Pulled over by the police with blue lights flashing because I BEEPED at them!

[BeepedAtPoliceCar]

Long but I've tried to make it easy to read!

Tonight, I dropped DS at work and on the way back had just started moving off from a large roundabout to go straight across it. It was 7pm and the road is an A road, not a residential area.

I had noticed a police car coming down from the opposite side of the roundabout (no lights flashing) and assumed it was going straight across as it had no indicators but it turned right towards me so I had to stop.

As I moved onto the roundabout after it passed me. I beeped. A short tap to say where the hell are you going. I had also had to stop. I was moving when I beeped. This is important.

I assumed it was going to take the same exit as me but it It then continued round the roundabout again. Still no indication. So I did another short beep. The direction he was going in was to our local police station about 2 minutes down the road.

Yes it was in frustration as there are many idiots who don't indicate in my area and I've had many near misses. It's pretty shit the police are driving like that as well and it was also a hazard to other road users.

Maybe the driver wasn't aware his indicators weren't working?

Anyway I drive on but see in the my rear mirror a police car speeding up the road behind me, lights flashing, in the bus lane. The speed limit is 40 and I was doing that so he must have been doing 60 at least as he caught up with me in seconds.

I immediately knew he was coming after me.

The car came alongside me and the driver wound his window down, as did I, and shouted at me to pull over now, pull over now. He looked apoplectic with rage!

I pulled over in front of him in the bus lane and he drove behind me, bumper to bumper. I have never been stopped by the police before and got out of my car to go to speak to him (oops lucky it wasn't in the US!).

He's screaming get back in your car now, get back in your car now!

So I get back in and luckily had the presence of mind to start videoing on my phone as he came over. I asked for him name and badge number which he fired off so fast I couldn't catch it. He refused to repeat it. Refused to tell me which police station he was stationed at. He said I had contravened the highway code for beeping inappropriately and would be getting a penalty ticket.

I admit I was a bit argumentative (not rude) and said he only stopped me because he was pissed off I beeped at him and the police should know better.

He then said they were looking for a 'criminal' and were on police business so didn't have to indicate (no lights except when they came for me!) and they also didn't know where they were going. He also said he didn't need to indicate unless he was exiting the roundabout.

I asked him why if he was looking for a criminal, he decided to go after someone who beeped at him for not indicating.

He said I was stationery when I beeped so that is a road traffic contravention. I was moving so I asked him why he was lying. He then stated he'd need to do drug and alcohol tests.

I asked if he was joking and what basis did he have to suspect I was driving under the influence. He said because my behaviour - beeping at him - was 'bizarre' and I was driving dangerously, then asked if I was refusing? So I had to do them. They were clear obviously.

I said I would be making a complaint as I believed he was abusing his power because he was pissed off I beeped at him and 'how dare he bully members of the public'.

He then said MOVE NOW because I was in an active lane (bus lane where he forced me to stop) and if I didn't move now I'd get another ticket for failing to comply with an instruction from a police officer. I said 'who do you think you're talking to'.

I was very WTF and asked him to repeat the law I had broken and told him to give me the ticket so I could challenge it in court, so he said he did and I would get it in the post.

Two tickets - £130 and 3 points.

I then drove off. He didn't come behind me so I can only assume he went back round the next roundabout in the direction of the police station and the looking for a criminal was rubbish. In fact he said it so sarcastically, I think he meant looking for someone to book!

I have video of most of the interaction and he comes across very bullish and rude, especially when he was shouting at me to 'move now'. Literally no more than a minute until I did but he still said he had given me a ticket.

I did tell him I was putting the video on TikTok and would be making a complaint.
Quite shocked about this, and on reading about challenging the tickets in court, it seems that you can end up with a criminal conviction if you lose!

The lie about me being stationery when I beeped (which I have on video) should be easily disproven by their dashcam. Would they have to give me this if I challenge it?

Sadly I don't have my own. I ordered one ages ago, kept forgetting to set it up and it was on top of the bookcase at home!

WIBU?

Do complain, OP, and copy your local MP. Regardless of the legitimacy of your beeps, police officers are supposed to behave professionally. It sounds like the second ticket was in a fit of pique. He needs a reprimand. No harm to highlight in your letter the well-publicised issues of misogyny, racism and bullying in the force, your case being an example of at least one of those. Far too many bullies end up in uniform.

