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?

She just sounds like a complete moron at this point.

So he was in the wrong lane too? Still shouldn’t have beeped but he was definitely in the wrong and likely that’s why he behaved defensively/aggressively

Nobody is disputing he was in the wrong for his driving on the roundabout. But we all think the OP was in the wrong for beeping at him twice after her had passed, firstly refusing to stop for him, then getting out of the car, then telling him she was going to put him on ticktok, then asking who he thought he was and then continuing to argue!

More making things up that didn't happen - I didn't ask who he thought he was or I was.

I said 'who do you think you're talking to' which is commonly used in circumstances where someone is talking to you like crap.

Police officers have a standard of conduct they are supposed to uphold, no matter if they're butt hurt that a woman beeped them.

They certainly can't issue a FPN for a fabricated charge because of that either.

He even cautioned me when he told me he was going to issue that ticket.

Hope you challenge this all the way - very clear that the copper was bent out of his arse for failing to signal and then got further out of shape when you rightly pointed out his faults.

Well done you OP for not acquiescing to that awful clown in costume.

100% agree

We have all known people "in authority" like him who can't bear being outed for their behaviour.

Sorry but the bottom line is this is not a legitimate grounds to beep your horn. At ANYONE. This isn't about police or otherwise. The only reason to beep your horn is to prevent an impending collision. It is not something you should be doing in frustration to alert another driver that you have issue with their driving. People using their horns in this way makes the roads LESS SAFE for everyone, by causing stress and startling drivers. This should be cracked down on, even if the driver is a woman.

Nobody is disputing he was in the wrong for his driving on the roundabout. But we all think the OP was in the wrong for beeping at him twice after her had passed, firstly refusing to stop for him, then getting out of the car, then telling him she was going to put him on ticktok, then asking who he thought he was and then continuing to argue!

Again. I didn't beep at him the first time after he had passed, he was coming towards me.

I did not refuse to stop for him. I had no logical reason to believe a police car would pursue me at high speed with lights flashing because I beeped. I was thinking they've got to be joking, but it wasn't confirmed until he pulled up alongside me in the adjoining BUS LANE. Was I supposed to pull in front of them in the bus lane while they were chasing me at 75 mph just in case?

I did nothing wrong getting out of the car. My immediate thought was to have a quick chat with him. We're not in the US where people have guns, he had no reason to think I was a threat because I beeped at him FGS!

A high speed chase? So you were speeding?

It was totally legitimate.

If you are the type to enter a roundabout and go round without indicating where you are going, you have no business judging me.

The whole POINT of indicators is to prevent collisions!

Oh my! somebody please please gag the Op 😫

Nope, I'll try to say it slowly.

I was going at the speed limit of 40mph.

According to the length of the stretch of road, size of roundabout he went round again and how long the cop took to catch up to me.

He was driving at or in excess of 75 mph on a 1 mile stretch of road where there are crossing points.

We wonder why our police force are struggling when they end up having to deal with irate public who will fabricate situations so they can be suitably outraged.

Hopefully next time the OP will beep her horn at someone similar and they can have a nice road rage ding dong. Then hopefully this same police officer gets called to deal with the aftermath.

How about you put your aggression and anger away, dont beep your horn at people and get on with your life. Remember there is always someone a little more aggressive, a little more unhinged and more likely to hurt you.

What is it about joe public when they climb inside their metal boxes and they suddenly become bare knucle fighters?

Personally attacking a stranger for beeping at the police.

I'd seriously take a look in your mirror.

Might be best to clean it first.

She specifically described herself in her OP as:

someone who beeped at him for not indicating.

She was using her horn to tell him off. Which is a level of self-importance and entitlement that most road users do not display around police.

Edit to add: and did it twice, for the same reason, to rap his knuckles

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.

I mean, it's comical.

Funny, it was 60 originally. You're not a very reliable witness.

How slowly did you say it, will the speed change?

"Mrs Beeped at police car" is beyond help and totally insufferable. Please get help, medication, just anything!

What points?

It's in the OP

Two tickets - £130 and 3 points.

It's in her first post, she received a fine and 3 points 🤗

The police were the ones who committed road rage.

I didn't fabricate any situation. The cop fabricated a ticket for an offence that didn't happen.

What ARE these people on?

If the police force is struggling, pray tell, why would two police officers abandon an active operation to find a known criminal, chase down a woman putting the public at risk, insist on a drug and alcohol test, issue tickets for two short beeps when they were driving badly, wasting 20 minutes at my car and subsequent paper work.

Now the force's valuable time will be further taken up with investigating my complaint.

£30 fine for the beep

£100 fine and 3 points for 'not complying with a road traffic officer's directions'. He was not engaged in the 'regulation of traffic'.

Wasn't given anything at the roadside, no references, and nothing in the post yet. Doubt I will for a few weeks with the post as it is round here.

However you feel, don't keep using the fact that you're a woman, or a middle aged woman, as a reason for police not to get involved.
Women commit crimes - women of all ages.

It's very much worth employing someone to investigate you Op , to protect everyone else in the future that may encounter you! You need to learn a good hard lesson.