Traveling back up the M3 this evening, came out of the A303/M3 roadworks zone at an indicated 55, then accelerated up to an indicated 80/82 mph. Which means I am doing about 77/79 true. Overtaking as required, moving back to the middle lane.
Behind me while overtaking in lane 3, comes a 2005 3 series BMW, he must have been doing a true 81/83 to gain on me, then he stays a reasonable distance behind me.
I pull in when I have completed my overtake, still doing 77/79 varying maybe to 80 max.
Old BMW overtakes me so he is doing 83/85, but Behind him, quite close, closer than I would consider prudent at that speed was a brand new BMW 3 series, one driver, blacked out rear windows. A glance through the passenger windows reveals a largish computer screen fixed to the dash, but no other signs, can't see the driver, no external aerials other than a sharks fin. Looks bog standard, but drug dealerish with the heavy rear tint.
I get a bit sus at this point.
Anyway old BM pulls into middle lane, then makes a dive for the l/h to come off at Hook. Drug dealer BM, now in middle lane in front of me, makes a solid slow down to 70 in fairly short order, so I am now approaching him at a 10 mph differential, so I whip round him - quite sharpish like, into lane 3 and back into lane 2.
Give it a glance, its got two big pipes on the back, so its got horsepower, no badges, but can't see the driver, seat well back so hidden by the B post
Still a bit sus
I carry on my way at 80(ish), BMW starts to disappear behind then paces me at distance When I was in lane 3 doing a few passes, a tatty old Pug 308 comes up pretty close, I pull in when i can, let him by and low and behold he has drug dealer BMW attached to his bumper.
This time as he passes I give a good look still can't see the driver, no signs of it being the old bill, just that screen and the behaviour now has my antenna twitching like a squirrels tail.
Sure enough 600 yards up the road, drug dealer BMW overtakes pug, and then explodes into a blue light show from all sorts of hidden locations. Pug pulled over, and I presume because the cop was obviously hunting for it, a nick.
All in all , a very strange cop car, a very aggressive cop, and over enthusiastic pug driver saves me nearly being nicked.
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>> Was plod alone??
plod was on his todd.
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>> Traveling back up the M3 this evening, came out of the A303/M3 roadworks zone at
>> an indicated 55, then accelerated up to an indicated 80/82 mph. Which means I am
>> doing about 77/79 true. Overtaking as required, moving back to the middle lane.
>>
I wonder how many folk are getting tickets for doing 70 between J7 and J6, i.e. between the two parts of those roadworks; there are no actual roadworks there but still a 50 limit.
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>> I wonder how many folk are getting tickets for doing 70 between J7 and J6,
>> i.e. between the two parts of those roadworks; there are no actual roadworks there but
>> still a 50 limit.
i would guess few. When the two sets became joined, loads of peeps travelled at 50 mph at the posted speed limit between the two, Now a month or two later, a lot fly through at 70, enough to suggest to me that the two sets of SPECS cameras are not linked, but discrete zones.
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>>> a very strange cop car
I'm sure I've mentioned before Zero that Cambs police have just such BMWs that I see frequently on the A1(M) near Peterborough. Over the months I see loads of surprised drivers pulled over by them on the hard shoulder.
I never really worry about a traffic car as long as I'm not over an indicated 80... I mostly driver at an indicated 76 or so on motorways and dual carriageways... only go over that on motorways these days very briefly when "positioning" for traffic.
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It's the driving behaviour of the dark BMW as Z describes it that surprises me. I always reckoned you could spot an unmarked police car by the driving, distance / use of indicators / lane use etc.
Maybe the unmarked drivers are now told to drive like idiots as part of the disguise
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Now there is a surprise, the police are using unmarked cars, vans, lorries, putting speed cameras in parked tractors, horse boxes, and even hiding behind things with speed cameras. Whatever next!
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>> Now there is a surprise, the police are using unmarked cars, vans, lorries, putting speed
cameras in parked tractors, horse boxes, and even hiding behind things with speed cameras.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-34401116
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11898960/Police-hide-speed-cameras-in-tractors.html
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A few years ago a dilapidated unmarked Escort van was parked in the local villages fitted with a speed camera.
