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Driving home, not speeding on a deserted A road last night. Noticed car headlights catching up fast, thought it was a boy racer, pulled into left, and was followed a bit then Blue flashing lights appeared in the rear view mirror.
They got me out of my car, into the back seat of the patrol car, checked my details and sent me on my way.
What was that all about? Have they nothing better to do?
You'd wandered across the border into the US by mistake?
Don't they have to give you a reason for stopping you???
no reason at all
Are you black or brown?
My grandad used to get stopped all the time when driving to work on a back road fairly early in the morning.
A lot of car thefts take place at night (as do other crimes). Not many people are driving about at night. So, a larger percentage of cars on the road at night will be stolen or involved in another crime. So it makes sense to randomly stop cars at night.
Why didn't you ask why you were stopped? I would have been interested to know why.
I did ask, after everything was in order, they just said they thought it was unusual to see a car on that stretch of road at that time of night. 11pm 3 miles from the Forth Road Bridge. They said it would be worthwhile cleaning my number plate as I got out of the patrol car.
Every time I've been stopped I've always been asked if I know why they stopped me (it's tempting to say something smart like "give us a clue" or "don't you know?") but there has always been a good reason for it - usually cos I've been driving like a twonk.
is your car modified or on the most nicked list?
they just said they thought it was unusual to see a car on that stretch of road at that time of night. 11pm 3 miles from the Forth Road Bridge
Then why were they there?
I thought that the police had to have a good reason to pull you over, not just some petty hunch? I would complain personally (but then they would probably make your life unbearable)...
Its your own fault for owning a Buggati Veyron 😆
And 11pm is hardly late FFS
they were acting within their power. the reason given was probably about right, most likely to be a purely speculative routine stop check. that is what the police do and sometimes they get a result doing stuff like that. at that particlar time, no they probably didn't have anything better to do so they went looking for something.
I was stopped for no other reason than "we thought you were someone else".
"Every time I've been stopped I've always been asked if I know why they stopped me (it's tempting to say something smart like "give us a clue" or "don't you know?")"
Do you no why i've stopped you sir?
If you said speed for instance the beak would generally view that as a admission of guilt.
When in fact, how could you know the reasons behind the officers actions?
[i]I was stopped for no other reason than "we thought you were someone else".
[/i]
Jean Charles de Menezes?
They said it would be worthwhile cleaning my number plate as I got out of the patrol car.
Well there's the answer then. Thread closed.
I once encountered two coppers, a bloke and a woman, sharing a quite little cuddle, on the canal once. Almost ran them over! It was pretty dark down there, and I doubt they thought anyone else would be down there in the dark.
I thought it was quite sweet.
my first car was a volvo 440 (sh*tbox i called her). I used to get pulled a lot reason they always gave was 'don't see many young lads with old volvos' so my car is shit and to rub it in you pull me over to tell me it's not cool enough for most of my peers! cheers lads!
neverfastenuff - Member
Its your own fault for owning a Buggati Veyron
They wouldn't have sat him in the back seat of the patrol car, they would both have been jammed in the passenger seat fiddling with knobs!
Wiksey - Member
Every time I've been stopped I've always been asked if I know why they stopped me (it's tempting to say something smart like "give us a clue" or "don't you know?") but there has always been a good reason for it - usually cos I've been driving like a twonk.
Standard training, I've been there, I kept saying I didn't and he kept saying "you must know" in the end I said we could go on like this foreverer so he whipped out his fixed penalty book and gave me a ticket for going through a red light! It was only just Amber! I told him I wouldn't accept it so he took me to court and I was let off something I didn't do in the first place! Good use of taxpayers money! (Poo, my money!!!)
police pay taxes too ... we pay our own wages as well .. which i find a bit of a paradox, but hey 😛
I'd say that was reasonable enough. Routine/random stops can lead to quite a lot of things found. I wouldn't say that its a case of targeting folk , just that some things ( cars, people, movement, actions, whatever ) catch your eye and you act on it. I find that if I have to think about something i've just seen, then i'll go and have a closer look. Could turn out to be nothing, could turn out to be quite a lot.
sometimes I don't mind being pulled over. I once left work a bit early (2am finish, and I left at 0150) and got plled over cos I left the car park a bit quick. Police knew we finished on the hour and thought it was a bit odd to see a car leaving early. I'd rather be pulled over than have them wave at the guy stealing my car!
