127 replies to this topic

[taffy1967]

I've noticed no end of cars with dodgy headlamps this Winter. Some have a headlamp out, or some have one working normally and the other on side-light only.

Oh and misaligned headlamps on cars heading towards you, so they blind you are not much fun either.

We need more police, on the beat and on the road.

Especially when you're low down in the mini, the headlights only need to be a bit misaligned to give you an eye full.

Hear hear.

True and it's just as bad when their behind you with misaligned lamps.

Our only hopes are they fail on their next MOT.

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I can't swat the mirror to make the problem go away...!
I presume there *is* a mini sized mirror with a flip built in?

Well their supposed to be anti-dazzle, but late 1970's/early 1980's Minis got the dipping rear view mirror.

[Burnard]

if the glare is such a problem, why not get a set of them flip down sunglasses convertors, and put a piece of black paper over them or soemthing, so you can just flip that down?

Im going to try that now, got some lieing arround somewhere.

[whatand1]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

In my area (Brighton-ish) I have seen tonnes of undercover Octavia's, a Lotus Elise marked car, an Evo, a Suzuki GXR1000 Bike marked, a clio sport undercover, an Audi A4 unmarked, tonnes of 5 series estates unmarked and a new fiesta unmarked as well as others! How the hell am I supposed to outrun any of those?

[mini-man-dan]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

In my area (Brighton-ish) I have seen tonnes of undercover Octavia's, a Lotus Elise marked car, an Evo, a Suzuki GXR1000 Bike marked, a clio sport undercover, an Audi A4 unmarked, tonnes of 5 series estates unmarked and a new fiesta unmarked as well as others! How the hell am I supposed to outrun any of those?

Around here (Weston-Super-mare & Bristol-ish) the majority are darker silver BMW 530d estates. You can recognise them by the extra lights that are behind the front grille.
My brother also saw a Nissan 350z marked police car at an RTC the other day

[nurseholliday]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

When you say challenge, would there be a verbal conversation?

Is that classed as entrapment?

I must admit every time I have been pulled over it has been my fault so I can't fault the Police whatsoever, and same with my dad. My dad got let off doing 120 on the A127 at 23.30. I think the officer was just so surprised to see my dad driving.

Let me set the scene for you here, A127 is the dual carriageway that goes to Southend. It's a Friday night, last night of Tax Return so my dad's pretty annoyed he's left it so late. Gets to Southend, hands it in, and thinks, "Right. Let's get home and watch a film and have some tea." He's in an Alfa 156 2.0 Selespeed (sequential 'box) with the 'Sports Pack 3' and 'Evo style rear wing'.
So now he's driving at 120mph in a car that would fit right in at the Southend 'strip', on his way back from Southend, on a Friday night. He said to me for what was about 5 minutes there were some lights in his mirror, he thought nothing of it, someone else trying to get home too. Then the blues come on and he's thinking... bugger.
The officer peers in the window and my dad said he definitely took a few steps back and had to think about what he was going to say! He just kind of stuttered a few words out, then said, "Er... I know this is a powerful car and you seem to be an experienced driver sir, but there's never a time or place to break the law." My dad apologised, explained about the tax return and the officer laughed. They chatted for a few minutes and the officer was still concerned because my dad hadn't seen that it was the Police following him. My dad just said the headlights were quite bright and there were a few cars at the drop off place for Tax Return so he assumed it was someone else just wanting to get home. The Officer mulled this over then let my dad go with another reminder about obeying laws.
On one hand, that is 50mph over the limit, but on the other it was an empty road, clear visibility, and my dad was polite. He definitely wasn't the boy racer the Officer was expecting, and he's had a clean license his whole life.
Any time I think of unfair Police work, I remember that Officer and I think he made up for it.

[Burnard]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

When you say challenge, would there be a verbal conversation?

Is that classed as entrapment?

I must admit every time I have been pulled over it has been my fault so I can't fault the Police whatsoever, and same with my dad. My dad got let off doing 120 on the A127 at 23.30. I think the officer was just so surprised to see my dad driving.

