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?

But it is called a collar number, even plain clothes officers it CID have collar numbers although they don't wear them. They don't have badge numbers.

I hate all the beeping and flashing headlights, I think it just confuses people particularly in busy road where you then have multiple drivers wondering what is going on.

You asked about if you'd pulled out and hit him. You would be prosecuted as he had right of way coming from your right.

I looked it up online afterwards. I don’t beep. Can’t think of a time I ever have. I wouldn’t in this situation, but might to prevent an accident. Nevertheless, the behaviour of the policeman described here sounded erratic and the situation not one that warranted points on a licence. So I looked it up and I was right.

I would be wary of beeping at a police car because the police, to me, seem generally over reactive in some situations and woefully under reactive in others. If they send you the tickets I would pay then complain. I once got pulled over in stationary traffic for looking at my phone. Looking at it not touching it or pressing a button. When i pointed out I was stationary and merely looking at Google maps he barked something like well don't do it again and drove off. Slowly obviously as the traffic was still stationary.

Bear in mind that, despite all the "highly trained police drivers" that we hear so much about, the vast majority of plod are as poor at driving as the rest of the population. Throw in some macho power and this is what happens. Very little time for the police and their lies, I'm afraid.

Putting the video on TikTok is very childish. You deserve what's coming to you.

Where did you look it up? Because wherever it was gave you incorrect information. Check the highway code for the rules around when it's acceptable to use your horn.

Nothing the police officer did changes the fact that OP used her horn inappropriately.

This.

You deserved all you got op, don't round beeping at anyone for not indicating police or not.

Wankers on the road beeping for alleged misdemeanors needs ro get a hobby and do an anger management course.

Probably OP will be charged with wasting police time!

I get you, but that's how the police are. Utter wanks.you should not mess with them even if you were right in beeping at them. My friend was done for having a phone in his hand which he didn't do. He went to two different lawyers and both said not to bother challenging it because courts believe police officers more.

I would accept the points and tickets as I wouldn’t feel like gambling with the prospect of a criminal conviction. I would however write to my MP and also put a complaint in with the IOPC, because it does sound like an abuse of power and acting unprofessionally particularly as you have solid video evidence. If the outcome of that supported with you I’d then challenge the points

I am guessing you have had extensive dealings with the police @Sunworshipper72 ?

My friend was done for having a phone in his hand which he didn't do

😆

And? The black population of the US is only 13-15%, so that's still well out of proportion.

And it’s incorrect to say that you will not be killed by the US police unless you are black. You are less likely to be killed if you are not black but hundreds of non black people are killed each year by the US police and I don’t agree with pretending that they aren’t.

You were an idiot and he a power tripping prick, what a combo, write it off to experience.

It’s a non-enforceable offence, so it’s not a situation that results in points. Misuse of a horn breaches the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and Rule 112 of the Highway Code.

Very serious driving offences that involve tailgating and can also involve beeping can warrant fines if 3 to 9 points and up to £1,000 fine.

Nowhere can I find 2 points and £130 as a protocol.

Do you generally get angry and escalate situations at home and work?

Complain but you shouldn't be using your horn to tell people off for driving errors.

Good summary!

First lesson when driving is never take any notice of indicators but watch where the wheels are going.

Yes, people don't indicate but part of driving is anticipating that and taking appropriate action - ie usually waiting.

I got pulled over once. I had just dropped my DH off at the station for work at about 6 in the morning. It was just before Christmas no traffic, I turned left at a roundabout and noticed a police car behind. Thought it was going back to the cop shop as it was on my route, but no.
Every time I turned a corner and drove on he was behind. He then flashed his lights and I pulled over just round the corner to where I lived. He asked why I was out that early so I told him. He said I had took the roundabout funny and thats why he followed me. I told him he had scared the life out of me and he said everything was ok.
My SiL said I had a marked car now.🤣

Rule 185 of the Highway Code covers this situation

’watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all’

Presuming this is accurate, I'm on your side. There's no reason the police, unless on emergency calls, shouldn't adhere to road rules. And I actually believe you as I pulled into the only space left into a street once (this was years ago) and the officer who arrived seconds after me really pressured me to move. I asked him if it was an emergency, he admitted no (I didn't think so as I had seen him in my rear view mirror driving normally) but he started demanding I move as he was "police". He got very arsey when I didn't. This isn't to say all police are like this, of course - that would be absurd, but I think some are.

I get the op is coming across as being a bit attention seeking, TikTok, really? but why shouldn’t she beep at the police if she feels it was appropriate.
It is quite worrying the way people feel that the police can’t be questioned about their behaviour or actions.

Its because we have seen the ugly face, we are saying it. That really should be obvious.

You failed to give priority to a police car to your right on a roundabout and then had the audacity to beep at them, not once but twice and you wonder why you got a ticket!
You MUST always give priority to vehicles on your right at a roundabout, that includes even making them slow down, it is an offence not to. You SHOULD indicate on a roundabout but this is not an offence in it’s self if you do not,
Since you asked, if there had been an accident you would have been held responsible for not giving way to the car on your right