Mind you, I once got pulled over "cos you should be in school!" I did try explaining, that by having a valid driving license I was probably older than 16... but hten I got told off for being cocky.
>3 miles from the Forth Road Bridge.<
Security's clearly being stepped up in the Middle East 🙂
We should have the system they have in the US where this would constitute an illegal search - just another example of the erosion of our civil liberties.
a friend got pulled over for driving erratically, and asked when he had last had a drink, his answer of 'Feb 23th 1984' (he's t-total) ensured that his whole car got searched very throughly 🙂
there was no mention of a search.
Act like an idiot and they'll treat you accordingly.
Several times I've been asked why I was stopped, and my stock response of "genuinely, I don't know, but it's most likely to be speed" doesn't seem to wind anyone up.
I hate the fact, but in this situation the police have ALL the power......swallow hard, don't rise to the occasion, and you're away all the quicker.
"I hate the fact, but in this situation the police have ALL the power"
excuse me?
The last time I checked the UK's Police are Public Servants, not the government's private army.
If you are acting within the law and causing no nuisance or manage to others then the Police should treat you with respect and courtesy.
If they have suspicions then they should voice them.
I do not subscribe to the "Nanny State" or the "its for your protection citizen" impressions that people have of our Police Forces and I also think that for the most part they do a difficult and often thankless job.
No Bugatti I'm afraid. A '96 Citroen XM, with dead central locking. I doubt if any self respecting car thief would ever consider pinching it, unless it was for a dare. On the plus side, I was thankfull I wasnt doing 90.
Oh and I wasnt wearing a baseball cap. I'm not sure if that is offence once you cross the FRB after dark.
MrNutt, you're completely right technically, but when you're standing at the roadside and the police officer has the option to give you points/fine or to let you go, who d'you think really has the power?
I was stopped on the way back from a football match last month (Celtic v Villareal) at the roundabout by the new Kincardine Bridge. Similar circumstances - after 11pm, quiet roads. Difference was there were two patrol cars and they seemed to be flagging down every second vehicle. They asked my name and address and checked the car out (holding a torch in the prescribed cop manner, like the way Norman Bates would wield a knife). I asked why they'd stopped me and was met with the stock, stoney-faced response "Routine check".
Parting words from them were "You might want to clean your number plates"
I'm not bothered about being stopped as I try to keep my car in good order and would rather they drove about as opposed to just sitting in one spot with a radar trap?
Though like thombthumb I used to have an old persons car Rover 414 (WeeMobile) and got stopped several times in Chester and asked "is this your car?" in that's slightly astonished tone :/
Having said that years ago I did get stopped for a defective tail light (no problem with that) but the officer then did himself no favours by blurting out...
"If you hadn't been behind that bus you would have been speeding"!!! I think he realised what a stupid thing he had just said when my girlfriend started laughing out loud at him.
they tend to stop older cars, as its pretty easy to nick an old car (which more than likely won't have a factory immobilizer etc) compared to newer ones.
40,000 miles/year
Not been stopped for the last 20 years
What am I doing wrong? - getting older, I suppose
Where I work there's often not a lot going on at night, so rather than do nothing for 9 hours we usually check a few cars. We can sit behind a car and check who it's registered to, if it's been reported stolen, if it's insured, and who is insured to drive it. We can't tell who is driving it, if they are one of the insured drivers, and if they have a licence or are disqualified. To do that we have to stop the car, speak to the driver and do a quick check over the radio. It doesn't take long. Some people drive without insurance, some drive without a licence, some are disqualified and carry on driving because they don't care, some are pissed. We now sieze cars from people who are driving without insurance or without a licence. Most people see this as a good thing. This is how the police catch these people.
