Bloody police - merry sodding Christmas

[NThound]

More than 2 months ago I made a bloody stupid error and just slipped through a red light in queuing traffic though I had actually noticed that a police car was a few cars behind - I don't make a habit of breaking the law, but it does make it even more stupid. He pulled me over a bit up the road (which was horrible - never happened to me before in 15 years of driving) and I admitted my error of judgement and apologised. In my defense (I didn't say this to him as I didn't want to make excuses) it was awful traffic - we had been stuck there for ages and I was visiting an elderly relative who I rarely see and had to nip out for something and felt guilty and stressed at how long it was taking). It was my fault though I know.

Police man said he had written it up and would send it off but 'hopefully' I would hear nothing back in the light of my apology and clean license. He also checked my tyres as he said they were currently focussing on them but he then made no comment on them.

I had my MOT done two weeks later and it failed on one of the tyres, which I thought was odd but never mind. Weeks went by and I heard nothing then on Christmas fucking Eve came the letter. FFS. I have just logged on to try and book a course and I have less than two months to book it because this has taken more than two months to come through. In order to get it done in time I have a choice of two courses that are within 30 miles of me - I live in a central location between two biggish cities. It's ridiculous - I'm going to have to try and get time off but don't want to risk a refusal as then I'd be stuffed so may decide to call in sick, which is not something 'I want to do.

AIBU to think this is shit? If police think you have made an honest fuck-up they shouldn't 'write it up' and if they do it shouldn't be near enough impossible to book a course you have been offered because they have sat on it for more than 2 months?

So you committed a traffic offence and somehow the police officer is the bad guy?

You ran a red light, doesn’t matter why. Doesn’t matter how you justify it - you ran a red light. He didn’t trick you, or act unfairly. You didn’t make a mistake - you wilfully ran a red light. You should do a traffic course.

‘Bloody Police - merry sodding Christmas.’

My husband is a copper. We’ve spent Christmas with him pulling 14 hour shifts ensuring the public is safe. He’s missed seeing his son open his presents on the first real Christmas he understands, he’s missed seeing his family and friends, he’s missed enjoying himself and he’s been send home tonight with a fractured rib after being kicked in the chest in a fight and can barely move, let alone enjoy himself. He has a colleague who’s in hospital because she’s had her hand sliced open with a kitchen knife and she needs surgery on it, she missed Christmas with her kids too - that’s the reality of being in the police in this day and age and then you have people like you coming onto social media to complain that you got a driving ticket. Merry sodding Christmas indeed.

Stop moaning about the police, stop acting like you have a clue whether you would have caused an accident or not, I can guarantee that officer will have gone to a dozen RTC’s where the driver was convinced their manoeuvre was completely safe. Stop acting hard done by. Pay the fine, accept the points, do the course - whatever. Just stop being so entitled and realise how lucky you are that the worst thing to happen to you this Christmas is a driving awareness course.

YABU you broke the law so have to deal with the consequences. There are laws for a reason.

Bloody stupid idiot entitled driver who didn't want to sit in traffic and now has to pay the price - merry Christmas

Fixed the title for you.

God don't you just hate it when the Police deal with people who break the law 🙄

Op, no one likes to be in the wrong this way. Yes, it sucks. Have we all done stupid stuff? Yes. Except me of course😜. However....you did the crime. Horribly inconvenient as the consequences are, what you did, despite the temptation, could have killed someone. Killed someone. At Christmas, to boot. Not that there is ever a good time. For a moments impatience, however understandable. You can’t fix dead is the bottom line really. Or a life permanently altered. I’m sorry, but your convenience doesn’t enter into it.

A friend was killed by someone who did exactly what you did. The driver purposely dodged a red light, hit her at a low speed (less than 20mph) and caused brain damage that was not compatible with life.

The motorist genuinely thought not seeing a pedestrian in the blind spot caused by the window pillar was a reasonable defence.

My friend was 32 and had a two year old, a four month old and a husband.

So you don’t mind injuring or killing someone by purposely running a red light, you’re also happy to drive with unsafe tyres and you’re a proud liar. Lovely qualities in a person.

The title of another thread in aibu is asking what it is like working on Christmas Day. For a number of emergency workers, it means telling people that their loved one is dead. Happy Christmas! Imagine what that’s like for those bereaved ones.

Just a diagram for the a few miles an hour extra doesn't/shouldn't matter crowd.

