Police Interceptor

[rockster]

Anyone watching? I think that officer that pulled off the aggressive overtaking manouevre on what seemed to be a pretty short slip road may well have got the 'ham shank' gesture from me too. To then charge the guy with careless driving seems a bit like bullying to me.

Don't get me wrong, most of the other officers on the show seem to have the patience of saints so this isn't about copper bashing. And the guy he arrested may well have been a tool. But it seemed really heavy handed to me.

[Tomor]

Happens to me all the time on slip roads, but I think it may have been dealt to with just a talking too. That young bike on the other hand.... He's. Royal pen1s

[Specialone]

Anyone watching? I think that officer that pulled off the aggressive overtaking manouevre on what seemed to be a pretty short slip road may well have got the 'ham shank' gesture from me too. To then charge the guy with careless driving seems a bit like bullying to me.

Don't get me wrong, most of the other officers on the show seem to have the patience of saints so this isn't about copper bashing. And the guy he arrested may well have been a tool. But it seemed really heavy handed to me.



Yeah I thought it was over the top too, maybe doing it for the cameras.

I once stood toe to toe with a CID cop on the way to work once for similar, I overtook him on a dual carriageway because he was driving like a dk, he then proceeded to chase me putting his badge up to the screen and flashing his lights, I refused to pull over, I eventually did and he was raging, all red in the face, so when he started shouting in my face, something I won't stand for, I started getting wound up and we got nose to nose.
He gave me the lecture for speeding (which I only did to overtake him) and said I can take a b*llocking off him there or he can get his car calibrated and do me for minimum speeding, I kinda had the whatever attitude then as I was late for work.
Amazingly, I got pulled over again a week later by someone from same nick, coincidence that...

Anyway, there are the odd few dks around but most are decent.

[Blue Flame]

I watched that as well and thought it was out of order. Unmarked car with no flashing lights speeding down the on ramp behind me and looking like it was about to invade my space at the end of the slip road I would have been tempted to move over at that point to protect my entry onto the main road.

[ClunkintheUK]

I think there are some rozzers who forget they are in an unmarked car.

Panda car comes racing up behind you without lights on you tend to just quietly get out they way, blue 3 series comes driving up my chuff I tend to slow down a little bit to give me a bit more room and am a little slow getting out the way. I've had a lecture a couple of time from unmarked cars for that.

[Ch00]

Anyone got a clip?

[Alexander94]

I watched it too, the copper was out of order but so was the guy on the bike. Giving someone that invades your personal space the 2 finger salute is fair enough but you should calm down once you see a copper stepping out if said car. (That said, the police shouldn't be driving in a fashion that puts you in that situation!) Arguing with them will just make it worse and they'll do you for anything they can think of if they want to because of your attitude.
Closing his helmet and refusing to speak to the ifficer was down right rude! If he had been polite it probably would have been a "ok sir, just don't do it again" situation. Although it did kind of seem like the officer had quite an anti-bike attitude...

I agree with clunk, they often seem to forget that they're in unmarked cars.

[Red Herring]

I agree with clunk, they often seem to forget that they're in unmarked cars.

It's surprisingly easy to do, from the drivers seat it's not that obvious. I'm not however offering any kind of excuse for the officer in the clip, some of what I see on those programs makes me cringe!

[Alexander94]

Yeah Red Herring, they will have spent years getting noticed in pandas and even now they probably spend some time in unmarked cars and some in pandas so it is understandable. It doesn't excuse him though

[Purity14]

Any links to the vid?

[tactcom7]

Link to full vid http://www.channel5.com/shows/police-interceptors/episodes/episode-5-466

[PyroUK]

Got a time for this particular part? Want to see this but don't have time to watch the whole thing on 5od

[tactcom7]

just after the second 2 and a bit minute advert unfortunately.

[PyroUK]

Sorry long day at work, brain not functioning...

Do you mean part 3 then?

[tactcom7]

i think so, all i did was keep sliding the tab along till it was daytime and an unmarked car...

[PyroUK]

Nice one!

[Bluepete]

Watched it.

There was plenty of space for the 530 to get past before the end of the access, the guy in the Volvo just took it upon himself to block the 530. There was quite a difference in speed and he crossed a white line to block him. As an advanced driver, I'd have been checking lane one and two and in those circumstances, going straight for lane two, (if it was clear) allowing the Volvo all the space and time he needed to gain lane one at the end of the access.

I'd have stopped him and had a chat. It was a due care, and a minor one at that.

Pete ;)

[Red ones]

I watched it and thought it should be a case of pulling him and having a chat. But the guy was being knob by saying he would do it to a marked car too and started having a pop at the copper. At have some sense and be polite when you're pulled.

[Bluepete]

You can call a man short, fat and bald. You can call his wife a fat slag and his children ignorant retarded chavs and he'll not bat an eyelid.

