So, how is it that you see all these Police cars speeding past you without lights on and you see all the Police zooming through red lights, yet I don't?

To be honest, I'm surprised they have ever stopped you, what with them speeding away from you all the time.

I'm generally interested, does anyone else see all these things happening or is fiesta_lad just making this up and using it as ammunition in his tirade against Police?

No keithC iam not makeing this up you must drive round with your eyes shut if you don't see this.

Do you own a speed gun then?

To be honest matt1987, I think you are far to comfortable inside your cosy little bubble of self superiority. Whilst I fully understand that your job must require you to have a delusion of grandeur to a certain extent, I think its a shame that you cant open-up your closed minded attitude.

Other club members have had fairly reasonable questions and criticism which you are either brushing aside, ignoring, or arguing against. The police in general used to have respect for people and use intelligent judgement before taking action. However these days they are cold and heartless and will take wholly disproportionate actions against anything they disapprove of, even if it is perfectly law abiding and legal.

If you consider it your job to defend the institution that is the British Police Force, then you are going about it in a blasé fashion and in entirely the wrong way.

To be honest I don't go out to town much (the novelty kind of wears off when you've lived here for 24 years) but if I do head out I'll usually head to a place called World Headquarters. Great music and Red Stripe Jamaican beer. Win.

Sounds good to me.

So, how is it that you see all these Police cars speeding past you without lights on and you see all the Police zooming through red lights, yet I don't?

To be honest, I'm surprised they have ever stopped you, what with them speeding away from you all the time.

I'm generally interested, does anyone else see all these things happening or is fiesta_lad just making this up and using it as ammunition in his tirade against Police?

As far as I'm aware (Matt, help me out here...) - blue lights and sirens are not obligatory when police officers are responding to something. They are there quite simply as an aid to others to help with the visibility of the vehicle which may be moving in an unexpected manner. Perhaps in the many situations you've encountered this type of incident fiesta_lad - the officers have deemed the lights unnecessary. I think most of us have been passed on a quiet motorway by a silent police car travelling a long way above the limit when the outside lane is clear and the lights are not needed...

Bearing in mind how much discomfort blue flashing lights cause to a great many people, I'm always grateful when blues and twos aren't used just for the sake of it.

To be honest matt1987, I think you are far to comfortable inside your cosy little bubble of self superiority. Whilst I fully understand that your job must require you to have a delusion of grandeur to a certain extent, I think its a shame that you cant open-up your closed minded attitude.

Other club members have had fairly reasonable questions and criticism which you are either brushing aside, ignoring, or arguing against. The police in general used to have respect for people and use intelligent judgement before taking action. However these days they are cold and heartless and will take wholly disproportionate actions against anything they disapprove of, even if it is perfectly law abiding and legal.

If you consider it your job to defend the institution that is the British Police Force, then you are going about it in a blasé fashion and in entirely the wrong way.

I have noiced matt1987 he still hasn't answered my question because its true.

I have noiced matt1987 he still hasn't answered my question because its true.

He may have not answered because he may no longer be on the forum...

I have noiced matt1987 he still hasn't answered my question because its true.

Or he could be nibbling on cheese.

I like to feel my contribution to this light hearted discussion is a valid and appropriate one.

Blues and twos should be used all the time in a emergy situation.

Blues and twos should be used all the time in a emergy situation.

So everything a police officer responds to with haste is an emergency is it?

Or hes out playing cops and robbers no sorry he can't be its after 10pm

So everything a police officer responds to with haste is an emergency is it?

Not all the time no.

This is Wiki - I can't find anything useful on sites with more weight, but anyway...

'The use of Lights and Sirens is up to the individual police officer driving to the call. The nature of the call is an aggravating factor when deciding when to use them. Calls are graded by First Contact, the police 999 contact centre where emergency and non emergency calls are taken.

I grade - Immediate response call. Use of audiable and visable emergency equipment advisable.

S grade - Significant call. Routine call. Use of audiable and visable emergency equipment can be used, if the driver thinks police are needed immediately

E grade - extended call. Routine reporting call.'

This thread has been going on for a while now and has reached its current state in a very meandering way. I have to say, I'm rather surprised at the reception that Matt has received - he came on to answer a question and is in a great position to do so - and it lead to an outpouring of bad feeling towards the police force in general. Some are throwing mud around with absolutely nothing to back up what they're saying and little understanding of what they're debating with someone who is employed in the role.

Still, nobody has complained and of course I'm all for an informed debate.

The main reason I posted was to say to Reel - I agree with you completely. We have a beautifully complex language that is butchered left, right and centre. I'm afraid that schooling does play a massive part. As a music teacher I have been reprimanded for correcting the students' English - because it's not my subject. The inability of hundreds of thousands of people to (for example) use apostrophes correctly or differentiate between less and fewer (or the correct use of me and I as seen on this very thread) is a sad state of affairs - and compounded by news readers and other broadcasters.

Good points and very well reasoned sir. However I think we should perhaps accept that this is an internet forum, not a newspaper article or published book, so its not exactly the end of the world that we're not all writing 100% perfect English 100% of the time.

