monkeyjaimz Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) Had to nip out into town about an hour ago on a couple of small work errands in the company van, just about to finish and on my way back when work rings me on my mobile (you know whats coming dont you?) I answer and tell them I cant talk as im driving (4 second call). Next thing I know, blue lights and sirens in my mirror and Im sat in a police car giving all sorts of personal details ie my mobile number, where I was born etc. and I end up with a £60 fine (which I cant afford to pay right now) and 3 points on my previously clean licence. I tried to reason with the officer and showed him the last call on my phone - at his request, proving the miniscule duration, I told him I've never been done for anything like this before etc. wouldnt a verbal caution or warning suffice? His reply? "you can blame work" At this point I decided to get my moneys worth and informed him that there's little wonder public perception of the police service is so low when they employ an attitude like that. 2 years ago I was burgled, had my property and my car stolen. On top of that I was run over by my own car as I attempted to stop the criminals and it took the police 3 days to come and see me (in hospital), now this clown jumps all over me for a 4 second phone call when all I'm doing is trying to earn my way Im not saying I was right to be on the phone, but I feel certain that if he had said to me something like "look mate, you were on your phone and you shouldnt have been. I could fine you and endorse you but as it was a very short call which you terminated quickly before you saw me in my patrol car and you have no criminal history of any kind - im going to give you a warning this time" I'd have respect for him and the police and I would never use my phone whilst driving again. As it is, I have even less respect for the police than I did when they utterly bungled my burglary / assault case and my opinion of the t*** that pulled me over is that he is clearly a xxxxx ******** moron and obviously in-bred. Rant over Edited October 2, 2007 by new to the flock please refrain from racist comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Rough deal, and agree with your sentiments. Anyone who posts something as banal as "the law is the law" is being fatuous. There is such a thing as discretion - this is not murder it's a minor traffic offence where the police instead of picking up a £60 fine could win themselves £1000 of good publicity.... "tell you what, I met a half decent copper today. Had me bang to rights on my phone, got talking, he saw I was law obiding and it was a short call and he let me off - you see they aren't all wooden tops...." Give 'em a uniform and all that. Wouldn't happen with the Met and inside the M25 though - they have proper crime to detect etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myuserid Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 I know what its like, I was done for speeding by one of those sneaky vans, 32mph in a 30mph zone. I thought I would be ok because isn't it 2mph plus 3% or something like that? Anyway got a £80 fine plus 3 points, plus I was is a Land Rover discovery and I know its fairly hard to speed in one of those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Sorry mung, but tell a family thats been in a wreck that its not a serious offence!, i think you have to be big enough and just hold your hands up sometimes, you made a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 It is disgusting, the pereption here is that Traffic Coppers don't give you any discretion unless your a blonde with sizable assets. Unfortunately, the Police are cracking down hard on the use of mobile phones whilst driving. If you think it is worth it, pursue the matter further, right a letter to the cheif cunstable for a response or go to court. The problem here is that the Police prey on people knowing that most will just pay the fine and accept the penalty points. Its not fair at all, especially fo those that are genuine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkBoy Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Bad luck...... Ask your employer to pony up for a hands free system to avoid any further nonsense. ....they might even help with the fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno 357 Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Had to nip out into town about an hour ago on a couple of small work errands in the company van, just about to finish and on my way back when work rings me on my mobile (you know whats coming dont you?) I answer and tell them I cant talk as im driving (4 second call).Next thing I know, blue lights and sirens in my mirror and Im sat in a police car giving all sorts of personal details ie my mobile number, where I was born etc. and I end up with a £60 fine (which I cant afford to pay right now) and 3 points on my previously clean licence. I tried to reason with the officer and showed him the last call on my phone - at his request, proving the miniscule duration, I told him I've never been done for anything like this before etc. wouldnt a verbal caution or warning suffice? His reply? "you can blame work" At this point I decided to get my moneys worth and informed him that there's little wonder public perception of the police service is so low when they employ an attitude like that. 2 years ago I was burgled, had my property and my car stolen. On top of that I was run over by my own car as I attempted to stop the criminals and it took the police 3 days to come and see me (in hospital), now this clown jumps all over me for a 4 second phone call when all I'm doing is trying to earn my way Im not saying I was right to be on the phone, but I feel certain that if he had said to me something like "look mate, you were on your phone and you shouldnt have been. I could fine you and endorse you but as it was a very short call which you terminated quickly before you saw me in my patrol car and you have no criminal history of any kind - im going to give you a warning this time" I'd have respect for him and the police and I would never use my phone whilst driving