I feel for police officers having to deal with time wasting idiots like you @BeepedAtPoliceCar You were in the wrong entering the roundabout in the first place, then had the arrogance to blame the police driver for your mistake and illegally sound your horn. Were you actively trying to provoke a response? FAFO.

I personally wouldn't beep a police car but if they don't have sirens on and lights flashing to let everyone know to get out the way fast, then they should bloody well indicate like everyone else.

The subsequent behaviour of the policeman was also totally unacceptable and inappropriate and if he really was chasing a criminal then why waste time haranguing/penalising a woman for beeping him for bad driving?

The only area where I'd really say YANBU is putting it on TikTok. Not everything needs to be broadcast to millions.

Make your complaint and see what happens OP. I hope he gets pulled up on his poor driving and very thin skin.

This!! I would NEVER beep at an emergency service vehicle… sorry OP but this is on you, regardless of how he acted.

Unless there indicating to exit there still on the roundabout
beeping is to warn of your presence you beeped out of temper
basically you pulled into the path of an oncoming car
then you were argumentative

I agree.

While I think it’s stupid to bait them, they have no right to use their authority to bully members of the public. Shouting at people, issuing threats and lying are not acceptable. He could have got across his message without this kind of behaviour and I wonder what he would be like in a real crisis situation.

Incidentally he also broke the Highway Code by not indicating when turning right.

He was "apoplectic with rage" you say? Well, of course that'll be on account of all the paperwork he's got to do because of you! The police need the money from fines to keep them in stationery. Stationery, geddit? Apologies if 300 people have already pointed this out: I haven't read the full thread yet. I'll get my coat.

You sound unhinged. Hope they throw the book at you.

Also, it’s stationary.

Stationery is what you buy in WH Smith.

Morning! 👋🏻

like minded early birds 😂

Ello ello ello! 😂

You sound like a completel idiot and deserve the tickets. You think you are above the police hopefully this will take you down a peg or two

This. But also the OP was not right to beep. So the two things combined were not going to make for a happy outcome.

You’re too quick!

’Mornin Super.’

’Mornin wonderful!’

🤣🤣🤣

Who's fault would it have been if there was an accident.

Yours, because you would have been the one who pulled infront of a moving vehicle already correctly proceeding on the roundabout. Whilst it’s not great road craft not to indicate on a roundabout, that’s no reason for you to drive into the path of a moving vehicle if they don’t. Indicating on a roundabout is a ‘should’ (advisory) not a ‘must’ in the Highway Code,

E for envelope is how I remember 😁

Haven't RTFT but you sound like a right prat 🤣

"No way would l accept that fine or the points."

@DaisyDooley That's not how it works. You don't just decide not to accept it when you are pulled up for a traffic offence.

But you had commited a crime by beeping your horn. This has been explained to you multiple times on this thread.

I'm not worried about the police noticing me on the roads because I have never commited an offence right in front of them.

No but you can challenge it, as the OP intends to do.

I think her behaviour was unwise, but it also sounds like the officer very much overreacted. Yes, I know you're not meant to sound your horn at someone's bad driving, but this is common practice for many and if the police are going to pull people over for
that, they're not going to have time for much else. He was clearly just annoyed she had the audacity to "beep" at him.

You keep going on about driving without due care and attention. It is quite a high bar that, compared to careless driving. I very much doubt he was anywhere near the threshold for driving without due care.

Also, since when has beeping a horn meant that someone isn't indicating, which is what you said you were trying to convey?

Honestly, your attitude on this post demonstrates perfectly how you have managed to get his back up.
I hope you reflect on what happened and maybe don't be so arrogant and argumentative if you ever decide to beep at one (twice) again.

Do you have children @BeepedAtPoliceCar ? Would you have behaved like this in front of them?

I would use the evidence and find this numpty badge and name and shame him Find out the station he's at and get footage. Then use a solicitor against this morons who abuse the law. These are things that make life miserable in this country dealing with these clowns

I don’t trust the police. Which is why I would never have got out of my car but I would have locked my doors and wound the window down à wee bit to talk to him.

given what you describe, and regardless of the rights and wrongs of any of the rest of it, you were mad to exit your vehicle.

Is that distrust because of personal experience @Knickerstoya ?