Hi.
I've posted this in here, as I couldn't find a specific forum to post this kind of thing into.
Basically, I was pulled up yesterday by a traffic cop in the car on his own.
He spotted my front number plate whilst I was turning a corner which he was waiting to turn into... and he turned in behind me. Next thing the flashers came on (Oh what joy - no surprise here!) and I pulled over.
He got out of the car and told me to step out and walk to the front of my car. He proceeded to tell me that my front numberplate was illegal (Which it isn't). I told him that I had recently been pulled for an illegal front plate (Which it was) and I then swapped it to this one and got the form which I was given stamped at an MOT approved garage.
He then said he wasn't going to take me to court over it or report me for it, but give me a fixed penalty. I then told him that jap imports can have a smaller plate due to limited space. I then told him that about 200 or more Skyline's are driving around on the roads with exactly the same front plate (I bought it through my works who sold the uk spec skyline's)
Oh right he said. Then he said "Well whats stopping you fitting a plate like mine to the front of yours". I told him that if I did that the edges of a UK spec plate would bend outwards when screwed into the original bolt holes for the plate - fair point he said.
He then asked where the info is where it says a jap car is allowed a smaller plate, to which I told him that it is probably on the vosa website (Turns out it's on the DVLA website as I found out when I got home).
He said he will check up on it and then call around my house if it doesn't say this on the website.
Then whilst walking back to his car, he noticed a small cut in one of my tyres. He said "Whats this cut in your tyre?"
I told him it's fine as it isn't down to the cords. He then said "So your telling me you will happily drive around with a cut in your tyre like that?"... to which I said nothing.
I then told him again that it is fine as it isn't down to the cords and that I was a mechanic so knew this.
He then said "How long have you been a mechanic?"
5 Years I said, as a Nissan technitian. He then blew and said "So you're telling me how to do my job then? Personally I think your attitude stinks! I've been a traffic cop for 25 f*ckin years. Right, now I'm going to check this car from top to bottom".... and then he proceeded to walk around to the passenger side.
He said "Right, you've got 3 points for that other tyre. When did you pass your test?" 2004 I said. "Right then, what the f*ck do you call this in this tyre - that's another 3 points so you're now up to 6 points. How many points do you have?" None I said.
What he was pointing to on this tyre was the fact that a small chunk of rubber of the rim protector on the tyre was flapping loose, but this wasn't showing cords and it was just a small flap of rubber off the rim protector!!!!!!!!
I then said "Sorry about the tyres but I was going to get them swapped soon anyway". "Oh - isn't that convenient" he said.
He then checked the last one and said nothing and walked back to his car saying "I suggest you get those swapped, and I'm going to make it a matter of priority on checking up on you".
To round it all up:
He took no pictures
Didn't have any kind of witness with him (On his own)
Didn't write anything down on any official form in front of me
He wrote my name the time and house number/street on the front cover of his ticket pad (Yes the front cover with the picture on it!)
I signed nothing and was given NO legal form whatsoever
He didn't check the car from top to bottom, but just had a quick skim over the tyres.
Where do I stand on this? Is this guy likely to come around to my house now, or does it sound like scare tactics as he didn't like the fact I knew what I was talking about. Like I say - the tyres weren't cut to cords... but as he pointed out in his notepad it said 'Tyres with a cut' but doesn't state anything about cords.
I didn't like the attitude of this bloke or the way he was talking/shouting at me. Since the start of the tyre incident, he was effing and blinding at me all the way.