Police

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Dont get me wrong I’m not anti police just anti d*ck heads. I live in a small cul-de-sac with 9 parking spaces at the end yesterday police came to my neighbour for a none emergency call the two WPC’s parked the bottom of my drive my neighbour’s drive was empty and there were several empty parking bays, to they returned this time two PC’s and parked the bottom of my neighbour to my right drive thus blocking his drive and forcing anyone who came into the cul-de-sac to mount the kerb to pass !

H

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[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Unfortuanateley some police are dick####s and some dick####s are police, I’m sure i read somewhere that the police are a reflection of the society in which they live, say no more!

Tony

[VicParticipant @vic]

There seems to be an increasing number of the public video recording inappropriate and illegal activity of Police officers and posting on YouTube.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley thinks this is unfair so I expect it may become an offence at some point. Somewhat strangely police body cam video footage often seems to go “missing” when needed by anyone other than the police themselves. 😉

But yes, there seem to be an increasing number of officers that clearly don’t have a clue.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

And especially the fact that most have no idea of what is or isn’t illegal on fitments to motor vehicles ie wheels beyond wing edges, blacked out front windows etc. If I can see it why cant they?. And dont get me started on this stupid backfiring craze.

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

In the US, if we complain about the cops we get shot.

[MikeK]

On MikeK Said:

In the US, if we complain about the cops we get shot.

That sounds a bit harsh! 😮 😆

I saw a Mercedes drive down the street with heavily tinted front side windows, I thought these were Illegal? How would it get past the MOT.

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

On MikeK Said:

In the US, if we complain about the cops we get shot.

That sounds a bit harsh! 😮 😆

469 Americans shot dead by police so far this year. And year is not half over yet. It is harsh!

They don’t seem to bother to keep count of the number injured by police gunshot. Best estimate is 250,000 injured annually by police in total, but that includes good thumpings and the like.

 

 

 

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

On MikeK Said:

In the US, if we complain about the cops we get shot.

That sounds a bit harsh! 😮 😆

I saw a Mercedes drive down the street with heavily tinted front side windows, I thought these were Illegal? How would it get past the MOT.

While I was being melodramatic, the truth isn’t far off.  Cops in the US have shot and killed many unarmed citizens.  Several cops have killed the unarmed person who was running *away* from the cop, but the cop always claims self-defense or some other BS.  And they never get held accountable.  That one cop in jail for the murder of George Floyd was a fluke, because someone had video recorded the murder.  If not for the video, the murderous cop would have walked free.

I worked with a woman who served on a grand jury, where cases are determined if they have enough merit to proceed.  She said that the system makes it nearly impossible to convict a cop.  Cop labor unions have too much influence too.

Cops here carry a gun, a taser, and a club.  And a lot of them are recruited out of the military and think that everybody is a perp just waiting for an opportunity.

The tinted windows I’m not sure about.  I think they might be illegal, but it might be determined at the state level.  Some cars do come with tinted windows from the factory.  But, unfortunately, those things are overlooked and I doubt are ever enforced.

My problem with tinted windows is that they’re bloody dangerous.  I walk and bike a lot and when a car has tinted windows I can’t tell if they’re seeing me or not.  Also, pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist…the need to be able to see *through* cars to spot potential danger is important.  Many of my fellow Americans are as dumb as a potato, though.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

In the UK the windows  either side of the driver must PASS at least 70% of visible light (the spectrum is defined). Some forces do do enforce it but only if they have invested in a TintMaster or similar meter. &0% is a very light tint. It is tested as part of the MOT.
Enforcement of any “technical” issue is low because of the cost of proving the offence. It needs either specially trained officers or independent experts and often expensive equipment.

A current peeve of mine at the moment is E-mobility. ALL personally owned E-scooter are illegal in public spaces but are everywhere. The offece is the same as riding a motor cycle without a licence or insurance. Riding on the pavement is on top of that. Enforcment seems minimal
The E-bikes used by food delivery drivers is anotehr one. Most are supposed to be E-bikes. These are only electrically assisted when you pedal, have a power limit and are limited to under 16 MPH with the assitance on. The use of “twist-grip” power control is prohibited. Most of the models I’ve seen are Chinese and are designed and certified as E-Mopeds. These have higher power and speed limit and twist grip power BUT require registration, licence, insurance and a helmet. The UK importer removes the twist-grip and supposedly limits the speed. However they supply the removed twist-grip with the bike and have videos showing how to refit it. Basically if one of these is motoring without the rider pedalling it is illegal. Agian there is little if any enforcement. I doubt many police officers know the rules.
There has ben talk of legalising twist-grip and higher speeds but I suspect that this is just an excuse for non-enforcement.

Robert.

[Robert Atkinson 2]

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

[…] but I suspect that this is just an excuse for non-enforcement.

Robert.

Funny how things have changed

”when I were a lad“ the patrolling local Bobby would stop us for the reckless use of bicycles without adequate mudguards !

My fixed-wheel bike had a tiny aluminium guard to keep the muck off the front brake.

MichaelG.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Ok, while we’re moaning:- why don’t modern cars either have mud flaps or wheel wells designed to control spray when driving in wet conditions? I get thoroughly pissed of by the rooster tails following wide wheeled cars on motorways as they zoom past at points worthy speeds.

