run in with Hertfordshire Constabulary

[dieselnutjob]

Today on my way home from work I was stopped by two policemen in an Astra police car.

 

They told me that the database was saying that I had no insurance, so I pulled out all of the documents that I had, which seemed to suggest that they were right.

 

I was a little surprised as I had not seen any renewal letter and I thought that they automatically renewed these days anyway.

 

They told me to call the insurance company to find out what was what and to my absolute shame I have been driving without insurance for some time.  The insurance company said that there was a "do not automatically renew" marker on my account but could not explain why.

 

As the policeman said it is still ultimately my responsibility to make sure I am insured though.

 

At this point I was think that I am royally sc****ed and frankly deserving it.

 

However, the policeman then told me that provided I can sort it out on the spot he would not take any further action.  He then waited patiently for over 1/2 hour whilst the insurance company asked me 1000 questions and finally took my credit card details and got me legal again.

 

I think I might drive one of my other cars for a day or two until the documents come through or it is updated on the database just to save any more trouble.

[trigger]

That sounds like a right palaver, good job you had a pretty decent copper, if you had some jobsworth that could have been a totally different story.

 

Mind you you've got me thinking about my policy now!

[Inspector Morose]

Aye, a few years ago I got pulled as the wonderful tesco insurance didn't renew automatically on a 190 I was smoking about in. The police were great to be honest and let me get it sorted there and then with no come back. Then the next year Tesco automatically renewed with no interference by me after I cancelled the policy then tried to take me to court for the subs that I didn't want in the first place then sat on the 15 years plus no claims that I'd acquired. Now I can't afford to insure a 1.1 205. Bastards.

 

Police 1, insurance companies -10000.

[bub2006]

My wife was pulled weekend before last. Fiesta ended up in the impound. He stopped her for a brake light out. Car was impounded because she didn't have the correct insurance. He said she needed hire and reward and class 1 as she was delivering pizza. She was actually bringing supper home as my bike is off the road. And to too it off she was left with no car in the middle of an industrial estate at 10pm on a Saturday night. He was just being a cock. The woman who sorted all paperwork out at the nick gave us all the info we needed and said car should not have been impounded and he shouldn't have left her alone.

[Mr Livered]

A copper being reasonable and following a common sense approach? Blimey. You were lucky not to get tasered and strip-searched. Shows there are some decent ones around.

[D-Dubya]

i had a run in with the dibble whilst in our old 306. it was registered to her indoors and insured to her indoors with me a named party, however i have my own car and own policy with drive any insured car on 3rd party as well. Reason i was pulled? the car was "old and tatty" and it was a male driving it not a female. the officer thought i was being an arse when he asked me if he could phone the registered keeper to check i had permission to use it, and i explained the registered keeper was deaf. i even produced ID on the spot that we share the same address but he was looking for something to grip me for. in the end he didnt do me for anything, relented and let me on my way after giving me a bit of a chat about car presentation! knob

[Mr Livered]

Car presentation? What's that then? Is it now some kind of offence to have an "old and tatty" car or wot? Autoshiters need to know!

[Heidel_Kakao]

My wife was pulled weekend before last. Fiesta ended up in the impound. He stopped her for a brake light out. Car was impounded because she didn't have the correct insurance. He said she needed hire and reward and class 1 as she was delivering pizza. She was actually bringing supper home as my bike is off the road. And to too it off she was left with no car in the middle of an industrial estate at 10pm on a Saturday night. He was just being a cock. The woman who sorted all paperwork out at the nick gave us all the info we needed and said car should not have been impounded and he shouldn't have left her alone.

What happened to the pizza?

[Danblez]

I would call that a right royal result. Some years ago when I was a skint 17 year old student I got 6 points and a £380 fine because a mate was caught riding my motorbike with no insurance.

 

Still bitter about it some 20 odd years later!

[Mr Livered]

Don't blame you for being bitter, that's unfair. Did your mate get fined as well?

 

When friends and neighbours borrow my cars without having the right insurance or whatever, the deal is: if you get caught you have to say you twoc'd it.

[bub2006]

What happened to the pizza?

I work at the takeaway and the boss knows us both so he came out picked my wife and the supper up. Put a taint on it though i must admit

[meshking]

Sounds like you passed the so-called attitude test. Having the marker to not automatically renew is something I always do, just because usually a cheaper deal, or a bit of polite haggling with the insurance company, can be found.

[Doctormop]

Growing increasingly paranoid as I seem to be doing in my old age I've taken to checking mine and my wife's car on www.askmid.com to check they both show up as insured, I've been insured  with the AA for years and never had a problem but Mrs Mop seems to change insurance companies every year to save 38p and get a free meerkat toy!

