91 replies to this topic

[JustSteve]

This is a serious question, as ive been driving for two months and I've been pulled twice, and had a bollocking from a tesco security guard twice;

 

1. ''General police check'', although he didn't even look at my car or notice i had a number plate missing.

 

2. I pulled into sainsburys car park because my mum rang. The police followed me into the car park and parked up next to me (with my phone to my ear) asking what i was doing. When i said i was just out for a drive he very rudely tried telling me that if i dont have a destination then I should not be driving my car, and that i must go straight home.

 

3. I drove a little bit fast into tesco car park. I didn't realise they had speed limits or anything, but i apologised to the trolley bloke when he approached me and asked me to slow down.

 

4. On my next visit the same trolley guy approached me as i parked up. the ''speed limit'' had changed this time and I was apparently speeding again. Not sure how as it was absolutely rammed, so i pointed out to him that there was no possible way i could have broken his made up limits

 

5. I've just been pulled over by a very rude police women. telling me to get my brake lights fixed and that i shouldnt be driving. I said thank you for telling me, I'll have a look t them now- it turned out they DID work, but I hadnt been braking for her to know. She also told me that she nearly hit me ( I DIDNT BRAKE! HOW DID SHE NEARLY HIT ME?!?!?) 

 

she then went on to tell me that my laillights were dirty, so i cleaned them with my sleeve to show how UN-dirty they were. She said ''well it is an old car, you need to clean them inside''. so i informed her that I did two weeks ago....     But she argued that because its an ''old car'' the dirt accumilates inside quicker and that i need to clean them again?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do any other young drivers get anything like this?    I will point out that I've not been doing anything stupid, my car is 95% standard too. 

 

 

 

 

[cradley-heathen]

i am by no means a young driver but i did used to get pulled over quite a bit when i was. i must admit most of the time it was for good reason,

 

however i did get picked out of a long mini convoy on the M6 when we were on our way to a show once. i think that was because i was the youngest driver? they didnt do me for anything, but i think they had a bloody good look trying to find something to do me for though!

 

i have had more troubling incidents with the police since though....

 

a police car came up a windy back road in the opposite direction to me, and totally cut the corner coming entirely onto my side of the road, he then turned around and pulled me saying i was on the wrong side of the road, we argued the toss and he eventually gave up.

 

i was followed for a couple of miles by a police car, who was REALLY close on my back bumper, and as it was at night their headlights were blinding me in the mirror. i tilted the mirror away and signaled that they were too close, but they continued. after another mile or so i pulled up of my own accord and got out the car. she stopped and i gave her a telling off about the "2 second rule" she was very appologetic and then drove off as quick as she could.

 

i have no problem with the police though, they do a hard job, its just SOME of the traffic officers that sometimes seem a little up themselves

[The Otter]

Sounds like you've been pretty unlucky with that lot! At least you're doing your best and being sensible about it, the worst thing you could do is start getting angry or mouthing off to the police/security!

 

Maybe it's just a location thing, but I seem to have been quite lucky in that I've never been pulled over in almost 3 years of driving. It's not exactly like my car is quiet, or subtle, or 100% legal... even got overtaken by a VOSA car on the motorway the other day, made me a bit nervous when I noticed him going by, but he didn't do anything (thankfully!).

 

Oh, and I usually do lots of stupid things and my car is about 5% standard 

[JustSteve]

i have no problem with the police though, they do a hard job, its just SOME of the traffic officers that sometimes seem a little up themselves

 

I have a huge amount of respect for the police force as a whole, and there are some great PO's out there, but especially this last women tonight, she clearly stopped me because she could. 

 

 

 

Sounds like you've been pretty unlucky with that lot! At least you're doing your best and being sensible about it, the worst thing you could do is start getting angry or mouthing off to the police/security!

 

If you knew me you'd know I really cant keep my calm! I was really starting to get annoyed at this women tonight.   I'm sure the police are supposed to help and protect the public...    Surely she should have pulled me over and informed me about my brake lights, rather than giving me a mouthfull and asking about why i was doing it. She did shut up when i asked ''Do you really think i want to risk somebody ramming into the back of my pride and joy?!''

[CurtisNewlol]

I pulled out of my place of works car park once (bearing in mind its a pub, and I'm a part time barman) and was followed by police for a mile or so then pulled!

They were determined I was drink driving and said that I stunk of drink (because i had spilt a pint down myself) and were rather ignorant to the fact I had work clothes on with the pub logo!

They insisted that they had watched me through the window drinking for half an hour, why? I do not know. And were adamant I was over the limit! I took the breathalyzer and when it came up with 0 alcohol in my system the older of the two said it was a faulty machine!

In the meantime my boss came round the corner and stopped and spoke in my defence! I was so close to blowing my lid, they just wouldn't listen to me at all, yet they would to someone who could have been a complete stranger to me?

Lost a lot of faith in traffic officers now because of that, despite having several family members in the force and currently applying to be a special myself.

[waddle]

barely any police by me, so im quite lucky, still sencible mind as everyone knows everyone so if i drive like a muppet my dad will know before im home aha ,

 

i hav been folowed once, about 2 in the morning leaving a party ,  safe to say a mini can outrun a panda car  

 

but yes credit for staying calm iv found police are usualy quite reasonable if your plesent ,if your not they will look everywhere for something to pull you for, 

 

knowing the law helps if they get angry thell quite often do things there not allowed, and if you can point stuff like this out they usualy leave in fear of being made a fool of

[Ethel]

There's no such thing as a "general police check", they must always have a specific reason for stopping you and you're entitled to know what it is, but on the plus side if they are routinely stopping Minis they might catch one of the toerags knicking them. I hope they asked you some questions that would establish you were the registered keeper.

