How embarassing!!And outside my house!!

[TypeRA28]

First day back driving the scoob, and everything is going great, until I pull into Kintore on my way home. As I pass the junction at Sandy Thain, there is a big Omega patrol car sitting there. I am doing just under 40(it's a 40 zone), and the patrol car pulls in behind the car behind me. She stays there all the way through Kintore. I take a left up to where I stay, and surprise, surprise, the patrol car follows. I pull into my quiet cul-de-sac, and ooh, shock horror, the patrol car is still behind me. Too much of a coincidence I think. I pull into my drive, and the patrol car pulls up behind me.

The reasons for being followed, was she thought my tax was out of date, which it wasn't. She then said that my number plate wasn't visible enough. I told her it was a standard one out of Halfords. She told me it should have a BS mark on it, which, of course it does, and she managed to find. She told me that imports can acctually have a smaller plate, but she is going to check this out for me.

I wouldn't mind so much, but it is really embarrasing to have a very noticeable police car sitting outside your house, in daylight, when you have done nothing wrong.

In the 2 years of owning the car, I have never been stopped (touch wood) so I hope this isn't the start of it. The number plate on the back is the same plate I have had on for 2 years, and have had plenty police cars behind me, and never been stopped for it.

Sorry to rant on, but I just had to share this with you all.

[dougster]

You should have invited them in for donuts!!!

I had them at my DOOR, but my front plate was really small.

Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display number plates with smaller characters if:

The vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval

and

The vehicle's construction/design cannot accommodate standard size number plates

Specifications for smaller sized plates (for certain imported vehicles)

Character Height 64mm

Character Width 44mm

Character Stroke 10mm

Space between characters 10mm

[G.Mac]

I think she just wanted a bit of the boabie....lol

top quality policing, they could have been out solving a real crime or something

Graeme

[TypeRA28]

Funny you should mention it, she did take my telephone number

[DR Motosport]

Similar embarassing story for you.

About a year ago, I got a call from a Blobeye WRX owner from Edinburgh wanting to see a Rallytech spoiler for his Subaru. Sure no problem pop out and see a new one and also the fitted one I had on my own car.

About an hour later, he arrives driving a Mercedes ML police traffic car. Or so I thought until I noticed the "Armed Response Vehicle" on it.

Top bloke though and we spent about an hour chatting, but it sure got noticed by everyone else that passed.

David

[fai17]

<< Funny you should mention it, she did take my telephone number >>

Did you get hers

[2559B]

was she nice ???

if it was me i would have tried to annoy her by asking lots of pointless questions, like :-

" what time do you finish work ??? "

" does my car look nice from your angle ?"

"if i tried a runner, would i go to jail tired."

"are those new handcuffs.....are they tight ???"

"that's lucky, i thought you were gonna pull me for that insane overtaking manouvre i just done !!!!"

[johns]

The very same car was sitting on the dual carriageway on the way out of Kintore into Aberdeen (just before the potatoes for sale place) at about 6pm last night. I was hovering around the speed limit so nothing to worry about there, but I did check my mirrors for a few minutes to see if they were following.

John

[paddy247]

lol, joking apart,

This isnt all that funny and id be pissed if i hapend to me, id say almost grounds to write a letter to the inspector of the road policing unit,

Remembers me of the time i got stopped by the traffic police for having a loud and illegal exhaust, fined 30 quid with 30 days to pay,

it was loud becouse the officer put his ear to it and said so, in no way was this tested or data checks carried out so i informed the inspector of the road policing unit about the above and i received a letter of apology and the fine was scraped, never been stoped by the local road traffic again,

[iroc-si]

Hey, it could be a lot worse.....

I had the local polis turn up on my doorstep at 2am!!! to tell me off for haring about town earlier that evening..... the car hadn't moved for a week! and I was obviously very drunk, having only just got in from a serious session in the local. Not quite sure what they were thinking turning up at that time of day, with no proof that it was my car, just that mine was the only one of its kind and colour in Edinburgh. I mean nobody ever visits Edinburgh for an evening, now do they?!?!? And why did they not question how I could be that drunk and consider that I'd been the one driving.

Guess that some of these guys just like picking on fancy cars for kicks.

Si.

[paddy247]

in a nutshell m8

[TypeRA28]

Even a day later, I am still unsure why I was followed to my door. My neighbours will be thinking I am some sort of nutter

[dipsy]

Typera28 do you have a full decat on the car just a question if you do regards police looking car over

[paddy247]

correct me if im wrong somebody,

There is no legal requirment for a car to have a cat, however it must pass the emisions controlls,

[TypeRA28]

Dipsy,

I still have the front cat on. I have considered removing it though. I thought she may have mentioned the tinted windows, as they are quite dark, but she didn't. A complete random check. I am still confused.

[stewfo]

dont worry dipsy

the feckers stopped me in westhill cause i had my spot lights on in the fog.

said that this was illegal and i could get a £30 fine and 3 points.

politely told them that it was foggy and it was safer to have fog lights on. Obviously nothing better to do.

just wave to them when i go past now.

[iroc-si]

As I understand it, at some point about 92 I think they brought in a requirement to have a cat, no matter what the emissions were like. This really screwed over cars like the lean burn honda engines. They slightly solved it by having a fairly useless/cheap cat, as they already met the emissions limits.

The requirement may just be that they must come new fitted with cat, and you can remove it, but I don't know the details. Would also think that imports may require cat for sva but after that its just emissions based testing. I doubt you'd ever be nicked for not having a cat.

Si.

[dipsy]

What i am on about is the police stopping the like of us subaru drives with full decats .Stewfo did you get your car remaped you were asking questions on sn i posted a few replys

[stewfo]

No not yet, started to mod.

Waiting for a P1 quickshift, front strut and H&S backbox which should arrive in the next week or so. Next is drop links, ARB decat downpipe and center.

Then depending on funds may get a remap but will see how it feels with the mods first.

Oh and my MAF needs replaced

will wait and see if the local officers take anymore interest in the car when i've decatted.

stewfo

[=Robbo=]

Hey Type RA, don't worry mate, as far as I know your average bobby wouldn't know what a catalytic converter was, let alone what one should look like on a particular type of car. I wouldn't worry about being pulled bud remember that the police person is measured on performance, high performance = catching lots of criminals. So they play the numbers game.

Imagine the scene, you're a copper sitting in a car, bored, looking at all the cars driving past, one after another, Mini, Vectra, Mondeo, Skoda, Land Rover looking for a criminal to catch, Honda, Toyota even a bog standard new age WRX, which makes them think just a wee bit. But it doesn't fit the "suspicious ideal". Bobbies on the beat are looking for classic tell tale signs of people involved in crime, that means people with a moderate disposable income of purely cash, only having cash limits what you can buy. In simplistic terms this means the likely dodgy person isn?t going to be driving a car worth more than 10k, as it's difficult to buy a car worth more than that for cash. They gamble on the fact that such criminals aren?t going to buy a '05 Nissan Micra. Then Mr Type RA drives past looking just a wee bit different (and bloody nice), HELLO! And guess what, your another "let's see what he's up to" statistic.

Don't worry about it mate, it sucks but it?s just a numbers game, if you drove a car worth 10 times as much in a different area at a different time you would be equally suspicious to them.

Bottom line is; make sure your car is legal, be polite when stopped and always think of them as you scream down the back roads at 95 (sometimes lifting all 4 wheels and hoping the feking things lands gently) whilst keeping on your side of the road. HeHaw.

Robbo.

[TypeRA28]

Cheers Robbo, I will remember that.

[fai17]

Well put Robbo.

Can you explain that again