Uk Traffic Cops

[Red diesel]

Let me be quite clear - ive never had any dealings with UK traffic cops and am not intending to start of a traffic cops bashing sesssion

However - i often watch the BBC programme traffic cops - and some of the other similar type programmes that were on in the past - and i have to say the traffic cops come across as fabulous professionals that really know their stuff and do a decent job. What im wondering though - is that typical of traffic cops in general - id be delighted if it was - but im wondering how much of that fabulous professionalism on screen is their normal standard of professionalism or how much of it is down to them going out of their way to look real good on screen. My suspicions are that they are actually fantastic professionals anyway and that the reason they are fantastic professionals on screen - is because they are actually fantastic professionals all the time and so they are just doing their normal good work when the cameras are around

However i really am blown away by their fabulous professionalism on telly - and id love it if that was really a true reflection of their normal professionalism - better then speed cameras id say - and as a car enthusiast - i just love the way they often refer to a love cars and driving as a reason for wanting to become a traffic cop - far better then our equivalent guys over hear in Ireland - who seem to think that Car and enthusiast in the one sentence are both swear words

Id just like to say fair play to the traffic cops - if they are as professional as they come across on telly - they really are an example of brilliance - and i like the way they will crack on and deal with non traffic offences too - like i say i hope the on screen performance is typical of the normal professionalism shown by traffic cops

Red diesel

[Bibbs]

Mixed bag.

I've encountered the morons - like to throw BS about and try and trap you. For these people I actually had parts of the DVLA printed off (legal modifications, licence plate spacing, exhaust noise levels, speeding enforcement requirements etc.).

And I've encountered the genuine pistonheads (pulled over because they like the car).

And I've encountered standard "doing my job" types (run checks on the car, thank me for my time).

[Parts-King]

I know a couple of genuine, hard working traffic cops who do care, however I have also encountered the jobsworths, just like any other profession I suppose

Once when thrashing my way to work on an old 2 stroke motorbike, you know the type, lots of noise and smoke but not much speed, I heard the thump thump of a BMW flat twin alongside me with a bike cop signalling to pullover. I stopped, switched off, and the plod said "OK Agostini, you can get off now" Now I know you have to be a certain age to know who Agostini was but he could have been a tad kinder

Kingo

[Phoenix999]

I have had dealings with the police, in a professional way of course, for many years and I have to say that they are, as Bibbs said, a mixed bag

Some good, some stroppy, some down right idiots but in general they are really a good bunch of people that do try to provide a good service even when faced with morons from the public who give them serious disrespectful grief

All in all we get a good service here from our police despite their, what can be at times, serious lack of resources :)

[cfc1]

I know a couple of genuine, hard working traffic cops who do care, however I have also encountered the jobsworths, just like any other profession I suppose

Once when thrashing my way to work on an old 2 stroke motorbike, you know the type, lots of noise and smoke but not much speed, I heard the thump thump of a BMW flat twin alongside me with a bike cop signalling to pullover. I stopped, switched off, and the plod said "OK Agostini, you can get off now" Now I know you have to be a certain age to know who Agostini was but he could have been a tad kinder

Kingo

That reminded me of a traffic cop up here in Scotland... supercop.

Please wait a few seconds for Video to load!

It's the 2nd sketch.

[martin_longbow]

Ive seen some of those programmes too and the camera makes a difference for any police officer getting recorded.

What I really dont get is why they have to put up with so much crap and abuse from the scallywag's they catch. Some of them seriously need a bat in the mouth.

[Heidfirst]

What I really dont get is why they have to put up with so much crap and abuse from the scallywag's they catch. Some of them seriously need a bat in the mouth.

indeed they do but the law doesn't allow for the police to take people up closes & give them a skelp any more ... (more's the pity).

& you can bet that the offending person would be the first to scream blue murder & try to claim damages if they did ...

there will always be the odd bad 1 but imo in general the traffic cops do a very good & valuable job but as has been said with limited resources.

[JappyBeast]

My best mate is a cop and he hates the Street Crime UK and Road Wars.. he says they play up to the camera loads.

[no_data]

How refreshing to read such adult posts about the police! I have worked for the police for 6yrs now & although I not too keen on traffic cops (some seem to have a personality transplant when they get thier white hats) overall I think most of them are OK. I have to be honest though, the Interceptors (Essex police traffic unit) which I think you lot are talking about are a very specialised unit that seem to get hand picked whereas most traffic are anyone who applies after thier probation & wants to stop dealing with domestics & chucking out time on a Friday night.

Jaine

[Parts-King]

I like the interceptors programme, they use those Evo's that are incredibably quick

There were a few of the Traffic Cops programmes made with Cheshire Police a while back, when watching an Ellesmere Port car chase, I noticed some scroat go past my house at 100 mph and turn onto the playing field at the back of my house, followed by the local plod in a Volvo. Seems quite strange watching your house flash by on a Police video camera :D: The Volvo couldnt go across the grass so he got away, funny that, if they had phoned me, I could have told them the name of the aforementiond scroat I think they knew too, they went and staked out his house :D:

Kingo

[Bibbs]

How refreshing to read such adult posts about the police!

Well, some of us are adults ;)

[no_data]

Yeah I am about 35% of the time too

[Red diesel]

Yeah i was actually thinking of the ones where their were out with the cops in Hull and humberside - and weren't they out with the traffic cops around manchester too.

I guess like most jobs you will get some people who are sound and others that would completely wreck your head and your day. Also i suppose theres also the possibility that the police will select their very best people for filming - whether that actually happens or not - i don't know - but if it did then that would have an impact on the quality of policing in the programmes - quite clearly.

As for playing up to the camera - well i suppose some people are going to try and put their best foot forward and try and impress the camera. However i always had the impression that the guys on Traffic cops were just being normal and professional - ie no signs of them showing off - thats why they made an impression.

Still though regardless of what people think of them - still better to have traffic cops then speed cameras - and traffic cops can deal with any incident (or so i believe) that crops up in the area even though it may be non traffic suff (ie fights, serious crime, drugs offences etc) - unlike a speed camera.

Red diesel

[chatman]

Still amazes me now how the police we see on the telly whatever job they are doing.... how they don't clobber some of the idiots they arrest... Drink + Young mind = Arrested for some silly prank or serious issue... The police have a job to do like the rest of us but there's also entails them dealing with the public and others.. I could not keep my temper under that amount of control they do...

Makes me laugh to my self when you see said ploncker in metro or similar crappy motor trying to out gun the Evo's, Volvo et all police cars... Saw one the other night on tv, about the police motorbike they have... Kawasaki 1200 I think.. fitted with all manor of cameras and gear... caught one chap doing 112mph in a 30 - 60 mph road.... Idiot........