Technical Just spent the last half hour in the back of a police car, over two bulbs

[Andy Monty]

Sorry to hear that.

I'd have been pretty annoyed with them too & also would have expected a "sort it out chap" sort of response.

Lights and bad connections are always a problem on the older cars. Panda's are bad, but mere amateurs compared to a 127 - I'm always thumping lights! I really don't know what the Police expect if a bulb goes on your journey anyway.......

Go and catch the people driving uninsured, unlicenced, on their mobiles, or generally off their heads - that should keep em busy! :idea:

Problem is many people get told they have a light out and ignore the advice.

As for the bulb out one thing usually leads to them finding other things such as no insurance

 

[Palio]

Problem is many people get told they have a light out and ignore the advice.

As for the bulb out one thing usually leads to them finding other things such as no insurance

Yes I understand that, and applaud checking the car for insurance etc. Once they know it's all legit though, a bit of old fashioned policing wouldn't go amiss imo. That's one reason why they lost much of the publics support.

I hasten to add that my dealings with them have always been very polite and reasonable. Very few fortunately(!), but mainly in the aftermath of various (non-fault) accidents I've been caught up in. I also had a very reasonable response to a situation where I hoofed past an unmarked car in the Coupe (well it was going slowly) at a silly speed late at night - a stern talking to did more good than ticketing me ever would have done!

It would still annoy me greatly to get a rectifyer for a bulb though! Wonder what they'd say if I fixed it at the roadside (a thump usually does it).............

 

[Andy Monty]

Been there done that years ago (i had a spare bulb kit) ended up convincing the wpc traffic officer to hold off writing the vdrs and had her holding a torch whilst I replaced the bulb

 

[dragonwagon]

Many years ago I got pulled in A Citroen DS for no reason - nothing at all wrong with it but they insisted on "checking the car over" - I did likewise to the Police Cortina and found two completely bald tyres and a defective tail light. Threatened all sorts of consequences if left undone. Went to the cop shop the following morning to check on the car... not made welcome but insisted on seeing the repairs... which thankfully for them had been done.
Never been stopped since

 

[scout]

Something I used to do when a lot younger and prone to driving modified vehicles was to exit the car and lock it. If the Police want to see inside they then had to get my permission. As the OP I was always polite and avoided quite a few speeding tickets by admitting I was being stupid by speeding at that time (the coppers are human too and unless you have done something really dangerous can use their discretion).

Through my job I work closely with the Thames Valley Traffic Police and yesterday we checked over twenty taxi's going into a special school. 9 of them were written up for not wearing seatbelts (It's part of our contract with the taxi company that the drivers have to wear them and the police can ticket the drivers if they are not) I was expecting the school to kick up a stink but they were right behind the exercise and although a few of the drivers tried to argue their right to NOT wear seatbelts they all got £100 fines.

 

[pandamaniac]

Onemanmade.
Your comment
They seemed a little disarmed by my politeness but also formality and that I had the answers to all their questions about my car. They actually told me I didn't have to be so formal but I insisted.
didn't have anything to do with a fear of big men with latex gloves and having to drop your pants did it?
No officer.......
Dave

 

[firecolour]

My OSR light doesn't always work, so I slap it. It comes straight on

I tried this with the Essex police back in the 1970's (think Life On Mars era). I tapped the back light and it came back on. "Now could you go and tap your windscreen" said the copper, "your tax disc is out of date".

 

[onemanmade]

My OSR light doesn't always work, so I slap it. It comes straight on

I tried this with the Essex police back in the 1970's (think Life On Mars era). I tapped the back light and it came back on. "Now could you go and tap your windscreen" said the copper, "your tax disc is out of date".

Rofl had to laugh at that one

 

[onemanmade]

Onemanmade.
Your comment
They seemed a little disarmed by my politeness but also formality and that I had the answers to all their questions about my car. They actually told me I didn't have to be so formal but I insisted.
didn't have anything to do with a fear of big men with latex gloves and having to drop your pants did it?
No officer.......
Dave

Rofl they were actually quite wee, then I remembered there isn't a height restriction anymore

 

[onemanmade]

So I did a temporary fix in the work carpark today and got it verified at kwik fit for free, the first mot place I phoned wanted a tenner for doing it!!

After a thorough examination today the problem is the wire/connector within the last 1cm of wire at the connector (of the earth wire) so will get a new connector and strip back the wire a couple of centimetres any ideas where to get a new connector?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The reverse light is a funny one also, it is not even an MOT item so wouldn't have thought they would have been bothered about checking it?

Beat me to it.


This reminds me of the first time I was pulled over, central Norwich tail end of 2006, been on the road a few months.

