Petty police

So you`re happily admitting to doing all the above while driving are you? I`ve only ever had a failed brake light once - the computer on the car pinged and told me before I`d even left the works car park, so I pulled back in and changed the bulb from the set of spares I have in the glove box - nice and simple yes? Driving while using a mobile phone - no thanks, seen far too many cars that have been written off, and injured people, to believe that I (or indeed pretty much anyone else) is capable of driving safely while using a mobile phone. Why would I ever need to rush a changing light - if I`m driving at an appropriate speed then I have plenty of time to either stop safely, or go through the amber light (remember that amber doesn`t mean you MUST stop, only a red light means that). Parking in a no waiting zone - why would I be so inconsiderate? My legs work very well thanks, I`ll find a decent parking spot, leave my car there then go about my business. And speeding, no I don`t do that either. I`d much rather set off a bit earlier and have a nice relaxing drive to whereever I`m going thanks - driving at 140 mph is a lot more stressful than driving at 60-70, costs a lot more in fuel and when it all goes wrong there`s a much better chance of being alive at the other end of the crash.

I was told at an MOT station that either tell-tale for front or rear fog lights not working was a MOT fail - I can find plenty of cites for the rears needing the tell tale but can`t find a deffinitive quote for the front tell tale being required. But if it is an MOT fail, then yes, the car is not road worthy.

Simon Finnigan ("Simon Finnigan" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

That's because front fogs aren't testable at all.

Not necessarily. There's a stack of things that'd render a car unroadworthy which aren't testable, and there's a stack of things which could fail the test whilst leaving the car perfectly roadworthy.

All I was pointing out is that if this hollier-than-thou attitude actually prevailed on our roads, you wouldn't be the slowest car on the motorway doing

70, you wouldn't cause a rolling road-block doing 30 through a village. There wouldn't be the huge number of missing tails lights. My neighbourhood wouldn't be being destroyed by inconsiderate parking and I simply find it hard to believe that this group is inhabited by the saintly crowd they purport to be but I guess I *might* be wrong.

Andy

You don't have to be saintly to fail to understand why somebodies objecting to being nicked for something they admit they where doing. Surely that's the whole point of fixred penalties.

Petty Police

Got pulled over and fined at the weekend for having my front fog lights on.

Its down to you to know whats on on your car. When fogs go on so does a little lamp on your dash.

I'm all for people getting fined for having fogs on which really annoys me.

My suggestioni n future is to keep and eye on your dash every now and then to avoid such incident.

I know its a pain when you get stopped and fined I get your p****d off, but deal with it let it go and hopefully learn from it.

If wankerlights were so much of a problem, and everything else had been sorted...

=================================== It would help if they were reasonably consistent in their actions, not only with unnecessary spotlights but also the more dangerous things mentioned here - using mobile 'phones etc.

If these things are considered genuinely dangerous then they should take a more positive approach to eradicating them rather than waiting for an accident to happen.

Cic.

Well done that man.

When the Police have finally broken the rest of us criminals they will be able to move on to more trivial issues like drug dealing, human trafficking, gun crime and keeping an eye on the nonces.

No, but it can make you feel victimised when you KNOW that MOST people are equally guilty of flaunting some element of traffic law and that you just lost out on the lottery. And then even more pissed off when the lucky ones get self-righteous about it.

Andy

The simple fact is that isn`t difficult or expensive to keep a car in good condition or be a good driver - spare bulbs cost pennies for example, not parking like an idiot is free, and driving within the speed limits is normally cheaper than driving more quickly, and using a mobile phone while driving is quite simply a stupid thing to do.

Out of interest, why are so many people complaining about the police pulling people for offences like having fog lights on, when a similarly large proportion of people seem to complain about there being fewer police out there enforcing the rules of the road? Has anyone else noticed this?

I would like to point out that it can be difficult spotting people using a mobile phone while driving in a police car. Out of 6 times in a police car, each about 8 hours long, and actively looking for mobile phones being used, I saw three (all of which where dealt with appropriately by the police officer). On a single drive home in my own vehicle I saw more than 3 phones in use - it was really annoying!

Petty Police

Got pulled over and fined at the weekend for having my front fog lights on.

Explanation was quite simple I'd just put a kitchen sink in the front passenger seat of my car and must have caught the switch. It's a fiesta so the front fog light switch is on the far left of the dash next to the passenger.

I was amazed to get a £30 fine for it. It wasn't even dark and people were only just switching their lights on. So how was I supposed to spot this? He could even see the sink as I explained that is what must have happened.

Result all faith in the police lost. Not that there was much of that in the first place.

I have to say that I knew I was getting a fine as soon as the police opened his mouth. Real arse.

10 or so years ago you would have just been sent on your way. This country really is going to the dogs.

What really annoys me though is that in the 15 minutes it took to write out the ticket we blocked a lane of traffic and a cycle lane holding up traffic at a busy period. Have they no brains or what.

Anybody else had such nonsense?

What you're saying is that it was not your fault. The lights got switched on inadvertently, but not by you. The problem today is that 'it was somebody else' is the excuse being used all the time. Can't anyone take the blame for their actions? OK, it was a mistake, but it was still your fault.

Rob Graham

Coudn't agree more.

You won't hear that from me. I would rather see police pulling people for all the offences which make life generally less bearable than it should be.

Spare bulbs and parking I agree but apart from that, utter bilge.

Cost/speed is an irrelevance.

If you're not capable of driving whilst using a phone you're simply too stupid to have a driving license; note I've been driving for 25 years, with mobile phones fitted to my cars for more than 20 years.

many people (from personal observation) cannot drive safely while using a hand held mobile phone, hands free doesn't seem to be a problem, but is hard to know when they are being used.

I very rarely take a call on a hand held while driving as I acknowledge it dramatically reduces my skill set.

Mrcheerful

*shrug* I spent years using phones before handsfree kits were really available (and even then they didn't work.) I cannot recall an event where I've either had an accident (or caused one) or, failing that come close to an accident due to the use of a phone.

I don't acknowledge that. However I would choose where I used a phone.

Well you can always compare your xbox score whilst on the phone & not. I'm quite happy to bet which one will be significantly lower.

I am pleased that you are so skilled. However, most people are not, as I am sure you will agree. Since you acknowledge that you would, if possible, choose where you use the phone does imply that you accept that there may be some loss of concentration while using a phone?

(XBOX test) That is a good idea for a test, I like it!!!

Mrcheerful