How Long Can Someone Elude Camera/Police Detection?
Discussion
This guy has been driving around for months...
He may well be good at dodging the cameras, but with a moody plate he doesn't have to. Add to that a vehicle that isn't registered to him, well, it probably swerved the crusher too. 'Oh, but he's only collecting scrap metal', well, someone broadly fitting the same description might have made off with kids' bikes, gates, builders' tools/materials... basically, anything that can be sold or weighed in. As far as I know, it is illegal for anyone to buy scrap metal using cash.
"Scrap metal dealers must also verify the identity of all sellers. Sellers must bring either a valid photographic ID that also sets out their full residential address or a formal document such as a utility bill and a valid photographic ID."
As far as I know, you can't just go rummaging around in skips that are on private property. I had a [metal] garden ornament stolen from my front garden some time ago and my elderly neighbour from across the road said he saw a white van pull up around about the time it went missing. This is not a thinly veiled attempt at hating on anyone that fits the description above, but the person driving the van in the image clearly doesn't exist other than when you can see him (and his female companion in the cab). He's been getting away with it for a while.
Within minutes of hitting the road guaranteed I will spot something; for example: now that the mornings are colder, the other day I passed three cars within 10 minutes of hitting the road, all three had misted up windscreens. Usually, most days I will see people on their phones (whilst driving) people watching videos on their phones (whilst driving) people driving cars with illegal tints (so dark you can't even see the occupants). I see cars with bald tyres, smashed up windscreens, cars with damage which could be dangerous to cyclists or pedestrians (and even other cars they get close to). The list is expansive and I could go on with populating it and still not enlist everything that is clearly an offence, or dangerous to other road users.
If I'm seeing these cars, why aren't the police? It's easy to suggest because there aren't any or as many as there once were (but there are plenty of cameras and traps to catch motorists for an easy fine). It's even easier to say that the average plod cannot be arsed with the paperwork to administer a dodgy white van with moody license plates.
As I write this I have become aware that it's quickly turned into a rant (couldn't fit the 968 windscreen in Surbiton today, nor the Audi windscreen in Epsom because I got rained off for the cars being outside). I've ranted, but I rant from the shoes of someone that was forced to pay a fine for having a part of my wheel a CENTIMETER on the outer line of a yellow box junction. I've had my fair share of speeding fines too and I only have myself to blame.
Is the answer to my question therefore: for as long as they want?
He may well be good at dodging the cameras, but with a moody plate he doesn't have to. Add to that a vehicle that isn't registered to him, well, it probably swerved the crusher too. 'Oh, but he's only collecting scrap metal', well, someone broadly fitting the same description might have made off with kids' bikes, gates, builders' tools/materials... basically, anything that can be sold or weighed in. As far as I know, it is illegal for anyone to buy scrap metal using cash.
"Scrap metal dealers must also verify the identity of all sellers. Sellers must bring either a valid photographic ID that also sets out their full residential address or a formal document such as a utility bill and a valid photographic ID."
As far as I know, you can't just go rummaging around in skips that are on private property. I had a [metal] garden ornament stolen from my front garden some time ago and my elderly neighbour from across the road said he saw a white van pull up around about the time it went missing. This is not a thinly veiled attempt at hating on anyone that fits the description above, but the person driving the van in the image clearly doesn't exist other than when you can see him (and his female companion in the cab). He's been getting away with it for a while.
Within minutes of hitting the road guaranteed I will spot something; for example: now that the mornings are colder, the other day I passed three cars within 10 minutes of hitting the road, all three had misted up windscreens. Usually, most days I will see people on their phones (whilst driving) people watching videos on their phones (whilst driving) people driving cars with illegal tints (so dark you can't even see the occupants). I see cars with bald tyres, smashed up windscreens, cars with damage which could be dangerous to cyclists or pedestrians (and even other cars they get close to). The list is expansive and I could go on with populating it and still not enlist everything that is clearly an offence, or dangerous to other road users.
If I'm seeing these cars, why aren't the police? It's easy to suggest because there aren't any or as many as there once were (but there are plenty of cameras and traps to catch motorists for an easy fine). It's even easier to say that the average plod cannot be arsed with the paperwork to administer a dodgy white van with moody license plates.
As I write this I have become aware that it's quickly turned into a rant (couldn't fit the 968 windscreen in Surbiton today, nor the Audi windscreen in Epsom because I got rained off for the cars being outside). I've ranted, but I rant from the shoes of someone that was forced to pay a fine for having a part of my wheel a CENTIMETER on the outer line of a yellow box junction. I've had my fair share of speeding fines too and I only have myself to blame.
Is the answer to my question therefore: for as long as they want?
Glassman said:
If I'm seeing these cars, why aren't the police?
What police? There are basically no police, and the few that remain are busy doing other stuff.Nearly a decade ago I lost a front number plate somewhere in Iceland. I travelled across 5 countries like that including halfway round the M25 with no problems at all, it made me wonder why anybody bothers having numberplates when the penalty for getting caught was a £30 fine and the chance of getting caught basically zero.