I always explain to people what we're doing and why we're doing it, and I make it clear to them that being stopped does not mean they have done something wrong. Most people don't have a problem with it and they understand why we do it. I understand why some people don't enjoy being stopped by the police, and we all know that there are some complete nobs in the police, but there always will be. I get paid to do a job, so I go and do it, and stopping and checking cars is part of it. I would be quite happy to sit in the warm station all night reading my book, but I suspect all those people who so graciously 'pay my wages' might not approve?
mcmoonter - I don't know why you were stopped, but the police can stop any vehicle, which is sometimes on a hunch, and often at (for want of a better word) random, and on most occasions everything is just fine. I doubt it was anything personal.
When I had a cheap old car (in good condition) and was driving that about I got stopped left right and bloody centre, about 5 times in 2 years,(4 door peugeot 205).
I bought a loud, obnoxious, agressively styled sporty car with enough power to give the cop cars (but not the helicopter!) more than a run for their money and haven't been stopped once, same routes, same length of time, higher average speed, more noise on average etc, same age of car.
I think as aracer said, the answer was your plate was dirty, they couldnt tell who you were from a distance and probably thought you were someone else or just looked a little sus. Its no problem, it means that next time your car is pinched, the police might spot it. At least you didnt get told "you approached that junction too quickly, I'm going to go over your car with a fine tooth comb and book you if you don't stop claiming you didn't". (It was a 15 yard long dead end and I'd had to do a 3 point turn in it already, can hardly get up a great speed!
Everyone gets the chance to pass the attitude test, and a fair few folk fail it miserably, then wonder why an officers attitude and tact changes to deal with it. You'd be surprised how many folk take umbridge to a civil approach to speak to them and come out with all sorts of machismo pish, and if they do, wonder why it gets challenged very quickly. Then they'll be off to the boozer to moan to their mates about it.
I'll always try to be civil to people to begin with, and take it from there. I'm not one that subscribes to having an unnecessary go at folk and give them a brow beating for the sake of it, but i wont put up with gobsh!te either.
thegreatape, I have to say the officers were courteous, and almost apologetic after their detail search revealled everything was in order. I was very mellow about the whole thing, just a little surpised that I was asked to get into the patrol car.
Policing is a tricky thing. I was once stopped for being just over the speed limit driving into Peebles after night riding at Glentress. Leaving Glentress, I was aware that a car was following me (but unaware that it was a Police car) when I came across a mountainbiker riding back into Peebles with no rear lights. I indicated and gave plenty of warning of the vulnerable rider, something The Policeman said he'd probably have unaware of had I been any other driver. He checked my details and would have been well within his rights to charge me, but let me off. Seems he'd ridden with Crawford Carrick Anderson.
mcmoonter - mellow is the way to be, sounds like they were just doing their job. Don't read anything into being asked to sit in the back of the car. It's usually just easier - lighter/warmer/drier/safer/quieter.
I believe that you don't have to leave your car whilst you are dealt with - is that right?
Yes, pretty much
Watch out if you live in Glasgow - Frazzly is about to become a copper... what a scary thought....
Come to think about it, how come Clarkson and his 2 mates dont get stopped for hassling traffic in cars that are clearly falling apart on their top gear show ? maybe they dont go the Forth Bridge route.
They said it would be worthwhile cleaning my number plate
Perhaps the ANPR threw up a warning when it couldn't read your plate. Would have thought at the moment the police could make a mint handing out FPNs for obscured number plates.
In case anybody is interested, I've been stopped twice. Once in a similar way to the OP - late at night, I was young and in a decent car for my age at that time, and they seemed to be stopping lots of other cars too. IIRC they pointed out one of my bulbs was blown and I might want to get it fixed and sent me on my way - didn't have a problem with that at all.
