Can anyone help?

[VirginVegGrower]

Well I've decided to chalk it up and move on.

Yesterday I called in to pick up a sandwich at a local bakery and stopped in a back alley immediately after a zebra crossing, it was still in the zig zag lines. The police stopped and came over, they highlighted that my front drivers wheel was partially over the white hazard lines and therefore in contravention of the law. They issued me with a £60 fine and 3 points.

The things that bothered me most was one of them was having a bad day and I was getting the brunt of it, he was even shouting at me at one point. I hadn't parked there to cause a problem and pedestrians could negotiate me with wheelchairs or pushchairs no problem at all, and visibility was still clear because the rest of my car was back off the road.

I did feel that it was a technicality, and I got the brunt of someone bad day.

Throughout the rest of the day, I saw at least 6 other cars pulled over by a variety of police cars for a number of offenses, so I think it was a money collecting purge, in the area.

Can't offer advice chap other than you have been unlucky, but technically I believe they are correct. However it's petty and a ticking off would in my opinion have been more in order. I have always felt that the motorist is an easy target.
Funny story that might make you feel better:-
I was walking down from work to the local shops through a pretty rough area when I noticed a police car parked half on a pavement and half on double yellow lines. A friend that I was walking with proceeded to have words in a very polite fashion with the "copper" involved. Something along the lines of "Excuse me I feel I should point out to you that you are committing a traffic offence". He was asked if he was trying to stir up trouble. He then pulled himself to full height and retorted "No but if I did that, YOU would issue me with a notice of offence. I can of course report you to your superiors and make trouble if you wish, or you could remove your vehicle and park it legally". The officer who was red faced and seething got into his car and drove off, but not before my friend took a photo of the car and it's position. This got sent off to the local rag who published it front page next day.
Always makes me smile when I think of the common man getting his own back that day!

[Two_Sheds]

I saw at least 6 other cars pulled over by a variety of police cars for a number of offenses, so I think it was a money collecting purge

Or a zero tolerance exercise, to remind people they aren't above the law? We have a huge problem here with parents parking on zig zags, double yellows outside the school. One gets away with it, so another tries it on. Soon it's 20 or so cars making the whole road very hazardous to other users.
Now & again the police come out and issue tickets. Everyone parks responsibly again for a few weeks ...

[chris]

Can't help sorry, but my PC mate has told me once, to meet their quotas, they'll take things up when normally they'd let them slip... I don't know how true that is, but if it is it could have been one of those sorts of things.

[baldrick]

Fair dos you was booked, petty but bang to rights BUT! You have a right to be treated with respect even if you have murdered someone. Shouting is unacceptable. I hope you got his shoulder number because you have grounds for complaint. My mum got caught in a storm and had to drive very slowly, swerving around road debris. She was pulled over by a PC and a WPC who asked if she had been drinking. (fair enough). The WPC was respectful and listened to the explanation that she had driven around several bits of debris slowly, she wasnt weaving all over drunk. The PC took great exception and insisted on a breath test. Mum was willing (she doesnt drink) unfortunately they didnt have a breath tester in the car and told her she would have to take a test at the station. The WPC was beginning to feel uncomfortable as it was painfully obvious driving conditions were awful. The PC was getting shirty with her too. The upshot was Mum took his shoulder number and told him he would have to send for a test kit to come to her or arrest her to take her to the station, but that she would be putting in a complaint about his vile attitude to her and his colleague. 'Miraculously' he changed his mind and sent her on her way.

[VirginVegGrower]

The bully was bullied back. Unfortunately power does this to some people. Have met some very nice police in my time, former aide volunteer, but have met some vile a$$holes too.

[snohare]

Bullies - always either at your throat, or at your feet. Sadly, they are attracted to law enforcement.
Still, IMHO we are still better off than Seattle or Toronto in quality of police officers. In the US, it seems to be accepted that police get to tell you to do anything they want, and you just have to do it; here the notion of complaint has not yet died. Since (to quote Amnesty International) silence only buys the right to be silent, it might still be worth writing a letter to the local Chief Constable, citing the reasons you are unhappy with this. Nothing obvious or helpful to you will happen I'm sure, but the offending officer will have been put on the radar of his bosses, which is not generally a good place for PC Plod to be; any further hassles and they will remember his name, and probably not kindly. (It's a deeply ingrained bobby's habit, that.)
An ident drop may pierce a stone...well, at the very least it will dribble over it and leave it with a damp bottom ! (If you see what I mean.)

[Mikey]

As I've said I've chalked it up, I thought it was petty, but to the letter they were entitled to do what they did. I think I was part of a quota situation, as yesterday I passed 4 traffic police in a 3 mile radius. 2 were positioned at opposite sides of a village they were concealed at the ends of 30mph speed limits at the bottom of downhill stretches. The one personally I don't think should be a 30 zone as it continues for approx 1/2 mile beyond the built up environment.

Its easy to hit the motorist, I doubt there is a single driver out there that hasn't contravened the highway code at one time or another. Police included.

[HeyWayne]

*prepares to be shot at*

Police folk are only human. We all have off days.

Glad you're being reasonable about it Mikey - good lad.

[Nicos]

As far as I'm aware......It's a 90E fine here on the spot. Plus points off your licence.( they start with 12 here and they get taken away)

THEN- you can still drive but only in special little cars until you get your licence back.Then you have to retake your test.
If you get 'done' twice whilst driving those cars then it's an automatic 6 month prison sentence!!!

I'm sure everyone here can say they've accidentally ( or otherwise) driven slightly over the speed limit- it's so easily done when the speed limit suddenly decreases.

[Mikey]

THEN- you can still drive but only in special little cars until you get your licence back.

Do they look like this?

[bearded bloke]

Do they look like this?

Nah the French cars are not that advanced Mikey

[Mikey]

At least the only tool kit you need is an adjustable spanner, its much better on the fuel economy.

[Nicos]

HA!!

....actually-this is the 'type ' of vehicle...

Voitures sans permis.
Microcars (also known as voiturettes or quadricycles) with a maximum of two seats, an engine size up to 50cc (petrol engines), or maximum power of 1 KW (electric cars) or 4 KW (other forms of propulsion, including diesel), a maximum speed of 45 Km/h, a maximum unladen kerb weight of 350 Kg and a maximum load capacity of 200 Kg. The driver must over 16 years old and have insurance.

45kph???...you could KILL someone at that speed

[Hilary B]

HA!!

....actually-this is the 'type ' of vehicle...

Voitures sans permis.
Microcars (also known as voiturettes or quadricycles) with a maximum of two seats, an engine size up to 50cc (petrol engines), or maximum power of 1 KW (electric cars) or 4 KW (other forms of propulsion, including diesel), a maximum speed of 45 Km/h, a maximum unladen kerb weight of 350 Kg and a maximum load capacity of 200 Kg. The driver must over 16 years old and have insurance.

45kph???...you could KILL someone at that speed

They have something similar in Spain and Portugal, I've seen plenty of them about, but you get the feeling anyone seen driving one would get the mick taken pretty thoroughly by his mates!