Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 11 12

Original poster

Failed to stop for police - why am I such an idiot?!

284 replies

ilovelamp2 · 21/02/2022 15:52

Having an absolute melt down over here - hope someone can talk me down and/or make me feel better by telling me silly things you have done when driving ..... Basically, I was on a narrow road, one lane each way, fairly chunky verge. Blue lights behind, panicked and drove few 100 metres to next roundabout to get out of way. Totally, totally know now I should have just stopped on side but I panicked. So embarrassed. Police pointed to wind my window down when they got alongside me. They were understandably irrate. I have a lot of respect for our police force and am mortified that I have made their job even more difficult than it already is. Literally cannot stop sobbing!

OP posts:

MzHz · 21/02/2022 17:23

I had this on the Shepherd’s Bush road!

Accidentally got in the way trying to stay OUT of the way, they’re turned round, pulled me over and bollocked me, then started to ask a shit load of questions

I was irritated and when they said “I can’t believe you’re taking this time..” I said “I can’t believe I’m still here! Didn’t you have an emergency to attend!?”

I thought about a complaint but I drove that road every day…

MzHz · 21/02/2022 17:23

Tone not time

RegardingMary · 21/02/2022 17:25

That's pretty heavy handed of them during what they say was an emergency.

Its hardly like you were trying to bloody race them.
Don't dwell too much on it OP.

Lookingoutside · 21/02/2022 17:29

They were idiots and you didn’t ‘make their job even more difficult’.

Why are you so keen to kowtow to their behaviour and blame yourself?

Ifbutmaybe · 21/02/2022 17:30

FFS GET A GRIP OP. The title of the thread made me think you made off from a stop attempt.
If anything you made the right call by continuing to drive. Nothing boils my blood more than drivers who stop dead whenever they see a blue light and more often than not it actually makes it more difficult for the emergency service.

Benjispruce5 · 21/02/2022 17:31

I recently was at a red light. I was in the right had lane of two lanes. Ambulance came behind me and I just didn’t know what to do as I didn’t think I could jump a red light. I though they would go via the oncoming traffic lane but they just beeped me and I had to drive forward through the red light and swing out to the right into the oncoming traffic lane( which was also on red) but I felt so panicked and felt my cheeks flush.

SunshineCake1 · 21/02/2022 17:32

My only issue is the fact you only hear he sirens once they are right behind you.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 17:35

OP I haven't read the thread but it is also worth remembering that the police THEMSELVES say that women on their own are within their rights to drive to a garage or a police station or similar if pulled over by a police car.

You may not have known whether they were simply following you or pulling you over.

Please don't give it any more thought.

Also - don't tell me - it was policeMEN having a go at you, wasn't it?

And yes, sometimes cars really do come from nowhere!

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 17:36

@SunshineCake1

My only issue is the fact you only hear he sirens once they are right behind you.

They probably only turned them on when they got behind the OP, to get her attention.

kittensinthekitchen · 21/02/2022 17:36

@Jusmeee

just say you were trying to find a safe place to stop

Do you know how time works?

Hint: it doesn't go backwards 😂

HellonHeels · 21/02/2022 17:37

To me it sounds like they acted like knobs. Was it really more urgent to berate you than to get to whatever crime they had their lights and sirens on for?

Forget it OP, do something nice for yourself. Is your DS ok?

Original poster

ilovelamp2 · 21/02/2022 17:42

@nitsandwormsdodger

Role model to your child how to deal with this

Acknowledge your mistake and what you can do better next time

2 .I assume you apologised

Show correct level of remorse and move on

Apart from 'move on' which I'm almost at, all the rest was done before we even got home.

OP posts:

Coconut49 · 21/02/2022 17:44

Don't worry op, I was once riding a motorbike (only 18) and thought the car behind me was chasing me, trying to knock me off. So I sped up! Eventually realised it was a police car that wanted me to pull over. I pulled over and took my helmet off and they said 'thought we had a chase on there - did you know the speed you were doing?' I just burst into tears and said 'I thought you were chasing me!' And they let me off. I was mortified at the time.

Pegasushaswings · 21/02/2022 17:44

@singlepringlenotbychoice

The problem is you admit to not being aware of emergency vehicles with sirens on until quite late, I'm not sure how you can rectify that but that is an issue.

The police officers aren't the twats here. They have to justify driving with lights and sirens on and they put themselves at significant risk when they do because of the speed they're travelling and having to second guess other drivers ability to respond appropriately, they definitely don't just put them on to go get their lunch or abuse their power. They were going to a call that required that level of response and were held up by someone that admittedly panicked and froze.
There may have been a number of units attending the emergency which allowed the officers to give you corrective advice, which was definitely needed in this instance.

It's never nice to have an emergency vehicle on blues right behind you but panicking and zoning out are not the way to go and driving 100s of meters before reacting isnt helpful or safe. Its a learning experience and hopefully you will respond differently if it happens again. Don't dwell on it just learn from it.

