Discussion
Pentoman said:
I think it's just down to the individual. I thought the chubby fellow (Stan??) was a bit antagonistic and pretty well goaded that guy in the Zafira going into Tesco into getting himself arrested. Not very tactful.
Do people play up for the cameras, or are most of the Plods customers like this?American - Turned right at a red light where you're not supposed to (usually you're allowed to). Pulled his gun out when I got out of the car! You're meant to stay seated there. Was perfectly friendly after he didn't shoot me.
Australian - Once for not wearing a seatbelt, and once a random stop, got a fine for not having my driving licence. Total robots looking for any excuse to write out a fine.
Thailand - Road block outside Bangkok during troubles last year. Looked at my driving licence upside down and waved me on, smiling.
Swiss - Random document check near the Italian border (might have been more customs than traffic police) checked licence, passport, safety kit. Perfectly polite and friendly, very robotic and efficiently Swiss.
Other than the Swiss one, I've never been stopped in continental Europe. In Thailand, Australia and the US I was driving locally registered cars. I believe most policemen don't want to trouble of stopping a foreign car unless their doing something seriously wrong. Yes, 186 in a 130 will probably do it
Some traffic police are OK, but I think they are necessarily kind of dull people. Maybe they joined the police thinking they want to make a difference and clean up crime, and now they find themselves stuck on a motorway bridge with a laser gun, or maybe they just joined to cruise around in a T5 and throw their weight around. Maybe some joined because they genuinely thought they could make the roads safer.
I guess they also see the consequences of things going wrong. I might have thought that I was ok to drive 1km through traffic without my seatbelt on, but the Australian traffic policeman might have just come from an accident where someone else who thought that had met a grizzly death splattered across his windscreen and 5 innocent bystanders had been killed by severed body parts. It happens every day.
Australian - Once for not wearing a seatbelt, and once a random stop, got a fine for not having my driving licence. Total robots looking for any excuse to write out a fine.
Thailand - Road block outside Bangkok during troubles last year. Looked at my driving licence upside down and waved me on, smiling.
Swiss - Random document check near the Italian border (might have been more customs than traffic police) checked licence, passport, safety kit. Perfectly polite and friendly, very robotic and efficiently Swiss.
Other than the Swiss one, I've never been stopped in continental Europe. In Thailand, Australia and the US I was driving locally registered cars. I believe most policemen don't want to trouble of stopping a foreign car unless their doing something seriously wrong. Yes, 186 in a 130 will probably do it
Some traffic police are OK, but I think they are necessarily kind of dull people. Maybe they joined the police thinking they want to make a difference and clean up crime, and now they find themselves stuck on a motorway bridge with a laser gun, or maybe they just joined to cruise around in a T5 and throw their weight around. Maybe some joined because they genuinely thought they could make the roads safer.
I guess they also see the consequences of things going wrong. I might have thought that I was ok to drive 1km through traffic without my seatbelt on, but the Australian traffic policeman might have just come from an accident where someone else who thought that had met a grizzly death splattered across his windscreen and 5 innocent bystanders had been killed by severed body parts. It happens every day.
I used to work as a short hop delivery driver and drove a variety of sheds which, although legal, brought me a lot of attention from the police both by their appearance and my spirited driving of them. I have no issue with the way local police have dealt with me though even though at times Ive been a bit of a knob. During a recent trip to France my mate was given an on the spot fine on the Autoroute despite being overtaken by almost everything on it which did leave a somewhat sour taste. on top of this I was victim of an aussie speed trap when I lived there in which they sit in a town in the middle of nowhere with a speed llmiting sign 5 miles from the town and clock you as you pass it. 74 ks in a 60 - a $100 fine. If given the choice Ill have british police every time!
Pentoman said:
I think it's just down to the individual. I thought the chubby fellow (Stan??) was a bit antagonistic and pretty well goaded that guy in the Zafira going into Tesco into getting himself arrested. Not very tactful.
I though that too, a little, wasn't surprised when they said nothing came of it. Shame really as I think the South Wales lot have generally come across much better than their Humberside and Essex colleagues.Marcellus said:
yes...French............ 186kmh in a 130...... very civilised very courteous and friendly!!
+1yup, had a high speed blow out followed by an introduction to the central reservation, three times.
Police, paramedics, doctor and thier equivalent of HATOs were all great.
The police spoke excellent English.
The police said "ahh, M3, nice car..... but not any more"
And then proceeded to give me a fine!
Edited by davido140 on Friday 5th June 12:00
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