Got stopped by the police today......

[threadbear]

Was driving along the A259 through Sandgate this afternoon in a law abiding manner, when a Officer of the Law in an Octavia coming opposite direction signalled me to pull over.

Which I did so. Of course. He does 3 point turn and pulls up alongside and says. "You shouldnt have your front fog lights on!" Then pulls in front of me. I dig the handbook out. I know whats coming. We get out of our cars.

"You know, you shouldnt have fog lights on in good visibilty?" I reply that the lights are Day time Running Lights and all new cars are getting them!!!

"Oh yes I can see now, they arent fog lights! I do apologise. I`ll go off now and find someone who is breaking the law!!"

I know that DRL`s arent that common, but Ive seen them on Octavias, Mercs, Audi`s, DS-3`s, Polos Golfs. So they are becoming more common.

Anyone else been stopped?

[jrw]

Was driving along the A259 through Sandgate this afternoon in a law abiding manner, when a Officer of the Law in an Octavia coming opposite direction signalled me to pull over.

Which I did so. Of course. He does 3 point turn and pulls up alongside and says. "You shouldnt have your front fog lights on!" Then pulls in front of me. I dig the handbook out. I know whats coming. We get out of our cars.

"You know, you shouldnt have fog lights on in good visibilty?" I reply that the lights are Day time Running Lights and all new cars are getting them!!!

"Oh yes I can see now, they arent fog lights! I do apologise. I`ll go off now and find someone who is breaking the law!!"

I know that DRL`s arent that common, but Ive seen them on Octavias, Mercs, Audi`s, DS-3`s, Polos Golfs. So they are becoming more common.

Anyone else been stopped?

I would love to be stopped for this just to be full of smugness when i showed them that they are DRLS!

It is a shame that they don't pull more people over though that actually have their fog lights on though...

[vRSy]

thing is as soon as your being smug, all it takes is for them to start looking around your vehicle and picking faults. Especially little things like un even tyre wear down past the wear markers could result in penalty points. im always dead polite. You never know when you might get pulled again

[jrw]

thing is as soon as your being smug, all it takes is for them to start looking around your vehicle and picking faults. Especially little things like un even tyre wear down past the wear markers could result in penalty points. im always dead polite. You never know when you might get pulled again

That is true but i know that my car is legal and when i got pulled a few years ago for 'speeding' they were full of smug to me....especially when they saw my 'illegal' dubmeister numberplates! I took great pleasure in stating the fact that i wasn't speeding due to the fact that there was a police car dangerously close to my rear bumper, and that my plates had BS markings on them!......That was after i actually laughed out loud at them for saying their speedo was calibrated in their....wait for it.......1.3CDTI Corsa. He got his torch out, check the BS number, checked my tax disc, saw my IAM sticker and could not get away from me quick enough!

I would say that i was polite but smug! I wont take bs off anyone, not even coppers who have nothing better to do with their time but pull a car over for 'speeding' just to have a closer look at the plates (i presume that is why they were so close to me doing 70MPH on a DC)

[PD75]

Sorry, bit off topic but reminds me of when the seat belt laws came in... stopped by young WPC in the FB Victor with the 2 brothers, all in the front on the bench seat (column change.) Young lady was quite upset when I pointed out that we were not wearing belts as the car had never had them fitted. Then I had to explain to her why it didn't have to have them fitted due to the age of the car She's probably chief constable of Thames Valley now!!!!

[fabia55]

i've been stopped by the police once, i went over the white lines and a few inches onto the other side of a narrow road. they wanted to check if i was drunk

Edited 30 January, 2011 by fabia55

[gallego1968]

I was last stopped in 1988 when i overtook a car doing 20mph in a 30 zone. He was a yough copper and bored i suppose but he couldn't nick me so he gave me the 3rd degree and i then went on my way.

[dickyd]

uh oh looks like this is gonna turn into a 'why don't the cops do something more useful' thread !

[helix]

uh oh looks like this is gonna turn into a 'why don't the cops do something more useful' thread !

Agreed

sounds like the officer mentioned in the first post made a genuine mistake and politely apologised. Can't complain about that.

[Reavenger]

Agreed. Genuine mistake and he apologised. Find it reassuring to know there are police officers about who still pull people over for potential traffic offences. Plus the man was driving an Octavia...you missed the chance for some banter and to direct him to the forums!

[Ross Chapman]

Ive not been pulled but I pulled into a petrol station in the day once and there was about six cop cars in there parked up and next thing I know my car is surrounded by cops asking me all sorts of questions about it. Was like none of them had ever seen a facelift Furby estate!

All very nice and some of them seemed to know a hell of a lot about Skodas!

[fletch555]

I'm really not looking forward to this argument with the Irish police force! They can be totally clueless at times. You have to wonder why Skoda put the DRLs in the fog light location!?!

[Ross Chapman]

I'm really not looking forward to this argument with the Irish police force! They can be totally clueless at times. You have to wonder why Skoda put the DRLs in the fog light location!?!

What about the vRS then - think its DRLS and its fogs are in exactly the same place and not two bulbs in the same holder?

Sure if I am wrong any of the vRS guys will correct me!

