Thursday 25 December 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to anyone silly enough to be on the net today. I don't count, I'm a shift worker.
Seriously though, thanks to everyone that has visited, read my blog, commented or emailed. Lets hope none of you lovely people ever has to need the assistance of me or my colleagues.

I'm currently sitting at home alone, not long out of bed and enjoying some peace and quiet before I head out to face the chaos. In the meantime, a little yuletide story:

Yesterday, whilst driving back from dropping some case papers off I found myself behind a car which was being driven by a young woman. I was trundling along behind her, not really watching her and idly looking over the other cars passing past in the opposite lanes.
As we approached a pedestrian crossing, the lights went to amber, then changed to red. The woman in the car in front accelerated through them, making the waiting pedestrians look open mouthed.

Frankly, doing with a marked Police Car behind you is just taking the mick.

I hit the blues and pulled her over, into a shopping centre car park.
I told her why I'd stopped her. She started to deny it then thought better of it - she was just short of being bolshy, and obviously frightfully annoyed at the Police having the nerve to waste her time.
After checking her licence and insurance details on my Mobile Data Terminal in the car, I walked back to her.
"Here's your driving licence back - going through red lights is an endorsable offence, so you are eligible for points on your licence plus a fine. However, on this occasion I am going to let you go with a verbal warning, seeing as it's Christmas Eve."
The woman's outraged response - "I'm not a Christian. Why should Christmas make any difference?"

*deep breath*

"So, let me get this straight... you weren't getting a ticket, but think that you deserve one because you're not Christian?"
No answer.
"Good bye, drive carefully."

19 comments:

Hugh said...

to quote someone one else
"you couldn't make this stuff up"

Personally i'd have given her a ticket anyway, whether its Christmas or not, and i am a christian

Anonymous said...

How did someone with that level of intelligence survive long enough to actually get a driving license?

Merry Christmas, Area. Thanks for being one of those who work this season, thanks for all your posts this year, and keep them coming!

Lola x

Anonymous said...

Haha! I'd have gone "well in that case wait here while I write you a ticket!"

I'm silly enough to be on the net do study for my online module for an exam in Jan. Oh the joys of studying whilst working full time!

I hope you have a good one Area, and that you have at least some time off! Thanks for keeping our streets safe.

Xx

Chris said...

Some people are never happy!

Merry Christmas Area, and thank you for being out there so that the rest of us can have a good Christmas.

Dark Side said...

Merry Christmas Area and stay safe out there...oh and I would have definitely given her one after that...a ticket that is...lol..xx

Old BE said...

Classic. Hope you didn't have to break up too many family fights today. Thanks for making the effort to bring your world to a wider readership. Keep up the good work.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Steve said...

If only it'd been you that pulled me over on Christmas eve. The fine was about the same as the wages my wife had earnt for working that morning and I'd just picked her up from work.

A belated merry Christmas from down under.

Anonymous said...

Happy "holidays" to you too.
j

Anonymous said...

For such a serious failure of the attitude test and taking the mickey by doing a red light in front of a marked police vehicle, it would have been a sixty-quid/ three point read-it-and-weep ticket from me.

You are a very generous man, Area.

Anonymous said...

Ah, well. I think it was a somewhat disconcerted way of saying "I'm guilty as sin and there's no justice in treating me leniently." Very hard for a lot of us to speak in such a fashion.

But it was a nice if undeserved Christmas present, and I suspect she'll remember it every time she gets behind the steering wheel for the next year or so. And maybe it'll even affect her driving!

Merry Christmas, Area Trace. Have a Good New Year.

-mike shupp

TonyF said...

Oh well, some people are never grateful.


However, we are, so Thanks ATNS and have a good one!

Metcountymounty said...

Some people really don't know when to shut the fuck up and accept a good thing do they?!? I'd have given her the 3 points and then got a traffic unit out to tear the car apart with a view to PG9 it, after giving her the option of failing to provide.

Merry christmas mate, hope you're not up town for new years and you've got the night off!!

Anonymous said...

"i'm not a christian" silly twit. neither am i, but i give others the courtesty of respecting their beliefs and returning "merry christmas" with "and the same to you", it does me no harm and sends the other person away happy.
"gunner"
(...and a belated "merry christmas" to area and all friends here.)

Anonymous said...

Anyone stupid enough to do that with a marked car behind them doesn't deserve much sympathy mind you!

As for the penalty, the phrase "damned if you do" springs to mind.

I would say i hope you have some time off but since Xmas has passed i don't expect miracles!

Best of luck over xmas Area, it's gearing up for a nutty new year already judging by the amount of drunks passing below my windows!

Anonymous said...

A belated Merry Christmas Area :o)

Anonymous said...

And when she commits an even more serious crime she'll wonder why she is punished.

No wonder no-one has much respect for Police any more: you let her get away with "contempt of cop". She coolly and calculatedly committed the offence right in front of you, and showed no remorse.

No wonder the country is going to the dogs.

Zero tolerance!

Michael

Anonymous said...

I'd have gone with the "No mercy" either. Maybe it's because she was asking for it, maybe it's because I do a lot of walking and have had several vehicle nearly run me over when they failed to stop at a pedestrian crossing. These times include one old man who had the nerve to stop on the pedestrian crossing zig-zags, to rant at me (in uniform), for crossing using a zebra crossing.

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