Motoring Discussion > Breathalysed tonight!	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Fenlander	Replies: 31

New Sat 10 May 14 21:49   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

Well it's a first... not been breathalysed before. Tailed down the A1(M) for a few miles at 75-80mph then the traffic car peeled off into our village behind me. Stopped another mile further on. They said my driving had alerted them to the fact I might have been drinking as I was driving 100% by and beyond the book regarding signalling despite there being no other traffic about apart from them behind. Apparently in the way an over the limit driver tries to look totally sober. Guess it was a compliment of sorts. Oh... blew 0% as I never drive after any drink. Last edited by: Fenlander on Sat 10 May 14 at 21:50 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 10 May 14 22:36   Breathalysed tonight! - Runfer D'Hills

Were you in the BMW? The fact that you were signalling at all would have looked suspicious ! Reply to this message | Report message       9

New Sat 10 May 14 22:56   Breathalysed tonight! - R.P.

It was your speed - classic moving traffic offence and a reason to stop and request. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 10 May 14 23:04   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

In her C3 actually, sadly BMW not on the road yet awaiting replacement alloys. I'd have been much less surprised had it been the Alfa. They picked us from the half dozen or so cars travelling at that speed in a group but I guess the fact that we pulled off a slip to village speeds which allowed a safe stop made us "the" one. They never mentioned the speed, just the "suspicious" perfect indicating. As well as a breathalyser first it's the first time I've been stopped in... I guess 25+yrs. Nice enough guys but a little reserved. Last edited by: Fenlander on Sat 10 May 14 at 23:06 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 10 May 14 23:12   Breathalysed tonight! - R.P.

Probably playing snooker...were you a red or a colour ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 10 May 14 23:24   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

C3 is safe silver actually... as is the BMW. We had the best fish and chips in the area wrapped in a blanket in the boot and were only 30sec from home...a point I did explain to the copper who led the chat and I expected he'd see straight away I'd not had a drop but he was obviously highly motived to breathalyse as he was moving the conversation in that direction in what I assume to be a well trodden path to establish they had good reason to do so. I politely cut the chat short reminding him of Mrs F in the car and the cooling chips so offered to take the test which... together with a clean licence that his partner checked out... brought it to a swift conclusion. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 09:56   Breathalysed tonight! - Runfer D'Hills

Maybe he wanted a few chips? Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Sun 11 May 14 10:43   Breathalysed tonight! - Bill Payer

>> They picked us from the half dozen or so cars travelling at that speed in >> a group but I guess the fact that we pulled off a slip to village >> speeds which allowed a safe stop made us "the" one. Going back a long time, I got my first speeding ticket like that - unmarked car (which I'd clocked) following a group of cars (through Colwyn Bay on the A55 for RP :) ) everyone else in the group carried on, they followed me off and gave me a fixed penalty. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 13:35   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

Remember back in the 70s my brother in law grumbling he'd got a ticket when pulled on the old Cambs A1. Within seconds of getting out of the car another vehicle roasted past going really fast. What about him said BIL... not interested while we've got you was the reply. >>>Maybe he wanted a few chips? Actually these two looked in need of a chip butty... unlike some lardy types on Police, camera, you're nicked. Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 11 May 14 at 13:36 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 17:09   Breathalysed tonight! - Cliff Pope

I was stopped in the Triumph once at 1am. He didn't seem to have any particular reason other than wanting to chat about classic cars. It's the only time I've ever been breathalysed (0% of course), but I've been picked several times in random roadside checks, again apparently just for a chat. I'm happy to do my bit for road safety and law & order. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 17:36   Breathalysed tonight! - BiggerBadderDave

3 or 4 years ago I was stopped for speeding on the way down to the mountains for skiing. It was an a dual carriageway that had a gentle curve so I should have dropped it from 110kph to 70kph, but it was on the cruise and I couldn't be bothered. They flagged me down and me and few others had to pay the £20 or whatever it was. But I was the only one who was breathalysed so I asked them what gave them the idea that I was drinking. They said it was because I drive wearing a t-shirt when it's fifteen degrees below. Country full of pansies. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 18:04   Breathalysed tonight! - Armel Coussine

Been breathalysed five times over the years, but always came out borderline legal, even the first time when I was taken away to the slammer and made to provide urine which showed I was just legal. On two occasions I was breathalysed by pairs of patrolling plods, a man and a woman. I think they had to radio for a van to get me breathalysed. In both cases the woman officer was a nasty forbidding boot who wanted me to fail, the man far nicer and pleased when I didn't fail. The usual reason seemed to be some noticeable piece of driving, speed through traffic - it was a car that pulled me that time - or encroaching on a vast empty pavement while doing a U-turn... crummy excuses really but they were pedestrians so what did they know? I was sprauncy verging on flash until I knew better but never wrote a car off or killed or maimed anyone. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 18:55   Breathalysed tonight! - Armel Coussine

>> speed through traffic - it was a car that pulled me that time - As I recall the traffic car plod who followed me in late-evening traffic over the canal bridge past Camden Lock heading North were very reasonable and decent. I can't remember what they were driving but it could have been a Jaguar. They said I was going a bit quickly. I agreed. They asked how fast I thought I was going. I said I might have hit 50. When we got to the nick the super or whoever asked how fast I was going. They said: 'About 50.' They scolded me and let me go once they had the urine readout. Heartening behaviour compared to one or two others I've come across... but never mind that. Those were proper driving plod who noticed I hadn't done anything beyond the pale and understood when I explained that I had just finished a long stint as a Clapham minicab driver, and hadn't lost all the habits. They chortled understandingly... decent cats. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:02   Breathalysed tonight! - ....

