Usually I defend the Police and the job they do, but…..

I got pulled by a Copper for pulling away from my parking space whilst putting my seatbelt on. Apparently I should have put my seatbelt on first before pulling away??

My brother and his Mrs are Coppers so I won’t harp on about it, but surely to God they have better things to do than hang around a car-park pulling folk for such trivial matters?

You broke the law, get over it. My relations are wealthy, doesn’t mean that I don’t need to work so it doesn’t really matter what family relationships you have with the old bill.

Ps if this is an attempted troll. It sucks like Debbie in Dallas

My brother and his Mrs are Coppers so I won’t harp on about it, but surely to God they have better things to do than hang around a car-park pulling folk for such trivial matters?

I guess the question that springs to mind is how did you not notice them?

You seem to be cross at the Police because they enforced the law.

HOw ridiculous of them I think you should complain

So you think it is a good use of Tax Payers money to cop folk who put their seatbelts on ten seconds too late??

How could you fasten your seatbelt safely whilst driving?

To be fair. If they issued a ticket, maybe that would be over the top, but I sometimes wish they would pull over more people for minor driving offences. A short ticking off would make most people think twice.

How could you fasten your seatbelt safely whilst driving?

Tell me you are taking the piss?

Maybe they were there for another reason entirely and you were merely distracting them from something more “important”

And how can you be in full and proper control of your vehicle (whilst making a pulling away manoeuvre) when you’re putting on your seatbelt whilst the vehicle is in motion?

Depends how they treated you IMO. If they pointed out in a friendly manner that putting on your seatbelt on while pulling out meant that you were distracted and not paying full attention in the way you should have been. Then it’s fair enough. (the lack of attention being more important than being 5 seconds too slow with the seatbelt).

If they however were just making a big deal about the seatbelt, then they were being cocks on a power trip.

Tell them to do one.

Nothing to do with them if you were on a private carpark.

Yeah it seems a very trivial matter to pull you up on chunkymonkey, I agree with that.

I also think it’s a very trivial matter to reassess your attitude towards the police with talk of “usually I defend the police”, from the title I expected some sort of deeply unpleasant experience. I assumed that you didn’t get nicked ?

SSS – I actually mentioned that I was in a private car-park, which must have hit the spot as they didn’t take it any further and just ‘advised’ me not to do it again!!

Being honest, they were alright but my gripe is that they are spending time sitting around in a souped up BMW pulling folk for trivial things when surely they could be doing something more pro-active?

…..they are spending time sitting around in a souped up BMW pulling folk for trivial things when surely they could be doing something more pro-active?

Was there a crime being committed that they should have been dealing with ?

There is a well known local, who while looking down to fasten his seat belt, drifted onto the other side of the road and hit head on, with a rather large lorry, he now has a metal plate in the front of his skull, where part of his head parted with his body!

He no longer drive and from what he told me, it took him over a year to learn to walk again.

singlespeedstu – Member

POSTED 6 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

What an idiot!

Blatant Troll.

So you think it is a good use of Tax Payers money to cop folk who put their seatbelts on ten seconds too late??

Its probably a better idea than the police ignoring folk breaking the law. However if they start wasting thousands on covert operations and undercover missions to catch folk doing this then I would object.

Its fairly trivial , we all agree, but you cannot moan at the police for stopping you when you broke the law , well you can but you will likely get flamed.

[/i]There is a well known local, who while looking down to fasten his seat belt, drifted onto the other side of the road and hit head on, with a rather large lorry, he now has a metal plate in the front of his skull, where part of his head parted with his body!

He no longer drive and from what he told me, it took him over a year to learn to walk again.

I was in Morrisons Car-Park FFS

glupton1976 – Member

Blatant Troll.

We know.
But what do you think about the OP? 🙂

Did you pull straight of the space or was any reversing required at any point? Aiui then a seatbelt is not required until the whole manoeuvre is complete.

