Moorron
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 posted on 23/8/07 at 08:12 PM |
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Run in with odd acting officer
Just been out in my indy and had a strange time with a local plod.
Driving 35 in a 40 zone on a country road when a banged up metro snugs up right behind me, im talking less than a metre. I had to give way as a car
was parked up on my side of the road, when i drove around it the metro stuck right on me. So as we came off an island and into a nation speed limit i
nailed it to get away from what i thought was a chav trying to race me, had to then slow to about 40 behind a car infront of me to find the metro
flashing its lights and honking on the horn in a very agressive way, i kept driving thinking hes pointing out about something loose on my car, couldnt
pull over anyway as its a close verge and a twisty road which might have caused a crash.
But managed to pull over after about 1/4 mile after watching this guy pointing for me to pull over. At this point im ready for a fight, but stay calm
in my car, he pulls up next to me and says
"im off duty at the moment but you brake lights arnt working"
hes young, looks like a slob and is driving a nasty rusty metro with a blowing exhaust.
Im thinking hes not a cop and just jelious of the car wanting me to feel the need to kiss his arse. But my brake lights dont come on until the pedal
is pressed hard and i get a few peeps telling me they dont work. so i reply
"they do, back up and have another look" i then stamp on the pedal thinking all will soon be good.
He isnt happy saying they arnt working, so i sugest we park about 1/2 mile up the road where there are some houses and a path to pull onto, i drive
off to them.
I pop out the car and start playing with the brake switch under the rear of the car (on the brake line), he walkes up and tells me they arnt working
blar blar. At this point i dont care if he is a cop, it never has with the local numpties. im concerned about my baby with no lights tho.
I brindge the contacts and indeed they arnt working, he then tells me.
"i suggest to take it right home" and walks off to his lovley modern metro car, before he gets in i ask for his PC number (as im still
under the impression he is lying about the cop bit)
Just as he drived off i smack the rear light cluster and hey presto they work so carry on with my evening drive.
But what i really am typing this about is will he make anything else of it? Also is the actions of an off duty police officer when following a car
which has faulty brake light to close up to its bumper?? is this the safest thing to do?? Is it also ok for him to agreessivly try and pull me over to
tell me about it in a dangerous place to stop?
i drove slowly and calmly and he still poked for a responce which he could get me for, if there were 2 in the car i wouldnt have stopped as it also
crossed my mind about my car being stolen from under my nose.
so that makes out of 12 times ive had to deal with the local lot, 11 have been what i call 'bent'.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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JoelP
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:15 PM |
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maybe he mistakenly thought your car is similar to one on youtube?! 
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TimC
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:18 PM |
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Remember that most local plod are not necessarily good drivers. I followed a local Panda last week. I felt like taking him into citizens arrest for
his shocking lane discipline!
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graememk
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:21 PM |
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pmsl.
i got pulled by the plod and he said do you know how loud your car is, i replied yes 94db at 3800rpm why is there a prob ?
and my brakes dont come on unless i press them hard, as i tend to drive on the gear box.
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Moorron
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:23 PM |
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same here, i only use the brakes when i need to stop at junctions and such. I dont even use the clutch anymore on down shifts (lower revs) when
tootling about (i do actually drive like a granny when i want to enjoy the drive.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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Moorron
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
maybe he mistakenly thought your car is similar to one on youtube?!
lol, i dont think he knows how to use a computer.
i can understand him becoming tetchy after i booted it, but before that i was driving carefully and he was trying to climb into the boot. im assuming
as he knows some of the law he thought if i jabbed my foot on the brake to get him to back off and crashed into me, then got a few mates to check my
lights and then saying his metro needs to be claimed off my insurance as the lights werent working??? come on! would he really do this? or was he just
after a hitler buzz and needed an excuse to 'get me'?
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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Moorron
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:33 PM |
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Tim C, im also concerned what he managed to suck to get thru the physical test on his application for the force!
im glad i stayed calm
im annoyed i didnt ask him about his 'policy' that he used to deal with a brake light issue.  
Would it be childish if i stopped my lights working on my range rover and 'waited' for him? his face would be a picture when he would see
me again lol.
makes me feel all safe inside to know we are safe with this lot about 
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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oadamo
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 08:34 PM |
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you sould of phoned 999 and ask to verify who he was. but he was not in a traffic car and on his own. i would of told him to **** off and try and
catch me lol.
adam
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owelly
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 09:38 PM |
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Did you get the reg number of the Metro? If you did, ring the local plod office and ask them.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 09:48 PM |
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Obviously driving in such a dangerous fashion and having no manners, he could not have been a genuine consable. So I would report him to the local
police station superintendant, for dangerous driving and impersonating a police officer! 
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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RazMan
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| posted on 23/8/07 at 10:19 PM |
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Most coppers will confirm their identity by showing their id card even when off duty - chances are he was a hoax ....... there are some strange folk
about.