again. As it is, I have even less respect for the police than I did when they utterly bungled my burglary / assault case and my opinion of the t*** that pulled me over is that he is clearly a xxxxx ******** moron and obviously in-bred. Rant over I just so love a happy ending Now let that be a lesson to you and don't do it again Jonno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 The fine's not the hardest part though... The points stay on for three years and they are worth way more than 60 notes over that time in insurance additions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyjaimz Posted October 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Sorry mung, but tell a family thats been in a wreck that its not a serious offence!, i think you have to be big enough and just hold your hands up sometimes, you made a mistake. I dont deny that I made a mistake, I'm simply saying that under the circumstances the officer in question could have had better judgement and shown a bit of leniency in this instance. I agree with mungler in that instead of me going away thinking that my local traffic copper is a reasonable man and i'll never do that again etc i'm left filled with disgust and dont have a single good thing to say about the police service at all If all they are prepared to do is sit in a tax payers car and catch petty traffic offenders all day then they should at least be upfront about it and call themselves 'Traffic Enforment' or something. I see VERY little decent honest policing going on nowadays, in fact, I dont see ANY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean k Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Come on folks the law states that you will not use a mobile phone while driving, and you did (if only for 4 secs) use a mobile while being in control of the vehicle. I always make my mind up before talking to the driver of how I will proceed so that I can't be seen to only give points/fines to those who are cheeky!! In this way it is fair for all concerned, those with previous and those who don't. You need your job to give you a hands free if they require you to answer the phone. You still have the right to go to court, but as you have admitted it to them, this will also cost you the court fee so I would strongly advise not to!! Chin up it could have been worse, you could have dropped the phone when answering it and on picking it back up from the floor of your vehcile you run into the back of the vehicle in front that stopped at the lights, this then rolls forward killing an elderly person crossing the road. Dean K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 I dunno, problem with it is that ya were doing something you shouldn't have. I know I know, I'd have done it too - and probably get caught as well..... Wrong place wrong time. No matter what ya say to him he can always say well you were in breach of the law. Just one of those ****ty things that happen us all eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Tough luck mate, I think with the length of call they should have let you off but copper was being a job's worth and probably had to get his stats up. Now I'm not sure on this but I seem to remember we had to inform our company clients when the rules came in that if they expected employees to answer mobile calls on a regular basis they had to provide them with hands free equipment or they could be fined etc. I think you should say to your work that they are partly responsible (for not supplying suitable equipment) and as such you will take the penalty points but they should pay the fine for you. I will see if I can find any info on it. Be warned I think if you are involved in an accident and you have a phone in your hand they'll throw the book at you and if you happen to kill someone while on the phone it's now something like manslaughter instead of death by dangerous driving (i think I'm sure the legal experts on here can clarify this). Best option get a hands free kit they're less than £50 which is less than the fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEFTY478 Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Get a spare phone and next time, unless they've got you on video, shove the one you've just used down your pants and then when you've pulled over, hand the copper the unused one. Deny you were using a phone and ask him to check the phone's call register. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Anyone who posts something as banal as "the law is the law" is being fatuous. There is such a thing as discretion - this is not murder it's a minor traffic offence where the police instead of picking up a £60 fine could win themselves £1000 of good publicity.... "tell you what, I met a half decent copper today. Had me bang to rights on my phone, got talking, he saw I was law obiding and it was a short call and he let me off - you see they aren't all wooden tops...." As I said those that say "the law is the law" are being fatuous. This is about discretion. For those that are sticking to their "the law is the law" mantra, when you drive home today (and bearing in mind the 3 points and fine awarded for 32 in a 30 mph limit) just keep an eye on your speedo and work out how many time you break the law. Then (because the law is the law) you should immediately attend your local Police station and hand yourself in for speeding you men of principle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 sod the discretion, if you get away with it once, you may feel that you can get away with it every time. then that 4 seconds turns into 20 seconds, turns into 2 minutes and then turns into ****-ending someone that has stopped or hitting a kid who has run out. many many people say that if the smaller crimes that people committed were dealt with properly, then they wouldn't be as likely to go on and commit further crimes. well you sure as hell aint gonna pick your phone up while you are driving again, are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 it also concerns me that you werent observant enough whilst driving to spot a police car behind you. even if it was unmarked, the multitude of mirrors, aerials and