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?

I do think that arguing back was silly but agree you should complain about his attitude.

What is the driver supposed to do in this situation when beeped at? Other than think oooop, I should have been indicating, much be more careful next time.

The only other thing I can think of would have been to slam the brakes on.

Since when was the Highway Code law?

Yes, the posh accent is quite telling. The OP sounds entitled, used to getting her own way and quite complacent.

Most ordinary people are supportive of the police and also wary of them as we live in the real world.

You failed the attitude test. The result was 2 tickets.

I personally wouldnt have pissed him off in the way you did.

Edited because I can’t be arsed…

You put it on Tik Tok 🙄 grow up !

I've seen some pretty appalling examples of police driving.

Basically if your account reflects reality then it's not really an example of good policing.

The police should really be engaging with the (generally) law abiding public public and keeping them on side. Policing happens with the consent of the public in this country.

Actions like this just propagate the myth that the police have time to waste on trivia rather than "catching real criminals" - basically always there to come down on the mostly law abiding public for relatively trivial offences but not there for example to turn up when you need them to for a burglary.

But I think it is fair to say we are only hearing one side of the story here and that there are no winners in the respect a (probably) previously law abiding person has been turned against them (which makes their job harder if this happens across the public as a whole) and from your perspective you obviously have the penalty.

The question is I guess was it always going to end this way, with two entrenched parties refusing to back down to a compromise position, or whether a better outcome was possible.

The police car was already on the roundabout. OP wasn't. The police car had right of way.

The most serious driving offence here was pulling out onto a roundabout when a car was coming from the right.

I'm surprised she didn't tell him she pays his wages (as if public sector workers don't pay tax).

Yes! 😂

Also, it's fair to say that unprompted erratic and confrontational behaviour may suggest alcohol or substance abuse.

Exactly. And the OP admits herself that she beeped her horn out of frustration (for all the times other motorists have done the same as the police car.) She didn’t do it to warn the vehicle of her presence and avoid a possible collision.

The police car was already on the roundabout, and therefore had right of way. In no way was it necessary for the OP to beep him, particularly as he had already gone past her. There is no way to justify it as "making him aware of her presence", the only legal use of the horn.

Why would you beep at a police car - that is very strange. Yes, I get frustrated at non-indicating drivers (even as a passenger!) but to beep a patrol car is def not on. I just let the police get on w their jobs - would you beep them if they ran a red light at an emergency?!

You obviously got his goat, you should’ve just meekly accepted you were in the wrong to avoid confrontation w them. Good job this wasn’t the US!!

TikTok my arse.

I applaud you challenging the police officer for being arrogant but I’m curious - surely if you beep everyone you observe driving badly you must be beeping multiple times each car journey? The standard of driving is so poor I can’t imagine calling it out each time.

OP tried to pull onto a roundabout when there was another car already on it that had right of way. She had to brake to avoid a collision with that car and then decided to beep at the other car because she was annoyed. She complains that it wasn't indicating but ultimately, if there had been a collision, she would have been at fault. This isn't just about beeping a horn, I suspect she was actually pulled up for careless or inconsiderate driving. I don't think that's over the top. I was once pulled over for having my fog lights on when it wasn't foggy. A minor thing, and it was accidental, but it could be distracting for other road users so I have no issue being pulled up on it. If you break the law you deal with the consequences.

Ps: I don’t love the police and appreciate some are on an ego trip, but that’s why you need to not antagonise them. Just apologise and move on - I’m sure if you had then there would’ve been ok madam, don’t do it again (or a lesser fine). They wield the power, you don’t.

The roads would be a cacophony of beeping horns if we all took the same line as the OP.

Thats what I mean! Surely she’s not beeping everytime someone doesn’t indicate etc , or maybe she does? I honestly can’t remember the last time I beeped someone. In my experience pointing out someone is driving like a dick makes them drive even MORE like a dick

Can we coordinate this somehow and try and make it a bit more tuneful?

'Emotional beeping' is an offence. You should only use your horn as an immediate warning. Obviously drivers commit this offence all the time, but he's technically correct.

At the same time, he also appears to be a bit of a loon. YA both BU.

😂

Politely, you are wrong.

This is what the OP said

"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."

My emphasis there.

OP did the right thing by halting her car, despite the police car not signalling as it is supposed to do - ergo, there was no right of way for either and especially not for the non-signalling police car.

So if use of the horn is not suitable in a situation like this, I am stumped as to when it should be used. As for the OP using the horn a second time, well, I can understand that, regardless of whether OP should or should not have.