Police stopped me.

daveyjp

anewman - have you ever been taught motorway driving and the concept of 'the closing gap'? If you haven't I suggest some advance driving lessons and learn how to prevent youself being killed by a 44 tonner.

Tip to anyone and traffic lights:

If it's red it will go green, if it's green it will go red. Served me well in 20 years of driving.

BLUEWKD

I see what Andrewriley means about posting for advice. I have only just become a member last month and I would think that the aggresiveness and what I believe is a bit like a siege mentality of nastiness will put some new people off posting.
My personal opinion of the Police is that theree are good and bad like everywhere in life. They were obviously not too bad, as they could have done your friend. I would leave it be and hope that nothing comes of it.

nearlyrich

anewman wrote: »

I thought ok he want's to move out but I'm so close he can't expect me to brake when I'm in the middle lane and there's nothing behind me. But, out he pulled forcing me into the outside lane, in which luckily there was nothing there.

So the outside lane was free, why not move over it's easier than braking;)

You have to be nice to other road users, give them space to overtake especially if it's not a major inconvenience to you:T

anewman

daveyjp wrote: »

anewman - have you ever been taught motorway driving and the concept of 'the closing gap'? If you haven't I suggest some advance driving lessons and learn how to prevent youself being killed by a 44 tonner.

If I am there and the lorry pulls straight out what can I do about it?! The lorry driver's a w****r who can't be bothered to look in his mirror (signals and immediately moves out) when I am clearly visible in it because I am in the next lane to him. Are you telling me it is illegal to overtake when in the lane to the right of the lorry? I am in the next lane so I am moving towards him at speed (which is what traffic in the next lane does), if he pulls out without looking it's his/her silly fault.

Searched for "closing gap" +motorway on google and nothing came up so no-one else has heard of it.

nearlyrich wrote: »

So the outside lane was free, why not move over it's easier than braking;)

You have to be nice to other road users, give them space to overtake especially if it's not a major inconvenience to you:T

Pulling out into me when I am gaining on them and they're beside me *is* a major inconvenience as they're going to hit me, and would have been worse had there been something in the outside lane. It would certainly have required a slam on the brakes which isn't good motorway driving I'm sure. And yes the front of a long lorry takes the leading edge but the thing was still beside me and pulling out.

It just shows how easy it is to do it all properly when I can notice a danger, quickly look in my right mirror and then move out. Exactly what the lorry driver should have done in the first place.

I have been known to slow down to let lorries out and flash them to let them know it's safe. This instance was completely different however as they were beside me.

tomstickland

Regardless of the rights or wrongs, just keep an eye on lorries and if they're gaining on something in the inside lane then it's likely that they'll pull out, so move into the outside lane. ie: observe and anticipate.

Having said that, I ended up driving one wheel onto the grass verge down a mway intersection when a lorry pulled out with no warning whatsoever on a dual lane sliproad. Luckily I'd had a 5th sense moment, so was sort of ready for it.

fbs_4800

I REALLY wish I hadn't started to read this thread but I have and now I must comment.

As per usual it's all turned into a 'bash the Police' exercise 'cos they have targets and they're all power hungry freaks and they don't care about people blah blah blah.

I was going to quote people from above - but I really can't be a$$ed because I think most of you with an attitude against the Police are never going to change.

On the MANY occasions I've pulled people over for committing offences - I've NEVER issued an £80 FPN. I've given plenty of VDRS'S (i.e. you have a problem - get it fixed in 14 days and no more will be said) and I've given a hell of a lot more verbal warnings.

By 'warning' - it usually goes like this;
"Hello mate/sir/madam/love - why have I pulled you over then?"
"Err, I didn't have my seatbelt on?/I was going a bit fast?/I have my foglights on?"
"That's correct. You realise that's a non-endorsable offence and I could give you a ticket for it?"
"Yes officer/mate/love. I'm sorry. Mistake/in a rush/always wear it - I won't do it again."
"Marvellous. Take care and on your way."

All the while if I'm with a colleague they've usually done a PNC to check there's insurance and the car isn't wanted for acts of terrorism or any other reason you may not want to let the car go.