strobe lights under the front grill give them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Anyone who posts something as banal as "the law is the law" is being fatuous. There is such a thing as discretion - this is not murder it's a minor traffic offence where the police instead of picking up a £60 fine could win themselves £1000 of good publicity.... "tell you what, I met a half decent copper today. Had me bang to rights on my phone, got talking, he saw I was law obiding and it was a short call and he let me off - you see they aren't all wooden tops...." As I said those that say "the law is the law" are being fatuous. This is about discretion. For those that are sticking to their "the law is the law" mantra, when you drive home today (and bearing in mind the 3 points and fine awarded for 32 in a 30 mph limit) just keep an eye on your speedo and work out how many time you break the law. Then (because the law is the law) you should immediately attend your local Police station and hand yourself in for speeding you men of principle. The thing is Mung, i do stick to the speed limits, if he had posted that he had nearly shot a lamb thinking it was a fox in the lamp, you would be on the case! I help with speed awareness courses, i understand the risks fully, i have seen things i wish i hadnt, ask any paramedic or policeman about rta's , they all have nasty stories! Ok, 10 - 15 seconds on the phone might not seem along time, might not seem fair, but i would bet he will not do it again, if it was just a small telling off, then it might well happen again, like i said, bad luck, but you took a risk and got caught, so live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 The fine's not the hardest part though... The points stay on for three years and they are worth way more than 60 notes over that time in insurance additions. they run for 3 but stay on for 4......get less for assault... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Blimey, it looks like if you drive whilst on the phone for a nanosecond or 2 miles over the speed limit you will be involved in or cause some gruesome accident the likes of which will put us off our dinners forever. What hogwash. Anyone who says they never speed +2 mph over a prevailing limit is a fibber or drives an electric car with 3 wheels and a big blue badge in the windscreen. J@mes whilst you haven't filled out your profile I would take a rough guess that you don't drive. I don't see the link between getting points (in which case you will just never do it again ever - apparently) or a warning from a friendly copper (in which case you will, apparently, flush with your escape from criminal prosecution be immediately on the blower to Aunty Mable for the next 3 months solidly whilst circumventing the highways and byways of the British Isles). Phooeeey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 J@mes whilst you haven't filled out your profile I would take a rough guess that you don't drive. I drive a 400BHP Mitsubishi Evo. And, being 23 that leaves me very much in the eye of the traffic police, who usually love any reason to pull over younger lads that drive high performance cars. Trouble is, when they do pull me over, I have done nothing wrong and there is nothing wrong with my car. They like to check it is mine, that it is taxed, insured and MOT'd and that all my tyres are legal. It happens quite often. I also drive around 20K miles a year with work, where I am an on-call engineer on high voltage distribution networks that run the East Coast Main Line, and supply systems that run the signalling equipment. Even when its all gone tits up, all trains have stopped and my bosses are trying to get hold of me to avoid hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of delays racking up, I STILL DO NOT ANSWER MY MOBILE PHONE UNTIL I AM PARKED SAFELY. so your "rough guess" was miles out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 J@mes whilst you haven't filled out your profile I would take a rough guess that you don't drive. I drive a 400BHP Mitsubishi Evo. And, being 23 that leaves me very much in the eye of the traffic police, who usually love any reason to pull over younger lads that drive high performance cars. Trouble is, when they do pull me over, I have done nothing wrong and there is nothing wrong with my car. They like to check it is mine, that it is taxed, insured and MOT'd and that all my tyres are legal. It happens quite often. I also drive around 20K miles a year with work, where I am an on-call engineer on high voltage distribution networks that run the East Coast Main Line, and supply systems that run the signalling equipment. Even when its all gone tits up, all trains have stopped and my bosses are trying to get hold of me to avoid hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of delays racking up, I STILL DO NOT ANSWER MY MOBILE PHONE UNTIL I AM PARKED SAFELY. so your "rough guess" was miles out. Interesting that such a speed conscious and law abiding motorist drives a 400 BHP Evo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Perhaps he has a private racetrack for it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 The problem with responding to these threads is that it tends to come under the heading of, "if you haven't got anything nice to say, say nothing". I have every sympathy with you monkeyjaimz and have to admit that on rare occasions, I have also picked up a ringing phone whilst driving. However, if I got caught doing that, it would just go down on the list as, "one of those things". A bit like getting caught in a radar trap, or by a speed camera. The question is always the same, "am I guilty ?" and the answer would have to be, "yes". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 where in my post did I say I was speed conscious? I said I dont give the police a reason to pull me over. Now, if they aren't about........ But should they be and I was caught speeding (because like you say, everyone does it) I would accept that I had been caught, I wouldnt come on the internet and cry over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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