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>> I wonder how many folk are getting tickets for doing 70 between J7 and J6,
>> i.e. between the two parts of those roadworks; there are no actual roadworks there but
>> still a 50 limit.
>>
I drove the length of the M3 on Monday and noticed the break - most other drivers sped up.
Jeepers, those restrictions go on for a long way!
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That sounds as if the PO was deliberately provoking people. I wonder if that is officially or unofficially permitted.
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Perhaps something isn't coming across in your account but I don't get that the police driver necessarily had his eye on you before spotting another target. Sounds like he pounced quickly on the Peugeot after having plenty of time to decide to pull you over. That suggests to me he'd already decided not to - or hadn't even considered that he might. What am I missing?
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Maybe he had been instructed to stop the Peugeot after it had been spotted or even tracked with ANPR.
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>> That suggests to me he'd already decided not to - or hadn't even considered that
>> he might. What am I missing?
He was deciding weather to or not, after I overtook him and pulled away fro him, he speeded up and started to track me from a little further away hoping i think i would get faster over the limit. Before he had a chance to get the requisite distance in, the over enthusiastic pug joined the party.
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>> That sounds as if the PO was deliberately provoking people. I wonder if that is
>> officially or unofficially permitted.
>>
Greater Manchester Police are well known for doing that on the M62. I'm always wary there (indeed everywhere these days) and if someone is pressing I get out of their way ASAP.
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>> That sounds as if the PO was deliberately provoking people. I wonder if that is
>> officially or unofficially permitted.
When I first spotted him tailing the old BM, he was close enough that I though they new one another and were racing. Or didn't know one another and there was some agro going on.
Either way it was one of the most aggressive "out to get someone, anyone, asap" bits of police driving i have ever seen.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 1 Oct 15 at 12:29
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Clearly your tufty senses were right..... but I am amazed on that stretch of road that the outside lane with no roadworks, even off peak, wasnt full of 85+ ?
PS Ave speed cameras... does anybody know anyone who has been nicked . I go through at an indicated 52 (sat nav gps accurate) and normally feel like I am going backwards
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>> PS Ave speed cameras... does anybody know anyone who has been nicked . I go
>> through at an indicated 52 (sat nav gps accurate) and normally feel like I am
>> going backwards
>>
I've seen lots of reports of people being nicked but don't know anyone personally. Ideally I like to get in a "window" in the traffic and drive at the same speed as everyone else, but their speed varies so much that doesn't often work.
In light traffic the trucks will be doing 56 on their limiter so I drive at that speed to avoid overtaking or being overtaken.
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"In light traffic the trucks will be doing 56 on their limiter".
Even in a posted 50 limit which is the case for most roadworks ?
Last edited by: Pezzer on Thu 1 Oct 15 at 12:23
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>> "In light traffic the trucks will be doing 56 on their limiter".
>>
>> Even in a posted 50 limit which is the case for most roadworks ?
Yeah, you are not going to get nicked in a SPECS zone unless you are doing an average 59 mph between cameras. Which means you have to be driving at 59 and above for the entire distance.
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Is that the 10% +3 approach ?
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>> 10% + 2 approach.
>>
Is 57 in a 50.
I got a course for doing 57 (or was it 58?) on the A1 by the Metrocentre in Gateshead a couple of years ago. I know it was on the upper limit of 10%+2 I was done for.
I stick to 10% now.
Last edited by: gmac on Thu 1 Oct 15 at 14:53
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>> >> 10% + 2 approach.
>> >>
>> Is 57 in a 50.
>>
Yes - but note that 57 is the point at which you're likely to get done, not the amount you're "allowed".
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Yes :-(
59 in a 50 zone on the Thurrock bridge. Got a course.
Can't believe I was doing 59 as I am paranoid about average speed cameras and set my cruise control to the limit.
It was also very busy at the time and I guess the bridge would have been congested.
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Nearly Nicked. - MD