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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kev R1
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 12:29 AM |
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coppers can do sod all whenoff duty! you should have told himto bollocks! all he do is maybe put your number on a blackboard at the station and tell
people to look out for you,even cid can't pull you up, they have to be in uniform!!
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 07:05 AM |
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I had a similar experience in brighton a few years ago but it wasn't my brake lights, it was the fact that i had 'apparently'
stopped at some traffic lights but on the cycle lane. This was the first time i had ever driven in brighton so i didn't know the roads and 5
other cars did the same thing.
He probably only stopped me because i was 20 and driving in a fiesta. When he started flashing and pointing, i just thought it was chav road rage
Its amazing how much a 1.25 fiesta zetec can pull away from a g reg 2.0 406
I eventually stopped after i realised he wasn't giving up and got out. He came over to me accusing me of cutting him up and all this other bull.
When he finished ranting, i asked him what he was going to do and he just said dont do it again and drove off. I dont think he was plod as he
wouldn't show me his badge 
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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Gergely
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 07:37 AM |
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I heard stories of cars being stolen in a similar way. They signal to you that something is wrong on the car, you get out to check and someone jumps
in and drives away...
He probably realised he wouldn't be able to just jump in and drive away quickly...
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Bluemoon
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 08:36 AM |
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I think I would report him to the police.. Somethings not quite right about it. If I was driving behind a car with no rear brake lights I would not
drive so close, I doubt Mr plod is quite that stupid (but you never know).
I wonder if this guy is actually know to the local police, sounds like he was up to know good.
Dan
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02GF74
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 08:36 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
I had a similar experience in brighton a few years ago but it wasn't my brake lights, it was the fact that i had 'apparently'
stopped at some traffic lights but on the cycle lane. This was the first time i had ever driven in brighton so i didn't know the roads and 5
other cars did the same thing.
He probably only stopped me because i was 20 and driving in a fiesta. When he started flashing and pointing, i just thought it was chav road
rage
Its amazing how much a 1.25 fiesta zetec can pull away from a g reg 2.0 406
That is enough reason IMO.
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zxrlocost
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 09:10 AM |
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He probably realised he wouldn't be able to just jump in and drive away quickly...
hehe he would have stalled it on his first 15 attempts
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snapper
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 12:07 PM |
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Your brake lights were not working and he pointed it out.
Whats the problem, you have fixed your faulty brake lights and do not have points.
I have pointed out to a few people that there brake lights arnt working, if i can, and most just say "Oh thanks"
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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Moorron
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 12:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by snapper
Your brake lights were not working and he pointed it out.
Whats the problem, you have fixed your faulty brake lights and do not have points.
I have pointed out to a few people that there brake lights arnt working, if i can, and most just say "Oh thanks"
i agree, but if you read my post you will see that didnt happen, he drived to drive into my boot, then agressivly flash and honk on his horn, then not
even so excuse me or hi. He thought a good shout out of his window telling me his is off duty (why do i need to know this by the way as its not going
to make a difference) then to sort it.
I dont understand what HIS problem was.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 01:04 PM |
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Sounds a bit odd, but no harm done, and your lights weren't working.
It sounds as if you knew there was a slight fault there and so may not have checked it regularly due to the difficulty of "stamping on the
pedal" just to get it to work. So that guy may well have saved a badly driven transit from not braking when you did at the next roundabout you
got to.
I know which I'd prefer!
All the best with a long term fix!
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 24/8/07 at 06:34 PM |
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I'd be tempted to write to the local Chief Constable (or police HQ anyway) expressing your concern about someone trying to impersonate a police
officer. Explain the situation, his car, the nature of his driving and emphasise your worries about your personal safety - whether it was a road rage
incident, etc).
If he was a fake, then you will have notified the police and (hopefully) they'll keep an eye out - at least it might be useful info if it
happens to someone else.
If he was genuine then he's likely to get a good rollicking for spooking a member of the public, driving in such a way as to endanger others,
and not following correct procedure (giving his name and number, showing his badge, official caution, etc.).
Either way, I'd write - just make sure your brake lights ARE working before you send the letter!
David
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Moorron
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| posted on 26/8/07 at 01:09 PM |
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Got the brake lights sorted, it was a bad connection on the bulb, why this stopped the other side aswell is very odd to me.
Recarding the problem with the brake lights not comming on until a large amount of braking pressure is needed was always crap in my opinion. Im not
sure what the law is when it comes to this? is it as soon as the pedal is pressed? the amount of cars i see going about with the brake lights stuck on
is a pain too, most of them are new cars too.
If its passed its SVA and yearly mot like this then what happens if i got pulled again?? i would say the law doesnt know, yet will still 'do
you' when it suited them.
I decided to fit a 'normal' switch under the brake pedal i found in the garage, must be off a renault. Wasnt the easiest thing to do as i
didnt want it to ever fail where it would interfere with the opperation of the pedal. Seems to work well tho and is adjustable.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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