Back in the day, I was a traffic bobby - I rode a motorbike most of the time. I've lost count of the number of speeders I caught that I 'let off' ('cautioned', I should say!) after suitable advice was given, and, for the most part, gratefully accepted. That was back when common sense was built into the equation - I could take into account all the circumstances relating to the offence, then decide on a suitable course of action. I could use my discretion.
Back in the day, the Daily Mail newspaper, amongst others, ran a very high profile campaign that was hyper-critical of traffic police 'persecuting' motorists, and the oft-heard rallying cry was 'haven't they got anything better to do'.
Back in the day, traffic bobbies started to be moved to other duties, or simply
used on other duties, whilst looking as if they were still traffic bobbies, and policing the roads started to become a much lower priority - our bosses, and the politicians, could say 'this is what the public want', and it rather conveniently coincided with budget cuts and general belt-tightening in many force areas.
Enforcement moved towards automated systems, or at least systems where there was no direct interaction between enforcer and offender. I, and others like me, were out of the loop. It won't be too long before your vehicle tells the system you're speeding - your ticket will drop through your letterbox, and the only human involvement will have been someone posting the ticket at one end, and delivering it at the other.
I wonder how long it'll be before the Daily Mail starts a campaign calling for the return of the 'good old traffic bobby'?!
Too late, methinks!
Pete
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