My BIL was an 'amber gambler', went through on red and did the course. I say was because the course really made him think about his attitude. Like pp husband, the instructor wrote all the excuses on a board which was sobering for him. He said some arrogant SOBs were on the course but most people were challenged and changed their attitude. My BIL was the only one who didn't give an excuse which surprised the instructor. He just said 'i was a dick and driving badly, no excuse'.

I'm aware professionally of a fatal collision at 10mph where a young boy was killed. In this case the driver hadn't done anything wrong, but it has absolutely devastated the lives of both families.

You are astoundingly arrogant. I can't believe to compound it all, you aren't taking a day's annual leave to attend the course.

the course really made him think about his attitude

I do think there is something to be said for making all drivers do the course say every 5 years. Get them to change their attitudes before they have an accident/get caught/ruin a life. But I don't suppose there are the finances (or enough places).

My DD is a 'bloody police officer'. She was working on Christmas Day. Unfortunately (tragically) she was first on scene at a fatal RTA where three people died. One of the vehicles involved had gone through a red light. The driver of that vehicle survived...his passenger (a 19 year old girl) died and two people in the vehicle they collided with also died.

OP...you were very lucky nobody was injured or worse, and your arrogance is beyond appalling!

My DD is sitting next to me now...she is horrified at your responses to this. She had to tell a mother that her 19 year old daughter had died on Christmas Day due to someone JUST LIKE YOU!!! Your passing on of the blame to the 'bloody police' for your own incompetence is...well, I have no words. You should be ashamed.

You're responsible for both maintaining your tyres and your decision to go through a red light. There are no extenuating circumstances. Take responsibility.

Two months is plenty to book a course. Or take the points.

Don't defraud your employer too, for gods sake.

A mate of mine was a part time retained fireman and the last job he did was a very bad crash that concerned three young children.

He said he could not bring himself to tell his wife what happened that day for fear of the upset it would cause her. He told me and I'm not repeating it here as i excpect it'd be deleted.

However someone decided it'd be fine one Xmas to go out to the pub and drive home, he thought he'd be OK after just EIGHT Pints.

Three young innocent children lost their lives that day:(

I'm sure your 15 yrs squeaky clean record would be a great comfort to any victims, or their loved ones, of your recklessness.
You say there was nothing coming but what if someone behind you or at opposite junction was prompted to go because you did and the road wasn't clear then?
Yes we are all responsible for our own actions but you would have contributed to the chain of events that led to injury or worse.

I have not long been on one of those courses for going through a red light. I felt upset and hard done by as I panicked at the time due to an ambulance siren behind me. (Stupid I know ). It was a massive inconvenience I had to drive 20 miles to it, on a Saturday morning so it wouldn’t affect work. Also it cost £78.
But I realised it was ultimately my fault and I had no choice but to just accept it. Suggest you do the same as no point trying to change it now.

Meant to say as well when I booked on there was evening and weekend ones ( inconvenient locations but not much I could do ) So you should find one at a time you could attend.

OP, I know someone who ran a red light and ended up in a serious car accident nearly killing the other party.

Get over yourself and take the points. I've literally never read a more stupid, entitled post. YABVU.

If you think the 80% chance of survival makes things okay, think again.

After I was hit by a driver who skipped a light because they were in a hurry it took me a year to learn to walk again.
Of course I had just started doing my lower sixth year so that really fucked up my A levels.
You get sort of behind on your courses when you can't even go to the toilet without someone to carry you & sitting up (or staying conscious for the first few months) is something you wonder if you'll ever do again.

The facial (& other places) scarring is still here over 30 years later.
If you think being a teenager with large scars on her face which went bright red if I was embarrassed & never tanned (one of them over an inch across & a couple of inches long cutting through the middle of my eyebrow & across the corner of my eyelid) was better than dying I can tell you it didn't feel like it at 18 when I looked in the mirror.
If I put on eye make up you can see the flat plane of the scar on my eyelid from across the room.
It took over 20 years for me to walk out of the house without my hair covering one eye (the one with the biggest scars) after that.
Some of my adult teeth were knocked out when my head hit the edge of the pavement.
Some of my teeth were driven straight through my face just under my lip so I've got those charming scars too.

You didn't hit someone this time, but that was just luck.
The driver who hit me said he was in a hurry & thought the road was clear too.
He didn't deliberately hit me.
I was always careful crossing the road, I didn't run out in front of a car or anything daft.

You should thank God all you have is the inconvenience of a driving course.
I'm still living with the consequences of a driver who could easily have been you.

When you drive a car, you are driving a weapon that can easily kill multiple people.
You don't get to let your emotions rule your control of the vehicle.
It is never okay to have a bad day in your car because you can destroy a life in a second.