Glassman said:
RHD van.
Bulgarian plates AB1234CD.
This is an attempt at passing 5 off as an S.
Edit: plus white background on a rear plate. Whoops. Easy mistake to make
I can't tell that's RHD, how can you? It's got the BG EU blue marker on the left of the plate. I'm guessing it's a Bulgarian van that's had a new plate made up in the UK.Bulgarian plates AB1234CD.
This is an attempt at passing 5 off as an S.
Edit: plus white background on a rear plate. Whoops. Easy mistake to make
Plod aren't going to go anywhere near it.
Glassman said:
RHD van.
Bulgarian plates AB1234CD.
This is an attempt at passing 5 off as an S.
Edit: plus white background on a rear plate. Whoops. Easy mistake to make
Bulgarian plates can have a single letter at the start, and being RHD isn’t a massive red flag, just as a LHD vehicle isn’t in this country. Bulgarian plates AB1234CD.
This is an attempt at passing 5 off as an S.
Edit: plus white background on a rear plate. Whoops. Easy mistake to make
I guess its very much dependent on where you live. I'm doing upwards of 20K miles a year now and its been a genuine shock how many idiots I see on the road. I was behind someone the other morning on the M5 on an section with average speed camera enforcement. In the end I set cruise to +3mph and slowly went past while they sat watching GMTV on their phone balanced on the dash.
Phone use seems "normal" and lane discipline optional. Reversing back on the hard shoulder if you missed a junction (seen twice in a month) and going lane 2 onto a slip via the chevrons is normal for junction 25/26 is standard practice to get past HGVs and save a couple of seconds.
Meanwhile... static speed cameras on bridges seem fairly common as are unmarked cars responding to something elsewhere.
Maybe the introduction of the new cameras I've seen cropping up will help?
On the other side, I drove round with no front plate on my lotus for years (and no MOT for 6 months but thats another story!)
Phone use seems "normal" and lane discipline optional. Reversing back on the hard shoulder if you missed a junction (seen twice in a month) and going lane 2 onto a slip via the chevrons is normal for junction 25/26 is standard practice to get past HGVs and save a couple of seconds.
Meanwhile... static speed cameras on bridges seem fairly common as are unmarked cars responding to something elsewhere.
Maybe the introduction of the new cameras I've seen cropping up will help?
On the other side, I drove round with no front plate on my lotus for years (and no MOT for 6 months but thats another story!)
Where I used to work (huge site), one of the employees drove so dangerously that he became known as a problem to many of those that commuted in on the same roads. I think various people spoke to him but he was the kind of bolshy idiot that would claim black was white if he thought it served his argument (probably a member on here).
One morning a sheet of paper appeared on his windscreen:-
No tax
No Insurance
No MOT
drives like a c**t
Obviously I went on the DVLA site and had a look. Sure enough, all true (already knew the 4th bit) and the MOT had expired about 3 years previous.
He commuted 30-40 miles each way, 5 days a week, through a minor city.
One morning a sheet of paper appeared on his windscreen:-
No tax
No Insurance
No MOT
drives like a c**t
Obviously I went on the DVLA site and had a look. Sure enough, all true (already knew the 4th bit) and the MOT had expired about 3 years previous.
He commuted 30-40 miles each way, 5 days a week, through a minor city.
Having had my MOT expiry extended by 6 months during COVID, when the new expiry date came round I completely forgot about it.
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
MrGTI6 said:
Having had my MOT expiry extended by 6 months during COVID, when the new expiry date came round I completely forgot about it.
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
At that time j think there would be thousands in a similar situation.6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
Still, that isn’t really that relevant to the OPs curtain twitching.
MrGTI6 said:
Having had my MOT expiry extended by 6 months during COVID, when the new expiry date came round I completely forgot about it.
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
I thought no MOT meant insurance is void - so how come an ANPR camera didn't get you?6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
I get reminder e-mails which are handy: https://www.gov.uk/mot-reminder
MrGTI6 said:
Having had my MOT expiry extended by 6 months during COVID, when the new expiry date came round I completely forgot about it.
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
Ha !6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
I part exed a Nissan 200SX for a new MR2 and needed to transfer the Reg. The dealer phoned and said the MOT and tax had expired and they couldn't do the transfer. Nipped outside to check the disk and as I thought, it said this month. On closer inspection I found it had expired almost 1 year ago !
Ooops.
Had to take it to the DVLA for physical inspection before they would tax it
Simpo Two said:
MrGTI6 said:
Having had my MOT expiry extended by 6 months during COVID, when the new expiry date came round I completely forgot about it.
6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
I thought no MOT meant insurance is void - so how come an ANPR camera didn't get you?6 months later I went to get the car MOT'd on its usual anniversary, and it wasn't until the tester informed me that I realised I'd been driving around with no MOT for half a year!
I'd unwittingly driven several thousand miles with no MOT and nothing ever came of it!
I get reminder e-mails which are handy: https://www.gov.uk/mot-reminder
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