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?

You obviously think you were being clever but you just sound quite ridiculous.

The police have a hard enough job and are short of resources but you think it was ok to waste their time for the sake of your ego? Pathetic

Yes, which is his collar number not a badge number. I’m just curious as to why you are claiming he gave you a badge number? UK police also don’t have a badge.

You’re sounding a bit pathetic now, OP. The police in the US don’t go round shooting idiots who beep at them and then argue about it.. They will, however, arrest you if you start swearing at them or try to provoke a violent reaction, or if you refuse to obey lawful orders.

You’re right, they’re not the same. What is the same is that many police officers feel they are above the law and the response on here shows that we are generally frightened of them and avoid challenging them in any way. We should not be, they are literally employed to protect us. His behaviour (if OP is being truthful) was over the top and aggressive.You cannot tell me that the police go around pulling people over and fining them for beeping their horn at other road users?!? He obviously couldn’t handle someone challenging his authority. It is a ridiculous abuse of power and left unchecked these ‘men’ often go further and further with their abuse of power. Please Google all the things Sara’s killer was accused of prior to her murder and while you’re there some of the things many police officers eventually found guilty of rape were accused of prior to conviction. This may seem like something small and of course OP was playing with fire (morally rightly IMO but appreciate everyone sees this differently) but a man losing his temper and giving out tickets and fines and putting on his lights for something he likely encounters every day is a complete red flag to me.

I think OP has been watching too many US police TV shows.

"remember the only indication he had of 'criminality' was me beeping at him"

The only indication he had of criminality was your criminal behaviour. 🤔

The number was clearly on his shoulder. 5 digits.

Am I missing something here or what?

Surely they have to have a valid reason to demand a drug and alcohol test? He did say I was driving dangerously. Then when I asked him how, he ignored the question. I have this on video. That was a false allegation and if I was he should have arrested me.

I started to think he would actually - is there a crime of talking back to a police officer?

I was thinking I would get out of doing dinner!

They wasted their own time.

They were "looking for criminals" yet decided they had enough time to stop their important work to have a go at someone because they were "beeped", pathetic

What the hell? Please tell me this AI nonsense will stop soon. OP, if this is genuine then please stay off the roads, you do not have the right temperament to be behind the wheel of a piece of machinery that could kill someone.

You're beeping at the police and then wanting to argue with them. It's not sane behaviour.

Yes, I agree. OP sounds entitled and actually quite complacent. Having an attitude with police officers is a really bad idea.

Why? You seem to be the one hysterical that I beeped my horn at a dangerous driver.

I have driven for over 30 years without ever getting a ticket or having a crash. Driven across Europe, the US and Canada. Drive on the M25 several times a week.

I'm a bloody good driver. The cop wasn't.

Without seeing what happened it's hard to say. However, regardless of who was right or wrong.... beeping at a police officer twice? Play stupid games win stupid prizes springs to mind. Very self inflicted this is.

you got the footage then? If so share the tik tok link and we will be able to tell you if he was in the wrong or not.

So you're saying we should be afraid of the police, and the police can do no wrong?

Not great is it?

Well I can tell you have never had to speak to the police before about anything.
You can’t use normal civilian rules on the police. They have powers, aren’t always reasonable and should really have not beeped at a police car then argued with them, what did you think would happen?? Did you think he would say sorry Mam we won’t do that again, you were right??
your behaviour is the exact opposite of how most people would deal with the police and quite unhinged to the point that I am not surprised they booked you.
definitely never try this abroad as you would have ended up in jail in a lot of countries with a whole load of made up charges against you and a very expensive bail.

Almost the exact same thing happened to me a long time ago. Police car cut me up on a roundabout without indicating and I beeped at him.

He pulled me over, we argued, he said I had to get out of my car for a breathalyser test. I refused and said I was 9 months pregnant, I’m not drunk obviously, it’s pissing with rain and 11:30pm at night. I’m not getting out of my car on the side of the road but he’s more than welcome to follow me home and breathalyse me at my house with my lawyer husband present.

He eventually let me go telling me I would receive a ticket and points in the post. I didn’t receive a thing.

This. Your horn is there to warn other drivers of imminent danger, or alert them to something they seem not to have noticed, not to admonish others for any shortcomings in their driving. Teaching this driver improved skills is not your job in any case but a beep is not a mechanism for any such teaching.

Exactly! I wonder how many people this man has pulled over, fined and drug tested for beeping their horn at another road user before? Precisely zero would be my guess. Butt hurt by a woman’s audacity at pointing out his inconsiderate / illegal driving obviously.

Please explain why though.

I didn't think I had any reason to fear the police. I wasn't concerned about getting their attention because I wasn't aware I'd committed a crime by beeping my horn and had nothing to hide.

Do lots of people on here drive without tax and insurance? Is that why they're worried about the police noticing them on the roads?

He seemed to have not noticed he wasn't using his indicators hence driving without due care and attention, and being a hazard to other road users.

Section 6 of RTA 1988
if moving traffic offence committed - which beeping a horn is one - then breathalyser can be requested. Even if alcohol not smelt

Not using indicators on a roundabout would not be a driving without due care and attention

Um I think you need to let this go now. I’ve needed to call 999 for help and help is what I got

Well I’ve got to admire your gumption OP. Especially the bit when he said he was going after a criminal and you asked him why he had stopped to pull you over then 😂
he’s clearly doesn’t think he needs to indicate because he’s a big bad policeman, and he gave you a ticket because he called you out.
i do wonder why you beeped as you did bring this interaction on yourself (although can’t think why you deserved 3 points) — that said, I can’t really say anything you said or did was truly wrong, maybe just a bit foolhardy.
Honestly it could be in the Neasden Police Station log (if you ever read private eye back in the day), meanwhile all sorts of crimes are overlooked!

He kept saying I was stationary. Got it on video.

So?