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Full Version: car behind took a photo of my car registration!
FightBack Forums > Queries > Speeding and other Criminal Offences
joey12345
Not sure if i'm panicing here but few years ago i was done for dangerous drivng and banned for 12 months after evidence off a car video camera.

Anyway now few years later and hopefully wiser i retook my test and eventually managed to get back on the road but worry about the slightest thing now.

Just taken my car up a country lane by my house which was national speed limit just to test it after being in garage. Wasn't over the speed limit but close(safe to do so) and only on it about 3 or 4 minutes before reaching a fork junction and turning round. This point a car had come up behind and turned round as well, was going to get out and check my car but at this point got the feeling i was being followed. I then drove back down slowing down and going wide for a pedestrian before reaching the 30 sign to which i slowed right down to 30. I turned off and the car followed, at this point getting a bit worried so crossed a junciton which is a blind junction(safely) and parked up. The car behing got to the junction and then the bloke behind the wheel got his iphone out and i guess took a photo of my registration. I got out and he scarpered(not sure if he got me getting out). The bloke wasn't on his own had his wife with him and think that was the only time he got his phone out ie not when driving. Probably being stupid but panicing now that i'm in trouble if he takes my registration to the police although i was under the impression if you were stopped at a junction it was illegal to use your phone and i don't honestly think i did anything wrong.
sgtdixie
Whilst the use of a mobile to take a photo may still (in some courts) constitute an offence, if it was done to provide evidence of a criminal offence it would not normally be in the public interest to prosecute.

I take it from your post you don't believe you did anything wrong. You will just have to wait and see for the next 14 days.
silverfox60017
Couple of questions

1) What car do you drive?

2) Have you a 'distinctive reg?' Eg a nice one or a stupid one ie misplaced letters, bolts to make letters/numbers different to make it a name etc

if 1) is a nice car and not some modern eurobox then take it as a complement

If the answer to 2) is yes, expect to see your plate in the a) good numberplate thread or b) crap numberplate thread on Pistonheads forum

If answer to either are no, then i haven't a clue!!!!

To sgt dixie,

If you and your ilk want to do some fish shooting re plates i recommend you check out the second thread..very easy pickings on there for you and yours
joey12345
QUOTE (silverfox60017 @ Tue, 12 Nov 2013 - 17:20) *
Couple of questions

1) What car do you drive?

2) Have you a 'distinctive reg?' Eg a nice one or a stupid one ie misplaced letters, bolts to make letters/numbers different to make it a name etc

if 1) is a nice car and not some modern eurobox then take it as a complement

If the answer to 2) is yes, expect to see your plate in the a) good numberplate thread or b) crap numberplate thread on Pistonheads forum

If answer to either are no, then i haven't a clue!!!!

To sgt dixie,

If you and your ilk want to do some fish shooting re plates i recommend you check out the second thread..very easy pickings on there for you and yours



Hi, the car isn't modern(16 years old) but had been very well mentained, it belonged to my brother so had some mods done on it which will be removed when i can afford it(going to cost a hell of a lot more to remove than the insurance charged for them on) . No unusual numberplate but can say there are a few of the same car knocking around the place.
Mattd
It may simply be that people who live on that lane are abit twitchy about strange vehicle they haven't seen before and so he stopped and took a photo of your registration number in case there was a burglary....or he didn't like your driving but I wouldn't expect much to come of that.
joey12345
QUOTE (Mattd @ Tue, 12 Nov 2013 - 17:43) *
It may simply be that people who live on that lane are abit twitchy about strange vehicle they haven't seen before and so he stopped and took a photo of your registration number in case there was a burglary....or he didn't like your driving but I wouldn't expect much to come of that.


I do hope so. I know its so easy to say i don't think i did anything wrong but after loosing my licence 4 years ago I like to think i am really aware of what i'm doing. There are a few of these cars around the town most owned by young drivers and this was owned by my brother prior to me. The road is a 60 speed limit so I can imagine it can't be great living on the road and to be perfectly honest i was pretty freaked out and felt really uneasy as when i come off the road and turned towards my street the car was right up my backside which made me panic abit. I suppose i will have to wait and see if i get a nip through the post. Not sure what i will be looking at getting if i do though
peterguk
QUOTE (joey12345 @ Tue, 12 Nov 2013 - 18:02) *
i will have to wait and see if i get a nip through the post.


It'll be a S.172 first, so they know who was driving.
stevensan
I'd be reporting him for using a mobile phone while in control of a vehicle. If he does then go to the police it will be relatively hard for him to deny, especially if he was sat in the drivers seat while taking the picture. The fact you were stopped at the side of the road would IMO make it difficult to convince someone he was taking evidence of a criminal offence being committed!
sgtdixie
QUOTE (stevensan @ Wed, 13 Nov 2013 - 04:56) *
I'd be reporting him for using a mobile phone while in control of a vehicle. If he does then go to the police it will be relatively hard for him to deny, especially if he was sat in the drivers seat while taking the picture. The fact you were stopped at the side of the road would IMO make it difficult to convince someone he was taking evidence of a criminal offence being committed!

Not sure you understand the public interest test. If a person commits a criminal offence then someone taking an evidential photograph of the offender or vehicle is likely not to be prosecuted under the PI test even in the circs described.

The OP doesn't suggest he got the VRM of the vehicle concerned so exactly what is he going to report?
666
QUOTE (stevensan @ Wed, 13 Nov 2013 - 04:56) *
I'd be reporting him for using a mobile phone while in control of a vehicle. If he does then go to the police it will be relatively hard for him to deny, especially if he was sat in the drivers seat while taking the picture. The fact you were stopped at the side of the road would IMO make it difficult to convince someone he was taking evidence of a criminal offence being committed!


Is this a new offence?
Stoofa
QUOTE (stevensan @ Wed, 13 Nov 2013 - 04:56) *
I'd be reporting him for using a mobile phone while in control of a vehicle. If he does then go to the police it will be relatively hard for him to deny, especially if he was sat in the drivers seat while taking the picture. The fact you were stopped at the side of the road would IMO make it difficult to convince someone he was taking evidence of a criminal offence being committed!


If I watched for example someone come running out of a bank with alarms going off and following them (feeling like a good citizen) I then decided to use my mobile and phone in this information to the police I'm pretty sure my offence of using the mobile device would be overlooked (if even mentioned) as it was for the "greater good".
So a driving offence isn't anywhere near as serious, but surely the person taking the picture didn't do it just because he liked the OP car - so must have been a reason behind it. So yes, person using mobile whilst driving, but potentially for the "greater good".
TonyS
What offence was the OP committing? Nothing seems to be noted.
NeilNeil
QUOTE (Stoofa @ Wed, 13 Nov 2013 - 11:10) *
If I watched for example someone come running out of a bank with alarms going off and following them (feeling like a good citizen) I then decided to use my mobile and phone in this information to the police I'm pretty sure my offence of using the mobile device would be overlooked (if even mentioned) as it was for the "greater good".
So a driving offence isn't anywhere near as serious, but surely the person taking the picture didn't do it just because he liked the OP car - so must have been a reason behind it. So yes, person using mobile whilst driving, but potentially for the "greater good".


I wonder how far you can go with this. For example if you come out of a pub a little over the drink drive limit, and you see a bank robbery in progress. You might decide to jump in your car and pursue them to get a photo or catch them. Would you avoid a prosecution for drink driving on the basis that you were acting in the public interest?
Logician
I doubt it because a better alternative would be to call the police, having untrained members of the public acting as pursuit drivers while over the limit is hardly in the public interest.

It is not an offence to use a handheld mobile to call the emergency services.
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