Fair enough man but you will always be viewed as suspicious driving with a hood up. I personally can't do it if I wanted. It obstructs my vision too much if I'm looking round etc. On a related note I've been stopped a couple of times and actually boxed in by up 4 police cars (lothian and borders police in Edinburgh) and basically accused of 2 seperate hit and runs in 2 different cars. Never treated badly but definately viewed as a criminal before they actually spoke to me. The attitude of some of the traffic officers around the central belt of Scotland is shocking. Regular beat bobbies tend to be alright once they establish the car is yours etc.
I've always found them to be ok too. Obviously there are going to be some bullied at school powertrip types but you get them anywhere. Just be polite and you'll be fine 99% of the time. I got stopped on the M1 a few years ago, i'd overtaken a marked up volvo between a pair of lorries without realising. He tailed me at distance for 2 miles and recorded my max speed at one point as 112mph. I was saved by being polite and apologetic and the fact i slowed down to 40 during roadworks which he had seen. I was let on my way with just a verbal caution to slow down. I actually got more grief from the gf who was in the car at the time! Generally, if your driving isn't dangerous and your haven't got an attitude then you've got nothing to worry about.
I've found them to be fine if you are nice to them. Because they are human beings they do appreciate being spoken to like one. I got cought the other day going a "bit quick" after replacing my turbo and was on a test drive. And yes I know it's stupid but we have all done it. And he was really good about it. I got an sp30 but for what I did it was definitely only a slap on the wrist.
As above speak to them politely and in english (not init bruv harrasment) and they will generally be ok with you. but i have had 2 wanker police, no matter how much i spoke nicely they spoke down to me. so the only next 4 words they got were "see you in court" repeated many times. i have zero points on my licence and been to court 3 times. this morning i was watching TV, eating a sandwhich, on the phone and doing 80mph. dont think even i could have talked my way out of that one
Somehow I have only ever been pulled over once, and that was for doing double the speed limit at midnight in my old 1.4 Rover 200 I was polite and cooperative, I had all of my documents with me, all of my mods were declared on the docs and he just told me to slow down and sent me on my way Another time I was a passenger in a car in Newquay. We were pulled over, I was accused of being a drug dealer and then searched by the side of the road. The woman was rude, arrogant and spoke to me like I was scum. I hadn't even done anything. It is officers like that who give the police a bad name. Come to think of it, all of the male coppers I've spoken to have been great, but all the women have been complete cnuts.
Hands free adaptive cruise control that brakes for me if the car infront slows. fed by missus m25 at 5am but all of those points just didnt sound as dangerous
i drove round pretty much all of australia in my WA registered patrol when i was travelling for the year. i never got pulled over, other then for the (many) random breath tests. every policeman i met seemed like an absolute arse, all so serious and they were like frikkin robocop. thats after i had passed and they were checking my license etc no need for it at all lucky your system isnt linked to ours, otherwise they would have found out i was banned, hence why i was out there for the year
Do you guys find you only ever get pulled over if you've done something wrong/dodgy/wearing a hood up/etc? Or do you get pulled up randomly just so they can have a chat with you?
Never been pulled lately just for a chat. Used to when i was 17/18 but then I was probably doing something wrong back then without even knowing it. Never get pulled unless I'm doing something wrong lately. And that has been Twice in the last 5 years.
It kinda depends on what you look like, and less about the car your driving imo... I've been tailed many many times but i've only really been pulled when i've actually been going too fast etc. If you keep your wits about you when using the fun pedal you don't really have anything to worry about here. I've driven in WA, NSW and Victoria, the police in all of those states implement policies way stricter than they do here.
Give them more of an excuse and they will more of course, but randomly too, but they usually make up a reason, no matter how inane, but just not do you for it. Last 3 I had when I have done nothing (happens about once a month for me, and nothing to do with a certain car as its all been different ones) the excuses were... "We thought you was going to speed, so we followed you, and you didnt, but we thought we'd pull you over anyhow just in case"- Me in a stock old Golf GTI going to the post office in the middle of the day. "You went past us over the speed limit when we was waiting at the lights. Nice car though" - Me cruisng at 40 in a 40 about midnight and seeing them from about half a mile away in a stock looking and sounding shit Audi TT. Them in a panda car with no speed equipment barring their eyes. "You took that roundabout too fast"- Me sitting at 25mph in a 40 about midnight behind a HGV who had to slow right down and use all the lanes to get through a tight roundabout.
But what do you look like, do you look shifty? I'm from the same area as you and i hardly ever get stopped, maybe my glasses help
Yes, lol. Arent you from the Forest though? The cops ride round on wild boars there instead of cop cars dont they?
My favorite one is "I had to xxx mph to catch up to you..." The responce "Well I was doing the speed limit and if you didn't speed up you'd never catch me" doesn't ever go over well, even though it's fucking obvious. Doing 40mph and they pull out 10 seconds later at 40, they'll never close the gap, fucking idiots!
Newnham-on-Severn, I like to consider it just outside the boundary! I have 5 toes on each of my feet for reference