Police appear behind me

sheramber

We were stopped in a queue on the Forth Road bridge due to an accident.

Two lanes of traffic nose to tail.

In the wing mirror I see a fire engine being guided up the middle of the traffic by a fireman walking backwards in front of it.

As they approached vehicles in the inside lane moved over to the left side as far as they could. Vehicles on the outside lane moved their offside up onto the sloping metal framework between the two sides of the bridge.

The fire engine edged its way between the two lines of traffic being directed from one side to the other to squeeze past.

A second engine started to follow but abandoned its attempt as it was wider.

I wouldn't have believed that you could get three lanes of traffic on a two lane bridge.

NBLondon

robatwork wrote: »

Everyone in the outside lane moves onto the central reservation. Everyone in the inside lane moves onto the hard shoulder. Nice big gap in the middle now.

5 mins later the police car zooms up the middle.

Never seen that here before.

sheramber wrote: »

I wouldn't have believed that you could get three lanes of traffic on a two lane bridge.

I've seen that sort of thing more than once on the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel (southbound). Three lanes of queuing traffic; blue lights in the distance... Lane 1 squeezes over left, Lane 2 squeezes left into Lane 1, Lane 3 squeezes right and ambulance slips through the newly created Lane 2.5 Works as long as you all play along.

Many. many years ago I was on the M18 in Lane 1, Lane 2 was coned off, temporary 50 limit in place. Blue lights behind us so one by one we slip into the hard shoulder - except the guy in front of me - who toddles along apparently oblivious to the Granada tailgating him with blue lights, siren and cursing copper.

AndyMc.....

NBLondon wrote: »

I've seen that sort of thing more than once on the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel (southbound). Three lanes of queuing traffic; blue lights in the distance... Lane 1 squeezes over left, Lane 2 squeezes left into Lane 1, Lane 3 squeezes right and ambulance slips through the newly created Lane 2.5 Works as long as you all play along.

Many. many years ago I was on the M18 in Lane 1, Lane 2 was coned off, temporary 50 limit in place. Blue lights behind us so one by one we slip into the hard shoulder - except the guy in front of me - who toddles along apparently oblivious to the Granada tailgating him with blue lights, siren and cursing copper.

Who was clearly wrong.

Stoke

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Who was clearly wrong.

The police are never wrong. Once the new 'wrong think' laws are implemented, we'll never be able to criticise them publicly again....

AndyMc.....

Stoke wrote: »

The police are never wrong. Once the new 'wrong think' laws are implemented, we'll never be able to criticise them publicly again....

He’s clearly wrong, his training and road craft will tell him that.

Stoke

AndyMc..... wrote: »

He’s clearly wrong, his training and road craft will tell him that.

He is clearly wrong, just like the copper who effectively killed Ian Tomlinson was wrong..... still got away with it though

The life of a copper eh?

AndyMc.....

Stoke wrote: »

He is clearly wrong, just like the copper who effectively killed Ian Tomlinson was wrong..... still got away with it though

The life of a copper eh?

Would that be the copper who stood trial and was found not guilty?

Stoke

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Would that be the copper who stood trial and was found not guilty?

Indeed, he stood trial and indeed, he was found not guilty.

Of course, our justice system is completely bullet proof. I'm sure you're aware of that.

AdrianC

You do know what a "jury" is, and how it works?

The trial hinged on two key questions: first, whether Harwood's actions amounted to a criminal assault; second, whether they directly led to Tomlinson's death. After three days of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, suggesting they were unconvinced by one or both of these two key prosecution claims. Told by the judge they could return a majority 10 to two verdict, they found Harwood not guilty.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jul/19/ian-tomlinson-case-simon-harwood-cleared


His previous disciplinary record, which that article points out wasn't raised at trial, is irrelevant to those two questions. The criminal record of the accused in any trial is not revealed to the jury, in case it prejudices them. Their job is to return a verdict based on the facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution and defence, and decide whether there is reasonable doubt that the offence was committed or not.


In that case, after three days of going over the facts as presented, ten decided there was reasonable doubt. Two thought there was not. Innocent until proven guilty.

Stoke

AdrianC wrote: »

You do know what a "jury" is, and how it works?





https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jul/19/ian-tomlinson-case-simon-harwood-cleared


His previous disciplinary record, which that article points out wasn't raised at trial, is irrelevant to those two questions. The criminal record of the accused in any trial is not revealed to the jury, in case it prejudices them. Their job is to return a verdict based on the facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution and defence, and decide whether there is reasonable doubt that the offence was committed or not.


In that case, after three days of going over the facts as presented, ten decided there was reasonable doubt. Two thought there was not. Innocent until proven guilty.

Unless you've done something to (or that affects) a copper then it's guilty until proven innocent, something we've seen over many years.

I know exactly what a jury is, and it's quite clear that jury's routinely fail to deliver justice. Jury's are easily influenced. Justice is only as good as the justice you pay for... we all know that.

But even so, good to know you stand by 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'.... What's your views on the three lads who 'potentially' got away with murder from the Stephen Lawrence case then? I'm keen to know.