Rant of the Month - Bad Policing

[Klint]

okay, I hate to post this here, but the end is car related but way OT and OTT!

Last weekend I was 16 miles from where I am now, I nticed a cell phone in the road, i stopped and reversed, told my friend with me to go get it, he did and i said wait there i'll pop round the corner to the cop shop and you see if anyone comes looking for it.

Anyway long story short: The copper asked for my details since it was found by me. I gave him my name and miraculously he knew which road i mainly live on...Just off the top off his head....by the name i gave which was mine! This made me feel sick deep down as I felt criminal like (something I am NOT). That ruined last weekend. I never have delt with this police officer before or even seen him! I thought I was doing a good thing for the community? Narrow Minded Wankers.

Tonight, I was out with a good friend, talking business, the car is good to talk business in for some reason. anyway after some DSc testing in a large semi empty car park (4 cars were there out of 80+ car parking space) with the 325, the clutch got fried, I hope it isn't...I can't be bothered with that. With gentle driving it stinks. I hope it cools off well tonight!

Anyway, some random person reported me for "dangerous driving"...now I can understand if something got damaged, someone got hurt and so and so but I can judge for myself if someone would of or something gets damaged by my won behaviour, otherwise I wouldn't of done it, i'm a responsible person

Later tonight, about a hour ago, a Police officer puts his cherries on behind me and pulls me over, all is okay though. I get outsaying "good evening officer, yadda yadda" all politeness stuff...he asks me about the night, I make it a point that it's "his" word against mine, the "him" being the person who reported me. copper doesn't say anything to it, then the copper notices my age when he took note of it, it's super rare for anyone in their teens driving anything more than a Ford fiesta here, that idea of realisation that I was doing (17+190bhp BMW) didn't go down well, the coppers asumption that the car was stolen, so 30 minutes go by and everything is fine, I got to appear at the police station with my insurance, registartion and licence since it's an island...no one is going ar if they are local. so we're allowed lee-way in handing over the details, not on the spot kinda thing.

the point is - I know I'm well known all over this tiny island, for good things but the Police knowing me so well? I don't know. Maybe it's too small here...it wont be long before they start thinking i'm an illegal immagrant or something and raid the houses.

I understand they are doing their job, that's find by me, they do it well.

But this targeting thing? Is it me being paranoid? damn.

of course there's alot more to this sotry than I can type out, but the overall tale is in here.

How often do they follow up a complaint about a XXXX number plated car doing this and that, which is entirely within the law, which hasn't cost anyone else a thing. Oh speaking of which! The person who reported me is apprantly an off duty police officer, if he knew his elbow from his cheek he would KNOW the actions i did was within the law, it's just complete an utter bullshit.

/rant over.

[Klint]

After today I realised that the snow isn't all fun for those BMWs...

Long story short, some tool slid his van by locking the brakes up, into the side of the 325 damaging it pretty badly....driving with excessive speed in such adverse conditions wasn't good. Ironically, the guy handed me a business card from his compamny with details on it...guess what? His company specialises in brake discs.

So, after hours of unecessary stress, trauma and grief I finally got home in one piece. I've realised that the Front engined Rwd layout isn't all fun and games....It can be quite serious if you need to move quickly in poor conditions.

I'm commited to getting a quattro as my next car, that's if the charges of "dangerous driving" and " driving without due care and attention" are dropped from today's incident! Those two things are serious offenses, of which both I am innocent of.

I can't wait to get some beauty sleep.

to quattro!

[TheBrit]

Originally posted by Klint
I'm commited to getting a quattro as my next car, that's if the charges of "dangerous driving" and " driving without due care and attention" are dropped from today's incident! Those two things are serious offenses, of which both I am innocent of.

Am I reading this right - you're somehow facing charges because somebody ran into the side of your car? WTF!?

Please tell me it's not so....

[Klint]

Chris,

You read correct.

But it's a little more complex than that.

I was executing a 3 point turn in the road, using additional space provided by a layby when the accident accured.

The other person also called the police, so they got his side of the story first, which was extremely brief. I verbally agreed with his story since I already had enough that day.