From this I take it I need to watch my speed on the A1 between the A14 and Peterborough next week ? 75-80 is that speedo or real ? I sometimes see a Battenberg V70 sitting at the side of the A1 just by the services where the road goes back to two lanes north of Peterborough at 3am. Usually with his head buried in some paperwork or examining the insides of his eyelids :-) Last edited by: gmac on Sun 11 May 14 at 20:05 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:12   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

Speedo... i.e. almost legal. I rarely speed to any degree on the motorway. There is a dark colour unmarked Skoda Superb on that stretch that catches folks out. Also they often sit in marked cars on the bridge or down ramp of the Norman Cross/Yaxley turn flyover roundabout and catch folks southbound. From the bridge they point the speed camera out of the car door. Currently annoying roadworks with 50mph average speed cameras on the parkway as you peel off A1(M) north into Pboro. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Sun 11 May 14 20:18   Breathalysed tonight! - ....

Is that the maroon Superb ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:31   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

Yep. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:48   Breathalysed tonight! - Runfer D'Hills

>> I sometimes see a Battenberg V70 sitting at the side of the A1 just by... Usually with his head buried in some paperwork or examining the insides of his eyelids Nah, it'll just be that it's broken down again. ;-) Edit - mind the unmarked grey BMW 3 series on the M6 Toll BTW.... Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 11 May 14 at 20:49 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:52   Breathalysed tonight! - ....

Nah ! He's just waiting for the 4 cylinder Merc to catch up ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 20:59   Breathalysed tonight! - Runfer D'Hills

...and using the time to finish knitting his new cardigan? ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 21:09   Breathalysed tonight! - ....

He's got to use his time usefully waiting for the nippers in short lederhosen ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 11 May 14 22:03   Breathalysed tonight! - BobbyG

After watching these police programs, if I had been driving and thought I might just be over the limit (hypothetical speaking) I think I would tell them that I had had a drink in last half hour to buy myself a bit more time. Have seen a few that when they have been tested at the station the time elapsed has been enough to get them under the limit. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 13:28   Breathalysed tonight! - ToMoCo

I have never been breathalysed, nor have I ever driven after a drink. I do not condone drinking and driving in any form, but I would have a bit of a problem with being stopped for driving well, in the hope that the driver may have had a drink! Surely efforts would be better concentrated on bad drives, drunk or not. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 14:17   Breathalysed tonight! - Clk Sec

>> Surely efforts would be better concentrated on bad drives I didn't think it looked that bad... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 14:20   Breathalysed tonight! - No FM2R

>>Surely efforts would be better concentrated on bad drives, drunk or not. You'd have to think that the coppers knew the most successful criteria to catch a drink driver. Whether we like that particular criteria or not, and whether we allow it or not, I'd guess that left to their own devices they use what works. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 14:26   Breathalysed tonight! - ToMoCo

Clk - :-D No FM, yeah, you're right, but I suppose the point I was trying to make is I'd rather they just concentrate on bad drivers rather than someone over the limit driving perfectly well. I don't know, I don't think that's coming across very well because people should not be getting away with DUI. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 15:08   Breathalysed tonight! - No FM2R

>>I'd rather they just concentrate on bad drivers rather than someone over the limit >> driving perfectly well. I know what you mean, but.... I guess we should be after two alcohol-caused things; 1) Someone driving badly and likely to have an accident 2) Someone driving just fine but not capable of avoiding an accident. You don't have to be DUI for the first, and if you're not I assume that you will have been pulled over for the offence you actually committed, and the alcohol related investigation lumped on top. For the second it seems inevitable that the police will have to pull over someone driving well. Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 12 May 14 at 15:09 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 16:17   Breathalysed tonight! - commerdriver

>> I'd rather they just concentrate on bad drivers rather than someone over the limit >> driving perfectly well. >> In my experience the police, at least traffic police, are not bothered about someone "a bit over the limit" Last time I drove through a speed trap the officer concerned waved his hand in a slow down gesture but did not stop me and I have driven past police cars at an indicated 80 on a Motorway a few times. They tend IMHO to worry more about people way over the limit or 80+ weaving in and out of traffic or similar. Maybe WP or one of the pothers might like to comment Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 14:37   Breathalysed tonight! - Cliff Pope

! >> >> Surely efforts would be better concentrated on bad drives, drunk or not. >> I'm not convinced from my observation of police checks generally that they are actually concentrating on anything. They have the manpower, they have the vehicles, they cruise around, they have to do something. Doubtless they have to fill in bits of paper stating how they have occupied their time. "All quiet, Sarge, nothing happening" won't fill up paperwork or help meet targets. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 15:12   Breathalysed tonight! - Fenlander

Just back from collecting new driving daughter from Uni and chatted on the way back about my stop and blow the other night. Looking on the rather cynical side we decided it was somewhat a case of... "Sir I note you are driving a car with 4 wheels and steering with your hands on a roundy thing in front of you... and this has led us to suspect you might be driving under the influence of alcohol. Still far better that then... "we've followed you in your Alfa for the past 6mls on the B6XXX noting speeds in excess of XXX and a woeful disregard for the white line". I've got away with that for 18mths, just a few weeks to go until I relax down into gentleman cruiser mode. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 15:17   Breathalysed tonight! - J Bonington Jagworth

I wonder how it gets recorded if you're driving suspiciously well..? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 12 May 14 15:26   Breathalysed tonight! - Runfer D'Hills

I'm fairly often on the road at funny times. For example if I'm heading to an airport for a stupid o'clock early flight I might be out and about at 02.00 or something. Been pulled a few times at that sort of hour but I'm not worried about being breathalysed as I rarely drink and certainly not before driving. I guess it's just less hassle and liable to be safer to stop a middle aged bloke in a decent car on the vague off chance that he might have been drinking to fill in the dog hours of a shift than go and rustle up some drug dealers who might cut up rough. Reply to this message | Report message