Motoring Discussion > mouth to mouth with the law Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Buddy Replies: 11

 mouth to mouth with the law - Buddy
Wonder how many of us have been stopped by police looking out (quite rightly) for drink-drivers. It happened to me at 10.40pm on a recent Fri night after I'd been to a reunion. Setting off from North Cheam, Surrey, heading home towards Epsom, I noticed a Met Focus following. After 2 mins, he flashed blue lights and I pulled in. Came round to my now open window, asked me to step out, please. On not a a particularly wide road, we stood on grass verge and the 2 PCs politely and properly asked if "Sir" had been drinking. No, I replied, only water. May we smell your breath, Sir. Of course, says, I and one of them leaned forward towards my mouth as I exhaled. Thank you very much, Sir. No prob, says I. By the way, I added, just out of interest, why did you stop me? Well, Sir, we could see you watching us in your mirror, you were driving quite close to the kerb and doing 30 in a 40mph limit.
Fair enough. One thing I forgot to ask, would such a "stop" be recorded, I now wonder? Anyone else been given the reasons for a similar "stop"?
 mouth to mouth with the law - R.P.
"manner of driving" over careful driving can be an indicator for a Police Officer. All stops are now recorded at the scene electronically by inputting data directly into the sample device. No need to record a stop if no breath test administered. RTA has always allowed Officers to stop any vehicle on a road at any time. Effectively random breath tests have always been available to the Police.
 mouth to mouth with the law - Iffy
I suppose we all ask why we've been stopped.

I did the last time I was pulled over a few years ago.

"We have reason to suspect you've been drinking because you have just left a pub," was the answer.

Brilliant piece of deduction, Holmes.

Mind, it was a rather daft question.

I had taken a glass, too, but not enough to break the law.


 mouth to mouth with the law - Old Navy
Our police aren't that subtle, they set up a road block on quiet country roads and "routine check" everyone.
 mouth to mouth with the law - Alanovich
I got stopped and breathalysed once. I was a little unfamiliar with the particular neighbourhood and I was looking for an off licence to get supplies for a friend's house warming party, at which I had drunk a can of Swan Light (remember that?) low alcohol beer, 0.5% by volume if I recall correctly. I had drunk one small can of this, I think a 330ml size can. I had drawn the short straw and been sent out mid party when various things ran low.

At a roundabout, I took a turning which turned out to be a cul-de-sac, and so pulled up at the kerb to do a three point turn. A police car had followed me, and turned on his blinky lights to alert me.

To my surprise and enormous concern, the breathalyser registered half way between the green and red, I seem to remember there being a kind of orange light on it indicating a level of alcohol on my breath, but not sufficient to be at or over the limit.

I was sent on my way with much disappointment in the voice of the officer.

I have never since risked taking even a single low alcohol drink when driving.

This was around 20 years ago.
 mouth to mouth with the law - Robin O'Reliant
Back when I was young and foolish (as opposed to now when I'm old and foolish) I was flagged down by a copper on foot one night after I'd had enough to put me easily over the limit. He was carrying out a check for witnesses to an incident that had happened at the same time on a previous night, and though nhe must have smelt the beer on my breath he didn't bother and just waved me on my way after I couldn't help him.

My cousin was stopped when he was close to legless around the same era (mid seventies), and the copper just made him leave his car by the roadside and walk home with a warning they would be watching it. Back then D&D was regarded in the same light as a minor speeding offence is now, traffic police would do you but many of the others just didn't take it seriously.
 mouth to mouth with the law - crocks
>> 10.40pm Friday night....looking in your mirrors.... 30mph in a 40mph limit...

You were obviously trying too hard to drive well. I always feel guilty when a police car appears behind me and find it very difficult to ignore it and drive normally.
 mouth to mouth with the law - Buddy
quite so ...and the irony is, I was taught to drive by traffic cop in early 60s who drummed into me "keep watching rear view mirror"
 mouth to mouth with the law - Mapmaker
A few years ago, driving in France, (grown up!) family holiday. My younger brother was driving, my father in the passenger seat.

We were flagged down by a police road block. The policeman went up to the car, and stuck the blow-in bag into my father's window and seemed bemused by my brother's arrival from round the other side of the car.

On telling this story to a friend, he came up with a better one. Traffic jam on a French motorway. You know the sort, two lanes completely solid, going nowhere. He had been out to lunch with two colleagues, both English. Driver had taken a bucketload on board. Other colleague was teetotal and sitting in passenger seat. The police were doing blanket breath-testing, post-lunch, getting every driver to "blow into the bag, please sir." Without looking, Gendarme stuck bag into the window on the side where he expected the driver to be, and the passenger without a moment's hesitation filled the bag with alcohol-free air...

 mouth to mouth with the law - crocks
>>I was taught to drive by traffic cop in early 60s...

So I assume their reason wasn't that you had just come out of the Sainsbury's car park in your pimped Corsa. :-)
 mouth to mouth with the law - Buddy
Aged 67, I don't think I'd get away with wearing a baseball cap let alone owning a pimped Corsa .. but funnily enough, I did park (it's an A3) in Sainsburys that night and they followed me out. Hey, you weren't at the reunion, were you?
 mouth to mouth with the law - crocks
No. But I was in that Sainsburys about 11pm on Thursday night having driven from Epsom down the 40mph section you mentioned.
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