Breathalized last night

[Mic]

I used to have an Interest in a snooker and health club in the centre of Oxford in the early to mid eighties and on several occasions was stopped in the ''early hours'' on my way home. I made a point of not touching alcohol so for me it was nothing more than a nuisance delaying my getting to bed.
I was not always breathalysed and it was obvious that the police concerned were doing nothing more than filling their time.....I was in my then W126 500SEL....not exactly p*ss head mode of transport being driven through the city centre.

Hey Ho

Mic

 

[rovingHawk]

The Americans have a charming phrase 'probable cause' .

We have one- 'reasonable suspicion'.

There's a big difference between this & the police breathalysing everyone they randomly stop on the run-up to Xmas.

RH

 

[fullmeister]

I used to have an Interest in a snooker and health club in the centre of Oxford in the early to mid eighties and on several occasions was stopped in the ''early hours'' on my way home. I made a point of not touching alcohol so for me it was nothing more than a nuisance delaying my getting to bed.
I was not always breathalysed and it was obvious that the police concerned were doing nothing more than filling their time.....I was in my then W126 500SEL....not exactly p*ss head mode of transport being driven through the city centre.

Hey Ho

Mic

As a matter of interest what do pi** heads drive ?

 

[Mic]

As a matter of interest what do pi** heads drive ?

Usually something small old and stolen round Oxfordshire !!!***???

Mic

 

[fullmeister]

Usually something small old and stolen round Oxfordshire !!!***???

Mic

Ahhhh so the police should only stop small stolen cars :lol:

 

[Rappey69]

The police do not need a reason to pull you over, although a car on the road near a pub at closing team IMHO is reason enough.

.

I think you are wrong and here is why -

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/legal_system/police_powers.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-out-stop-and-search-just-for-statistics.html

hoverspeed took the Government and HM Revenue & Customs to court for pulling over vehicles without just cause deeming it illegal and won !

 

[Mic]

Ahhhh so the police should only stop small stolen cars :lol:

Especially if it has a Poland plate or is obviously full of Poles !!!***???

Mic

 

[wemorgan]

^ I'm confused by that post

 

[Mic]

^ I'm confused by that post

Pay attention......Fullmeister is in Poland.

Mic

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I think you are wrong and here is why -

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/legal_system/police_powers.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-out-stop-and-search-just-for-statistics.html

hoverspeed took the Government and HM Revenue & Customs to court for pulling over vehicles without just cause deeming it illegal and won !

Thank you for that. My original question was rhetorical, but it is interesting how many authoritative recitations of urban myths it evoked! Just the thing to keep the snug buzzing on a cold November evening!

 

[jberks]

As I understand it, the police need a reason but in reality they can always find a reason, however tenuous.
I was stopped and breathalysed a couple of years back. The excuse they used was that I had my front foglights on. However as I had just emerged from a fog bank the excuse was a bit dodgy. but as I've never been breathalysed before I was quite curious what the process was. I hadn't had a drink in weeks so I was quite happy to submit but then anyone that isn't, why not? After all, there are that many checks and balances its pretty much impossible to be convicted of drunk driving if you aren't well over the limit. And if you are, good.
The hoverspeed one was IMHO in response to a scam by HMC&E. They (the customs officers) were basically stealing cars. I'm sure if they dug deep enough they'd find that many of the officers had friends and family who aquired some very nice cars, very cheap at auction!
There were a number of cases where they confiscated a car, lost the case, and then were unable to return the car and property because they had already sold it. In any otehr walk fo life, they'd have been up for handling stolen goods but the law rarely prosecutes their own.
However, showing just cause to stop a smuggler must be harder than simply saying their driving looked odd, the officer 'thought' he saw a bald tyre, or they simply had a tail light out, all of which are just cause for a stop.

 

[47p2]

Some interesting reading here

 

[47p2]

Drivers to face random drink and drug tests under new powers

 

[prwales]

the current terrorism legislation gives them the power to stop and search everyone at any time and of course such powers are open to abuse, so they could stop you, smell alcohol and then request you submit a breath sample. We live in a fairly benign Police state though this caveat does not hold good for some ethnic minorities who get a very hard time from the boys in blue.

 

[rovingHawk]

ACPO wants more power. That's a headline?

As I said earlier- what next? Raids 'just in case' someone might have stolen property/drugs/escaped convicts at their home?

Is a box of matches good reason to suspect arson?

It's the thin end of a very large wedge.

RH

 

[rovingHawk]

the current terrorism legislation..........such powers are open to abuse

Walter Wolfgang springs to mind, plus hundreds of others.

We live in a fairly benign Police state

Ever hear tell of a guy called Brunstrom?
There was also a guy called de Menezes................

I have some personal experience of bad police behaviour, too. I'm sorry, but I can't support your assertion that they're benign.

RH

 

[prwales]

I said fairly benign and the examples you give are correct

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Drivers to face random drink and drug tests under new powers

"To randomly check". That would be a split infinitive then?

This country really is going to the dogs.

 

[coxyhog]

Neither me or the missus had a problem with being pulled over.
As for suspicion maybe it's because she's Thai & most Thais drive like lunatics.It's about the 3rd or 4th time she's been pulled in the last few years,always late at night.
BTW she doesn't drive like a lunatic!

They did make a point of saying the smell of alcohol must've emanated from me,which was probably the excuse for the breath test.When she was pulled before she didn't get the breathalizer.

 

[47p2]

I've been pulled on numerous occasions, usually in the wee small hours and I have noticed that the cops always stick their head into the vehicle to have sniff around to detect alcohol or possibly drugs