[Artful Dodger]

I think the normal thing to do in this unfortunate series of circumstances is it tell the person to go forth and multiply with ones self. Nosey parker.

Edited by Deathrow, 03 May 2013 - 01:23 PM.

[liam_italian]

There is no such thing as a "general police check". My advise to you is if you are ever stopped again in the future that you ask why you have been stopped and asked for a stop and account form, although the home office no longer require police officers to record stops you may still requires one. If the officers refuse to provide you with one then call the non emergency number and complain that they would not issue you with a stop form.

 

If after you have received a few stop forms from various stops and on each occasion no action has been taken against you and no offences have been highlighted to you "brakes not working, missing numberplate etc" then you are well positioned to make a complaint of harrassment.

[holmesy]

I have been pulled quite a few times near my gf's maybe 6 or 7 time. every time I ask is something wrong officer and they have always said yeah blah blah blah is not working or something but they just want to look at the car most of the time and tell me its really nice. I appreciate it but they have stopped me when I need to be going somewhere in a rush which is annoying. I was doing 52 in a 40 on a dual carriageway system near mine and I looked right and there was a police car I thought oh fu#k, but they just both put their thumbs up so I smiled and launched into the roundabout

[deanymini]

On the whole, I think that the police do a good job, but as with all jobs/professions/people in general, there is a certain percentage of numpties. I'm a teacher and I won't even get started on people in that particular profession!

 

What I will tell you about is an experience that I did have with the police. I was in Sheffield on a night out in 2006. As I was leaving a nightclub, I was held at knifepoint and bundled into a car. They drove me two miles to a cashpoint that was out in the sticks and forced me to empty my account. When the ordeal was over, I called a taxi and headed straight for the police station. When I knocked on the window of the door (because it was locked), they just looked at me and ignored me. The following day, I went back and wrote a statement. The police then called me back a couple of days later and accused me of making the story up. They also informed me that they would be making no further investigation or any attempt to pursue the people who had commited the crime.

[samsfern]

Was at the pub once, i drove there and my lass was going to be driving home, as my phone was flat i left it in the car to charge, and went to retrieve it after a few drinks. Police pulled up next to me whilst i was sitting in the car writing a text, with the keys on my lap, i explained what the score was, they checked to see if my lass was on my insurance, which she was, then they breathalysed me, i was over, so i got arrested for being drunk in charge of a vehicle, and ended up in the police station for a few hours, mainly because i kicked up a right stink, anyway, this ended up going to court for me to be found not guilty. But the shear amount of grief it caused me at work, i work as an mot tester so if i lose my licence i lose my job, was totally unfair.

[AVV IT]

I work very closely with the Police in my proffesion and have a huge amount of respect for them. In my experience most officers are far too busy dealing with societies undesirables to have the time to harrass teenagers in this way, but sadly there are a few who are essentialy just bullies and wouldnt dare try it on with more mature members of the public in this way. It's not a new thing though, these types of officers existed when I was a teenage driver and a new generation of them will no doubt be doing exactly the same thing when your kids are teenagers too.

So just be polite, smile, nod and agree with everything they say. Tempting as it is to get smart with them, that's exactly what they want you to do. They're looking to exert their authority on someone, so if you "act up" you're giving them an excuse to do just that.

If however you just go along with everything they say, they soon get bored and frustrated as they're not getting the reaction they want, in short don't play into their hands.

As for the trolley bloke, just remember that he is the lowest level of staff employed in the supermarket business. He earns less than the people who stack the shelves and much less than those who work on the tills. Basically you are unlikely to find anyone more likely to want to exert their complete lack of authority than someone who scrapes a living as an ageing trolley boy.

Whilst the health and safety of customers in supermarket car parks is the responsibility of supermarket management, it generally isn't the responsibility of trolley boys to enforce this, if it was they have to be paid much more than the basic minimum wage that they generally get. So I would ignore such jumped up trolley boys, as their role generally doesn't even extend to engaging with customers, let alone patrolling the car park and enforcing alleged speed limits. If they persist, I would ask them to accompany you into the supermarket to discuss the matter further with the Supermarket manager, as you don't believe that a trolley boys role extends as far as harrasing customers about their driving skills and you feel that the manager should be made aware of this behaviour, so that it can be addressed at his next appraisal/performance review!....... Then watch said trolley boy back down!

[Old Bob]

Yes, young drivers get pulled over more often than older drivers.  Black drivers probably get pulled over more often than white drivers.  All Porsche drivers are paranoid and convinced that the police are out to get them.  Doubtless all Muslim drivers feel the same.  And yes, you are more likely to get stopped in the early hours than during the day, and anything which makes your car stand out from the rest is likely to act like a red rag to a bull.

 

Just facts of life - it might not be fair but life isn't.........

 

Just keep your cool, don't try to be clever or cheeky and never accept 'an official caution' if you don't think you have done anything wrong.

 

And then?  Well, you get older, wiser and more cynical about life.  You sell the Porsche and buy a mini and it starts all over again.

 

Enjoy.

 

Bob

[mini-man-dan]

Ive always found it to be guilty until proven innocent unfortunately.

 

I was pulled by an unmarked BMW in my old Lupo when I was 17 for no insurance. They told me they were coming to tow and crush the car, and I'd be off to court. I told them I did have insurance numerous times, but they replied with 'Have you ever been arrested?'.

 

Long story short, the extremely arrogant 2 persisted on the phones to insurance companies and brokers for around 45minutes with me sat in the back of the BMW before telling me that infact I did have insurance but to be more careful next time. More careful of what I'm not entirely sure as both me and the car were perfectly legal. No apology that their system was wrong, or for their choice words.