Racing a new scooby unmarked police

Freefaller · 28 Dec 2007 at 09:56

jamoor said:
slam your brakes on, that would take some explaining from the cops "advanced driver training" did you ask him why he was so close?

No because if you had no reason to you'd be done for dangerous driving - and frankly deserved. It's such a stupid stunt to do. No matter how irritating tailgaters are, you just don't do that.

Neo4 · 28 Dec 2007 at 10:05

Wayn0r said:
you shouldnt be so naieve to think the cops 'only' use a certain range of cars, they aint that stupid

a good friend of mine regularly takes out a mk5 gti, integra type r, and they also have a few bmw 330's for use.

all unmarked.

Most of the Forces i dealt with dont have that luxury,they tend to stick to Ford/Jag/RR for Motorway cruisers and Scoobs for pursuit cars.

ethos · 28 Dec 2007 at 10:39

I've had a few scoobys / evos pull over if they see me behind them (black octavia vrs).

I drive past and they just pull back out, not obvious or anything

Or I get someone driving very slowly past me, look over to see just me and then they floor it.

Fr0dders · 28 Dec 2007 at 11:06

Stringy said:
Because 86mph isn't baby murder and it's christmas!

Do all unmarked cars have two people in them? I'm always ultra suspicious of cars that look like they could be tasty with 2 people in them!

exactly

ive been pulled twice, and my partner worked with the police and was friends with 1 or 2 of em

so across 3 different forces and several officers, they've all said that they dont get interested in pulling you on the motorway, unless your nearing 90mph

or they're having a bad day

so because it was only 86, he owned up the offence (admitted 89 ish) and probably wasnt a nob with him. The copper was nice. All of the coppers say that if you treat them with respect, own up to it and apologise, that you're more likely to be treated favourably

so xmas + being polite + being only 86mph saved his bacon

Cyanide · 28 Dec 2007 at 11:07

The police near us have taken to using taxis on their daily rounds, which seems a bit unusual until you realise that taxi's have extra aerials and gadgets on the dash/windscreen. Plus a taxi is.. well it's a taxi, you're not expecting blue lights and most of the taxi drivers round here drive like ****s anyways of you're not bothered about speeding etc near them

Fr0dders · 28 Dec 2007 at 11:21

West said:
The ones i've picked up from work normally for most forces..

Volvo V70/50
Vauxhall Omega, Vectra and Astra
Skoda Oktys
Scooby Impreza
Also i've had a 5 series or two, but only a couple of forces have them
Occasionally a Mondeo, I know Staffs have an un-marked one as it pulled me over once.

West Yorkshire Police favour the unmarked volvo. They've got several unmarked V70s, an unmarked V40, and a S60. They've also got a few unmarked omegas. Marked cars wise, they've got Range Rovers / 5 Series / Vectras / volvos etc..

South yorkshire police are very similar, but they use Evos for ANPR duty, North Yorkshire like their imprezas.

Nottinghamshire police like to be different though, they got an unmarked 5 Series, and an unmarked red Honda Accord Type R !

Leicestershire police like their Octavias, they've got a quite few unmarked Volvos and Octavia VRS. They've also got an ANPR Mondeo ST220. Plus the usual assortment of marked Ford Focus / Ford Mondeo marked cars.

eidolon · 28 Dec 2007 at 11:23

MrLOL said:
so across 3 different forces and several officers, they've all said that they dont get interested in pulling you on the motorway, unless your nearing 90mph

Most traffic police have the same opinions as the rest of us, 85mph on a clear motoway isn't dangerous so you'd be very unlucky if you got done for that. 85mph in the rain, whist tailgating will get you done though.

Ultimately they're there to keep the roads safe, hence why they warned the OP on this occasion. If he'd been doing the same speed through busy traffic or in adverse conditions you can be sure the outcome would've been very different.

Griffo · 28 Dec 2007 at 13:57

ethos said:
I've had a few scoobys / evos pull over if they see me behind them (black octavia vrs).

I drive past and they just pull back out, not obvious or anything

Or I get someone driving very slowly past me, look over to see just me and then they floor it.

Ditto (same car). At first it was rather comic, now it does get a bit irritating when someone in front, overtaking in the BMW lane, slows down when I turn up behind them, and takes ages to get past! But oh well.
I've not managed to race a cop-car yet, though I know a couple who did, resulting in comedy/fines.

On the 'what car where' subject:
The garage I bought mine from (somewhere in Brum with the words Kings and Norton maybe, I forget) had an unmarked (and a bit dented) black octy vrs in t'other day for some work (i presume, one of them was delivered on a low-loader), and a marked vrs too.

