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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

So apparently giving the exact details and location of a drink driver isn't enough.

55 replies

WhatNextPoPo · 15/04/2015 17:01

I tell them it happens every Wednesday. I tell them what time, where. Every detail they could possibly want but they say they can't just sit and hope he drives and does what I said that day but they will record my report.

So today, I'm stood by the pub. I call, I give details, say his car is parked right bloody next to it and he's been there hours and will be driving home.

Operator - "when will he be leaving?"

Me - "I don't know, soonish I suppose."

Operator - "well the police can't just sit there and wait. I'll log your report."

Me - "That's it?! I'm telling you they are hugely under the influence and about to drive. What if he squashes someone?!"

Operator - "Let me explain how things are, we have X amount of officers and they simply can't sit there and wait. But I've logged the information."

That's it. That's fucking it. That's all I can do. I'm so pissed off. I put my bloody neck on the line to do this and fuck all will be done?!

AIBU?!

OP posts:
flabbyducks · 15/04/2015 17:35

Isn't the landlord some way responsible if they are aware they are driving

I thought they had the right to refuse to serve anymore alcohol

Well done for trying , so frustrating

RinkRashDerbyKisses · 15/04/2015 17:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WhatNextPoPo · 15/04/2015 17:42

soupdragon he is home now. There is no longer a 'might' the crime has been committed.

Just as it was last Wednesday and the one before that and so on.....

26 I am not a 'disgruntled ex' Hmm far from it. Even if I was, a drink driver is a drink driver.

bilbo local police area commander? You means the local police station? Or something else?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 15/04/2015 17:45

But it wasn't being committed when you reported it.

honeysucklejasmine · 15/04/2015 17:51

Police are for crime prevention too, not just solving them. How frustrating for you, OP.

PenguinTuxedo · 15/04/2015 17:54

Ohhh I think I remember your last thread (iirc). This must be so frustrating for you! You've given them all the information they need, but yet they're not doing anything. At least you know you've done all you can though.

RinkRashDerbyKisses · 15/04/2015 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BifsWif · 15/04/2015 19:03

I wonder if everyone defending the police forces lack of action would feel the same if they had lost a family member or a child to a drink driver? The OP KNEW that a crime was about to be committed, she KNEW he was going to drink drive. I would also have expected an officer to be dispatched to try and catch them. I don't believe that there isn't any police officers available every single Wednesday.

I worked in a bar up until last year, and a woman came in alone, put her car keys on the table and drank two bottles of red. She called for her bill and as no taxi/friend had turned up we called the police, reported that we thought she may drink drive and by the time she left the pub there was a patrol car waiting in the lay by down the road. It's only a matter of time before this person hurts themselves or someone else and it's worrying that nobody seems to be taking the OP seriously.

BifsWif · 15/04/2015 19:05

Excuse bad grammar in last post, fingers typing faster than brain working.

Icimoi · 15/04/2015 19:09

I think you need to bypass the operator and do as bilbodog suggests, copying your message to other senior officers. With luck they will realise that if this idiot has a serious accident and it comes out they knew about what he was doing and refused to do anything, they will be in big, big trouble.

Icimoi · 15/04/2015 19:11

It really is odd to say that the police can't sit and wait for a crime to be committed. I wonder how people think the informer system works? And what about the hours they spend standing around at things like football stadiums in case they're needed?

tinkerbellvspredator · 15/04/2015 19:12

There must be some way of reporting the landlord to the police or licensing body (council?) for allowing it? Not sure if that would help, but it might set wheels in motion or at least put the wind up the landlord who might then either refuse to serve him or report to police himself.

Original poster
WhatNextPoPo · 15/04/2015 19:19

Ok so I'm going to go to the police station. Try there, tell them. If not, ask the police if I can report the LL instead.

It seems utterly unbelievable that nothing can be done.

A member of my family went to prison for drunk driving. He was caught because he crashed and killed someone. I bet the victims family would be livid if they knew he had been reported twice with exact details and nothing was done. I've no idea if he was reported but it would have saved her life and got him punished in a way he'd have hopefully have learned so he didn't drink and drive again/need to go to prison.

I also have another idea. I could report it every Wednesday over and over til they get so fucked off with me they do something.

OP posts:
oldbrownboot · 15/04/2015 19:42

was going to say just that - report every week. They will then have a long record of reports and might be worried about how their inaction looks if (god forbid) there is a serious accident. Also, are there details that might make this more worrying for the police e.g. its in the afternoon, and the pub is near somewhere where school children walk home?

Crossfitmyarse · 15/04/2015 19:45

YANBU.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 15/04/2015 19:46

Is there somewhere that the pub can be reported? Aren't they responsible as well, if they are knowingly serving him the drink, knowing he is over the limit, and knowing that every week he drives away? Licensing laws or something? Confused

lostincumbria · 15/04/2015 19:54

Why can't the local Community Officer visit and give him a warning? Could be done any time of the week. Wednesday evening would be good though.

Original poster
WhatNextPoPo · 15/04/2015 20:03

This person has been warned in other ways believe me. He just finds other ways to 'hide' it. I really wish I could say more but I don't want to have to delete the thread again.

I'm going to do it, report it every week. It means a bloody mission for me every fricking Wednesday, I was sitting in traffic today in a boiling hot car getting more and more pissed off, but was telling myself it was worth it to get it reported and sorted. That's another reason whyI was pissed off.

I guess I will just have to keep doing it. Grrrr

OP posts:
keepsmiling2015 · 15/04/2015 20:38

Yabu. You can't arrest/question someone for something they 'might' do. They have to catch them. Can't you see that? It's not illegal to drink in a pub with your car parked outside.

In regards to your bank robbery comparison. It's the same outcome, if there's no proof there's no arrest!

SoupDragon · 15/04/2015 20:57

The OP KNEW that a crime was about to be committed, she KNEW he was going to drink drive.

And as far as the phone operator knows, she could be causing trouble for an Ex who's just dumped her.

Heebiejeebie · 15/04/2015 21:06

Don't be ridiculous. If you saw a masked bloke with a jemmy and s bag marked swag standing on someone's doorstep then you'd expect the police to swing by and check it out. Well done for reporting. Please don't give up.

BifsWif · 15/04/2015 21:08

SoupDragon, I'm not sure what the relevance of that comment is? You could apply it to almost any reported crime and I'm sure the call operators don't get to dismiss a report just because they think it might be someone trying to frame an ex Hmm

PenguinTuxedo · 15/04/2015 21:09

Op, I remember the original thread and I remember this isn't a one off, or you just working on a guess. It's something that's been going on for a while, regularly, and you've been doing/are doing all you can. I think your idea of just reporting it time and time again is the best way forward tbh...even though I understand that is time consuming for you.

ElizabethHoover · 15/04/2015 21:10

IME they often wait at their home

PenguinTuxedo · 15/04/2015 21:10

And the drink driver def isn't an ex iirc, so op isn't reporting them to be malicious.

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