Holy shit, a rational policeman
Jun. 13th, 2003 05:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dennyGiven my recent run-ins with overly officious police, I thought I'd mention a counter-example that I met last night on the way to Blockbusters (me and ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
duranorak watched Aristocats - she seems to have a bit in common with Marie).
I came out of my estate on the bike, and did my usual exuberant burst of acceleration up to about 90mph, at which point I noticed a police car pulling up to a side turning on the right some way up the road. I did the usual 'approved' manouevre in these circumstances, i.e. I shut the throttle and used the back brake to slow down gently, so that as I passed him I was doing a needle's width over 60mph (the speed limit on that road). He'd obviously seen and heard me doing far more than that though, so I couldn't resist giving him an ironic little nod of respect as I went past being a Good Boy. So then he pulled out behind me and started to follow me.
Fair enough, I think, he was going that way anyway. Actually, I thought "Oh bollocks", but anyway. I turned left at the next roundabout. He followed. I turned right into the estate. He followed. I turned left into the first poxy little side turning, deviating from my intended route. He followed. I pulled up and took my crash helmet off, to save him having to blue light me.
He pulls up alongside and says "It's okay, I was just having a look at your numberplate - you know it's not quite right, don't you." (it's got slightly non-standard lettering and is slightly under-size, as is fairly common on motorbikes but still definitely illegal if the police take a dislike to you). "Um, yes," I said "but it's readable, isn't it?". He looked at it again, then said "Yeah, it's readable. I noticed you doing a good old pace up the road there..." *heart sinks* "then you slowed down when you saw me, and I thought 'good old boy'..." *hope rises* "then I noticed the plate and just wanted to have a double-check... but yeah, you're fine. Ride safe."
"Thanks!" I said. And then he drove off.
Almost regained my faith in the police for a few hours there. Nice bloke.
duranorak watched Aristocats - she seems to have a bit in common with Marie).I came out of my estate on the bike, and did my usual exuberant burst of acceleration up to about 90mph, at which point I noticed a police car pulling up to a side turning on the right some way up the road. I did the usual 'approved' manouevre in these circumstances, i.e. I shut the throttle and used the back brake to slow down gently, so that as I passed him I was doing a needle's width over 60mph (the speed limit on that road). He'd obviously seen and heard me doing far more than that though, so I couldn't resist giving him an ironic little nod of respect as I went past being a Good Boy. So then he pulled out behind me and started to follow me.
Fair enough, I think, he was going that way anyway. Actually, I thought "Oh bollocks", but anyway. I turned left at the next roundabout. He followed. I turned right into the estate. He followed. I turned left into the first poxy little side turning, deviating from my intended route. He followed. I pulled up and took my crash helmet off, to save him having to blue light me.
He pulls up alongside and says "It's okay, I was just having a look at your numberplate - you know it's not quite right, don't you." (it's got slightly non-standard lettering and is slightly under-size, as is fairly common on motorbikes but still definitely illegal if the police take a dislike to you). "Um, yes," I said "but it's readable, isn't it?". He looked at it again, then said "Yeah, it's readable. I noticed you doing a good old pace up the road there..." *heart sinks* "then you slowed down when you saw me, and I thought 'good old boy'..." *hope rises* "then I noticed the plate and just wanted to have a double-check... but yeah, you're fine. Ride safe."
"Thanks!" I said. And then he drove off.
Almost regained my faith in the police for a few hours there. Nice bloke.
