Pulled over by police

[NotAScoobyDoo2]

I'm posting here for traffic more than anything. I'm just wondering what other people think of this and whether it's something they've experienced, if they've been pulled over.

A few months ago, I was driving home from hospital, visiting a relative - it had been quite a long day so although I was trying desperately to concentrate, I was a bit tired. I also had my 11 yo son in the car with me.

About halfway home, I noticed a Police car behind me - I hadn’t realised my speed was creeping up and when he pulled me over, I was doing 75. I got out of the car, on the hard shoulder of the motorway. When I got out, he told me the speed I was going and asked me to follow him. He drove about 15/20 minutes to a completely abandoned car park in what felt like the middle of the Surrey hills. When I got there it was starting to get dark.

I started to feel a bit weird about the whole thing. I got out of my car and the officer that pulled me over told me to get into his car so he could show me footage of my driving. I asked him if he was joking and said absolutely no way am I getting into anyone's car. He then asked me to lean in so he could show me my driving. When he replayed it, he started back pedalling really quickly by saying actually, "it's not as bad as I thought and maybe you should just go home and read the highway code". It's been bothering me ever since. Every time, I read about the Sarah Everard case, this occasion comes to mind. I just want to know if he was being unprofessional or whether I was being over cautious. I'm a single woman and feel vulnerable at the best of times.

I was caught speeding on the motorway and had to get into the police car on the hard shoulder to do the admin.

You did not drive for 15-20 minutes.

I get him pulling you over onto the hard shoulder but leaving the motorway, driving for 15 min or so to a deserted car park and asking you to get in his car is really not on and if that were me I think I'd be reporting it. I wouldn't have got into his car either

Agree it sounds odd. Was it possible he thought that you were alone? I think you were right to be cautious. The thought of getting into his car????Always listen to your instincts.

Sounds dodgy, I can understand why you were creeped out.

If you feel unsafe with a lone male police officer you can remain in your vehicle and phone 999 to get them to verify that the officer is legit. Just say “as a lone female please allow me to verify this is a genuine stop with the police control centre, I’m going to remain in my vehicle and call 999 to do this if you could please provide me with your ID through the window, alternatively I’m happy to follow you to the nearest station”.

If what you are saying is the full truth, then definitely report it.
If you have had an unpleasant experience and are exaggerating for effect, put it down as a close shave, and you got away with speeding.

@NotAScoobyDoo2 Funnily enough I was watching this clip earlier in the day and you may find it interesting.

I had similar years ago. I wasn’t speeding but was pulled over on the street on suspicion of drink driving. The policeman was on his own and asked me to get into his car, on a deserted road. I refused, and eventually he let me do a breath test without getting into the car. It was clear so he let me go, but it was very scary and I felt extremely vulnerable.

I wouldn’t mind but there was nothing wrong with my driving. He said my eyes looked ‘glassy’ when I came out of a shop and got into my car which felt like an excuse to me. If he thought I looked like I was drunk why did he follow me for two miles before pulling me over? There are definitely some wrong’uns on the force.

You're being very overly dramatic. Thank your lucky stars and forget about it

If police stop you on a motorway and need to speak to you outside of your car, they'll usually try to take you behind the hard shoulder barrier incase anybody clips your vehicle.

Maybe with you having a child in the car, he thought it wasn't safe/practical, so took you off the motorway?

The crucial bit of information missing is whether this 10-15 minute drive took you past numerous other safe/practical places to stop.

