I have just been to pick Chris up from a work's meeting (McD's Stairfoot) and have just been pulled over by the Police. Nice chat informing me that I had a back light out and would I make sure I got it fixed asap otherwise I could end up with a ticket. The other PC came to check the Tax disc which was only renewed end July. Had both kids and also pup in car. Infact pup was trying to stick her head out of the window to lick the PC whilst I'm trying to talk to him about getting light fixed tomorrow.
Prisoner Cell Block H Has taken Trouble to the physio at hospital and then will be getting her back light fixed . Flipping heck , a hippy for a daughter and a convict for a wife ! Good job I'm such a perfect , human speciman and a pillar of society (!)ff
Meanwhile on a housing estate somewhere Some urchin has it away with somebody's DVD to sell for a fiver for his latest drug fix, whilst the forces of law and order crack down on the scourge of society that is dodgy tail lights.
I know what you're saying, but If you've ever followed a car with the brake lights out you'll know how chuffing dangerous it is. It's horrendous. Had the police fined Crystal then it would have been well out of order, but making her aware of a defect that I'm sure she knew nothing about could well prevent an accident and is actually doing her a favour. imho
The brake light's working fine But it's heaped untold humiliation on the family ! It's a good job that I don't have a self-righteous side to my nature (!)
humiliation? why is it humiliating to be pulled over and told that your back light is broken? having a rear light out is very dangerous as in the dark it can appear that you are following a motorcycle and by the time that you realise it isnt one you may have gone straight into the back of it.
RE: Meanwhile on a housing estate somewhere But it can be dangerous, both for the driver behind, and for Crystal, to have a light out. Just letting them know is fair enough as otherwise you might not know until the mot or whenever. A few years back, somebody hit the back of my car and drove off without stopping, broke the casing on the rear lights, fortunately no other damage. It was on New Years Eve 1999 and I was in work that night for all the Y2K stuff. During the following week I'd still not had chance to get it fixed (lights were working) and I pulled just past a police car at the lights on Dodworth road - he pulled alongside and just informed me I was "showing a white light at the back" and to get it fixd otherwise it was a fine. Thought that fair enough from them myself.
I agree with you Crystal was unaware of the problem and I feel the police handled the situation very well .
Absolutely Wherever possible, I wind down the window and notify drivers of faulty rear lights. Most people never check them. Since it's an offence you're unlikely to know you're committing, the police should stop you, inform you and record this information. Then if you don't act and get stopped again, a fine is entirely appropriate. Best one I stopped was a lorry that nearly killed me on the A1 near Ferrybridge. He had a trailer with plant machinery on it, but it was wired so that when the lorry indicated left, the right winker flashed and vice versa. As we passed a parking bay, he pulled out into the right hand lane where I was to let someone out. However, as his indicator suggested he was entering the parking bay I put my foot down to overtake. How we missed eachother I'll never know. I rang the phone number on the side of the wagon on the hands free and got put thru by his firm to his mobile. We pulled in at the next parking bay where I demonstrated the fault. He told me he was travelling from Middlesbrough down to London and had got the impression there were some loony drivers out to get him that day! He was horrified when he realized why and couldn't believe his luck to get that far without crashing!
RE: Meanwhile on a housing estate somewhere My point was that imho the constabulary put far more effort into motoring 'offences' than owt else.
RE: Absolutely I try to do that as well - was behind a white van once where it was clear that the brake lights weren't working, (think it was when I realised I was catching him up a little too quickly!) and managed to pull up alongside him to tell him - seen a few vehicles as well where the reversing lights are wired up wrong and only on when going forward!
