I once had an in depth call it "discussion" at the side of the a55 with a Welsh cop he wanted to give me a summons as I was doing 90 in my old kombi he reckoned it should have been the 60 limit anyway eventually I persuaded him I was a car and settled for the 3 points . late on a Saturday night after the menai bridge not a soul on the road deserted .
Was hiding up the sliproad the little swine.
1978 ... 3 a.m. - M4 , coming back to Bristol from Reading ... completely empty road - not a soul ..... 1725 Holbay GLS Hunter on a brand new set of Michies, in overdrive - G/F fast asleep in the co-pilot's chair, doing 110mph, when suddenly, from nowhere i have a set of headlights in my rear view, right behind me, followed by a set of blues.
Wound her down quietly and pulled over onto the hard shoulder.
G/F has woken up and asked why we're stopping
"
Ive got a plod on my bum who's just appeared from nowhere in the rear view - must've been behind me, with no lights on, for miles "
I'm out the car 'fore he is
"
Your vehicle sir? Are you aware of the speed you were travelling at? "
His mate's giving the motor the once over
"
yes officer, mine. I was doing 110 according to my speedo. The road was completely empty until you 'appeared' and It's a good 6 miles since I passed the last entry ramp, I presume you were 'running dark' behind me with no lights on? "
several seconds silence
"
Where are you heading for and where have you come from? Have you been drinking at all sir? "
"
heading for Bristol, from Reading and no I've not been drinking anything other than Coca cola all evening. "
now he has a problem, 'cos he knows he's been rumbled 'running dark' and any booking is deffo gonna end in court and won't want his tactics exposed - utter no no - would get slung out, by the CPS
His mate's beside him by now and has found sod all with the motor, has PNC-ed me and says to plod #1 that the name sounds familiar/rings a bell
"
think his old man is 'in the job' - pretty sure I've met him .... Is your father a police officer ? "
"
yes, taught me to drive by 'the method' --
he's one of Monmouthshire's traffic instructors these days and every run out with him is 'a lesson' "
bit of a huddled discussion followed and ......
"
Well in this instance, we've found your vehicle is in perfect order and are prepared to not summons you for speeding, but keep it down to 70 to Bristol - we'll be back here somewhere ! "
(in the bloody darkness)
The GLS Hunters were a wolf in sheep's clothing .. Nottinghamshire plod used them in the '70s - hard to find - didn't sell many and with the overdrive box I'd put in it were - for their day - a very fast, quick car - Dolly Sprints certainly couldn't live with mine ... my old man ran one too
1981 - my brother got tee-boned in the centre of Usk, by a vehicle that failed to stop at a side road and ploughed into him -- plod who attended, when he gave his name, said -
"
I stopped you on the M4 years ago doing 110 at 3 in the morning "
"
Nah - that was my brother - me an' the old man heard all about it - you caught him by 'running dark' ... bit naughty that - not cricket as the old man'd say "
Apparently they both had a good laugh about it