Let me set the scene for you here, A127 is the dual carriageway that goes to Southend. It's a Friday night, last night of Tax Return so my dad's pretty annoyed he's left it so late. Gets to Southend, hands it in, and thinks, "Right. Let's get home and watch a film and have some tea." He's in an Alfa 156 2.0 Selespeed (sequential 'box) with the 'Sports Pack 3' and 'Evo style rear wing'.
So now he's driving at 120mph in a car that would fit right in at the Southend 'strip', on his way back from Southend, on a Friday night. He said to me for what was about 5 minutes there were some lights in his mirror, he thought nothing of it, someone else trying to get home too. Then the blues come on and he's thinking... bugger.
The officer peers in the window and my dad said he definitely took a few steps back and had to think about what he was going to say! He just kind of stuttered a few words out, then said, "Er... I know this is a powerful car and you seem to be an experienced driver sir, but there's never a time or place to break the law." My dad apologised, explained about the tax return and the officer laughed. They chatted for a few minutes and the officer was still concerned because my dad hadn't seen that it was the Police following him. My dad just said the headlights were quite bright and there were a few cars at the drop off place for Tax Return so he assumed it was someone else just wanting to get home. The Officer mulled this over then let my dad go with another reminder about obeying laws.
On one hand, that is 50mph over the limit, but on the other it was an empty road, clear visibility, and my dad was polite. He definitely wasn't the boy racer the Officer was expecting, and he's had a clean license his whole life.
Any time I think of unfair Police work, I remember that Officer and I think he made up for it.

similar thing happend to my dad, except he got done for 97. even though we was doing more like 135 (at the time the difference between 97 and 100+ was a few extra points). he was just polite and explained his point of view, ie: it was early (2am ish), and that there were no other cars on the road.

I have to say when your going at that speed in the dark, with few or no street lamps, you should really have main beams on so that you can see far enough ahead to make a judgement in time if needed, it wouldnt supprise me if the police did have theres on main, which would explain why the lights were so bright your dad couldnt see that it was a police car.


Chris

[RowenBlaineSkinley]

i have only ever been pulled once

was going round the 2way system in town when i first got my mini

but anyway, said i had no tax, insurance, mot, and license
which were all true
but anyway, i gave them aload of flannel and they gave me a producer, even though they said they wernt supposed to give them out, i got 250 fine and 12 pound a day storage, (3 days) and had to get someone with a valid license and insurance and it strangely somehow they said i had to mot and tax it, but my dad picked it up in his business name so legally was allowed to drive it to a place of work

[Marky Tizz]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

In my area (Brighton-ish) I have seen tonnes of undercover Octavia's, a Lotus Elise marked car, an Evo, a Suzuki GXR1000 Bike marked, a clio sport undercover, an Audi A4 unmarked, tonnes of 5 series estates unmarked and a new fiesta unmarked as well as others! How the hell am I supposed to outrun any of those?

Bloody elise gives me earache nearly every time I go to Brighton. Last time it followed me from Brighton town centre all the way near enough to worthing -.- just go away! I rarely get a chance to drive on a fast road >.<

[IceMaverick57]

Old Bill pulled me over about a month after mine was on the road.....The Old man was driving on the M4 near Newport in the inside lane and clocked the copper coming up behind. Got off before the tunnels and pulled us over. The look on his face when the Old man got out was a kodak moment....Complaing about my janspeed dtm exhaust and sent us on our way!!

[whatand1]

Nice I live in worthing too and got followed all the time in my old mini, I think they know that sometimes we forget to tell insurance about the odd thing every now and again!

[mymini007]

In my town they got an undercover EVO, it would challenge young lads at the lights wait until they sped and pull them.

Where as myself, im not thick enough to try race an EVO.
You can usualy tell the undercover ones because they usualy have more arials.

When you say challenge, would there be a verbal conversation?

Is that classed as entrapment?

I must admit every time I have been pulled over it has been my fault so I can't fault the Police whatsoever, and same with my dad. My dad got let off doing 120 on the A127 at 23.30. I think the officer was just so surprised to see my dad driving.

