Lost a shoe on the way to work and caught speeding....nice!!!

sniper007 · 24 Oct 2006 at 10:58

I was riding in on my bike today and I'm well miffed with my start to the day. Half way to work I went round this long gradual bend nice and careful as was wet and I must have been going about 45ish and I "think" the road is a 40mph but might be a 30...tbh I don't know. I came round this corner and saw two scruffy looking guys in Florescent jackets and I wondered if they were builders or not. As I got closer I saw no equipment whatsoever until the last minute when the guy held up a really small kind of grey looking thing and pointed it right at me smiling as I went past. I had already lifted off and I was going really careful, but I'm annoyed that I may have crept over the speed limit slightly.

Was a bit confused at the time as had no idea what these two were doing (clearly not policeman and probably local community people). As I went further on I expected a Police car or somethign to pull me over but there was nothing except something stood up on the right of the road which I guess might have been there to take photos of the number plates? But it was on the other side of the road like for oncoming cars, so im well confused if I got doen or not as being on a bike would have had to get my plate from behind (no front plate) and I didnt see any flash or anything go off. Bit strange.
No idea if I was got or not now.

What are the laws on locals doing this kind of thing? Do I need to wait 2 weeks and if nothing Im ok?

Anyway....got to work and checked my backpack and it was undone! Oh no I thought, lets check stuffs all here......laptop - check, lunch - check, DVD and random electronical stuff - check, one shoe - check, other shoe - errrrrrrrr DOH!!!!!!

Rubbish morning

schnipps · 24 Oct 2006 at 11:18

There was something on the news ages ago about local people doing this but they dont have the epower to give you a ticket, they pass the details onto the police and they maybe visit you and thats it, it was all to do with local people being fed up of speeders in their area so they took into their own hands i think. If it wasnt and was police then yes you have 14 days from today to receive a letter, i know i just got done

sniper007 · 24 Oct 2006 at 11:48

Cheers for the reply. So it sounds like at most I may get a visit from the police if they got my reg? Im almost certain they were not coppers. They certainly were not in uniform.

Dogbreath · 24 Oct 2006 at 12:31

If it was the pathetic local NIMBY's playing at being the police you are most unlikely to get a visit from the plod, but you might get a letter warning you to keep your speed down etc.

paradigm · 24 Oct 2006 at 12:36

Hang on.

Something resembling a laser gun. Something else "stood up" in the road.

I'd say they were land surveyors tbh.

Serj · 24 Oct 2006 at 12:39

paradigm said:
Hang on.

Something resembling a laser gun. Something else "stood up" in the road.

I'd say they were land surveyors tbh.

Unlucky mate, looks like you're gonna be on the next ordinance survey map

sniper007 · 24 Oct 2006 at 12:40

paradigm said:
Hang on.

Something resembling a laser gun. Something else "stood up" in the road.

I'd say they were land surveyors tbh.

Exactly what I thought they were at first but they werent, as I know what those things look like lol. Unless they were having a laugh and pretending it be a laser gun thing? Dunno. A clue could be though, that RIGHT on that bend a while back they put up a temporary speed LED sign that showed your actual speed to try to cut speed in the area, so I'd say this could be locals "helping" the community.

dirtydog · 24 Oct 2006 at 12:41

Serj said:
Unlucky mate, looks like you're gonna be on the next ordinance survey map

rofl

Oakesy2001uk · 24 Oct 2006 at 13:51

Serj said:
Unlucky mate, looks like you're gonna be on the next ordinance survey map

lol

Stonedofmoo · 24 Oct 2006 at 15:10

Nah they are likely to be taking regs of people speeding. There is a scheme like this in a village near me.

What comes of the people they catch I have no idea

iCraig · 24 Oct 2006 at 15:31

I love the community guys. Usually 39 year old virgins with grey hair and packed lunches.

IT Insider · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:01

There is a landmark case today (think its in Devon) where the case of issuing speeding tickets by Non Policemen (ie - trainee cops or even part time plod) maybe proved to be illegal.

This would mean that every single issued fine/ticket/points could be overturned if they can not prove it was taken by a "real" member of the police force.

This also includes special constables - if they have taken the picture you could be in the clear.

I'll try and find something on *** BBC website but it was on the news first thing this morning..

jimblowscash · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:30

Stonedofmoo said:
Nah they are likely to be taking regs of people speeding. There is a scheme like this in a village near me.

What comes of the people they catch I have no idea

pmsl

a strongly worded letter saying the commnity of .......... wont tollerate speeding, and please be considerate next time your visiting.........
and if you are seen again speeding in .......... your details and speed will be forwarded to the local plod.

then you get a visit from the local police comunity support officer who tries to tell you off ( picture mr bean on a power trip) then two nights later you wait untill 3.00am and belt through said village with the rear box removed.......

not that i would do anything like that

sniper007 · 24 Oct 2006 at 17:23

jimblowscash said:
pmsl

a strongly worded letter saying the commnity of .......... wont tollerate speeding, and please be considerate next time your visiting.........
and if you are seen again speeding in .......... your details and speed will be forwarded to the local plod.

then you get a visit from the local police comunity support officer who tries to tell you off ( picture mr bean on a power trip) then two nights later you wait untill 3.00am and belt through said village with the rear box removed.......

not that i would do anything like that

LMFAO - just as soon as I get a 600 and off of my 125 maybe.

Hopefully nothing comes of it. Do these people have nothing better to do? Its not a built up area either. Its a B road with "some" houses on.

masterk · 24 Oct 2006 at 18:25

iCraig said:
I love the community guys. Usually 39 year old virgins with grey hair and packed lunches.

Im sure they wont be virgins too long if you love them that much!

Glaucus · 24 Oct 2006 at 18:27

You'll be fine there just there to record number off speeders in the day.

Jonny ///M · 24 Oct 2006 at 19:33

Shoulda crashed into them,claim they were stood in the middle of the road and had no signs to show you why........

"andy" · 24 Oct 2006 at 20:51

or you sped up as you thought they where waving you down to hijack your bike

Vertigo · 24 Oct 2006 at 21:39

IT Insider said:
There is a landmark case today (think its in Devon) where the case of issuing speeding tickets by Non Policemen (ie - trainee cops or even part time plod) maybe proved to be illegal.

This would mean that every single issued fine/ticket/points could be overturned if they can not prove it was taken by a "real" member of the police force.

This also includes special constables - if they have taken the picture you could be in the clear.

I'll try and find something on *** BBC website but it was on the news first thing this morning..

Wouldn't surprise me if this was being challenged in the courts and rightly so IMO. If they're not the police then they have no authority to charge you with any offence or issue any kind of ticket as far as I'm concerned.

This reminds me of the way everyone on the motorway seems to slow down and crawl past Highways Agency cars at 71mph. They're not the police and have no authority to stop you for speeding. Sure, if you go past them at 150 they may well give plod a call and tell him to wait for you at the next junction but they can't pull you over and if they tried I'd be asking them under what authority they were acting.