Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 10 11

AIBU?

To hate the police?

268 replies

DrHolmes · 07/02/2013 17:32

BF was pulled over by an unmarked police car today. He got out of his van and was told he was not wearing his seatbelt and they issued him with a £60 ticket. I came home from work and he told me the story and told me he was wearing it. He has a beeper that goes off every few seconds if he doesnt have it on and no one would drive about listening to that. I know he is telling the truth. If we appeal it then we put our case forward and then goes to court but if the fiscal find the police in favour we will have a higher fine. But i do not want him to pay the fine because that is letting them away with this. Corrupt filth. Not sure what to do :/

OP posts:

Report

Trazzletoes · 07/02/2013 17:47

Seriously, why would they pull someone over and go through the hassle of fining them if they aren't breaking the law?

For fun?

DrHolmes · 07/02/2013 17:47

Yes.

OP posts:

NumericalMum · 07/02/2013 17:48

I have only had good experiences with the police. They were more than helpful when my house was broken into. And when my DH's car was stolen. Therefore YABU as clearly all police are not "filth"

PandaOnAPushBike · 07/02/2013 17:49

Go to appeal. How can they possibly prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' if he was in fact wearing his seatbelt?

littlemisssunny · 07/02/2013 17:49

Every job has good and bad people, what a horrible sweeping generalisation!

You sound charming

yousankmybattleship · 07/02/2013 17:50

Let it go Dr H, you're coming across as a bit of a mentalist. Pay the fine. Move on.

Dahlen · 07/02/2013 17:52

THe police are like any other public service - you get good and bad ones. They are held to account though and regularly audited, more so than in many other professions (and quite rightly so given the power they have).

I can't see any of them issuing a ticket unless they were sure that the seatbelt wasn't being worn. What on earth for? The fine doesn't go in their own pockets. It is possible that they were mistaken, of course, but that's a world away from "corrupt filth".

LittleWhiteWolf · 07/02/2013 17:53

YABU.

And you sound positively lovely

ChestyNut · 07/02/2013 17:54

Yes YABU and a bit ridiculous really with such a sweeping generalisation.

Corrupt Filth

FlorriesDragons · 07/02/2013 17:54

I've had first hand experience of a corrupt police officer. I was in the car with a relative who was pulled for speeding when the car in front of her pulled out of her street too fast and noisily. She definitely wasn't speeding and the police officer was being an arrogant so and so and throwing his weight around and booked her. .

Luckily the court went in her favour as the neighbour saw what happened and stopped at the scene and admitted it was him and then paid a visit to the police station afterwards to confirm it. But it was really very frightening to go up against a police officer in court.

My teenage boyfriend was a police officer and I heard several stories from him and his friends which would make me very skeptical about trusting the police tbh. Thankfully I don't tend to have any involvement with them generally.

BabyRoger · 07/02/2013 17:58

Well, if he did not commit the offence then go to court and say that.

zippey · 07/02/2013 18:02

The police are corrupt but they always have been. Unfortunatly its human nature and the police are human beings. Power corrupts people. There are many cases of corruption, look at cases like Mark Duggan, racism/sexism, police leaks to newspapers, protecting/prewarning phone hackers in The NOTW, racist stop and searches etc etc.

Not all police of course, but a large minority. Im just thankful that the corruption isnt as bad as other countries.

Having said that, they do have a lot of rubbish to put up with. But what can you do, its your word against the police officers. Good luck.

grovel · 07/02/2013 18:03

I did jury service. One of the cases required us to decide whether we believed a police officer or a defendant. 9 of the jury were never going to convict on that basis. They had had bad experiences or knew people who had. Most of them thought the defendant was probably guilty but there would always be "reasonable doubt" in their mind simply because they mistrusted the police.

Trazzletoes · 07/02/2013 18:05

Omg grovel 9?!!!!

Cassarick · 07/02/2013 18:09

When the police pull you over you just sit in your car seat until they approach your window. Do not move. Do not undo your seat belt. When they approach you wind down your window.

You certainly don't get out of the car/van and go to them.

Dahlen · 07/02/2013 18:12

We have one of the least corrupt police forces in the world. I seriously contest that it's a large minority. Yes there are some corrupt officers, simply because statistically speaking there are bound to be in such a large organisation, but they are not a large minority.

It's also important to distinguish between the Met and other constabularies. They are a world apart and most of the headline grabbing cases being referred to here involve far higher-ranking officers than your average bobby on the beat and are closely intertwined with politics.

The average police officer - the sort who issues FPNs for not wearing a seatbelt - will routinely be dealing with domestic assaults, shoplifting, thefts, drunken idiots who beat each other up and then turn on the police officers who turn up to try to stop them injuring each other, oh and of course the ubiquitous RTC in which the effects of not wearing a seatbelt are often spread all over the road in front of them. And with all of this comes the hours and hours of paperwork in which everything has to be recorded in minute detail.

But they're only issuing FPNs because they're bored and fancy ruining someone's day of course.

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 07/02/2013 18:13

Well some of my friends and family are 'corrupt filth' so I would say YABU and you sound awful.

LittleChimneyDroppings · 07/02/2013 18:13

Some of the police are corrupt, same as any other profession. Hopefully the majority are not though.
If your dh was wearing a seatbelt then appeal it. I certainly would, even if I ran the risk of a higher fine. Its the principle.

yousankmybattleship · 07/02/2013 18:15

Everything Dahlen said.

amillionyears · 07/02/2013 18:18

op. Genuine question.
Does your bf ever lie to anyone?

BlueyDragon · 07/02/2013 18:20

YABU. Stop generalising. Contest it if it's wrong. Or is the entire criminal justice system corrupt filth too?

Nancy66 · 07/02/2013 18:21

There are some amazing people working for the police - and a handful of dodgy ones.

however I doubt any police officer could be arsed issuing wrongful fines for not wearing a seatbelt - it's not like the police officer can make any money from it.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

CatelynStark · 07/02/2013 18:25

I rarely have any contact with the police but when I have, they have been absolutely wonderful. Maybe we have all the nice ones in our city

littlewhitebag · 07/02/2013 18:27

I work alongside the Police and from my experience they are mostly hardworking, decent people. I have been pulled over for using my mobile in the car (was stationary at traffic lights not moving) I accepted i was wrong and paid the fine. I won't do it again. My police colleagues thought it was hilarious. I was . They don't usually stop people just because they are bored.

ThatVikRinA22 · 07/02/2013 18:27

you know those beepers that go off if you are not wearing your belt do stop beeping after a few minutes.

its your right to go and argue it out in court if you want to do that. Most traffic cars do have recording equipment fitted though - so be absolutely sure of his innocence first.

there you go. advice from the filth. use it wisely - i dont give my filthy advice to just anyone you know....

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 10 11

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.