Call the same man a less than perfect driver or criticize his driving in any way and he'll try and kill you, scream blue murder and argue that black is white and that the sun comes out at night and the moon is made of cheese.

You just can't learn'em!

Pete ;)

[Ch00]

Hardly worth getting ones knickers in a twist!!

[Specialone]

The moon is made of cheese :smt023

[Red Herring]

The actual incident is an everyday occurrence and quite frankly both drivers should rise above it. The Volvo driver clearly though the "BMW" was being impatient and decided to try and teach him a lesson, the officer should (and in fairness probably did) anticipate the move and allow for it. If I got that wound up and reported people every time they were rude I'd never get anything worthwhile done. One day the Volvo driver will get his just desert and I just hope the officer grows up a bit as well. Could do with some HSE advice as well, hard shoulder of an unrestricted dual carriageway without any Hi-Vis could cost him his job......

[embee]

Just as an add on to the topic, a question to the blue boys.

Does anyone actually point out to your drivers that you can't hear a siren approaching from behind until it's very close?

Time and again we see clips on those docuplods the comment from the ocifers that drivers ahead must be dozy twonks because they don't hear a siren, particularly on a motorway when the traffic car is approaching at 3 figures. Well you just don't, not till it's very close. Just be aware that your siren can't be heard from far ahead, that's all.

That's not to excuse not seeing blue lights, mind you with all the DRL's these days particularly the ultra-bright offerings on many a German uber-saloon, lights behind you tend to blend in too.

[Red Herring]

Pretty much the only reason we have them on whilst doing three figures on a dual carriageway is so that we can say they were on if it all goes t1ts up.... I don't know any officer that expects them to be heard until you are right up their chuff by which time we are getting ready for them brake to a standstill in lane three when they finally look in the mirror..... Lets face it with modern car soundproofing, stereos and phones we haven't got that much chance even if they were awake.

[Owenski]

I didnt see much wrong with what the cop did as a cop driving a police car. However seeing him do what he did in an unmarked car without lights I would contest was not very considerate to other road users at all.
Personally I dont care how good your skill set, if driving unmarked and so "as civilian" then without the lights on IMHO you should drive under the same regs as the public.
The law might state otherwise, the above is purely my opinion.

Had it been marked car then tbh you just assume they're on a call and leave them to it.

In respect to the other side of the coin. Ive certainly gestured to other road users before, had one transpired to be a copper who pulled me I dont honeslty think it would have gone any other way for me either.
if you did something I percieved to be a ****s move and pulled me over expecting me to apologise for displaying my opinion then your shift would end before u heard it.

[rockster]

Watched it.

There was plenty of space for the 530 to get past before the end of the access, the guy in the Volvo just took it upon himself to block the 530. There was quite a difference in speed and he crossed a white line to block him. As an advanced driver, I'd have been checking lane one and two and in those circumstances, going straight for lane two, (if it was clear) allowing the Volvo all the space and time he needed to gain lane one at the end of the access.

I'd have stopped him and had a chat. It was a due care, and a minor one at that.

Pete ;)

Maybe. But from the Volvo's side how is he to know that a) the car is a 530 and not a mere 520 and will make it before the end of the slip b) the driver is going to be checking lane 2 with intent to head for it and c) that lane 2 is actually going to be clear enough for him to do so. I reckon there would be a doubt in his mind and he'd be worried about being boxed in at the end of a slip.

To a casual observer it just looks like driving aggressively / like a knob in my opinion.

Probably 50/50 in the knob stakes but in terms of outcome the balance is tipped by one of them wielding power over the other....that's uncomfortable to me.

[SvNewbie]

Certainly not the best example of driving or policing ever. Don't think there was that much need for him to pass at the end of the sliproad and the guy was pretty calm and reasonable.

[Red ones]

OK. What would you do if you were in the Volvo?

I wouldn't gesticulate - but that's because I keep thinking that the guy I do that to may just turn out to be the boss on the way to work to see me, or the bank manager, or the next contract etc. Just imagine the look of horror on my face when they recognise me.

But there again I would have treated the on-ramp differently. I would have either:

a: Already been in the right hand lane, dominating the road position and trying to be seen by the traffic on the dual carriage way as soon as possible. This was as advised by the tutors on a recent road awareness course.:rolleyes:

b: Been in the left lane and hoped the BMW was going to complete the manoevure ASAP. I will admit to doing the BMW move regularly, but I'm on the bike and know I can out accelerate on the entry. If the BMW doesn't clear me in time I have an escape plan:
Use the hard shoulder as a safety lane and if need be hit that at 70. If I do get pulled for that then as least justify it as it is a safer option than hitting the brakes on the on-ramp and risking collision from anything from behind and avoiding that awful acceleration to get on the dual carriageway