Let me set the scene for you here, A127 is the dual carriageway that goes to Southend. It's a Friday night, last night of Tax Return so my dad's pretty annoyed he's left it so late. Gets to Southend, hands it in, and thinks, "Right. Let's get home and watch a film and have some tea." He's in an Alfa 156 2.0 Selespeed (sequential 'box) with the 'Sports Pack 3' and 'Evo style rear wing'.
So now he's driving at 120mph in a car that would fit right in at the Southend 'strip', on his way back from Southend, on a Friday night. He said to me for what was about 5 minutes there were some lights in his mirror, he thought nothing of it, someone else trying to get home too. Then the blues come on and he's thinking... bugger.
The officer peers in the window and my dad said he definitely took a few steps back and had to think about what he was going to say! He just kind of stuttered a few words out, then said, "Er... I know this is a powerful car and you seem to be an experienced driver sir, but there's never a time or place to break the law." My dad apologised, explained about the tax return and the officer laughed. They chatted for a few minutes and the officer was still concerned because my dad hadn't seen that it was the Police following him. My dad just said the headlights were quite bright and there were a few cars at the drop off place for Tax Return so he assumed it was someone else just wanting to get home. The Officer mulled this over then let my dad go with another reminder about obeying laws.
On one hand, that is 50mph over the limit, but on the other it was an empty road, clear visibility, and my dad was polite. He definitely wasn't the boy racer the Officer was expecting, and he's had a clean license his whole life.
Any time I think of unfair Police work, I remember that Officer and I think he made up for it.

I think you are right on the entrapment thing. I dont think they are allowed to intice you into a drag race and then nic you. Saw an evo x marked police car in Gloucester the other day, it looked strangely cool

[eden7842]

wen they do that they will get u to race them, then flash there hidden lights pull u and tell u to be on ur way home

like u said because they've enticed you

[dazza78]

I used to get stopped a lot and I think most times its because you fit a certain stereotype.
It might be because of the car or the way you look, or the fact that you are driving late at night/early hours of the morning.
At the time it made me lose all respect for the police as it felt like I was being victimised .
However since I have matured (a bit) and seen the aftermath of RTCs and been involved in a motorway accident I
realise that most of the time they are trying to prevent bad things happening.
From their point of view most of the nasty stuff they have to deal with seems to be caused by people who fit the stereotypes
above and thats why they stop people in modded cars or who look young or out late etc.
Im not saying you shouldnt mod your car just if you do then expect a few plods to sniff around. It goes with the territory.

I agree with most of what you say, but I've also had "other" issues with the Police when they've stopped me...like trying to plant certain "things" into my car and then saying "oh look what we've found!" Best way is to stay within the law and stay COOL esp. when you know that you've got nothing to hide. Wide wheels that stick out too far and exhausts that are too noisy make for an easy target.

Having said that, alot of Police would stop me just to have a chat about my car, that was nice, but peed my girlfriend off big-time.

[The_Mistro]

I used to get stopped a lot and I think most times its because you fit a certain stereotype.
It might be because of the car or the way you look, or the fact that you are driving late at night/early hours of the morning.
At the time it made me lose all respect for the police as it felt like I was being victimised .
However since I have matured (a bit) and seen the aftermath of RTCs and been involved in a motorway accident I
realise that most of the time they are trying to prevent bad things happening.
From their point of view most of the nasty stuff they have to deal with seems to be caused by people who fit the stereotypes
above and thats why they stop people in modded cars or who look young or out late etc.
Im not saying you shouldnt mod your car just if you do then expect a few plods to sniff around. It goes with the territory.

I agree with most of what you say, but I've also had "other" issues with the Police when they've stopped me...like trying to plant certain "things" into my car and then saying "oh look what we've found!" Best way is to stay within the law and stay COOL esp. when you know that you've got nothing to hide. Wide wheels that stick out too far and exhausts that are too noisy make for an easy target.

Having said that, alot of Police would stop me just to have a chat about my car, that was nice, but peed my girlfriend off big-time.

this is true, a mate of mine got given a brand spanking new VW fox by his gran when he passed his test at 17, and he stalled it at the traffic lights, well a young kid, in a brand new car, VW, so not cheap, stalling at the traffic lights, you are goin to think, whats goin on here then, has he taken his mums car for a ride??? but all they did was make him produce his particulars at the station!

and there is a stereotypical "young" mini driver, which to be fair, i prob do fit into in a way, so i wasnt suprised when i got stopped because of my wheels! (stayed cool, didnt answer back or anything, gave valid reasons as to why it was like it, and he was nice as pie with me, didnt raise his voice, point, get annoyed with me or anything!) but the stereotypical young mini drivers do like to "give it some" through the corners, like DTMs and wide wheels, spangly chrome bits, 6x9s that shake the car to bits, lowered to make it look cool etc etc etc, well, if somebody did all that to a corsa or saxo, and you were a copper, wouldnt you want to stop them and check out their particulars?

[benb12]

All this talk of people getting pulled over makes me want to do the fork seals on the scooter...