Last week, I got reported for "doing donuts" in a carpark which is far out of the way of other people, later that night I got pulled over then investigated. I didn't deny i was doing them but i didn't own up to doing them, but i did mention that it was my word against the plaintiff's....since this place is one tiny island with the narrowest minded people - gossip goes round. From the time that happened and the accident, yesterday the copper who attended the accident also was fully aware of who i was, I have never dealt with this copper before, but he knew me.

It's complex and has made me feel ill from thinking about it, hopfully tommorow I'll be feeling better to review the situation when I go to see the Police with the producer.

We'll see how it goes....

[Benman]

Klint, you little hooligan you.

[TheBrit]

Originally posted by Klint
You read correct.

But it's a little more complex than that.

Oh man, that really does suck. If you calmly explain what happened when the van hit you, without outright criticising the van driver, and you sound composed and sensible, it might put over a good impression with the police.

With regard to the donuts, isn't a car park private property? What law were you breaking by doing it? I don't know of any motoring law that prohibits the spinning of tyres or driving round in circles...

Good luck!

[Klint]

Originally posted by TheBrit
Oh man, that really does suck. If you calmly explain what happened when the van hit you, without outright criticising the van driver, and you sound composed and sensible, it might put over a good impression with the police.

With regard to the donuts, isn't a car park private property? What law were you breaking by doing it? I don't know of any motoring law that prohibits the spinning of tyres or driving round in circles...

Good luck!

Benman & Chris,

Thanks for the well wishes.

Apprantly, there's one that does cover such antics, one which I've never ever heard of before, since I know as a fact that such behaviour is legal then I shall continue to make use of the empty car parks at night. The copper at the accident scene said that doing donuts is something that can get you in trouble for "Driving with fury"....like WTF. lol does that even exist?

They all piss in the same pot anyway.

[Klint]

Now i'm hearing that I was also reported for dangerous driving on that same night by some communist twirp for dangerous driving. Why give us the right to do what ever speed we like and are capable of the speeds in a safe manner, if we can't exercise that right? Idiots.

At the end of the day, someone taking over three cars in a safe procedure without endangering anyone else is classed as dangerous to someone who needs ALOT better things to do, while it's perfectly fine by other people, such as myself.

Since every report has to get investigated (In my case), i'll be having the local cop shop on quick dial for every bad example of driving: Including failure to indicate for turns, passing throgh the traffic lights when they are amber etc...That'll give the cops something to do.

[bilbozilla]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. People can really be idiots thinking they are making the roads more safe, yet they are the first to cause interruptions in traffic patterns which ultimately cause traffic accidents involving more than 1 vehicle.

[Klint]

bilbozilla,

That's a good point!

[Klint]

Yesterday, we heard back from the insurance brokers who've spoken with the other party involved who mentioned that there were "8-10 complaints filed against my driving on the accident day alone" (re: My next car has got to be quattro) whch he obviously heard from the copper who turned up to the accident scene.

The affects of these false alligations and numbers are catastrophic in any chance of saving my license and claiming on the other party's insurance. (My insurance is enough ££ s it is)

Today, i visited the cop shop to get to the meat of this stew.

According to the sargeant in charge....there has been "zero complaints" against my name and the registration plate of my car, "in the last four weeks"...He checked memos, bulletin boards etc with no result. This is seriously raising too many questions as to what the f**k is going on with these guys.

The chain affect of the original pulling over has caused alot of unnecessary greif, trauma and what not (I'll get over that) with the cause of action taken by that copper un-known to myself.

I'm currently smelling abit more than a rat....I shall continue to investigate this further. so stay tuned!

[Aronis]

Insurance type guys will use any method to wear you down.

By making you think that there are many complaints about you, they will expect that you will settle on the small payment they give you for your damages since few people go on to challenge the insurance companies about a claim.

The fact that there have been others complaining about you without substanciating evidence is immaterial. Without proof of you so called reckless driving either by video tape or another actual accident, their complaints are meaningless.

I gather you are driving a BMW 325, those who complained about your driving probably are wimps driving minivans or worse those driving the killer SUVs.

I would not sweat the so called complaints, I doubt such gutless people would go to court to stand behind their accusations.

Mike