To sack my cleaner for this?

[LondonUnited]

I have a cleaner once a week. She comes with her sister and they blitz the house together (I have four children including a toddler and a baby who never sleeps so always plenty to do!) She has been coming for about 6 weeks now, and it’s a private arrangement not an agency one.

I came back today and pulled up on the drive. She then pulled up about 30 seconds later, followed by a police car with its sirens on. The police then proceeded to bust her for driving without insurance (or so it appeared).

About 15 minutes later she let herself in, found me and explained it was all a mistake, that she had comprehensive insurance on her other car so could drive this one, etc.

However. I feel really uneasy about this. Clearly the car she was driving was uninsured as it pinged on the police ANPR. WIBU to make my excuses and find another cleaner?

Yes like Dads dont know about you but i have 4 kids work full time so does my partner we BOTH clean

This reads a bit like "oh gosh what will the neighbours think"

If she was "busted" for no insurance then her car would have been seized. Guessing this didn't happen as you said she spoke to you 15 mins later. Therefore it must have been a mistake.

Also, I'm not sure this actually happened. Youd3have more chance of winning the lottery than have the police stop her on your drive way.

I call massive BS on this one.

I was thinking that bluntness. We had an ‘oh gosh what will the neighbours think’ moment once.

Something completely harmless and innocent, to do with us at all as it turned out, but had the police knocking on our door. I did feel the need to Casually drop the story into conversation next time I saw the neighbours in case they were curtain twitching —Like I totally would have been— and thought we were dodgy. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Nothing to do with us

@SoupDragon

So it didn’t follow her with its sirens on?

Perhaps chase wasn’t the correct word but I think you know full well what I meant in the context of the text.

No, chase wasn't the correct word. It was completely inaccurate.

Police cars often sound their sirens to make you pull over.

(In my experience of the fly on the wall documentaries 😂😂)

I was allowed to go (with my car) and has to produce my documents at the local police station to confirm I was insured

Things have changed now though. As you said that was years ago. It was the norm for you to be given 7 days to produce your documents. These days it all shows up when your car details are checked. The system now shows all your insurance & MOT details. If its showing no ins the cops can phone the Insurance database which will confirm if there is insurance on the vehicle. If they confirm theres none then the Police will seize the car. They wont let you drive off in an uninsured car

Wow so many more responses! I admitted I was being unreasonable 100+ posts ago

For the record I am not sanctimonious, bothered what the neighbours think, or too lazy to do my own cleaning. As mentioned up thread I have four children including a baby and a toddler, but am also awaiting surgery for a condition meaning I shouldn’t be doing much lifting.

Also, our household income is well into six figures so we can afford the help

If this hadn’t happened in your street you’d be none the wiser, stop being a bloody judgemental snob.

...and it is completely ridiculous to call me a snob when I came from a low income single parent family and put myself through university by working various manual and factory jobs (although I couldn’t afford a car so didn’t have to worry about car insurance )

You are the worst kind of snob who tries the but I came from nothing and now you’re thinking of sacking someone in a low paid job for a minor/possibly incorrect traffic stop, have a think how that will affect the person you want to sack. Also mentioning oh shock never been a police car in my nice street, curtains twitching, I’m embarrassed anyone even has this train of thought, arrogant and judgemental.

Ah op, no point in getting all holier than though, just own it.

In your own words you've not seen a police car in your area (it's naice) and the neighbours would have been twitching their curtains. You were going to fire the woman for God's sake. 🤣

Own it Own it Own it. :)

If she had no insurance,the police wouldn't have left her there in possession of the vehicle, it was clearly a mistake and nothing to do with her cleaning service. Give her a break !

Well for all those saying the police wouldn’t let her drive off in the car if she wasn’t insured....

I’ve just checked the Gov.uk website and it says if you can’t produce your documents when stopped by police, you have 7 days in which to do so.

Why would they say that if they can get everything they need from a computer and it’s 100% accurate?

Don’t be daft

@JKScot4hot the nail on the head.
Op is being intentionally goady now, wouldn’t be surprised if this whole story was bs.

The poor woman is probably humiliated at the whole incident. Why in the world would you be considering firing her? It has absolutely nothing to do with you, with her ability to perform her job for you or anything else. I believe only a very stuck up person with a serious bout of superiority complex would even consider firing someone for this.

DrinkyGin As I have already stated on here ,Some of DMs Jewellery and valuables went missing when she was ill ! As she was in a secure building with a buzzer and code only known by a few People (Doctor Nurse, Carers/Cleaners and me!) the unless they walked away on their own someone took them .I am not "ashamed of my comment" just stating facts FFS!I would never accuse anyone without proof ,and have never had a Cleaner (nothing wrong if you have one BTW) and was simply pointing out that it is policy to maybe put valuables away ,from my own experiences ! Not that all cleaners are untrustworthy !!

No, you’re insinuating poor people are thieves. At least own it and stop back peddling.

Maybe it was the Doctor or Nurse I dont know .I am not snobby ,just saying I feel valuables are better off not on show .I have nothing against Cleaners anyway !For the last time I am just pointing out that even if you have the queen of Sheba round for tea ,best not to put things out on show ! My DM had a selection of rings and a valuable Album to go to my DC as family heirlooms !Sadly they have gone missing and who knows ,maybe the medical staff may have them? My only point was to tell the OP our experience in answer to her question! I am not a snob ,am a SAHM who does all her own cleaning !(No offence to those who employ a cleaner or two!)