i blame john loudon

[SteveD]

right il set the scene thursday i pop out im me van to do a estimate , im driving along in middlewich about 20 mph ,my phone rings i look at it and its john loudon calling so i pick it up      anyway long story short i was on the phone 7 seconds going by my call log ,i said il ring you back later , anyway police car sat in a que of cars going the other way about 150 yards up the road spotted me and turned around then pulled me , i cough to it and he hands me a £60 fine and 3 points ,he stated that i was so engrosed in the conversation i did not even see him ,i say thats not true i put the phone down before i got to you ,he said he was gesturing for me to stop and i should of seen him ,so i say i did see your car but i didnt look who was in it or even look at you as i went past , blah blah it goes on , anyway i will take my fine and points as i should not of answered my phone while driving but what has p****d me off is sinse then i have spoken to a freind who was caught on the phone while moving in slow traffic on the motorway and he just got a telling off ,and i read of another on a forum i go on where another guy was pulled on the motorway while on the phone and he had a telling off aswell , again i have no problem taking my punishment but  my point is why the f****n inconsistancy   ,you either punish everyone or no one

dont turn this into a police bashing thread or i will delete it ,im not police bashing

[Stuart]

Probably been told to get some money in Steve.  I got 3 points and £60 for speeding in the Westy couple of weeks ago.  Hidden van (I didn't see it anyway) in a village in rural Worcestershire at 10am on a Sunday.  No pedestrians or other cars around.  Speed limit goes 60/40/30 in quick succession and he got me at 37 whilst I was still scrubbing my speed off from the 40 into the 30.  I never speed in 30 or 40 limits and my license has been clean for 26 years.

Absolute offence and banged to rights.  Nothing else to do but take it on the chin.  But to my mind this is almost entrapment for revenue raising.  B*stards will even have more money off me 'cos I'll have to change my old paper license for a photocard.

[lippydave]

He ( the old bill), was probably a closet Xbox gamer...      

[Matt Seabrook]

The inconsistency in the penalties is a bugbear of mine too Steve. Got caught for an illegal front number plate on the Westfield about 12 months ago. Held my hands up to it took the fine and that was that. What really p**ses me off is this was not a point of safety just a easy way to fine someone. Now we get customers coming in to my workshop with car that are unsafe and they just get a VDR. When I get them coming in with tyres that have the cords showing and they still only get a VDR it makes my b****y boil. If you drive a potential death trap on the road and only get a slap on the wrist then why fine someone for a b****y number plate.

Rant over and breath

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Ah - you couldnt resist me wuv  

Tell you what, to make you feel better i will knoock £60 off the priceof my trailer  

[frag68]

I also had a similar situation 4 years ago when I was driving my van past Falkitk Sheriff Court and my phone went. I looked in my mirrors and saw no police cars so had a quich few second call, but the car behind me was an unmarked Volvo. I took the 3 points and 60 pound fine as I couldnt dispute it and had broken the law. The driver of the police car was also wanting to "do" me for having illegal number plates as my plates were modified to read my name, but the passenger didnt go with it.

My only critisism of the event was that when I was asked to sit in the back of their car, I had my daughter in the van, who was 7 years old and was upset at her dad being taken away by the police. She didnt think I was coming back for her and wasnt allowed into the police car with me. That was harsh, but at the end of the day these guys have a job to do and I gave them an easy job.

My friend used to be a dog handler with the police and he left as he was beginning to get targetted with making arrests when essentially he is a support worker in the force. There is too much pressure on the officers to meet targets nowadays to show the public that crime is coming down and we are a safer nation because of it. Hence the reason we all have got 3 points as a result as motorists are seen as easy targets.

So the lesson of today is drive legal and give them no opportunity.

Fraser

[fatbaldbloke]

Little while ago my son was leaving a car park in Bedford.  A mate had called while he was in the car park so he was on the phone when he left.  He got pulled in by the police approximately 10 yards after he left the car park while he was just closing the conversation.  Might have reached 5 mph...  £60 and 3 points.

[Captain Colonial]

Careful boys, there'll be a copper in here soon telling you how you're all wrong, you don't know what you're talking about and the police are always right...

[Matt Seabrook]

I think thats a little harsh Scot

[Captain Colonial]

I think thats a little harsh Scot

Maybe you're right - I'll change it.

Careful boys, there might be someone in here soon telling you how you're almost certainly wrong, you probably don't know what you're talking about and the police are 99.99% right...

Better?  

EDIT AFTER HONEY MONSTER'S EDIT: No police bashing in my posts - I'm sure no one can take offence at that, and we're all big boys who don't mind a bit of good-natured ribbing - right?

[Paul Edden]

Dogbreath;

Your nicked mate;

Take it like a man and stop your snivelling.

wuv you.

[SootySport]

Not only is it illegal to use a hand held phone even at 5mph,  it is illegal even if you are stationary with the engine running.

Why don't you get a Hands Free device?  Even a cheap earpiece.

[V8grunt]

Just tried to drive thru Albert Village,

They have 2 speed camara's at both ends of the village....

They have installed 2 chicanes to slow the traffic down,

Air ambulance sitting in the field as they cut the women driver out of the Head on collision.....

These speed deterents work well don't they!    

[Captain Colonial]

Not only is it illegal to use a hand held phone even at 5mph,  it is illegal even if you are stationary with the engine running.

Is it?   Not heard that, would welcome a link to supporting evidence from someone please, forewarned and all that.

[dombanks]

Not only is it illegal to use a hand held phone even at 5mph,  it is illegal even if you are stationary with the engine running.

Is it?   Not heard that, would welcome a link to supporting evidence from someone please, forewarned and all that.

ive heared of that it was all over the news when it became an offence. It sees a little harsh to me that if your parked up but with the engine running that you can be done.

having said that how many times have you seen someone parked somewhere stupid to use the phone blocking the road etc??

my concern with the whole phone thing is how they can prove your using your phone and not just doing something else. i have a charging cradle in my car for my phone that allows me to listen to the music from iton the radio. its clearly visible like a sat nav so if i was to be say skiping a track (just one tap on the skip button) would that be classed as using the phone? to a police man who needs to meet a target i would say yes.

the problem with this is its just like speeding really there is no excuse. we know we shouldnt do it but we do and hence like steve said annoying as it is we just have to take it.