Idiotic copper

[brucemillar]

Write to the Chief Constable. I did.


Dear Sir / Madam

On the 20th March @ 08:30 am I was travelling on the M25 (clockwise) preparing to join the usual exit tailback for the M4 (Slough). As I indicated to exit left and join the end of the queue (which starts about .5 mile before the exit) I was aware of a Police car with Blue lights on approaching at speed from the entry slip behind me. I was also aware that the overhead gantry signs ahead of me were indicating an accident (which I could see 500 yards ahead and a lane (my lane) closed.

The Police car had it's siren and lights on and was approaching at speed alternating between the hard shoulder and other lanes as it attempted to make it's way through the rush hour traffic. As the car came up behind me (I was now stationary in the queue) it pulled to the hard shoulder alongside me and stopped. It was immediately evident that the driver was having some kind of facial and upper body fit. Concerned that he would turn his entire face inside out or push his arms through the roof of his car I wound down my passenger window to see if I could assist in any way (I have no medical training but being a father of young children I could see that this was clearly some kind of tantrum). The driver managed to communicate with me in short barking tones (common in neanderthal man) that I should have moved out of the closed lane so that he did not have to use the hard shoulder. He also then suggested that I should not be smoking in my own car. As impressive as this show of human evolution was, it leaves several unanswered questions that I hope you may be able to remedy for me.

1) As he had already traversed virtually every lane and the hard shoulder before his fit occurred and he stopped next to me (blocking the hard shoulder for any other emergency vehicles) why was he so concerned about me stopping in a queue, thus leaving the hard shoulder empty for him to use.

2) Why was he showing no concern or hurry to get to the accident 500 yards in front of him.

3) Is it normal for your officers to use blues & two's (I love those TV shows) to persue drivers who are smoking in their own cars.

4) Is it normal for your officers to communicate with the general public whilst clearly struggling to control their facial convulsions. I think I spotted some dribble on his lower lip (not a good look)

It is fair to say that I have bad days. Sometimes I wish that life was better and my wife loved me more in the mornings. That said I operate in the belief that were I to hurtle round the M25 weaving from lane to lane then pull alongside a random motorist and roar at him, it may lead to others (who can show self control) thinking that I should attend some anger management classes. It may also lead others to get out their car and attempt to dismember me.

If you can gain access to your officer during visiting hours please can you explain to his carers that I am truly sorry for his mental collapse and I wish him well for his release back into society. Care in the community can be a good thing. Long walks away from the stress of his daily task of dealing with the public may help. His facial muscles should relax back into something resembling human. Allow him time to reflect on how yet another member of the public would not rush to his aid were the need to arise.

Oh, you might also enquire if he ever did get to the accident. One can only imaging the conversation if he did arrive. "Sorry about that Gov. There was a bloke back there smoking in his car".


Best Regards

Bruce Millar

 

[Dieselman]

Bruce, You're wasted...

I'm not sure in which sense, but you truly are.

 

[brucemillar]

Well. I got a response and a very polite one too. They investigated and checked the in car video. Suffice to say that they agreed with me that the entire incident need not have happened.

I said that I wanted no further action taken but that I wanted the officers concerned to see my letter and understand that implications of their actions. I am told that this happened.

 

[A210AMG]

How long were you in lane two for before you needed to turn off it?

If you simply moved over to lane two way way before you needed to and just sat their then I can see why he stopped you. I'm not saying his manor or attitude is right. It was 1am ? no cars and your in lane two when lane one could have been find for half a mile say? Maybe he was just checking..

 

[andy27168]

Though the Police officer's behaviour does seem to be very aggressive, but consider this, the O/P was asked if he would get out of the car, he did,nt do it, and only responded with a question. He was then asked again if he would get out of the car, and again his response was to ask a question. The Police officer then retired to the pavement to wait for the O/P.
He waited there a minute, and again went to ask him to get out of the car, at which point the O/P switched his engine off and got out.
Now I think the police officer could construe the O/P's actions as having a bad attitude, all the time the O/P did,nt get out of the car the police officer had to put himself in potential danger to go to the O/P's car window which would of effectively be on the edge of the carriageway.
Driving at this time in the morning though it should,nt I know but will attract the attention of the boys in blue, so any misdemeaner and they will on you like a ton of bricks.
I got pulled over the about a week ago similar time of the day in Southampton, I pulled to the side of the road and checking behind me I got out before they did and then stood between me and their car, to be honest this seems to unerve them as I think they expect to have to ask you to get out of the car.
They then repeatedly asked me if I had been drinking, and I said no, and that they more than welcome to breathalyse me, two or three minutes of this intersected with questions like where I was going to coming from, and they let me on my way apologising for the inconvenience.
I think if the O/P had switched off his engine and got out of the car when originally asked then I think this whole situation could of been avoided, and he would of got a polite response to his question.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[cinek]

And most of all, lets not forget this is only one side of the story...

OP - polite, well mannered individual (allegedly)
Copper - impatient, pompous p**k (allegedly)

 

[Sp!ke]

My experiences with Police officers is that there is good, bad and very bad.

Whilst 99% of officers do a stirling job, I have also been on the receiving end of one or two that simply shouldnt be in uniform.

