To get annoyed with a policeman

[AitchGee]

I was stopped on the way back from collecting my boys from school, a trip of no more than about a mile. I pulled into our local supermarket, bought some gooey delights and left. Unbeknown to me, the local police had set up some sort of sunny-day sting on all the shoppers.

They stopped me. Pain in the butt, but what the hey, it's a job. So I answered a few banal questions, nothing was wrong, everything was in order.... Then it came "Sir, when did you have a drink last?" I replied that I had been drinking all afternoon. He asked me to blow into his pipe. I asked him what was wrong with drinking Vimto. Obviously I blew Zero

What got my goat was that as I haven't touched a single drop of alcohol since Dec 28th 2003 and gave up smoking some 12 months back, I could smell the distinctive odour of alcohol on his breadth as he was talking to me.

I asked him why he suspected me of driving under the influence of alcohol, he wouldn't respond. I asked him to tell me how many measures of alcohol he had consumed prior to picking on random shoppers (generally women). He suggested that I should mind my own business and be on my way.

I had my kids with me, so decided to slink away fuming. Suggesting that I may have been drinking alcohol, after all the effort abstaining over the years, I consider as an insult.

The police are a complete pain in the backside. Luckily, now money is no longer being thrown at them, they are unable to make as much of a nuisance of themselves. I recall being pulled over as one of my brake lights was faulty (fair enough), apart from the fact that I regularly see police vehicles with faulty lights, illegally parked etc etc. They were more keen on giving me a breath test of course, after demonstrating their amazing legal knowledge with the speech about having committed a "moving traffic offence" means they can breath test you. They then ask if you've been drinking. I say, "no, I'm teetotal". I want to say "do I look drunk? do I sound drunk? was a driving erratically? do I smell of alcohol? can you see any alcohol?...no, no, no, no, no." But yet they still proceed to breath test you...so why do they bother asking!
They are such a law unto themselves...but ultimately the biggest mistake you can make is to show you're bothered. I just laughed at them when they gave me the "you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence...." caution, simply for not having my driving licence with me!

Should read "was I driving erratically?"..in before first pedant.

moonferret, you also sound like a bit of a tit.

YABU and sound like a tedious little fellow. Off you trot and get yourself a nice helping of Vimto while you're at it

When you are at an airport, do you giggle and say you've got a bomb?

your posts always read like the letters page from Viz OP.

scurryfunge..is that (and your first message) the best you can do?
You sound like more than "a bit of a tit"..

You were being a smart ass and he was doing his job. If the kids you had with you in the car were old enough they were probably slinking into their seats with embarrassment not thinking "what a cool dad we have". YABU.

I think scurry summed it up nicely!

Gooey delights? YABU

I have every right not to be bothered by some pompous and arrogant tosser in a police uniform, merely 'cause it's a lovely sunny day and he and his sergeant felt like donning some sun-tan cream and harass a few random shoppers. yes of course I stood my ground, why should I or anyone put up with them breaching my peace?

The police have a lawful duty to question anyone that they are suspicious of committing an offence, not to make it up as they go along. The vast majority of ppl detained, were sent off on their way, so they were either useless judges of motorists or merely out for the craik. The sunshine is the givaway.

You lot above mustn't live in the real world if you believe that respect for the police is necessary, "they" couldn't give a monkey's toss about the safety and welfare of the public and we'de be far better served with lynch mobs roaming the street.

@InTheNightKitchen

Oh i see.

You are in the camp of the "Uncle Toms", fair enough no need to insult though. I'm not, never have been one to bend over and take up the jacksie, so to speak. I despise with a vengeance any form of overbearing expression of authority and don't shy away from a battle if I have to. This was hardly what I call a battle, more of a stand-off perhaps.

The softies and fluffies that appear here, above and throughout Mumsnet need as many people like me as they can, whether they think they do or they don't. Without any challenge to authority, authority takes the option to run amuck.

I am not really able to fight like I used to, I have a new family, I work and the highlight of my day seems to be the few short hours of "me time", tapping away on various banal notice boards/forums corresponding to seemingly unimaginative individuals hell-bent on point scoring against each other, with little or no desire to progress. Believe me, it's tough to stay sane.

I was part of the organisation for "Rock against Racism" concert and march back in 1978, my father was a founder member of the Northern section of the Anti-Nazi league, I've taken Tony Blair and his henchmen to the High Court of Justice, I've mediated with the warring factions in NI and my happy record of having been arrested and detained by the government storm-troopers, otherwise known as the "Police" is in excess of 120 occasions.

Yes, I stick my neck on the block (well not for a while) shame hardly anyone else does.

The next time you make a 'joke' like that I hope it's at an airport and they throw you into jail for it.

It's not funny. It's not clever. And you got exactly what you deserved.

Grow up. Life doesn't have to be a battle unless you decide to make it one.

Well then, AitchGee, if it's that damn tedious, why don't you find something else to do with your "few hours of me time" instead of telling us all how fan-bloody-tastic you are?

I started by thinking the OP was Aitch - now I'm fairly sure he(?)'s not

Stealth, if you calculate the rough age of the OP and factor in the "new family" it is unlikely (but not impossible) that the OP is female.

TBH I'd lost interest by that post and only skimmed it but yes iswym

It seems the OP is male as the policeman called him 'sir'

AitchGee - you make some good points in the post at 0741 and your past activities sound interesting.
However (in my opinion) YABU to link them with your original post........it is a huge leap sorry.