to be annoyed at the police

[ellerman]

driving home from swimming class - 5 year old in back, 5:30pm, pitch black, in our village main street, blue lights flashing behind me, pulled over, and they pulled in behind me. Seems one of my brake lights was not working, fair enough, they then checked all my lights, tyre tread, tax disc, insurance and MOT. All fine of course - I told them that we often get stopped when driving our (second) 14 year old car, often for no actual offence. My husband is a social worker, and is often stopped on "routine" checks in dodgy neighbourhoods, old car = must be trouble. I politely explained we were 2 professionals who kept our car serviced ( bar brake light which lets face it hard to know!) ....then police officer told me that there was no compulsion for me to get it repaired and show evidence at police station. So I was stopped for something that's actually not an offence, but an excuse to check over an older car in the hope of finding something else to pin on me. Is this where we are at in the UK today?

Professionals have been known to break the law OP...

I can't see How your Job or DH's has anything to do with a brake light failing.

YABU. The officer saw a non-road worthy car being driven, in the dark, and Stopped the driver to inform them and also check that, other than the danger posed by having only 1 functioning brake light, the car didn't have a moré serious fault.

I won't even touch on how 2 fully functioning adults can't notice when something as important as the brake lights are not working.

I remember my dad once got pulled, I was only about 9 at the time. We were on our way back from a day out. 3 kids in the car, on the motorway and the coppers stop us for a 'random check'

They ended up radioing through to check my dad's license and insurance and it said he didn't exist. Like literally no record of him having a license.

He'd been driving for 18 years at this point, and had his paper license at home.

He had to go in and show his papers - monumental fuck up on the technology's part!

I clicked this nervously thinking it was going to be a universal police slagging off. Amazed pleased it isn't.

YABU to be annoyed at the police. Quite often one thing such as a brake light out is just a bulb which needs replacing and like you say is difficult to know without being told.
However it can often indicate a lack of responsibility over the car! I.e. Dangerous tyres or even lack of insurance or MOT.

Maybe you should get a bumper sticker which says "we're professionals, this is our 2nd car and we service both of them". Or just be thankful that police are stopping cars which could cause an accident (yes includes you with your dangerous lack of brake light) and therefore reducing the chances of other people having an accident with them

Vehicle maintenance is done for a very good reason OP, and ignorance of that bit of the law is no excuse for breaking it.

You are not exempt from it by virtue of your job, your dh's job, or any other ridiculous excuse in your post - go get it fixed, and be glad that it was only a brake light that was defective.

So basically you were stopped for a moving traffic offence, which you yourself admit to , albeit one you were oblivious to . In my twenty odd years experience , a older car with one brake light out usually indicates that other moving traffic offences could also be committed , like tax discs , indicators , fog lights ,windscreen wiper , cracked windscreens , dangerous condition , lack of driving licence and insurance , and certainly MOT off the top of my head , hence the stop and all round check. He could have gone down the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme , which would have required you to have got the fault fixed , the vehicle re MOT'd at your expense , and you then having to attend the police station together with a copy of the new MOT to prove the vehicle was roadworthy . As it was , you got words of advice which cost you nothing , and you STiLL wish to complain about someone doing their job, advising you of a fault , which if your second brake light had failed , and you were oblivious to , may have caused an accident and injury to your 5 year old daughter .

Is THIS where we are at in the UK today ?

I would put money on this not going how the OP expected it too and probably won't be back.

Wouldn't surprise me toffee, think we're all meant to be complaining about the police being jobsworths who should be going after the non-professionals who are obviously the real problem

Agree with others.
When your DH is stopped on "routine" checks, does the car have problems then as well?

This says more about your attitude to 'them' and 'us' than it does about the police.

Perhaps you need a sign in the back window of your car saying. 'Don't pull us, we're not 'them''

You say that your second car is often stopped "for no actual offence".
Sounds like you need 2 fully functioning, roadworthy, and legal cars.

The reason he said there was no compulsion to get it fixed and show evidence is because he CHOSE not to make you do it. It wasn't because it's not an offence, it is, and it does need fixing before you drive it again, because if you get pulled a second time you will be getting a ticket, and have to show evidence of the repair.

You totally got the wrong end of the stick, then came on here and used it to beat on a policeman who LET YOU OFF.

Is THIS the intelligence of this country's 'professionals'?

YABVVU. Get your brake light fixed and move on!

Your husband is a SW, can he not explain to you the usefulllness of checking on people just in case?

What? YABVU

So the question is.... just how many times did he roll his eyes during your little speech?

YABU. You are one of those people who cannot be bothered to make basic checks on your vehicles, you were bloody lucky.

Firstly get your lights fixed, it's getting dark with adverse weather and if someone goes into the back of you it will be your 5 year old that is at greater risk of harm.

The policeman was doing his job, he checked your car over because that what his training has told him to do.

I agree with everyone else YABU. It's not a personal attack or insult, the Police Officer was doing his job.

For the comments about you and DH being professionals...YABVU. I have a sneaky feeling you may not have meant it entirely as it appears on screen.

Op didn't come back then.... Realised how idiotic her post sounds I suppose

I imagine if you were driving the newer car and a brake light was out, they would have stopped you as well. Can't you just be grateful that a-they noticed it and made you aware of it and b-the consequences weren't most costly?

I think the correct response is "Oh goodness, I didn't realise thank you so much for drawing it to my attention, I will get it to the garage first thing tomorrow" and get on with your life. He sounds extremely reasonable given your response.

I also drive old cars and have been randomly stopped and breathalysed. I had done nothing wrong, police man was very polite. Job done.

oh how I laughed at professional people. oh dear

The copper let you off and you're moaning about it.

You sound like an idiot.