Exactly this, so many know it alls on here berating the police but know nothing about the job and couldn’t do it themselves!

However OP let it go, no one but you is thinking about it now so don’t stress too much.

HotPenguin · 21/02/2022 17:44

Thing is, you can't drive on to the verge at 50 mph, it's not safe. You would have had to slow down and pull on at low speed. Would it really have been any quicker than continuing as you did? And if it was a narrow, windy road they shouldn't drive it at 80 in any case so I can't believe you slowed them much.

Nocutenamesleft · 21/02/2022 17:45

@ilovelamp2

To add, they reminded me it was an offence but haven't charged me thank goodness. Also, 11 year old was in car so no secrets there!

Wait. What?!?

Were you stopped? I thought it’s perfectly legal to stop ahead at a safer place? What have I missed? A narrow road wouldn’t of been a safe place to stop for blue flashing lights?

My father was a police officer for over 40 years! He wouldn’t of pulled over if it wasn’t safe.

manateeandcake · 21/02/2022 17:46

OK, I've done MUCH worse than this. It was when I was in my 20s and living in the US. I was on the motorway ("freeway") at night. It was quite empty and I was speeding -- not hugely and not intentionally, but obviously no excuse etc. Flashing lights and sirens behind me pulling me over ... and I pulled over on the WRONG SIDE ie into the central bit of the freeway. Obviously my UK driving brain had kicked in. Anyway, luckily for me there were few other cars and the cops were quite nice about it, for American cops whose manner I generally find quite scary especially when they call me ma'am (though they did give me a speeding ticket).
I still feel a bit panicked when I hear sirens but now just try to focus on what I can do safely.

mummykel16 · 21/02/2022 17:46

@Benjispruce5

And which you can be fined_points for

FairyCakeWings · 21/02/2022 17:46

Those police behaved liked twats.

I thought they were supposed to be trying to create better public relations right now, not telling women with children off for not doing what they wanted quick enough.

It’s sad to hear the police can be like this. We should be able to feel that they are approachable and there because they want to help the public.

Nocutenamesleft · 21/02/2022 17:47

I vaguely remember reading as well that even if you were being stopped. I thought you were allowed to keep going for that too to a brightly lit place etc? Or a police station?

mummykel16 · 21/02/2022 17:49

@FairyCakeWings

Those police behaved liked twats.

I thought they were supposed to be trying to create better public relations right now, not telling women with children off for not doing what they wanted quick enough.

It’s sad to hear the police can be like this. We should be able to feel that they are approachable and there because they want to help the public.

Supposed to be

MrsWarleggan · 21/02/2022 17:50

To make you feel better OP.....I shall set the scene:

I had just passed my driving test, and was 3 DAYS into driving my beloved 8th hand red fiesta. Cruising down the seafront, KC and the Sunshine Band were on the radio the sun was shining. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw flashing blue lights.

Panicking I was in the way, I moved over to let them past. Carried on, but they hadn't passed. Looked in my mirror again and they were back behind me. I wondered what they were doing and within the next few seconds another car pulled in front of me and another on my drivers side (later was told I was TPAC'd!) Again I looked in the mirror and the was furiously told to pull over.

I pulled into a hotel car park where I was asked the get out the car and hand over the keys. I was physically shaking by this point. I was then told that the car was to be searched due to be wanted for the distribution of class A drugs!!!!!!

I could only stutter that I had only purchased the car 3 days and luckily had the V5c document in my handbag which I had forgotten to post!!

6 police officers, packed sunny day on the coast. I was beyond mortified and embarrassed.

Luckily they were very nice officers!

Suffice to say if ever I see blue lights now I always assume they want to pull me over and pay extra attention and get ready to stop safely!! 🤣🤣

Original poster

ilovelamp2 · 21/02/2022 17:51

Thank you all. I now have wine and a bath running. Just to be clear though to posters who are saying the hearing aids are not an excuse. I don't need to be told that. That's what I said in the first place. I mentioned it because I am trying to learn from experience and do better next time. And yes, perhaps this does include paying even more attention, leaving window slightly open or asking passenger to alert me if they hear sirens. I have had severe hearing loss most of my adult life and have never used it as an excuse for anything. I will of course move on and just learn from today's experience.

OP posts:

formalineadeline · 21/02/2022 17:52

To add, they reminded me it was an offence but haven't charged me thank goodness

No, lying about the law to frighten people is categorically not "literally their job" .

Adding the word "literally" into bullshit claims doesn't make them true.

I know decent police officers, they wouldn't have behaved this way and if they were on this thread would have reiterated what the Highway Code actually says.

The ones op met were dickheads abusing their power.

Original poster

ilovelamp2 · 21/02/2022 17:53

And also thank you for all the stories - definitely cheering me up!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 11 12