However - if I stop a car; and the first thing the driver says is; "Haven't you got anything better to do than harass motorists? Catch burglars/I pay my tax/you're just meeting targets blah blah blah blah BLAH -" then I may just deal with the situation differently.

It's human nature. I love nothing more than talking to people and having a friendly chat.

I don't give a rats a$$ about targets or 'process' as we call it - and you're very much confused and mistaken if you think ANY beat officer in the land is. That's the higher echelons of Police Power and the Government - and NOT how it works on the streets.

I get on with most of our local criminals, boy racers, teenage runaways, and usually the drunks - but you usually have to have a scrap with the drunks first before they'll see reason and it's in the van on the way to the nick that they finally want to be your friend.

I LOVE my job and I challenge ANY single Police basher on here to answer the following:-

Your daughter comes home and says she's been raped at a party - who do you call?
Your house has been burgled. Who do you call?
You come across an elderly person in the street who has just been mugged and their pension taken - who do you call?

As much as you all claim to hate the Police - they're always there for you - and - 99.9% of the time - they'll bust they're balls to do the right thing.

Sadly, like ANY job in the world - you get twits in the Police Force - but you get the same people in Banks, Restaurants, Shops, in Call Centres, in Councils, in offices everywhere.

Just don't knock the people who deal with SO much cr4p on a day to day basis for NO thanks. We have families and mortgages and lives of our own thank you.

*Puts soap-box away.*

fbs_4800

Oh - and to the OP - yes, technically they should have given you a Stop Search form - just because they stopped you and interacted with you. BUT technically you're SUPPOSED to do that for EVERY person you speak to - and it really doesn't work like that.

The long - but very short of it is (SOUNDS LIKE):

They gave your mate a b*ll*cking - and maybe need to work on their people skills. They don't sound like they've reported him for the offence - so no Court Case. They may have Cautioned him - but if there's nothing much written down I wouldn't worry about it.

As for the red lights malarkey - I think that's been analysed enough above to save me getting involved.

Needless to say, if they're both sat in a car behind you and decided that they DID want to do your mate for running a red light - I'd say the Court MAY lean towards believing their evidence. I didn't say rightly or wrongly so.

Happy days!

ginger

chrst you're so full of yourself are'nt you. No wonder the police have a bad rep. Never mind what we do or how obnoxious we are to the people we are supposed to serve - its ok cause everyone takes the !!!! out of us and anyway we're right!. I agree that there's good and bad in all professions but why does the police service always seem to attract the meglomaniacs? Accept the fact that some of your coleagues are complete !!!!!! who excel in exeeding their authority at every opportunity and you may actually find some satisfaction in the job you do which is serving the law abiding public. Otherwise the law abiding public may just put you out of a job - and rightly so!

Conor_3

Steve_xx wrote: »

This is not an acceptable way for a police force to operate. This kind of behaviour is discriminatory and it does not bode well for sound policing ethics. It's the kind of behaviour that earns the police disrespect and police officers should note that, modify their behaviour, and learn from this injustice that respect is earned through trust.

Young drivers are the most likely to be uninsured and, as recent figures have shown, to be driving drunk or under the influence of drugs.

They also tend to drive like clowns so attract attention to themselves.

Conor_3

anewman wrote: »

If I am there and the lorry pulls straight out what can I do about it?! The lorry driver's a w****r who can't be bothered to look in his mirror (signals and immediately moves out) when I am clearly visible in it because I am in the next lane to him. Are you telling me it is illegal to overtake when in the lane to the right of the lorry?
I have been known to slow down to let lorries out and flash them to let them know it's safe. This instance was completely different however as they were beside me.

So you were immediately to the right of them. Has it occured to you that the lorry may have been left hand drive in which case you could have been in it's blindspot?

It's not as if there hasn't been any publicity about it...

But not to worry. Enough of you lot think we're all w*****s to the point where that attitude has put off people coming into the industry to such an extent it's now at crisis point and will get worse in the next 5 years as the majority of HGV drivers have hit retirement age.