From the internet:

Who is exempt from wearing seat belts?
…

Any driver carrying out a manoeuvre that includes reversing. This means that if you are doing a 3 point turn, you do not have to wear a seat belt at any point during the course of the manoeuvre but you must wear it as soon as the manoeuvre is concluded.

Sorry rich what part of my post offends you?

Been in the bike industry all my life, from teaching to guiding, I’m very passionate about my riding and there’s not much I don’t know in the industry, I suppose I’m like the ray mears of the biking world!

Location Oxford

Do you expect people to take you seriously?

*Tries not to laugh.*

I was in Morrisons Car-Park FFS

And your point is?

Sorry but good, doesn’t sound like they ticketed you, just stopped you and had a word, IIRC car parks are an accident hotspot, probably down to stuff like this, and lots going on. Fair play to them, and likely it will help you remember to take a little bit more time in the future. If you’re complaining to us and not the police officer in your family it sounds like deep down you know that.

Nothing to do with them if you were on a private carpark.

I was in Morrisons Car-Park FFS

Ah so SS stu’s assumption was wrong then. It’s highly unlikely that Morrissons car park would be defined as “private” as the public have access over it so under the road traffic act it would fall into the category of a “road, or other public place”

And your point is?

I don’t think there will be an artic on the other side of the road when I am doing 5 mph in a Super Market car-park.

All I was trying to do was point to the fact that I was pulled for a trivial matter when I am sure, or thought, they could have spent their time doing better things, thats all.

Was anyone being mugged, stabbed, raped, held up, racially oppressed, intimidated or suffering any other crime that you are aware in the car park at that time?

If so then I agree with you – more important things to be done, if not then rather than say “oh look there’s some one committing a potentially dangerous but still minor traffic violation – this is a nice pasty isn’t it.” they did their job.

Next time it could be a child’s face.

It’s highly unlikely that Morrissons car park would be defined as “private”

I think you might find it is.

So – you were maneuvering a vehicle whilst doing up your seatbelt in a public space where children are frequently present?

I can see where this is going…

I was pulled for a trivial matter when I am sure, or thought, they could have spent their time doing better things, thats all.

Doing what ? “Better things” is very vague.

What you’re really saying is that you would rather they sat in their “souped up BMW” doing nothing.

They didn’t nick you, so they “did nothing”.

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/the-road-user-and-the-law

references to ‘road’ therefore generally include footpaths, bridleways and cycle tracks, and many roadways and driveways on private land (including many car parks).

Police logic is that if you are willing to commit a crime, regardless of how trivial it is, you could have committed a more serious one. Eg, if you forget to put your seatbelt on, it could be because you’re pissed/stoned. Which is somewhat less trivial.

They do do nice doughnuts in Morrisons though…

Anyway, this is all distracting us from the more serious question….

Been in the bike industry all my life, from teaching to guiding, I’m very passionate about my riding and there’s not much I don’t know in the industry, I suppose I’m like the ray mears of the biking world!

They do do nice doughnuts in Morrisons though…

That’s because BMWs are rear wheel drive 😉

Suck it up & deal with it. It’s a trivial matter & hardly worth worked up about. Stop being so precious!

Thats because bmws are rear wheel drive

Burning rubber on tax payers money.

Tut tut. I’d never be tempted to do that. 😉

So it wasn’t a place were the Law doesn’t apply (like a private car park) so you were breaking the law.

They pointed this out to you, but didn’t make a big deal of it.

You didn’t like it because “they should be out nicking real criminals” as people always say when they get caught doing something wrong.

They were more than likely out doing something else, and happened to be walking past you and saw you breaking the law and decided to tell you about it.

Seems like they did exactly the right thing to me.

It’s the thin end of the wedge though isn’t it. Folk like the OP are more likely to be not taxed, not MOT’d and therefore, probably not insured. I’m glad they were in the car park and had a friendly feel of his collar. Bizzies are supposed to be bizzyin’ around stopping folk getting on with their day anyway. I wouldn’t sweat it.