Two police at side of road with camera

LeeUK · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:13

Driving down a 30 road today and notice two police men at the side of the road. One holding and looking through this laser gun camera thing and the other with a clip board. No speed camera warning signs any where on the road. No police car or "scamera partnership" van nearby either.

What could this be all about?

My speedo was at about 32mph.

PiKe · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:14

Wild guess... Checking people's speed?

ChrisD. · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:15

It could be about checking drivers speed, rough guess though so may be wrong.

SB118 · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:16

Hitmen in disguise checking if their target has a standard route.

PMKeates · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:21

Odd that one has a clipboard. Could be a speed survey?

Engram · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:27

Were they wearing police hats? Sounds more like "speed watch" (Google it).

Liquidfox · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:27

Were they definitely Police, or just guys in High-Vis jackets? If it's the latter, chances are it's one of those neighbourhood speed survey type things.

Meetgrinder · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:34

Don 't worry too much if your speedo showed 32. They are keen down my road and I normally stick to 30, but saw one and glanced at clock, was showing 35, but never got a ticket.

To be honest my road is like a race track on a night - if they used cameras then they'd rake in a fortune and get a few nutters - a lot of whom are taxis by the looks of it - off the road, so in that respect I wouldn't mind seeing them a bit more where I live (we're talking 30-40mph + over 30 limit regular)

m3ben · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:38

Are you sure they werent those crappy 'community support' officers? Iv been cought speeding by one of them before and they have no powers to fine you etc, just give you a ticking off.

If you were only doing 32 your fine either way, dont sweat it.

SkidMarkKing · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:40

Meetgrinder said:
To be honest my road is like a race track on a night - if they used cameras then they'd rake in a fortune and get a few nutters - a lot of whom are taxis by the looks of it - off the road, so in that respect I wouldn't mind seeing them a bit more where I live (we're talking 30-40mph + over 30 limit regular)

Yeah, I went to Nottingham with a mate and jeez the taxi drivers are thrashing it about at 3/4am, lol.

Burnsy2023 · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:42

PMKeates said:
Odd that one has a clipboard. Could be a speed survey?

Sounds likely if they were Police.

PiKe · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:50

Burnsy2023 said:
Sounds likely if they were Police.

Surely being dressed in high-vis jackets and holding a radar gun is going to skew the results of the survey somewhat?

zooankski · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:56

Ahhhhh, I hate not knowing what they are up to! Been in a panick myself since Saturday evening when i was driving home and a car a couple of hundred yards back started flashing his headlights (nothing coming in opposite direction), instantly slowed down as i admit i was over the limit due to thinking it was a 60 and not 40! but no blues and did not try to catch up, the car then turned off on to the motorway.
That will teach me for not paying attention to the speed signs

I did stop and chat to a couple of police last year who were doing exactly as you say, clip board and all. They were tucked in next to my mates house and as it turns out were doing a survey of sorts due to a recent speed limit change on that road. He mentioned they looked for hot spots and then deployed cameras until the message got through!
He did say they would wave people in who were way over though!!!!

Burnsy2023 · 9 Jan 2012 at 16:56

PiKe said:
Surely being dressed in high-vis jackets and holding a radar gun is going to skew the results of the survey somewhat?

Likely, but force policy probably dictates that high vis is required when working near roads.

Matt82 · 10 Jan 2012 at 05:42

They take photos of drivers they think are fit and then study said photos at night when they can't sleep

acemastr · 10 Jan 2012 at 07:55

You can always tell by their blue hats, always hilarious watching them spin around when you give the bike a fist full of revs just after you've gone past them.

They can take your license plate down, but that's about it.

agnes · 10 Jan 2012 at 09:03

Surely this is just a survey to see wether a speed camera is needed.

Pointless survey though, as the police stick out like a sore thumb and everyone will slow down lol.

agnes · 10 Jan 2012 at 09:05

acemastr said:
You can always tell by their blue hats, always hilarious watching them spin around when you give the bike a fist full of revs just after you've gone past them.

They can take your license plate down, but that's about it.

I used to do this, until my mate did it when he waas heading to H Cafe to meet me. The police sometimes sit about 2 miles up from the cafe behind a bridge, still see them before they trap you. My mate, slowrd down, gave it to beans after. Arrive and 5 mins later the cop car pulled up and the police had a nice little chat with him

Hilly · 10 Jan 2012 at 10:33

They do this around my area too, tucked up in a carpark around a blind bend pointing a camera at you and another with a clipboard.

I went through before christmas at around 33 or so (digital indicated) and have heard nothing so far, so not sure whether or not it's a survery or a speed trap.

dangermouse425 · 10 Jan 2012 at 10:40

agnes said:
I used to do this, until my mate did it when he waas heading to H Cafe to meet me. The police sometimes sit about 2 miles up from the cafe behind a bridge, still see them before they trap you. My mate, slowrd down, gave it to beans after. Arrive and 5 mins later the cop car pulled up and the police had a nice little chat with him

Sounds like one sure-fire way to annoy the police!