Second time I was stopped because I was "driving like an idiot" - which was probably a reasonable point, as whilst it seemed reasonable driving to me at the time I can appreciate the point with the benefit of many years having passed. Still don't think it was that reckless though - main issue seemed to be overtaking on approaches to roundabouts (was on A5 round Oswestry which is "3 lane" - ie you can overtake with stuff coming the other way). Was most irritated with myself for not noticing the marked car in my mirrors, and admitted as much to the policeman - don't know if that helped at all, or it was just that I was generally apologetic, but was let off with just a warning.
I thought under the laws that let the police stop you in the first place that they have to have a reason to stop you.
I thought that reason had to be that you were committing a road traffic offence (even a simple driving a vehicle with an obscured number plate) or that the "have reasonable suspicion" that you are in the process of committing a criminal offence.
The only time that thats not the case is when a senior office signs a consent to allow randomn stopping of vehicles - and that can only last for a short period of time and has to be for a specific reason to protect the public or prevent criminal activity (like at xmas when a higher number of people drink and drive so most forces have a randomn stop).
So next time you are stopped and you don't know why the first question you should politely ask the officer is:
"Why have you stopped me? was I committing a road traffic offence or do you have reasonable cause to suspect I'm in the process of committing a crime?" Be polite it might be a legitimate reason - tail light out or something.
If he can't give you a justifiable reason, then demand his PC lapel number and the name of his duty sergeant, and the phone number for his base police station then ring them and report the guy/lass for wrongfully detaining you and preventing your civil and human right to freedom of movement.
Police have my respect - but I do get annoyed when they forget they are the servant of the people and that they can't just do what they like cart blanche. Keeping the police under control is crucial to a liberal democracy, they should beholden to the law like th rest of us.
Everyone gets the chance to pass the attitude test
Not sure if that was aimed at me, but if it was I can assure you you are very wide of the mark. The incident basically boiled down to a young cop making a snap judgement after I "got in his way" (because he dithered like an idiot, then drove like a nutter directly at me when he realised the traffic had moved from in front of him and I'd pulled out). I'd recount the whole story but suffice it to say that I was perfectly polite and simply said I disagreed with him but was sorry if it appeared that way to him. At which point he started ranting at me and grinning back at his mates in the van again. Young lad, not much older than I was at the time but about a foot smaller. Little man in a uniform syndrome, the way he spoke to me if he hadnt been a cop I'd have given him more than a mouthful, the cheeky little tart.
badger - The police have the power to stop anyone at any time – they don’t need to give you a reason – and failing to stop is a criminal offence.
Lifted directly from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/powers/road-traffic/
They dont need to, but its polite, and stops people feeling resentful of the police, even if it is a blatent lie ("sorry we thought you were someone else as we couldnt see through the muck on your plates" would suffice).
indeed.They dont need to, but its polite
thegreatape
I do appologise - I'm confusing police power to stop a vehicle and "stop and search" including a vehicle you may be driving.
I've had a quick look and indeed they may stop you and demand your name and address.
To search you or your vehicle however, they have to believe you are carrying articles to comit a crime (like burglary etc) or firearms, drugs an offensive weapon etc. Otherwise you can say no to a search request and any search and subsequent arrest would then be unlawful.
To search you or your vehicle however, they have to believe you are carrying articles to comit a crime (like burglary etc) or firearms, drugs an offensive weapon etc. Otherwise you can say no to a search request and any search and subsequent arrest would then be unlawful.
Surely if you say no, they have cause to believe you are 🙂
Oh and a quick read of PACE (the police and criminal evidence act) says:
"A constable who is not in uniform is not empowered to stop you if you are driving a vehicle (section 2 para 2)"
So does that mean that an unmarked car with an un-uniformed officer can (as mentioned above) be ignored until a marked vehicle turns up?
coffeeking.