I had a similar strange police stop a few years ago. I was driving home at around 3 am, pitch dark, coming back along a deserted country lane from visiting friends. I hadn't been drinking and am a naturally slow and cautious driver. A policeman pulled me over, I got out and he told me to get into his car as he'd seen me doing 60mph through a nearby town centre. At that point my partner sat up (he'd been dozing with the seat reclined and couldn't be seen from outside) and said that I hadn't been in the town centre, let alone speeding. The policeman said he'd been mistaken, shot back into his car and drove off. I've often wished I'd checked his I.d. as the whole thing was really odd

Well then report it, these long dramatic stories with the word vulnerable thrown in usually at the end seem to come along like buses

You have a genuine issue then go through the appropriate channels bit this Coronation Steet script writing is unnecessary

Me too and the police man told me that he was a sucker for blue eyes and short skirts and let me off!! That was early 2000’s

That sounds like police talk. Are you a cop?
The only reason I ask is because if you are it adds massive weight to your advice, and therefore I would probably copy and paste your words into a note or something. But absolutely understand if you don’t want to say if you are. But wise words anyway…

@NotAScoobyDoo2 that is weird and worth reporting

I am genuinely puzzled that someone would even try anything weird when there's a child in the car.

Definitely report it

Wow! You really have your wits about you , well done 4 not getting into the car . I would have got nervous and just done it . I was pulled over twice for speeding and I just got asked to do that alcohol test thing at the side of my car. Its unusal that he felt he needed to show you and prove to you that you were speeding then just left it, main thing is you are safe and try not to worry to much about it .

Report him OP.
The recent Panorama programme has shown us how nasty and misogynistic some police officers can be.
I'm shocked at some of the comments on here saying you are overdramatic.

I was followed along a dark and deserted dual carriageway a few years back. As I turned off onto the even more deserted road that leads to my home, a black BMW with a blue light across the front bumper started to follow me. I drove faster and it drove faster. Eventually it overtook me and a sign came on in the back window saying police stop.
I didn't believe it was a real police car so no way was I stopping!
I raced past it and did not stop rally driving until I got home.
It was about 20 mins later that 2 officers turned up at my home, having traced my address, and apologised for spooking me. My car was apparantly the same description to one reported in a crime but when they saw I was a terrified lone woman they decided not to chase me.
It's concerning that this lone officer wanted you to get in his car.

Always be cautious, no matter who it is.

30+ years ago, me and my friend (she was driving) were out at 1am on our way back from a night out. We were both 18. I had been drinking, she had not. Two youngish male police officers stopped us, said they wanted to check we were ok. They were talking to us for what seemed like ages, no breath test for my friend, no checks of the car just talking. They asked us where we usually go out to drink as they’d like to meet up with us. We didn’t think much of it at the time, met up with them and we both dated them for a couple of weeks. When I look back now, it was bloody weird. One was 29 and the other 35. We were just flattered, as young and not very wise. So, always be aware.

Similar thing happened to me (he didn't like where I had stopped even though it was safe) and he was very angry and agressive and said he would 'come deal with me' and went to park up. I drove away and luckily he didn't follow. Im not even sure he was police as no uniform or car but was flashing an ID card.

Did he tell you to get out of the car? Here you're not supposed to, and if you try they will tell you the get back in.

It's quite normal if they pull you over to sit in the back of there ar to see video, gie details etc.

They must've thought u were some crazy woman lol

I'd never pull over for the police when driving alone other than in a highly visible public place as I don't trust them at all. I'd rather risk defending my actions in court if necessary than compromising my personal safety.

If a policeman thinks a lone woman is crazy for not wanting to get into their car in a dark, deserted car park, then they need to be taken off duty until they've completed a significant amount of retraining.

I used to tell my kids to look for a police officer if they felt unsafe. Now, I advise them on what to do if the police make them feel unsafe instead.

So, you were pulled for speeding, he asked you to watch the footage, confirmed you were speeding and gave you words of advice rather than a ticket? All of that seems absolutely normal. The only odd thing is the drive to a different, off motorway place, which I would guess he would view as a safe place to stop but may not have considered you would find it unnerving.

If you have concerns, raise them with the relevant force. I can’t see what he’s done wrong though, he sounds like he’s been professional, courteous, and dealt with a speeding driver fairly. Maybe he could have words of advice just as you did.

How do you actually know it was a dark deserted car park? And not hyperbole from the OP. It's also unlikely that she was made to drive along over 15 mins either.

I cant stand police especially traffic ones but they've not done anything out of the ordinary. Watch one of those police interceptor programmes and you will see that it's nornal