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?

Why? Because it’ll cost you money and points.

I understand why you did it, but if you hadn’t you’d still have a clean driving licence and more money in the bank. Some reactions just aren’t worth the hassle 🤷‍♀️

I admit I was a bit argumentative (not rude)

You aren’t exactly objective on that

Make a vlog about your magistrates court appearance, will go brilliantly with the video of the traffic stop on TikTol. Mega content!!!!

I would dearly love to read the other side of this encounter on CoppersNet.

You beeped repeatedly, and then told them "who do you think you're talking to?" Sorry, who do you think you are? Obviously think you're above the law!

It wasn’t unmarked though?

Absolutely challenge it in Court and use your TikTok evidence. I have no doubt the District Judge will be highly receptive. Police clearly must use blues and twos at all times otherwise they clearly aren't on Police business. They especially must not ever annoy OP.

As I said what if was the only car in the area. Edit to say yes it was. As they were looking for a criminal..fuck brain decided to draw everyone's attention to it, so blowing the chance of catching there terrorists/rapists/murders/delete as applicable

But hay she's done nothing wrong

Luckily he didn’t check your tyres and ‘find’ a defect on one of them, or suddenly ‘find’ a smashed tail light that is illegal 😁

Sounding your horn is not for "pulling people up" over something, so you broke the law not just once, but twice. And you broke it not just in the presence of a police car, but directed at it.

I cannot believe you did this.

One of the bits of the Highway Code I really remember learning was why you can beep - only to alert another road user to your presence. So for example on a blind corner or if you believe another vehicle hasn’t seen you and you think they could cause an accident.

I remember it because I too was raised in the school of “beep if someone is being a prick” but it turns out that’s officially not the thing. So I’m not surprised the officer wondered wtf you were doing quoting the Highway Code at them after you’d done that.

i once got pulled over in a similar manner while cycling (in a very built up streetlit area in the early evening) and it was because my bike light was flickering. I think sometimes they’ll just fancy a bit of excitement on a quiet day tbh. But given the horrible police casualties last week I’d be cutting them some slack - they must be bricking it about stupid drivers.

You beeped inappropriately. He is allowed to speed in the bus lane with his lights on. He doesn’t have to be super polite about you getting out of the car, or moving out of the bus lane.

You then started videoing him and saying you were putting it on tik tok. Two things which a completely inappropriate. You probably could have avoided a ticket here, after the pull over by just being polite.

You created a bad situation and then you made it worse for yourself.

Good for that police officer. Just pay the fine and take the penalties and learn your lesson. Dont beep at anyone unless they are going to crash into you

They were probably going to go straight ahead and then realised they needed to be right. Not ideal but it's a good idea to wait to enter a roundabout until the other driver's actions are clear.

I always think if another driver has time to beep over a minor indiscretion, they have time to stop - as you did.

He behaved badly. I've had two female friends who have had very strange and scary encounters with the police and so especially if you were female I would be careful. If pulled over, stay in car, doors locked. I'm pretty sure after Sarah Everard there was advice that women could drive to somewhere that was not deserted.

Yep, well known tactics, which is one reason you don't fuck with them. The OP's not very street wise.

Well I’m sure in court OP can say she was so alarmed by his not indicating at speed that she felt the need to alert him of her presence 🤷‍♀️😀

have to admit I wouldn’t have pulled onto the roundabout until he’d left it. Just to make sure.

can you post the link to the TikTok please OP?

Oh blimey OP, what were you thinking?

I think a better course of action would be to mutter "you prick" under your breath, like the rest of us would have done!

Are you the same person that posted about Megan having some nerve to publicise her new jam at the same time Dolly Parton died?

Because this level of stupidity is on par with that.

You sound like a right troublemaker

Absolutely

You should be able to beep at a police car if it breaks the Highway Code… Sounds like he was a real twat.

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

💀💀💀

I’ve also seen some terrible UK police behaviour in real life. Most do a great job but many do think they are untouchable.

I think you were brave, OP, although I don’t know the legality of who was right and who was wrong. I would show the video to a solicitor who specialises in driving charges and see if it’s worth appealing.