Biting your tongue

When I was out for a quick blast on Sunday, I had one of those little
chats with the forces of law and order that we all love.

I'd been riding down a road that I've used since I first got into
bikes. I was actually being rather careful, so only doing about
90~100. While waiting at the next set of traffic lights (this was
NSL, out of town, btw), a car pulled up right next to me. The single,
female, occupant wound down the window and showed me her warrant card.
The conversation went a bit like this:

Her: How fast were you going when you came past me?
Me: Sorry, I don't know where you were, so can't say
Her: You were well over the speed limit - you were leant over so far I
thought you were going to fall off.
Me: <general mumbling>
Her: I had to scrape one of your lot off the road last week, so take
it easy. You don't want to die just before Christmas, do you. I've
got your number.
Me: OK <mumble> sure <mumble>

Then the lights changed, she went straight on, I turned right and
pulled a "**** you" wheelie.

Now, what I really wanted to say was this:

"Look, I've been doing this for over 20 years, and I'm still alive,
and I rather think I know what I'm doing. And if you don't like
scrapping people off the road, you shouldn't work for the emergency
services. And frankly, I don't give a **** whether I die before
Christmas."

I rode off fuming, really wishing I'd had the balls to tell her how it
is. And, as an unaccompanied officer, with no speed equipment, I
*thin* there's not a thing she could have done about it. But I hate
confrontation.

 

<fx: bites tongue>

 

Champ wrote

Fairly safe to assume that she doesn't tiuta then?

 

Champ wrote:

<snip>

To be fair, you admit you were doing up to a ton, you got a bollocking,
and you didn't get nicked. Not even a producer or a "Let's see what
illegaility we can find on this bike" check.
That seems quite reasonable to me.

 

SNIP!

I find this a bit hard to understand. You were speeding (up to 30mph above
NSL). She (very politely it seems) drew the matter to your attention and
gave you a mild warning. She drove off feeling that she'd done her duty.
You drove off without any concerns about prosecution. What's the problem?

Tony

 

She's a fucking busy body who can't prove any wrong doing and is just
being 'important'. Probably a bloody dress up Special (do they get
warrant cards?).

"you were leant over so far I thought you were going to fall off." FFS -
Basically, nick me if you're in a position to do so or **** off.

ermmm, you'll never take me alive copper, ACAB, etc. etc.

.... and another thing where were you when Blair Peach was murdered by the
SPG?

 

[snip]

Aw c'mon - the lass was trying to do you a favour. Give her a break - she
gave you one.

Anyway, what's another bollocking?

Rick

 

On 22 Dec 2004 04:07:04 -0800, TOG@toil,

Well, that's a fair point. Had it been a couple of uniformed coppers
I'd have been fine about it, and taken whatever I'd got without
complaining. But it was just some off duty tart who wanted to show
off, I reckon.

Mebbe.

 

IANAL but AFAIK if he isn't in uniform then he has no power to try to stop
you (unless he has reasonable grounds to believe you to be a banned driver).
Even if he is wearing uniform under outer clothing this would not be
sufficient. If you get stopped again and he isn't clearly wearing uniform
then ask to see his warrant card. If he can't produce it then tell him you
will make a complaint about him impersonating a policeman. If he produces
one, note his details and then make a formal complaint about the danger he
represents by chasing and attempting to stop vehicles when out of uniform
and not clearly identified as a policeman. Even if he IS wearing uniform
you could still complain that his behaviour is dangerous as there is no way
that anyone could reasonable expect the rider of an unmarked red bike to be
a policeman and a driver could be frightened or intimidated into making an
unsafe manoeuvre when he attempts to make the vehicle stop.

Tony

 

Because I don't like being lectured to by off-duty (I'm fairly sure)
coppers who have nothing better to do. And what was the "warning"
actually about/for? Just to make her feel better, I think. It
certainly didn't achieve anything.

I think the thing that really annoyed me is that she made assumptions
(1 He's risking his life. 2. He doesn't want to die) which were a
million miles out, and I was meant to nod and say thank you.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel about it.

 

The problem was some chick said you were a shit rider

 

sweller wrote:

Yeh, maybe.

Exactly.. I thought that comment was a load of shite. I'd presume that
the police woman was a non bike rider after her saying that.
<snip>

 

She was? Can you describe the favour to me?

How did she give me a break? I'm 99% sure there's **** all she could
have done about it anyway.

Well, yes. But as Clint Eastwood said, in the character of John
Houston in "White Hunter, Black Heart" : "you gotta fight when you
think it's the right thing to do. Otherwise, you feel like your gut's
full of puss"

 

Curses. Rumbled again.

 

That seems quite reasonable to me.

thats just so gay it buggers beleif. If it had been me, Id of shown her
me knob, then shot her in the snout with a big fucking gun.

 

#Everyone considered him the coward of the county.

 

Champ wrote:

<snip>

To be fair, you admit you were doing up to a ton, you got a bollocking,
and you didn't get nicked. Not even a producer or a "Let's see what
illegaility we can find on this bike" check.
That seems quite reasonable to me.

 

You have to fight - otherwise you feel like you've eaten a cat?

Tony

 

Champ says...

Expect a nice unmarked cop car along there sometime soon. For your own
good of course.