Gordon R Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) Went to my eldest lad's for New Year's Eve. On our way home, about 12.15am, we encountered a car - VEZ 9356 - travelling at 20mph in a 30mph area. It was a little odd, but nothing compared to the weaving from side to side. Another car overtook it, giving it a wide berth. When we hit the 40 zone, it continued to progress at 20mph, but the weaving got worse. My wife was driving - myself, youngest son and daughter-in-law were passengers. At first we laughed, but something was seriously amiss. As it slowed down even more, my wife decided to overtake - I told her to flash her headlights to ensure the driver knew we were there. The driver immediately ran the car off the road and up the pavement. As we passed, he did a u-turn and went in the opposite direction. We were concerned about the possibility of a drink driver and when I got home, ten minutes later, I rang 101. I actually spoke to someone and explained our concerns. The advice - ring back in the morning, we are busy. My son messaged me about 5 minutes later - he had received the same advice. I do question what is the point of the 101 service. Edited January 1, 2020 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClemFandango Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 It's a difficult call but if you thought there was immediate danger you probably would have been better ringing 999. 101 isn't meant for immediate response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Why wait ? No having a go . If your a passenger I’d ring straight away . I had an idiot cutting me up a few years back and we thought he was drunk. We passed a police car and I pulled over , you should of seen the car accelerate 😂😂. The police had him tho. the issue at the moment is lack of officers and it’s really bad currently. 80,000 people in my town and 4 police at a time 😮. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I suspect 101 is in most cases, a convenient black hole where the calls subsequently disappear! merely a means to divert calls away from the 999 emergency number! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmboy91 Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I pulled into a shell once with my ex to fill up, there was a car at the pump on foreign plates, a bloke got out, took a big swig from a lager bottle, filled up, paid got back in the car and had another big gulp, then drove off. The ex rang straight away explaining, gave the plate and direction the car was heading in. She got a 'we'll look into it'. We was heading the same way, was behind it for 10 mins or so till it pulled on a drive in a local estate and that was that. You'd think they're have been on something like that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I’ve called 101 a couple of times, just to be met with inane, pointless and illogical questions, so I don’t bother anymore. One example was of a heifer roaming the A686 in the dark of a summers evening. Loads of speeding bikers on that road in summer, not just cars, so thought I was doing the sensible thing. One of the questions was ‘whose cow is it?’ to which my response was ‘ I don’t know, which is why I’m calling you.’ 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 i would not bother with 101. id have called 999.they may have got him.101 is a waist of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) Its a bit the same with the NHS 111 service. Several times my elderly mother tried it for different ailments and my stepdaughter used it when one of the grandchildren was ill recently. After asking a load of totally irelevent questions on every occasion the final advice was to go A&E. I suppose, realistically, that always has to be their default suggestion to cover their own tails. Since I believe the purpose of the service was to prevent time wasters clogging up A&E the whole thing looks like a complete waste of time and money. Edited January 1, 2020 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davyo Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 101 is there purely to manipulate the stats as calls answered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I used 101 to contact the specific officer that was doing my licence application visit. Worked a treat in getting an early visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartyboy Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 999 everytime for a suspected drink driver. End of the day it's a potential risk to life. Saying that I've always had good service when using 101 for non urgent police matters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I could rarely get through to 101 when i used to try and use it in Bristol. I think for drink driving it would be 999 but I am surprised at the response they gave you and your son. I hope you had a good night out. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Often called 101 for hare coursers and generally call doesn’t get answered. If it’s serious it’s 999 now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph5172 Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) I think the longest we waited for 101 to be answered was 1hr45mins. We let it run just to see how long. Another call by the time it was answered we were 2 counties over (mobile call so it directs to the county you are in) The last quarter our 101 had over 16% of calls unanswered Edited January 1, 2020 by ph5172 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washerboy Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Used it once at an unmanned police station to inform them about a lad on a bike carrying copper wire and carrying a hopefully replica automatic pistol. They did take 7 or 8 minutes taking details but then a police