[DeeJay]

If you get pulled with no documents do they still have let you produce them at the local police station within 3/5  days.

Before it was all on computers used to be able to get a back dated insurance cert from the local Swinton office.

[Station]

That sounds like you got a decent policeman - the last time I had my car seized was because of a tag on the DVLA with regards to my license. Still not found out what the tag was but I still have a license and was 300 quid lighter thanks to impound charges (they are closed over the weekend, but still charge - Fuck You RNW You Massive C*nts).

He was adamant that he was taking my car, even though I'm sure the rules are different in different cases (I had a license, car was taxed and MOT'd, I was insured, and I had a passenger that was insured on the car). Twat.

[Mr Livered]

Station, that sounds incredible. Are you saying that they impounded your car without explaining why, or what you were alleged to have done wrong? That goes against some fairly fundamental principles of justice surely?

 

There's got to be some kind of comeback on that.

[Lacquer Peel]

You can't even drive a car these days without being arrested and thrown in jail.

[New POD]

My wife was pulled weekend before last. Fiesta ended up in the impound. He stopped her for a brake light out. Car was impounded because she didn't have the correct insurance. He said she needed hire and reward and class 1 as she was delivering pizza. She was actually bringing supper home as my bike is off the road. And to too it off she was left with no car in the middle of an industrial estate at 10pm on a Saturday night. He was just being a cock. The woman who sorted all paperwork out at the nick gave us all the info we needed and said car should not have been impounded and he shouldn't have left her alone.

 

 

Police Complaints Procedure ? I'd be writing a strongly worded letter to the chief Countstable

[New POD]

Car presentation? What's that then? Is it now some kind of offence to have an "old and tatty" car or wot? Autoshiters need to know!

 

I was stopped, after I over took an old dear who was driving a micra at 25 mph in a 60 HERE :

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.519546,-3.039231,3a,75y,167.57h,80.11t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sDEQY2EPb-ZUoj3TCpJTTFQ!2e0

 

If you look carefully you can see that it is possible to see 1/3 (or more) mile and overtake of what might seem like a bend, but I kid you not, I have overtaken here loads of times, and you can see around the bend. Can you see the white van as a spec in the distance ?

 

Anyway, I was driving a 1.8 8V sri mk2 cavalier with a SRI 130 Peco Back Box, and a close ratio gearbox, 4 yokohamas, 4 new OE shocks, new oe bushes on the suspension, plus Mk3 gsi Brakes fitting with microns to spare under the 14 inch front wheels, but I did do it all in 2nd, and never went over 50 mph. It actually had 12.5 months MOT at the time, with no advisories 

 

The cooper told me I should be careful the way I drove such an old banger.  "With respect constable, this car is probably more road worthy than your astra, and if you thought I was going to scare the old dear into crashing, perhaps you should be checking if she can actually see the road, because she was breaking when there wasn't even a bend"

[meggersdog]

Thank's for reminding me.Sold a car on Friday and forgot to remove it from my policy.All done now though.

 

I looked on that askmid website the other day and to check someone else's car, they wanted to charge me.If you say the car's yours it's free.Now I know the car over the road that ran out of tax in December and still being used is not insured either.

[Sudsprint]

You can't even drive a car these days without being arrested and thrown in jail.

 

I can't see where that comment comes from given the opening post about how reasonable the police were.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Good show by the officer, very spirit of the law. 

 

I'm surprised, slightly, at people allowing their insurance to automatically renew, let alone relying on it. Having had years when my insurance has gone up substantially for no reason I wouldn't let it renew without ensuring it was still a good deal. I also once had a forgotten direct debit send my account into the red unexpectedly so I'm wary of anything debiting my account without my explicit say so. 

[Lacquer Peel]

I can't see where that comment comes from given the opening post about how reasonable the police were.

 

These days you can't make a flippant forum post without being arrested and thrown in jail.

[bub2006]

Police Complaints Procedure ? I'd be writing a strongly worded letter to the chief Countstable

My wife has wrote a letter and sent it off. Along with a letter from tale away saying she doesn't work there and a strong letter from me wanting to know why my snap was cold. The woman in police station who checked her documents( yes you have to show documents now at police station before collecting car from pound. Local cop shoo 8 mile away,car pound 12 mile from there

Difficult with no frigging car) said he shouldn't have done her and if it goes to court then the wife will make a mockery out of him.

[In The Pit]

You can't even drive a car these days without being arrested and thrown in jail.

 

What so your saying you'll be thrown in jail and arrested just for driving a car, these days

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCo-A2rAjmM

[Richard]

^^^ Come September that will be true up here