FTM · 28 Dec 2007 at 14:34

I'm wary of any black octavias on the A19 from about seaham down to middlesbrough..a regular haunt for them

Enfield · 28 Dec 2007 at 14:47

skiba said:
Dont unmarked police cars always have two wing mirrors? one for the passenger...tis what I heard anyway.

Most cars tend to have two wing mirrors

Yeah they do tend to have to drivers mirrors, usually one under the other or the passenger one on the passenger side...

There's usually always two blokes sitting in an unmarked, they don't have any VDM's (visual distinguishing marks). They have short stubby arials and they appear out of no where, nail it up behind you to read your plate then instantly back off...

Fr0dders · 28 Dec 2007 at 14:51

no, but you can usually spot the rear lights. They either sit loosly on top of the parcelshelf or are built into the headrest.

that and the extra aerial usually give them away

West · 28 Dec 2007 at 15:11

Another dead give-away is reg Prefixes for where they were registered as most forces will use the same prefix..

IE, Cheshire Normally use DK, Thames Valley OU/OY, Norfolk AU/AO, North Wales CX, South Wales CN, etc etc

Jonny ///M · 28 Dec 2007 at 17:43

Unmarked up here is a red focus. Thats all i have came across. The police station in Motherwell has about 25 - 30 530s as traffic cars. Also have a RR for the motorway which is also fully stickered.

^^Gord^^ · 28 Dec 2007 at 17:55

LizardKing said:
I thought they need 2 police officers present to give you a speeding ticket or summons? or is that just some random internet "fact"

It needs to be two Police officers or one Police officer and a calibrated device. The calibrated device could be the speedo on the Police car. Traffic / response cars have calibrated speedos fitted. Or it could be something like VASCAR.

deko · 28 Dec 2007 at 18:04

All the unmarked cars that i see parked up in the police station whenever i walk by have the same last 3 letters on their numberplate, although i cant for the life of me remember what it is so its a bit useless. The marked 5 series that goes about is cracking though.

Neo4 · 28 Dec 2007 at 18:33

Jonny ///M said:
Unmarked up here is a red focus. Thats all i have came across. The police station in Motherwell has about 25 - 30 530s as traffic cars. Also have a RR for the motorway which is also fully stickered.

The Focus and the RR they dont even pay for.Ford loan it to them.

kip02 · 28 Dec 2007 at 19:23

Seen a silver 5 series the otherday pulled someone over, followed by a marked merc.

Was also followed the other week for 10 miles by a black focus ST, i know i was being followed as he followed me in every road/lane i was going in. Didnt worry me as i was on my best beheivior

Seen a blue octavia VRs as well, thought they were all black.

DannyDan · 28 Dec 2007 at 19:26

West said:
Another dead give-away is reg Prefixes for where they were registered as most forces will use the same prefix..

IE, Cheshire Normally use DK, Thames Valley OU/OY, Norfolk AU/AO, North Wales CX, South Wales CN, etc etc

Not sure about that. The 3 that I've most recently seen in Cheshire (M53/M56) were NJ, AM, and PO prefixed. Don't think I've seen a DK one yet

West · 28 Dec 2007 at 19:45

DannyDan said:
Not sure about that. The 3 that I've most recently seen in Cheshire (M53/M56) were NJ, AM, and PO prefixed. Don't think I've seen a DK one yet

A good portion of them are.. believe me

Although some of the Ghost cars will have a different prefix, the actual Traffic ones will share the same Reg Prefix as the marked ones Just depends on what part of Cheshire they were registered too..

Moorron · 28 Dec 2007 at 20:31

ive had a police officer in his own car (a rusty metro) tailgate me in my kit car, when i booted it he wasnt to pleased and was flashing his lights and waving to try and get me to stop. Stupid me pulled over where he did the normal police lecture about safety, then ignored me when i gave him one on tailgating. Also i stopped in a junction where he just bloked the road.

Im still unsure if it was an actual officer and im not sure what im more descusted about, a bloke jelious of my car and wanted to make me angry or a real copper off duty tyring to kill me and others on the road. :mad:

i wish i followed it up or even held him until a uniformed officer could attend.

Next time im not going to stop.

ps, if i was in my range rover i would have stamped on the brake pedal, its his fault and even thought i could avoid it so could he. Anyone else how disagrees with this needs to apply for a job with the goverment where they like to pass the problem onto someone else. Tailgaters and crashes = tailgaters fault.