No. Unless they have grounds to believe you are committing an offence - hiding a weapon, drugs etc. then they can ask you to voluntarily let them search - but you should always say NO as the rules that regulate what a police constable can do when searching you or your property don't apply if you voluntarily let them search. If they try to search after you say no then they are committing an offence.
Oh and they must tell you their name and show you their warrant card first before - whether you ask or not.
They could make up grounds - like when I was travelling late at night down a country road and they stopped me and said "there have been drug transportation problems down this road late at night, can we search yoru car" - I couldnt argue it, and I had no reason to argue it, hardly a major inconvenience other than being a little tired and 5 mins later to bed.
But badger, my main thought is, I have nothing to hide? Why would I say no? At most they'll find some old bottles of coke and a ghetto tubeless conversion covered in latex and ditched in anger. Knowing that I'm not a known criminal, I have nothing to hide and I'm being reasonable with them they'd have no reason to "find" anything.
So does that mean that an unmarked car with an un-uniformed officer can (as mentioned above) be ignored until a marked vehicle turns up?
IIRC to be "uniformed" they only have to have a cap/hat on?
Coffeeking - yeah true - nothing to hide is fine as a reason to let them. But there is also the opposite of I haven't committed an offence so they have no reason to search me and my right to a private life overrides their curriosity.
Not sure - depends on the situation - I might let them search if I thought that ruling me out of an enquiry would help them concentrate actually getting the right person - but then it would depend on how polite and reasonable they had been - bloody minded arrogance wouldn't make me feel like being helpful.
Not sure about the cap thing - guess I'd just ask to see a warrant card (you always have the right to demand identification and proof the police officer is what they say they are).
I was stopped twice within half a mile on the way to work the other morning, turns out there had been a burglary in the area and they suspected the burglars where still in the area.
This is becoming a bit like 'speeders anonymous'....
I'm afraid to admit, I've been stopped a few times for speeding. I'm a slow learner but it's all in the past....
I've had a couple of occasions when I've been warned rather than 'done'. The funniest was on the way to the airport very early in the morning. I was going througg a small town en route and saw a police car coming the other way. Did the quick personal check; speed, lights. seatbelt, phone in cradle, not drunk (I don't even drink alocohol) etc. Passing this little self test, and carried on my way.
10 miles or so later in a very dark country lane, the blue lights went up. I was asked why I though I was being stopped 'presumably speed' I replied even though I wasn't doing much over th 60 limit.
'That's fine' says the rozzer, 'but what about the red light'? Apparently while I was going through my checklist, I ran a red light in the little town. In my defence, it was a busy bit of road with lots of street furniture, signage, lights, belisha beacons etc but still....
I recounted my tale of seeing him and going through my 'yikes' moment. He then gave me a telling off and sent me on my way...
Must have thought I was a bit of a divvy and worthy of nothing but sympathy. Thank goodness.
Bob
Night turn on patrol at 11pm there are often drink drivers people nicking cars exactly like a lot of people have said. You see someone driving along at that time of night you can stop them (S163 Road Traffic Act) don't need a reason and have a chat. I'd be polite a courteous just asking where you are going to and from, do a check on the car and ask if you have any ID to confirm who you are. all checks in order off you go 5 mins later. It is amazing what those checks bring up especially at that time of night!!
with the number of uninsured, or illegal cars on the road, (or any other of the plethora of offences that are for safety not to be awkward) ide be happy to be stopped, cant say ive ever been i a car thats been stopped though.
its worrying the state of some cars that people drive.
my sister boyfriends almera has no wingmirrors (at all) no rearview mirror, bald tyres, and the wheels have lost thier weights, so they vibrate violently at over 60, but he drives at 90 generally.
i think his MOT has run out too, so if he hits someone hes technically uninsured.
i also think people have too many rights, i realise it wouldnt work in the real world, as thier are police who go around bashing people of other races, and soldier etc, (though im sure they are few and far between)
but in an ideal world, the police should be able to pull someone up (in a car or on the street) and hold them under suspicion of "being a prick"
would put a sock in those tossers "you cant do that to me, get off me"
It seems to be a common thread that driving a crap car means you get pulled over more. My first car was a beige/green/grey/white/brown Fiat Panda 4x4 and I got pulled over three times in a couple of months by the same copper.