Victoria (our origional 750L) was 5 up. We were going to the cinema and the police car had been following us for about 2 miles and something didn't feel right. In true Italian style the NSF indicator working intermittantly. Turning left into the multistory car park I thought to myself, do I risk using the indicator and it flashing fast (possibly) or not indicate but then get done for that?

I decided to indicate, it flashed quickly and on came the blue lights as the police car pulled along side us at the twin electric barriers to enter the car park. Officer wound down the window and shouted 'Oi, we want a word with you'.

In my haste to pull upto the barrier button I was to far away, reversed slightly to pull in closer and had the police car shoot back in reverse to block us - I think he thought I was about to drive off - Can you imagine a 750L, all <34BHP 5 up trying to out run the police

Got into the car park, then started getting the 3rd degree.

Rear passenger didn't have a seatbelt on (if I'd known I'd have had words, but didn't know at the time). I pointed out they're over 14 years of age so no my responsibility.

Shouldn't have 5 people in a car designed for 4.....its got 5 sets of seatbelts officer! (the other officer apparently poked his head in and said to the passengers its not wise to have 3 fat people in the back of a car designed for 2 people in the back).

Crack in the headlight - not road worthy, advised the officer it had passed 3 MOTs like it.

Indicator not working properly. Oh I didn't know that officer, how can you tell? The speed it was flashing son - que the passenger being told to turn the hazards on.....in true Italian style it worked correctly. RESULT! :slayer:

Officers then decided to buggar off and leave us alone

I still remember that pull over as though it were yesterday

The other 2 occasions I've been pulled over though have been far more civilized - the first impressions with that first pull over I wasn't impressed with though.

 

[Palio]

Beat me to it.


This reminds me of the first time I was pulled over, central Norwich tail end of 2006, been on the road a few months.

Victoria (our origional 750L) was 5 up. We were going to the cinema and the police car had been following us for about 2 miles and something didn't feel right. In true Italian style the NSF indicator working intermittantly. Turning left into the multistory car park I thought to myself, do I risk using the indicator and it flashing fast (possibly) or not indicate but then get done for that?

Indicator not working properly. Oh I didn't know that officer, how can you tell? The speed it was flashing son - que the passenger being told to turn the hazards on.....in true Italian style it worked correctly. RESULT! :slayer:

There was a good 50/50 it would start working again, but that's just perfect timing!

The Uno's due an MOT in a couple of weeks. scout very kindly sorted the non functioning washers for me. Turning left now gets the indicators all excited (it's probably a coincidence though we did wiggle wires & hedgehogs) but they seem to go back to normal after a few flashes (I guess one doesn't work then wakes up!) - can I be bothered to check (no guarantee it will do it - that's 50/50 too) or gamble on it being ok by the time Steve's ambled round to check the front..... :tempt:

 

[Didge3]

Can you imagine a 750L, all <34BHP 5 up trying to out run the police

This reminds me of the only time I've had five people in Char', we were going up a steep hill at about 25mph, I foolishly went for 3rd and she almost immediately lost all forward momentum I'm lucky I kept her moving, if I'd had to have done a hill start the poor clutch

 

[Caravadossi]

So as the title of the thread says I just spent the last half hour in the back of a police car ...

“A good police force is one that catches more crooks than it employs.”
Sir Robert Mark, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police (1972-77)

I note you’re a purple target – so can’t be the old snooker game … pot-a-red, pot-a-colour.
Whatever became of Pc “Cooper’s rules” & the “ultimate secret of modern policing”?

261507Z

 

[onemanmade]

“A good police force is one that catches more crooks than it employs.”
Sir Robert Mark, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police (1972-77)

I note you’re a purple target – so can’t be the old snooker game … pot-a-red, pot-a-colour.
Whatever became of Pc “Cooper’s rules” & the “ultimate secret of modern policing”?

261507Z

Maybe they were going for Danish blue :yum:

 

[pooroldcodger]

I would hate to join the "Shouldn't they be catching criminals" brigade; but it does make you wonder sometimes as they could have said "Get that light sorted mate".

Doesn't foster any kind of relationship with the public and makes us feel like we are simply all seen as criminals who haven't been caught yet:bang:

I can't be sure as I have never been in the police force (or is it a service these days?) but I am fairly convinced that fostering any kind of relationship with the public comes well down the list of priorities these days. I got pulled in my Mk1 escort when I was a lot younger and the police tried to push my car to prove the handbrake wasn't working (which it was so hard luck). To be fair I wasn't totally confident so I kept my foot on the foot brake while they huffed and puffed. When they realised they called me a cheeky bugger and then tried again! The car didn't move so I was sent one my way with a "mind how you go son".
Bearing in mind that was the infamous South Yorkshire police in Sheffield I was lucky I didn't end up being "fitted up" a la Hillsborough some years later.