AND keeping your foot on the brake pedal while stopped during the hours of darkness IS an offence:-

Lighting requirements 114
you MUST not use lights in a way that will dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users”

AND improperly adjusted headlights (especially LED and HID) ditto.

 

Bah Humbug…

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

And yet, if they stopped people for these offences, there would be a lot of grumbling along the lines of “Oh, it’s easy targetting motorists! Just a revenue-raising exercise. Why don’t they go and catch some real criminals instead?”

Rob, playing Devil’s Advocate 😛

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I nearly took out someone on one of those bikes recently. He went flying across a cross roads, ignoring a red light, no lights (it was dark} no helmet, dark clothing, obviously no number plate. Missed him by inches after a severe brake application. If he was identifiable I’d propose him for a Darwin award.

Badly adjusted headlights are often a result of the self levelling thing having gone wrong. It is extremely expensive to fix. When SWMBO ‘s went I just adjusted them manually and cut the wires to the motor. I then had to tell the MOT man that it was not part of the test so he couldn’t fail it on that. I’m fairly sure he would have tried it on.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

If the car is fitted with LED or HID headlights and it is fitted with a self leveling system, it must work, or it’s an MOT fail.

In other news, I took a photo of a police car parked on a double yellow line. Obviously they were on a shout and it was necessary to park there. I also took a photo of them coming back from the McDonalds around the corner with their lunch… 😀

[Mark Rand]

On Mark Rand Said:

Ok, while we’re moaning:- why don’t modern cars either have mud flaps or wheel wells designed to control spray when driving in wet conditions? I get thoroughly pissed of by the rooster tails following wide wheeled cars on motorways as they zoom past at points worthy speeds.

AND keeping your foot on the brake pedal while stopped during the hours of darkness IS an offence:-

Lighting requirements 114
you MUST not use lights in a way that will dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users”

AND improperly adjusted headlights (especially LED and HID) ditto.

 

Bah Humbug…

What about the idiots who turn on the rear fog lights as soon as 3.5 raindrops fall from the sky, yet make no other concessions  to weather that’s actually bad? The ones who forget to turn them off deserve a rant of their own…

 

Mandatory daytime running lights allow the feeble-minded to never switch on the useful lights.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

And how about mot inspectors testing headlights with the level adjuster on low DOH.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Dark night, oncoming car with only the left headlight working, on main beam, pubs have closed, possibly no insurance……….

JA

[Mark Rand]

On Mark Rand Said:

If the car is fitted with LED or HID headlights and it is fitted with a self leveling system, it must work, or it’s an MOT fail.

……..

The sort of cars I buy have halogen lights at best. In my youth we managed to ride fast motorbikes with 25w of headlight (one off), but we did have a decent size reflector. If we’re into pet lighting grouse, how about the so called turn lights, which turn the front fog lights on and off when you turn the steering wheel. I find them really distracting on approaching cars, and I thought there was a minimum height from the road for head/fig lights unless it is actually foggy. Fog lights should be arranged so that they go off and stay off when you turn the lights off, only come back on if a conscious decision is made

[Mark Rand]

On Mark Rand Said:

 

In other news, I took a photo of a police car parked on a double yellow line. Obviously they were on a shout and it was necessary to park there. I also took a photo of them coming back from the McDonalds around the corner with their lunch… 😀

Does that seriously bother you?

 

OTOH https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/zameer-trial-closing-arguments-1.7176048

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Tinted windows are products of self perceived celebrity status, another adoption from TLOTF. When I worked for a vehicle lighting manufacturer there was a “Bible” stating maximums and minimums for positioning of lights and light output regulations. Seems this was part of the book burning group as liberty hall is now prevalent, although blue lights are sacrosanct.

Regaards  Ian.

[Robert Bowen-CattryParticipant @robertbowen-cattry70600]

My personal pet peeve is illegally spaced number (licence) plates on cars, usually done to try and make some tortured semblance of a name. Not only illegal but sometimes difficult to make out which would be problematic in a hit and run siltation.

I laughed out loud recently when I saw a Tesla with the registration TE55LA A. Not only spaced incorrectly, but how sad to have that plate on that car.

 

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I know I’m old and out of touch, but what the ~$* does TLOTF mean? I’m used to UTLA (useless tree letter acronym), is this a UFLA?

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Took me a minute, but I think it’s The Land of the Free.

Rob

[Robert Bowen-Cattry]

On Robert Bowen-Cattry Said:

 

I laughed out loud recently when I saw a Tesla with the registration TE55LA A. Not only spaced incorrectly, but how sad to have that plate on that car.

 

All vanity plates are sad, no matter what vehicle it’s on.

Look at the policeman in this *video. Covered in tattoos, large gold necklace, bracelets and earrings. I’m no expert but he also seems to have an excess of non-standard “equipment” on his vest for some reason?!

 

*If it doesn’t load, refresh the page six or seven times until, hopefully, it does! 😆

 

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Not sure what to make of that video I am afraid.  I would say the fellow was trying to provoke a reaction and the reaction he got was reasonable, he wasn’t threatened with arrest or moved on and he wasn’t prevented from filming.  If stand beside a hornets nest and poke it I guess you should expect to be stung….

Paul.

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