Maybe also worth pointing out that this club is open to all nationalities, some of whom wont possess English as a first language, for this reason I think nitpicking punctuation, spelling and grammer is a pointless exercise. After all, if some of these spelling perpetrators were from India or even Italy I doubt that you would be so ready to shoot them down in flames.

As far as I'm aware (Matt, help me out here...) - blue lights and sirens are not obligatory when police officers are responding to something. They are there quite simply as an aid to others to help with the visibility of the vehicle which may be moving in an unexpected manner. Perhaps in the many situations you've encountered this type of incident fiesta_lad - the officers have deemed the lights unnecessary. I think most of us have been passed on a quiet motorway by a silent police car travelling a long way above the limit when the outside lane is clear and the lights are not needed...

Bearing in mind how much discomfort blue flashing lights cause to a great many people, I'm always grateful when blues and twos aren't used just for the sake of it.

No, they don't have to use them ( although they are almost always used on Immediate response jobs ). But if you listen to the Police radio all day like I do, you would know how many immediate response jobs are cancelled while units are on their way.

Jonny, it just seems that a certain posters posts are prejudice towards the Police, so there is no point.

Of course there are going to be instances where Police officers make the news for all the wrong reasons - surely this can be said for most job roles. There is always going to be a minority which gives the majority a bad name. Nice news stories don't tend to sell papers.

Or he could be nibbling on cheese.

I like to feel my contribution to this light hearted discussion is a valid and appropriate one.

Nah... more like Jamaican rum truffles. After all, it is Christmas!

Good points and very well reasoned sir. However I think we should perhaps accept that this is an internet forum, not a newspaper article or published book, so its not exactly the end of the world that we're not all writing 100% perfect English 100% of the time.

I agree, but when you have to read someone's post 5 times just to get a basic grasp of what they're trying to say, it gets past a joke. Especially when they're attempting to enter a debate about something which they appear to know little about.

Good points and very well reasoned sir. However I think we should perhaps accept that this is an internet forum, not a newspaper article or published book, so its not exactly the end of the world that we're not all writing 100% perfect English 100% of the time.

Maybe also worth pointing out that this club is open to all nationalities, some of whom wont possess English as a first language, for this reason I think nitpicking punctuation, spelling and grammer is a pointless exercise. After all, if some of these spelling perpetrators were from India or even Italy I doubt that you would be so ready to shoot them down in flames.

I have never mentioned any spelling indiscretion on FOC - as you say, it's an internet forum, and there was little point. I was responding to a fellow member's thoughts, not getting at anyone in particular or expecting anything to change.

The specific example I used of me and I was merely to illustrate my point. I'm a moderator, not 'spellchecker' (which incidentally, is an abhorrent word in itself). When typing at speed, I often make mistakes myself.

Nah... more like Jamaican rum truffles. After all, it is Christmas!

Classy!

Classy!

Well, if you call Aldi Jamaican rum truffles classy, then yeh.... it is classy.

Well, if you call Aldi Jamaican rum truffles classy, then yeh.... it is classy.

Damn right!

I agree, but when you have to read someone's post 5 times just to get a basic grasp of what they're trying to say, it gets past a joke. Especially when they're attempting to enter a debate about something which they appear to know little about.

If a couple of spelling mistakes and missing commas mean you have to re-read a post 5 times over just to get the gist of it then I think you probably have a bigger problem than the person who wrote it! :P

To be honest matt1987, I think you are far to comfortable inside your cosy little bubble of self superiority. Whilst I fully understand that your job must require you to have a delusion of grandeur to a certain extent, I think its a shame that you cant open-up your closed minded attitude.

Other club members have had fairly reasonable questions and criticism which you are either brushing aside, ignoring, or arguing against. The police in general used to have respect for people and use intelligent judgement before taking action. However these days they are cold and heartless and will take wholly disproportionate actions against anything they disapprove of, even if it is perfectly law abiding and legal.

If you consider it your job to defend the institution that is the British Police Force, then you are going about it in a blasé fashion and in entirely the wrong way.

Jonny, it just seems that a certain posters posts are prejudice towards the Police, so there is no point.

lol! I think you just made my point for me!

(btw all, I did write 'lol' intentionally, but for those of you who are driven 'mad' by that sort of thing you may replace the 'lol' with 'hahaha')

If a couple of spelling mistakes and missing commas mean you have to re-read a post 5 times over just to get the gist of it then I think you probably have a bigger problem than the person who wrote it! :P

My god, look back at the thread. I don't like to mention names, but its plain to see.

<dead horse> I'm getting tired now...</dead horse>

My god, look back at the thread. I don't like to mention names, but its plain to see.

Then allow me to oblige, fiesta lad is the worst culprit for English language abuse and punctuation neglect not just on this forum, but i suspect on the entire internet!!

My god, look back at the thread. I don't like to mention names, but its plain to see.

i agree, some of the wording used is quite terrible. i'm not asking for 100% perfect grammer but as mentioned by others it does take the p*** reading what some people have put.