Avoiding patrol cars following you

[devonutopia]

Anyone make this a matter of course, even if it means you might go half a mile out your way? I think I am paranoid they all have it in for me even though I've not been pulled for well over 2 years or so. Came to a staggered junction today and noticed a patrol car indicating right to go the same way as me, from the right.... So after going across his front I took the left turn and went the back lanes way to my house.... Wasn't much of a detour at all, but I didn't want him behind me on the main road. Paranoid? Yes

[Mr-E]

I agree with you, I don't like them following me as well but it's slightly pointless for me I'm afraid - I live almost on-top of the Derbyshire police HQ.

Between where I live and "them" are 2 roads and a supermarket a distance of 0.16 mile (as the crow flies)

One thing which gets me though is - Why don't any of them use their indicators? - in these hard times is it a directive to save on the cost of bulbs ??

I'm not paranoid - I know there out to get me !

Edited 18 November, 2008 by Mr-E
typo

[ruku]

I'm not keen on being followed and have been known to detour just to see if it is me they are following ^^

[gadgetman]

Swallow the drugs, and smile at the TV crew whilst hoping the filth dont find your glock

Brap Brap Brap

road wars>

[BigW]

Dont mind at all, and not been pulled in a good many years now so must be doing something right :P (probably greying )

[Schern]

Why would they pull you over? And even if they did what do you have to be nervous about? All your mods are declared right?

[devonutopia]

Me? yeah, all fine there. I guess I would be worried in case they pulled me over on suspicion of having too loud an exhaust. Given mine now comes out the side behind the sill, it is probably TOO loud.... I went past the front of them at 20mph, shifted down to 3rd gear to make the zorst as quiet as possible

[Schern]

You should have just used your smoke screen to escape!

[vRSLen]

I had one following me the other month, on the way to work in the early hours.

No problem, just turn on the CC

[Mort]

Never had a problem with it myself. Just makes the drive a little less fun

[matt_theforce]

No problem here either. Have been pulled over this year but I've nothing to hide

[sms]

One thing which gets me though is - Why don't any of them use their indicators? - in these hard times is it a directive to save on the cost of bulbs ??

If the indicator isnt going to benefit anyone then they wont use it.

I was followed from swmbo's half back to mine (about 10 mile drive) for about 5 miles the other week, about midlnight, nothing else on the road apart from us too, he caught up quick and kept about 6 seconds gap between us. Xenon headlights, dark vectra, newish plates and could see every so often the grill lights being caught by the street lights (i know what to look for and where lol). he was doing the same sort of drive as me to wards all obstacles and make progress at the same times so i knew he'd had been trained to the advance level too. Wasnt bothered about getting pulled as i think its good if they put a face to car in case its ever stolen and it hasnt been reported that (i.e. ANPR not got that info).

The only downer of being followed is you dont want to creep over the speed limit or do anything stupid as you know it be used as an excuse for you being pulled etc.

These days unless you are driving like an idiot or doing something against the law they will leave you as the ANPR will do most of the work for them and probably is a reason many of us havent been pulled in a long time and with the lack of police vehicles on the road and with them having more than enough work that could also be the other reason.

[Rhoobarb]

About 3 years ago, I got pulled for coming out of a field track entrance at 4 in the morning, I had just finished a 12 hour shift for the rail, we were based in the field and I was the last out having locked up. As I was waiting to turn out, he passed across the tee in the direction I was headed. I pulled out and as I hit the roundabout, he slowed down as he went round it. I took the first exit, he went all the way round and took the same exit ending up behind me, went about 500 yards and pulled me over. I was suddenly worried thinking I had a bulb out or something petty, but he was just curious why I was in the field and I hadnt robbed a farmer or something.

Edited 19 November, 2008 by Rhoobarb

[Gillywibble]

I guess I would be worried in case they pulled me over on suspicion of having too loud an exhaust.

I'd lock you up for 72 days for that. Think of the elderly!

[richie]

If you have nothing to hide or done nothing wrong and your vehicle is road worthy, then you have nothing to worry about. If you start driving in a way that over compensates for your normal ( and legal ) driving style, then you could get pulled. If the patrol car pulls in behinde you and you take the first availiable turn, then If I was the driver of the police car, I would pull you over. Thats a good indication that the vehicle is nicked or the driver is up to some thing naughty.

Just drive nomally as you would do going about your business and if you get tugged, go with the flow. You may be being stopped due to a problem with your vehicle that the driver can see and you can't.

[suze]

I was followed home from NoRice last week, well they didn't exactly follow - one minute they were behind me, then beside me, then pulled across the nose of my car, then into the hard shoulder, then out behind me again, then overtook me, came to a roundabout, woman in the passenger seat nearly twisted her head off trying to look at me, i took the 2nd exit, they went around a second time and followed for another few minutes.....

If they actually pulled me over i'd nothing to hide so I wouldn't mind but the driver nearly hit my car more than once!!

[Captain Sisko]

I have been pulled over once in my Skoda, early morning. Lights were going red and I thought I went through on amber. At the junction was a cop car so I got pulled over.

Cops follow me prob because they like Felicias

[sms]

amber means stop too, probably why you got pulled.

[Babs]

I've even been known to duck down a side street and turn my lights off...

[Aspman]

Go tailed for a little while the other night after I booted it past a slow driver that has been holding me up for ages (an X5:rolleyes:). I suppose they were checking I wasn't hooning around everywhere.

I did my usual and slowed down to 2-5 mph under the speed limit. If they are going to pull me they will anyway but they usually get bored quickly with this and bog off.

I've never been stopped yet in 14 years of driving (touch wood). I used to get tailed regularly when I was using my Dad's company BMW.

[BJM]

I don't specifically avoid them, but there's always the guilt feeling (particularly at night) as they tuck in behind you, and you start doing the mental in-flight check:

Tax disk - Check

MOT - Check

Licence - Check

Insurance Cert - Check

Tyres OK - Check

Lights - Check (or did I check, damn I can't remember)

Drink - Oh hell, will that few pints I had last night still show up.

Speed - Check, check speed, check speed, check speed.

(Incidentally, reading the above post, talking a few years ago to a Traffic Cop, one thing I discovered was that driving excessively slowly - 5 or more miles below speed limit, particularly in 30 limit at night is almost certain to get you pulled, as it's one of the typical signs of a driver who is, or thinks he may be, over the DD limit.

They didn't care if you went a couple of mph either side as you accelerated or braked, as "everybody does it" )

[Interphase]

I've had a few moments since owning the Octy RS where I've been sure that other people think I might be undercover, with that car being the choice of the local force. You know when a car nails it out from a few positions behind you, goes to overtake, stops dead in the outside lane instead and then follows you at a respectable distance? When you finally get to your turnoff, the car creeps past and you know the driver is going to be craning to see inside Probably doesn't help that I generally wear a hefty black jacket.

[SteVRs]

If they keep up then they're coppers

[auroan]

When I lived in Harrogate and worked near Manchester I used to drive over the tops (A59). That was a fun drive (read quick), until a cop car followed me all the effing way to work...... not fun.

[foureyes]

If the indicator isnt going to benefit anyone then they wont use it.

Thats how I drive. I find it helps with my observation - because I'm looking to see whether I need to use them or not.

As for being followed by the police there shouldn't be any problem if you're confident and have got nothing to hide.