car left the station I was outside and that was they informed me on its way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbob Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Due to my job i can deal with the police on a regular base and now there not called a first response service . Even with calling 999 they can take up to a hour to get there by which time the incident can be over Phoning 101 is just a joke One night we where dealing with somebody who had cut themselves I had to leave my partner with them to escort the ambulance in to where this guy was the ambulance who was called on a 999 call after a hour i gave up waiting and went back to back up my partner , 4 hours later a police car turned up then another and another it turned out the ambulance service wouldn't turn out with out the police as when they where phone we stated the guy had harmed himself with a knife and as the police where busy the ambulance service wouldnt let them attend till the police where available Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Never used 101 before and won't bother using it again. Both my son and I spoke to an operative and neither said ring 999. They did not see it as urgent enough. I hear what people say about 999, but we had a strong suspicion only - I would have used 999 if we had seen someone being attacked. That said - if it happens again - decision to make - 999 or totally ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbob Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I used to phone 101 to log on and off some shooting permissions but due to changes they paid off all the ill old or infirm back room police that used to answer the phone and replace them with civilians , and there a bunch of know it alls that know **** all asking questions which are certainly not relevant and probably a few anti's who could care or wont hide there views and show it over the phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I have not used 101 myself, but I am told locally that you mostly get either no answer or a recorded announcement telling you all their operators are busy ............. In contrast, we had a fire locally about 3 months back. Fire Service from two stations (both retained, not full time) were there very quickly - and no less than 6 police (3 cars) to direct traffic (on an unclassified and VERY quiet road which has a dead easy diversion of only half a mile to bypass). There seems to be no shortage of officers for the easy jobs ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said: I have not used 101 myself, but I am told locally that you mostly get either no answer or a recorded announcement telling you all their operators are busy ............. In contrast, we had a fire locally about 3 months back. Fire Service from two stations (both retained, not full time) were there very quickly - and no less than 6 police (3 cars) to direct traffic (on an unclassified and VERY quiet road which has a dead easy diversion of only half a mile to bypass). There seems to be no shortage of officers for the easy jobs ...... When there is an accident in Peterborough you get loads of Police Officers turn up, almost like they are just waiting at the station and want an excuse to get out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said: I have not used 101 myself, but I am told locally that you mostly get either no answer or a recorded announcement telling you all their operators are busy ............. In contrast, we had a fire locally about 3 months back. Fire Service from two stations (both retained, not full time) were there very quickly - and no less than 6 police (3 cars) to direct traffic (on an unclassified and VERY quiet road which has a dead easy diversion of only half a mile to bypass). There seems to be no shortage of officers for the easy jobs ...... Fire would have requested them, highways would have been requested by police for the diversion and they like to take their time. Go and ask the local police for a ride along and point out all their faults as you do it. You may be surprised how few of them there actually is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 2 minutes ago, GingerCat said: Go and ask the local police for a ride along and point out all their faults as you do it. You may be surprised how few of them there actually is. I had a long chat with the two police who were stationed right outside my house, and gave them (and the Fire Brigade) some Quality Streets for their trouble. Nice people, but they freely admitted that it was a great lazy evening for them (even the weather was nice!). They were certainly able to produce 6 people at short notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) Lucky then. I have 8 for an area of 1700 sq miles. Mostly we have no one to send as they are all committed. Quite often with mental health as the ambulances have no one to send, or people traped in crashed cars as the fire service have no one either. A few days ago I had a number of staples in my head before being sent home. I was the night duty cover for the region. There was no one else to take my place within 30 miles. I'd love a lazy evening, seldom see them. Edited January 1, 2020 by GingerCat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 4 minutes ago, GingerCat said: I'd love a lazy evening, seldom see them. They got lucky then. I had one fire engine and one police car right outside my house - and near midnight (they were there for about 4 or 5 hours) my tub of chocolates went down very well! Fortunately, although quite a lot of damage to a neighbours property, no one hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 They did get lucky. I got a cup of tea the other day which was very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.