to think using phone for 2 seconds at traffic lights is hardly the crime of the century

[MitchyInge]

it was ringing and ringing and ringing, from home, and am in borrowed (poss to become permanent) vehicle so when in long queue at red light I picked up the phone to see what the emergency was (it was a 10yo in a panic about dance class)

I had about 18 missed calls from home, wouldn't you assume it was a some sort of actual crisis too?

think it was really excessive to be followed by police car with flashing lights, have every bit of car examined for defects and have my identity checked and be compelled to mend an only slightly dodgy brake light and produce my documents etc

the officer was really suspicious of the fact that the car isn't registered to me (am borrowing it with view to keeping it) and seemed surprised when it checked out that I was insured and that it had an MOT and tax - as if use of phone placed me in some highly criminal driving category? grrrrrr

want my old land rover back, was totally invisible in that

If it was crime of the century you'd be in jail, and we'd be reading about you in the papers.

As it was, you committed a motoring offence and got spanked appropriately. Perhaps even lightly - you don't mention a fine.

Perhaps if you'd like for laws not to apply to you, you could try Russia? You'd have to be quite rich though.

the police cant say oh its ok to answer your phone on this 2 meter stretch of road, but not here, but its ok over there as long as you are doing under 5mph

don't answer the phone whilst you are driving, pull over somewhere

YABU, it's an offence for a reason.

YABU.

If it had really rung 18 times there must have been somewhere you could have pulled over to check who it was.

yabu.

IMO the police aren't hard enough on people who use their phones while driving.

ah haven't they heard of school run mum immunity, where by, middle class mothers are allowed cause havoc by talking on their phones and park their ridiculous cars in the middle of the road outside schools, you really should complain and remind them of this fact.

i comes under section 56 of 'the whte van man and other nobs' clause of the road safety act.

dammit I knew everyone would think it was unreasonable

was practically PARKED though, traffic wasn't moving

But you weren't parked...

You were at traffic lights, which is paused, not parked.

IIRC when this first came in it was illegal to use your phone when the engine was running.

I was so worried when a text came through at red lights I turned the engine off to read it in case it was an emergency.

Mitchy, i happen to agree with you, that whilst at lights you calculated the risk and took the descision to answer. I would have done as well actually.

I do think the police were heavy handed with you. But perhaps they are deliberatly heavy handed so that you don't do it again?

The police couldn't tell that you were just checking your phone quickly at the lights - so they acted accordingly. I wish this would happen to everyone who uses their phone while driving - it's a huge distraction and can lead to accidents.

Same for other distractions, of course - according to the Times today a woman killed someone because she was putting on her nail polish whilst driving, and didn't see that the lights ahead had gone red.

You're driving. It's illegal to be drunk in control of your car even if you're parked in a carpark having a kip. The rules can't be discretionary as it's too difficult to police effectively.

it just seemed more than a bit heavy handed given that my actions created absolutely no risk whatsoever in the circumstances, I knew and the police officer knew we'd be sitting there for about 3 weeks at those lights

I will try to feel slightly less aggrieved - being told off for using the phone is probably almost fair enough but going over every inch of the car checking all the lights? what was that for? I used my phone therefore I am a stranger to the use of headlamps?

bigusbumus made my point! hurrah!

I certainly won't EVER do that again, although looking forward it is a non-issue as always have handsfree kits installed in own cars

It picked up a dodgy brake light, which is incredibly dangerous.

This may be a rude question, OP, but have you received a significant head injury recently?

The police have to assume that if you are doing one thing illegal then there is a chance you will do something else illegal - for example, drive with non working lights, etc etc.

I would be bollocking the dance class panicker

Not the crime of the century, I agree, but it's sod's law you'll get pulled over. I bet if some kids put the windows in and nicked the radio the fuzz would miss it though.

it's an interesting question - are my words looking a bit concussed on your screen?

FFS, it wasn't heavy handed, you should have got a £60 fine and three points. You got off lightly!

Your perception seems a little fuzzy, yes.

I sympathise in the circs. But you were committing a motoring offence so you can't really complain. Sorry.

i'd be grateful to know that my car had a dodgy brakelight, though. (and slightly dodgy is surely like being slightly pregnant. )

suck it up, mitch, you got off lightly, they did you a turn by not fining you.