on.He or she could have stopped me and had a word. I don't know if they where baiting just following maybe if I had gone faster I would have had a tickett.

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