Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read...

[Keith]

For those of you traveling around the South, a friend has provided the following....
Hants Police are doing for a television programmed series from (26th September) for seven weeks.

If you use the M27 or the M3 this potentially affects you so please proceed with caution and pass onto anyone who you feel might just need to know.
The program a BBC South commission called "Traffic Cops" will be filmed covering the area from Ringwood concentrating on Ringwood M27 up to M3 J9
and a team working the ring road around Southampton (Totton will have a unit working it alone), Cosham M27 stretch to J5 of the M27 (Southampton Airport turn-off).
The fourth concentration is working from Winchester Services covering M3 to J10 M3 (Winchester South) using five unmarked cars, two Skoda 03 registration Octavias, an 05 plate dark red Mondeo and two Volvo saloon cars.

The BBC unit are going to be based out of a unit in Millbrook Road in Southampton and will also be covering the armed police response unit and the Southampton Airport Police Security / British Transport Police team.

The BBC team are in Citreon Picasso MPVs leased from Arriva.

To make it even more effective the Traffic police have authority from Chief Constable to "work to rule" So instead of the laid back approach to the usual Hants traffic police this will be a lot more concentrated to make it effective filming.

Be advised!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[John W]

Yep, got the same email a short while ago :|

 

[David Morton]

AND - another new blue Mitsu Evo 8 in Surrey on the M27/M25 . Totally unmarked with the exception of a couple of odd antennae. ( which you will probably only notice as it positions itself directly in front of you and then brake tests you) What really hacks me off is that all this macho machinery and the 'yobs' who drive them are being paid for out of our council rates.
DM

 

[John W]

David, I half agree with you.
I'm sure they don't always drive like idiots, but if your in a quickish car and see another that wants to play, it seems a bit like agent provocateur (sp?).
I got had this way several years ago by following a car at 90+ doen the A3. He pulle over, I overtook, and he then stuck his blues on. His openning words were:
"what would you say if I told you you'd just lost your licence" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I suppose an unmarked car is an unmarked car, but your less likely to come out to play with an old mondeo or the like.

What really gets me is the marked cars that do dead on 70mph on a dead straight bit of motorway on a clear sunny day, and with a big queue of cars all jockeying for position behind them. And yes, I have got stopped (long 'discussion' ensued) for overtaking one of those too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Keith]

Did any of you see the first series? I am reliably informed that convictions "did not rise significantly" during the filming period, but i do remember the patronising lectures given by some of the cops playing up to the cameras. Whatever, I do not intend to provide them or BBC South viewers any entertainment for the next few weeks.It's just another "reality" show with live victims.

 

[Simon]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

One of my pet hates is muppets who speed in a 30mph limit.
A neighbour's 10 year old daughter was killed a few years ago by a woman driver who thought that 30 mph was "too slow"
I regularly see youngsters driving down a road near me (30mph limit) doing 50 and even 60 MPH. Where are the police then? I've lived near this road for almost all my life and have only ever seen the police with radar guns down there once!
I'm pretty much of the opinion that dual carriageways and other roads are the places for "spirited" driving, but the 30 limit is written in stone for me.
Sorry, rant over.

Simon

 

[Keith]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Don't think you'll find any gainsayers on that one mate, in fact having lived in the States for several years, I'm in favour of a 20 - 25 mph limit in built up zones.

But look out for Plod pulling you over for incorrect number spacing on your plates!

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

I've come across a Lurid Metallic Green WRX Impreza Turbo on the A3 a while back, complete with 'blackened windows' and BIG exhaust - unmarked plod!

It came belting down the outside of traffic to the scene of an accident and the only way I could tell was two small blue lights behind a front grill..... - Sneaky!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Chris P.]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Simon - that's a very sad thing when something like that happens. Here in the U.S. (in some areas like mine anyway), you'll see cops with radar guns on main roads and highways where people don't generally congregate and walk. Meanwhile, people zip down my 30MPH residential road at 50MPH - sometimes they're doing well over that - more likely 70 or 80. My dog was almost run over once WHILE I WAS WALKING IT because some jackass ripped through a stop sign making a left hand turn across the left lane (oops - UK drives on the left - but we're on the right so it was wrong in this case.) The cops came out in droves when school started a few school weeks ago and nabbed scores of people who were in the habit of not having to slow to a 20MPH crawl in the school zone. This was on a road that is posted 45MPH except for that small school zone. Revenue my friend. Although that's important, protecting people shouldn't take a back seat. I'd rather be in an accident on a 40 or 50MPH road in my car affording me some protection then get hit while walking.

 

[Keith]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Would you believe it? A mate of mine with a silver Trooper 4X4 got stopped yesterday by plod in a Skoda complete with camera crew on the A3M (South) for speeding (75 mph). Ironically, he was the first I sent the mail too!

Gentlemen! The game's afoot.....

 

[John W]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Sorry to hear that Keith.

Can you expand a bit on roughly where, and at what sort of time ? (am/pm)
I do the A3M to/from work every day you see /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Generally the traffic is flowing at ~90ish, so doing someone for 75 is a bit harsh.
So far I've only seen one marked car, and have had no others following me or catching
me up (as usually happens with unmarked cars, not many others do /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ).

A friend got what must have been the same Skoda trying to push him along the M27 on
Monday. He was sufficiently switched on to slow down and let them sod off.
Two occupants, both in white shirts with the rear windows tinted.

Coppers doing theirs jobs is fine with me, but this is simply revenue raising.
Lets hope they aren't playing traffic snooker - I drive a red car... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Keith]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Sorry, been grafting! From what I can gather, he was pulled over just past the A27 East turnoff going South at around 3pm. This isn't about revenue of course, it's about reality TV. The revenue is a bonus. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[John W]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Ah, thanks.

so chances are he was in (or about to enter) the 50 limit just before he joined the M27.

Not seen any unmarked cars as yet, but there were a lot of cars parked on bridges this morning, and seeing quite a few Renault Scenics full of people wearing high vis jackets on my daily commute...

 

[Keith]

Re: Warning Message for all members in South UK. Please read

Hmm, My information is that camera crews are in Citroens, but it definitely sounds like them in MPV's with high vis jackets!


It's safer in the rain, they don't like getting wet, these media types.