Given the above, I think it is a little premature to jump on the OP and assume he was in the wrong based on the notion that the police were "using language I doubt any modern Police would use".

I know that stretch of the north circular well and what we dont know is how far away from the actual hanger lane roundabout he was when he was tugged. It is a 3 lane carriageway leading to 4 lanes at the giratory so lane 2 doesnt seem unreasonable given one needs to then get into in lane 3 or 4 if one is to be turning right onto the A40.

I also think mentioning that he was a Muslim when asked whether he had been drinking is perfectly reasonable thing to say in the same way as one would say tea total.

Yes perhaps the OP should have immediately got out of the car when asked but it sounds like the officer was already seeing red mist long before then and the fact that the OP asked what he was being stopped for is once again a perfectly reasonable request (albeit ill advised under the circumstances).

At least understand the full picture before assuming the OP is to blame and shooting him down.

 

[Dryce]

At least understand the full picture before assuming the OP is to blame and shooting him down.

Same for the PC.

Amazing how many police officers become 'stupid' the moment they pull somebody over.

Having this sort of thing out in a forum invariably leads to this sort of discussion and redirection of blame back to the OP. Particularly as a story that is picked at tends to look bad for the poster when the real problem is that none of us were there.

 

[jotter22]

Well the op cant have been that close to the roundabout as he was doing 50mph in the middle lane so he is not as far as the 4 lane roundabout and at the end of the day why not just get out and speak to the officer who had already given you a warning about lane hogging? right wrong or indifferent he is the law and simply explaining you are getting ready to exit at the roundabout would have saved all the grief.

Tony.

 

[Paul/]

Having this sort of thing out in a forum invariably leads to this sort of discussion and redirection of blame back to the OP. Particularly as a story that is picked at tends to look bad for the poster when the real problem is that none of us were there.

Well, taking the very detailed recollection of the dialogue at face value (and accepting that the officer had the mannerisms of a red-necked sheriff):
The OP's driving was at fault;
The officer was heavy-handed;
The OP's behaviour inflamed the situation;
The OP learned why his driving was at fault and went on his way without penalty.

Oh, and the repeated references to being scared sound like a rehearsal for undergoing cross-examination in court.

 

[brucemillar]

My point in my letter to the police (followed up with several useful phone exchanges) is:

If you are not accustomed to being stopped by the police you probably have no 100% correct reaction to being stopped. Some panic, some don't know what to do and some actually do stop (as in emergency stop). The police should assume, that not everybody is aware of their expectations upon being stopped.

The default practice now seems to a massive presumption of guilt that demands an instant denial along with proof of innocence.

Shouting and being aggressive may well work with those who live their life shouting and being aggressive. To Joe Public it is simply intimidating.

FYI: I live 500 yards from where the Police (blues & two's on) stopped the Tonbridge Securitas managers car at night and in the dark. They demanded that he get out his car and join them in their car. At this point they explained that they were in fact kidnapping him and were taking him to get him into the Securitas depot.

So the presumption of:

Looks like it, smells like, tastes like it, thank God I never stood in it. Is simply a presumption.

If the OP is telling the truth (why should he not). Then it does sound like we have an officer simply venting his personal agenda and not following procedure or process.

A bully.

 

[E55BOF]

The traffic officer considered the OP was in the wrong lane. He came up behind him and gave him a hint to that effect. The OP moved over. The officer drove on. The OP then repeated his behaviour in clear view of the officer, who (not surprisingly, you may think) came back to try again.

In the conversation that followed, unless the OP's account is a complete fabrication (which I am not suggesting) it seems pretty clear that the officer formed the opinion that the OP had an attitude problem, and the OP formed the opinion that the officer had an attitude problem. Unless the conversation was recorded, no-one will ever know exactly what was said, not even the officer and the OP; they will know what they perceive to have been said, but neither account, if given, would be entirely accurate, because the human memory recalls things in a subjective way. The truth between their accounts (which would probably be very different...) is likely to lie somewhere down the middle.

No accident occurred, no-one was hurt, and as davidjpowell says, you came away with no ticket. Move on and be thankfull, and if there's a next time, take the hint and keep on taking it.

 

[m1br]

Troll.

 

[E55BOF]

No, I have an Aero. You're a Saab fan, I take it?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Troll.

Where?

 

[Dieselman]

FYI: I live 500 yards from where the Police (blues & two's on) stopped the Tonbridge Securitas managers car at night and in the dark. They demanded that he get out his car and join them in their car. At this point they explained that they were in fact kidnapping him and were taking him to get him into the Securitas depot.

I bet he wished he hadn't gone dogging that night.

 

[E55BOF]

Were the two bogus coppers planning to be, with him, the doers in the car or the watchers in the bushes?

All right, silly, I know; I'll get my coat...

 

[John]

Where?

There on the stair, right there...

 

[Stratman]

I'm not getting the "I can't have been drinking, I'm a muslim" bit.

I'll ask my mate Abdul about it, next time I see him down the pub.

 

[tonyc280]

Middle lane hoggers should be shot because the law changes and increased fines will make no difference. police could get ten people every mile for offending. they are holding the traffic up terribly.