[VRS Goldie Jon]

Ive not been pulled but I pulled into a petrol station in the day once and there was about six cop cars in there parked up and next thing I know my car is surrounded by cops asking me all sorts of questions about it. Was like none of them had ever seen a facelift Furby estate!

All very nice and some of them seemed to know a hell of a lot about Skodas!

Yeah they've started doing that round here. Couple of cop cars, and they just pull everyone over checking details, and the cars. I got stopped last weekend. Just smile, be polite and they usually let you on your way.

[Guest BigJase88]

at the end of the day DRLS look trash and cheap anyways!

[blueR36]

What about the vRS then - think its DRLS and its fogs are in exactly the same place and not two bulbs in the same holder?

Sure if I am wrong any of the vRS guys will correct me!

The Fabia M 2 VRS has DRl leds in the fog-light housing but no fogs

[Yeti-RS]

I think my expeirence tops the lot.

2005 and im driving a megane coupe (decent car, never went wrong.. it was tarted up with big wheels but thats about it)

Coming up the north circular around london at about 11pm on the way to my girlfriends, it was my first time driving there and i had an A-Z wide open next to me in case i got lost.

Now i came up from hastings and it was very foggy, so.............. my fogs were on, as i was pulling off the north circular i past a police van, you have to bear in mind i have litreally just pulled off the dual carriage way and have driven 70+ miles in foggy,dark conditions.

The van did a u-turn and pulled me over, now i am not making the rest of this up...

As i pulled over i turned of the engine and lowered the window, 4 policemen surrounded my car armed with what looked like machine guns!!!!!.

One officer reached into the car and yanked the keys from my ignition and demended me to get out of the car now!.

I was quite honestly terrified, i had no idea what was going on and why they were acting in this fashion.

THe copper told me that my fogs were on and that was the reason for pulling me over, i told him the reason why i had them on (it was still quite foggy in london too luckily!) and he then dissapeared to the van to run a check on my vehicle.

He came back saying the car is registered in south london (i came from my mums but lived in south london) and was very suspicous as to why i was driving about in north london........... seriously, its one of the dumbest things i have ever heard, its illegal to cross the thames now?.

I explained to him that my gf lived here and i was going around to her place, i then showed him my A-Z on the passenger seat marking where i am going to.

He then went through the motions of checking my insurance, i had ALL the documents in the car with me at the time and as i tried to reach for them all the officers got antsy and starting shouting at me to stay where i am (they are armed with guns remember!) and i had to direct one of them into the glovebox!.

Even though they had all the documents and everything matched with me and the car, they still called up on the radio to do a check on their computer, it took 20 mins and it was freezing cold in winter :'(

So after the lady on the radio confirmed that the car was taxed and insured in my name and registered to me at my bloody address they still wanted to check on my licence, it took 30 mins and we were still waiting for the lady on the radio to confirm that my licence was fine when i finally had enough and started to complain about how i was being treated, i offloaded in a calm manner about how disgusted i was by how i was treated like a terrorist, that i would take all their numbers and write a written letter to the police complaints board about the whole ordeal.

The copper actually apologised and handed my documents and licence back, he said alot of cars get stolen from south london and driven to north london..... which is a load of *******s of course but i ate it up.

They let me go but forgot to give me my keys back, i had to sprint to their van as they were dirving off to get them back!!!

Anyway thats my one and only time i have been pulled over, it influenced me in such a way that my next car was a Q car so that i could avoid attention.............. it worked

[frobb]

:rofl:In my own little spout of smugness. I've never been pulled over

[Auric Goldfinger]

The Fabia M 2 VRS has DRl leds in the fog-light housing but no fogs

Correct, or you can opt for fogs in stead of DRL's

[ChrisRs]

Correct, or you can opt for fogs in stead of DRL's

Actually you cant......Only on the continent. UK spec Fabia vRs's have DRLs only

[BossFox]

Correct, or you can opt for fogs in stead of DRL's

Are you sure?

My Greenline II (2011) has DRL and fog lights all built into the same unit. As standard equipment.

Edit: And I think it has the same front bumper as the VRS... or one very similar. Deffinately not the standard Fabia one.

Edited 1 February, 2011 by CT17

[Auric Goldfinger]

Are you sure?

My Greenline II (2011) has DRL and fog lights all built into the same unit. As standard equipment.

Sorry misunderstanding, I'm talking about the Fabia MkII Vrs

Auric

[BossFox]

Sorry misunderstanding, I'm talking about the Fabia MkII Vrs

Auric

Yes, that's why I was asking if you're sure?

It seems odd the cheaper Greenline II gets DRL and Fogs built into the same light units on the front bumper (which looks the same), but the sporty VRS doesn't.

Richard

[Auric Goldfinger]

Actually you cant......Only on the continent. UK spec Fabia vRs's have DRLs only

Correct Chris. I'm talking about Non UK Spec cars

[BilboBaggins]

Back in the 1980's I was a special constable in Cumbria for five years, a defective headlight or brakelight was sufficient reason under Road Traffic Act to pull a car. Usually if we gave and got a polite response an advisory word was sufficient. If the response was more robust, we would match this. Often found there was something else the driver didnt want us to find.

DRLs were not an issue then but remember the tales of Volvo drivers being fed up of being flashed about their "safety lights"