The first time was just leaving a 30 zone and for no reason I can see. The second time he was waiting just down the road from a pub just before kicking out time and pulled me further down the road. As the pool team's Des for the night I was fine with the excuse that they were checking to see if I had been drinking.
The last time was just after a stretch of dual carriage way. I'd left a friend's house and was well inside the speed limit when a car burned up the road and followed me right up my arse the whole length of the section. I was blinded by their bloody headlights for about a mile and thought that some scummy chav was trying to get me to speed up.
At the next roundabout (heading into a national speed limit) I put my foot down and they pulled me over about 400m later. No reason. The bloke got me to come out and clean my number plate ("it's nearly illegible" - i.e. still legible) and the second I stepped out of the car breathalised me. No joy there for him. He then mentioned that my driving could have been dangerous (i.e. going round the roundabout at speed) to which I replied that I thought that, given their closeness behind my car and the full beams they had on, I thought that someone was trying to run me off the road and thought I had better put some distance between us when the speed limit went up.
He was a bit quiet after that.
Interestingly, when I bought a loud Golf GTi I never got pulled over once. Same with the ex-police Omega MV6.
I got stopped 15 or so years ago in a laden down car with 3 mates driving through a less salubrious part of SE London in the early hours of the morning. But for us it was a marked car with blue lights which came through a red light in front of us and straight in front of us forcing us into the side of the road, while meanwhile the (unmarked) car behind quickly shoved its lights on and boxed us in. The 4 coppers, 2 from each car rushed at the car, opened the doors and had us out and kneeling with hands on our heads in a flash. I fair shat myself, I'll admit.
The lead then set about an aggressive tone of questioning and quickly ascertained, since we were all easily able to produce identification and proof of our story, that we were on our way to Gatwick to catch an early flight to go ski-ing. Passports and tickets, plus being laden down with a boot full of bags full of ski-wear and boots seemed to fill that role.
We then got a mumbled apology of sorts (nasty part of town, 4 lads in a laden car with out of town plates, can't be too careful, often armed / likely to make a run for it, etc.) we were set on our way. But by now we're running late so ask for best directions to the A23, and instead get an escort there (not blue lights, but close on)
How do the civil liberties folks recommend four 21 year olds should have handled the situation differently. Because blind obedience felt pretty smart at the time and still does, and I can see their reasonable suspicions as just that even now.
A difficult job, a fair proprtion of nob-ends like any walk of life, and the majority being decent folks would be my opinion. As suggested above, answer politely and honestly and if you don't mess them about then you'll soon be on your way.
I once got pulled 5 times in two weeks. Complained on the 5th time and have never been pulled since.
A time previous to that I was taking a car out for a run to charge its battery - got pulled "please turn your engine off sir" told them that it probably wouldn't start again, but they made me turn it off anyway. Unsurprisingly the car refused to start. What a shame it was that they had to push me along the hard shoulder of the M74. How I laughed at the big puff of black reek that engulfed them when the thing started. 😀
Inbetween 11pm and 3am I'd rather be inconvenienced/stopped numerous times than have even one DUI slip under the net.
Put it this way, the Police were probably visually assessing you for drink on your breath then questioned you in the car incase of drug use.
I really dont see the whole "privacy" and "im doing no wrong so you shouldnt ask me" thing, I'll be honest. I'm doing no wrong, if they found a massive porn stash and my secret collection of rubber in the boot I couldnt give two hoots (I dont have either, but it was an example) - I'd rather that than have drunk/illegal drivers on the road. I'd pay money to have more police around my parents place. In fact we used to have a sticker in the window of our old car that the police were giving out that said "police, please stop this vehicle" or words to that effect. They did, fairly often too.