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[Gaffers]

....and dont know why I bother.

I was driving back from my parent's house after helping them out with some DIY going south toward the A312 in Harrow.  Limit 40, I was doing an indicated 42 I was about 12 car lengths behind the car in front doing a similar speed.  Suddenly the 4x4 that was driving normally is now about 30cm off my rear bumper and weaving in and out.  He overtakes at a moment where there is too small a gap in traffic and a traffic island so I had to brake hard to avoid an accident, the 4x4 driver had to swerve-in aggressively.  As I check my surroundings for other dangers I notice the 4x4 has 2 young occupants in the rear seats.

The 4x4 starts doing the same thing to the car in front and is now overtaking with little regard for the safety of other road users and is very likely to have an accident.  So I dial 999 and ask for the police.  Once all the details had been passed on to the operator I got the response:

"There is nothing I can do"
Me:  "I cannot stress how dangerously this guy is driving. Plus there are 2 youngsters in the back seat.  I really think he is going to have a nasty accident.  He is certainly a continued danger to anyone on the road"
"All I can do is pass on the details to Traffic but no one will attend"
Me: "Well, if he crashes and kills someone I will make sure the coroner hears this phone conversation.  Thank you for your time, goodbye"

To say I was upset is an understatement.

[tunnie]

Staggering.

I had a similar experience recently with 999, walking to the M&S/Tesco complex we came across this guy just passed out on the pavement.

He was not responsive at-all, although could see he was breathing. I suspect he was pissed out of his head, but I felt an ambulance was needed. He was just lying feet away from A30, so ring 999...

Perhaps I should have done 101, but for me, he was out of it, so emergency.

Mid call, he wakes up, clutching his chest and clearly in pain. He's a bit more responsive and the operator asks to speak to him, I had over the phone.

Afterwards they say, thanks but no ambulance will be coming, he refused one. I pointed out he was clearly drunk, yet in pain, so he could really need one. But told again, they cannot dispatch an ambulance if the person refuses one. 

They were not interested one bit, so I rang 101 later and told local police who would "try" and get someone out.

Budget cuts I guess 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I liked the one I saw down my road two kids (we're talking 14 tops) rolling an old Holda 50 or similar along the pavement, they lookied a fair bit puffed out, and kept occasionally glancing behind them as if looking to see if anyone was following them. I um'd and ar'd, but decided to ring the Police. (local number not 999) I explained the situation, and that
a) They're not carrying helmets, so if their intention to ride it, they would be breaking the law
b) They, neither of them, were old enough to have even a CBT, so the vehicle could not be ridden legally even if they had helmets.
c) They could not be the registered keepers of the vehicle, as per c)
d) given a, b and c, well, let's be honest, they'd clearly stolen it.
e) It's a side-issue - but that thing may be someone's pride and joy or only means of transport

I was asked for a description of the two lads. I explained they were wearing clothes, and their most distinguishing features was that they were pushing along a TARDIS blue Moped!! And specifically, the ONLY such people on this street. What more 'description' did they require?

The Police's answer, of course was they were entirely unwilling to do anything, and claimed there was 'nothing they could do'. Sadly up until that point I had still a little faith in The System, but not after.

As a final point, perhaps yes, the scrambling of a £30k Subaru Imprezza on 'blues n two's' to hunt down these two criminal masterminds might not be a legitimate use of Police time and funds, however as a final side-note, when these lads got to the end of my road, approx 5 minutes walk, if you turn left, and follow the dead straight road for a further 4 minutes walk you will arrive at an old building called 'Police Station'

Yes, OOFers, what you read is correct - What I was asking them to do was, in about 5 mins, to peer out of the window, or, at a push, plod out of the front door of the Station and look up the road, a hundred yards. 

Hope to sodding christ if my car ever gets nicked the thieves park it in a Police Station car park and make a sign saying 'I have just stolen this Omega, please arrest me' because unless they do that, I've no hope of getting her back.

[chrisgixer]

Speed read, so apologies if I've missed something. But they won't do jack unless there's an independent witness, or video, and defo not until long after the event has passed, having assessed if they can meet a kpi somewhere.


Your on your own. So unless your prepared to have an accident with the hoodlum that's bad enough to require police attendance. Avoid the area. Either clear off, take another route or leave him to be on his way.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Yep. Sorry to say, agree, just keep out of their way - maybe they'll get caught, maybe they won't. And maybe it'll be one of our relatives or friends that these psychos hit, but either way, there's nothing we can do about it, just give them the space.

[Jusme]

a) They're not carrying helmets, so if their intention to ride it, they would be breaking the law Unless the law has changed, it was/is illegal to push a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, as technically you are in charge of a motor vehicle.
As to 'turning a blind eye'... In my humble opinion it's why we have so many idiots making life difficult for the rest of us...

[Kevin Wood]

All Police numbers now lead to the same breakless call centre operator who answers when you call your bank, the DVLA, BT, etc.

Might as well not bother. If you want their attention, drive past a GATSO at 4 MPH over the limit. Even then, it can take 14 days, and often they won't bother.

[Bigron]

I apologise in advance to the force members on here, but I was told by an ex-plod that most coppers try to do little or nothing until their 30 years are up - then it's Pension Time!
It'd dangerous out there and is easier in the canteen, apparently.....

Ron.

[biggriffin]

When I was a youff, we regularly rode c90's  Raleigh wisps and puch maxi's without helmets on any track,piece of farmland available, local bobbie would turn up, give us a talking to then go and tell our parents,...
 were we breaking the law ere no,we were being youffs. But according to those about nowdays we should have been arrested,and banged up for life.

[05omegav6]

When I was a youff, we regularly rode c90's  Raleigh wisps and puch maxi's without helmets on any track,piece of farmland available, local bobbie would turn up, give us a talking to then go and tell our parents,...
 were we breaking the law ere no,we were being youffs. But according to those about nowdays we should have been arrested,and banged up for life.

Yes but that was when villages were small and personal enough to warrant having individual Bobbies...

The current cuts have had a direct effect on how policing is done, but modernising and streamlining are not new concepts

[omegod]

I come across this in my job every so often, last one was a alcoholic who came to us for treatment and hadn't drank for a couple of days, really quite a dangerous thing to do and sometimes fatal,  he was in a terrible state with the DT's,delerious, writhing on the floor in agony and shaking like no ones business. Very real danger of him fitting so I called an ambulance,  2 hrs later no sign, he began to struggle for breath and I rang again to speed them up but to no avail , eventually 3 hrs later they turned up and said it's now standard to put all but chest pains to the back of the queue  and advised me in future to lie! I stayed with him throughout and was bloody knackered by this point

Poor bugger was in a terrible state but is now booze free as far as I am aware 

[The Sheriff]

Can't remember the last time I saw a police patrol car.
We've got a single lane road leading to a village about half a mile away. 50mph for about half a mile, then 40 for a couple of hundred yards, then 30. Never seen anyone get to village doing less than 50, most about 55. No one cares cause no one will get caught. And, from what I've seen, it's that way in most rural places.