Speed trap

[Stu]

Firstly, I know the Police are there to help the law abiding public. But somethings they do I don't agree with, and sometimes how they do it really gets me annoyed

In Guildford today I saw this Speed trap (outside the cricket ground for those that know)


Fair enough, you might say, it's a 30 mph limit & people shouldn't be speeding.
But why?
1) use an unmarked white van (on the left, didn't notice that there was a white van driving down the road at the time) Surely high profile would have a greater effect of slowing people down if that is their intention rather than just being sneeky to nick people
2) why hide the marked bike, there was a row of parked cars behind it hiding it
3) Why park the van illegally on the double yellow line?
4) Why park the vanillegally on the pavement?


The post did not have times of operation for the yellow lines, but aren't doubles 24/7?


Van on pavement


Cop car up the road on Private Property (didn't check, but would expect that to be for customers only)

I think these guys are chasing peeps with no insurance, tax, MOT - rather than speed. A good thing IMO.

I got pulled by a set like this when I brought my last car. I had given the insurance company the incorrect rego so I was flaged and pulled by the bike up ahead.

Thats more likely ANPR for tax and insurance. hence the cars / bikes in waiting.

[Red Herring]

Looks like ANPR, not speed camera. Parking on a double yellow is a bit naughty and doesn't send out the right message, but I see it looks like just the end of the system (no lines in the front shot) so bit like the front wheel on the kerb it's just sloppy. Perhaps if you had taken the time to ask the guy (or gal) in the van what they were doing rather than just taking photos you might have got a more definitive answer than just posting on here?

Pffft, that's not private property! Anyone could access that.

Anyway, they're the police, they can park where they want!

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Looks like ANPR, not speed camera. Parking on a double yellow is a bit naughty and doesn't send out the right message, but I see it looks like just the end of the system (no lines in the front shot) so bit like the front wheel on the kerb it's just sloppy. Perhaps if you had taken the time to ask the guy (or gal) in the van what they were doing rather than just taking photos you might have got a more definitive answer than just posting on here?

OK I stand corrected on the Speed Vs. Insurance etc.
It's a short strip of Double yellow to keep access to the gates clear -I guess if someone came they could be asked to move, but I was not given the same opportunity when parked on double yellows at Soho.
I know parked on half a kerbstone is not really restricting access to the pavement, just as you say sloppy.
Why would I knock on the van and say "WTF do you think you're doing" when I've got the mighty Org to consult?

Originally Posted by Nelson

Pffft, that's not private property! Anyone could access that.

Anyway, they're the police, they can park where they want!

They better not try it on my driveway

Sorry Red Herring, I disagree with you. Perception is reality - and the public perception (mine included, TBH) is that police officers pick on the soft underbelly simply to raise revenue for the political paymaster, criminalising people in the process. I'm sure you'll sneer and scoff at this, but look at it from Stu's point of view. Whether he is right or wrong is irrelevant, it's the perception that counts. He shouldn't have to ask the officers what they're doing and why they're parked on double yellows, you say it's sloppy, for everyone else it's a parking ticket, but they get away with it. And NIPs and fines follow for things which, in the grand scheme of things, really don't matter. Just doing the political paymaster's will, but it brings police officers into disrepute.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Ed

but it brings police officers into disrepute.

Yeah! Lets get rid of all Police forces

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by Ed

Sorry Red Herring, I disagree with you. Perception is reality - and the public perception (mine included, TBH) is that police officers pick on the soft underbelly simply to raise revenue for the political paymaster, criminalizing people in the process. I'm sure you'll sneer and scoff at this, but look at it from Stu's point of view. Whether he is right or wrong is irrelevant, it's the perception that counts. He shouldn't have to ask the officers what they're doing and why they're parked on double yellows, you say it's sloppy, for everyone else it's a parking ticket, but they get away with it. And NIPs and fines follow for things which, in the grand scheme of things, really don't matter. Just doing the political paymaster's will, but it brings police officers into disrepute.

You may well want to disagree with me Ed, but unfortunately you can't because i happen to agree with you...! Public perception is everything which is why I get so wound up when i see sloppy behavior like that in the photos. Moving the van a few feet so it wasn't either on double yellows or on the kerb wouldn't have compromised the operational deployment of that vehicle in the slightest so they have absolutely no excuse.
Your perception that police pick on the "soft underbelly simply to raise revenue for the political paymaster" is a little unfortunate however. I do appreciate that the publics perception of ANPR is that it is used to target tax/insurance dodgers, but the reality is far from that, it's just that it is sometimes tactically advantageous to let some misconceptions stay uncorrected. I'm not about to give you, and the rest of the Org, a complete briefing on the tactical capabilities of ANPR systems, but just ask yourself this. Do you really think a police force in this day of cut backs and restricted budgets is going to invest the sort of money you see sitting there at the side of the road in order to catch a few drivers for no tax or insurance?

[Red Herring]

PS; I forgot to add, people often stop and take pictures of unmarked camera vans, and it's usually a 50/50 split between "outraged citizens" who think we are being sneaky and average punters who are just curious. If the operators not to busy they are usually quite happy to offer a "for public consumption" explanation (which in this case would probably have included "Yeah, I know it's on the kerb mate, it helps level the van") if for no other reason that they know keeping the public onside is important and following a brief explanation even the "outraged citizen" goes away happy (or at least happier). I wouldn't suggest banging on the side of the van, but when the door is open is it was in the picture it's rude not to have at least said hello.