Hi all, thanks for taking the time out to read my post.
Basically, my situation is as follows:
Driving down a road, spotted a policecar reversing into a driveway to go in the direction i was going. I saw in my mirrors that he pulled out behind me. I made sure i was driving careful. He's behind me for about a minute and then i saw flashing lights.
I pull in and stop the car. Handbrake on, neutral gear, turned the engine off, and took my seatbelt off. Realized that i forgot to wind my window down, so turned the key again to do so. Coppper shows and says i wasnt driving with a seatbelt, get in the back of his car. Shock! I pointed out to him that i was, and that i had just removed it. He said he saw me not wearing it and that i tryed to put it back on when i stopped the car! I was both fuming and overwhelmed at this.
As i was getting out of the car, i said "I'm not having this!" Angry because i've done no wrong. Now i was still trying to point out that i was wearing the seatbelt, and perhaps unwisely said "just cause i've got a nice car." Upon reaching the passenger side door of the policecar, i was still saying i was wearing my seatbelt, and then he grit his teeth staring at me and said "You're a liar!" I tried to reason with the guy, i pointed out that my car has an alarm that goes off if i drive off without my seatbelt on. I'd been on the road for over an hour and why would i not wear it and have to listen to the constand drone of an alarm in my ears?
I got back in my car after talking further, and i put my seatbelt on, he told me to turn my engine on. He said there's no alarm, to which i said i'd have to drive away for it to come on, which he could do, but i pointed out that it would be breaking the law lol, so i then pointed to the seatbelt light on my dash which was lit. As if i'm not gonna notice that when im driving!
Upon returning to his car, i stated the fact that with my fiat grande punto sporting having a smallish back window with a black border surrounding it, that it was hard to see my seatbelt. He got in my car, and put my seatbelt on while i stayed in the car to see if i could see it. I moved my head to the drivers seat and moved it around at different angles. Yes, i could see he had it on, but hardly. Due to the fact the seatbelt comes across its not showing the bulk of the belt.
He returned and said that i could attend a 2 hour crash course and no further action would be taken, or id get taken to court. Well because im innocent of breaking the law, i said id see him in court (im from the UK so our system will be different i'd assume). He starts writing out a bit of what was said. And then said that my attitude wouldn't help matters. Which is a joke considering that he was basically bullying me and using an intimidating tone. Calling me a liar, when im not. I was standing up for the truth, and of course im gonna defend my point. He didnt like it, and he defo had a chip on his shoulder.
Saying that he's pulled a number of people not wearing their seatbelts that day, and how he's got a career for 30 years bla bla. Yet when i stated to him that i'd past a parked policecar already that day, and if i wasn't wearing my seatbelt he'd have seen. He dismissed this also. I felt like he was using the threat of court to persuade me to go this course.
I asked him a number of questions, like how do i contact to know about going to court etc. I did take the option to go the course, because he said that i dont have to go and still get summoned. So i wanted options i guess, but because i felt under pressure i dont know what was the best course of action to take.
I see this "crash course" as a community service, why should i go when i ain't done owt wrong? It's the principle. Why should the cops get a tick to say i attended so they can say they got x amount of people to boost some stats?
If i go, yes its over and done with in 2 hours, no further action taken. Yet what would you each do if you were wearing your seatbelt, and you were dealt the same as i was? I want to put in a complaint against the officer, and go to court. I'l say that yes my reaction wasn't a calm one, and this perhaps did me no favours, but i did say to the officer in the car, that i didnt mean to have an attitude.
What should i do now? Please anybody who could help, i'd greatly appreciate it, thanks.
Also, i had an accident 3 months ago. My car was written off, i hit a tree straight on at bout 40mph. I was wearing my seatbelt, so i fully know by experience the importance of wearing one. Yet why am i made to feel guilty and having to explain myself? I've been stressed for hours, but i want my name cleared.
Basically, my situation is as follows:
Driving down a road, spotted a policecar reversing into a driveway to go in the direction i was going. I saw in my mirrors that he pulled out behind me. I made sure i was driving careful. He's behind me for about a minute and then i saw flashing lights.
I pull in and stop the car. Handbrake on, neutral gear, turned the engine off, and took my seatbelt off. Realized that i forgot to wind my window down, so turned the key again to do so. Coppper shows and says i wasnt driving with a seatbelt, get in the back of his car. Shock! I pointed out to him that i was, and that i had just removed it. He said he saw me not wearing it and that i tryed to put it back on when i stopped the car! I was both fuming and overwhelmed at this.
As i was getting out of the car, i said "I'm not having this!" Angry because i've done no wrong. Now i was still trying to point out that i was wearing the seatbelt, and perhaps unwisely said "just cause i've got a nice car." Upon reaching the passenger side door of the policecar, i was still saying i was wearing my seatbelt, and then he grit his teeth staring at me and said "You're a liar!" I tried to reason with the guy, i pointed out that my car has an alarm that goes off if i drive off without my seatbelt on. I'd been on the road for over an hour and why would i not wear it and have to listen to the constand drone of an alarm in my ears?
I got back in my car after talking further, and i put my seatbelt on, he told me to turn my engine on. He said there's no alarm, to which i said i'd have to drive away for it to come on, which he could do, but i pointed out that it would be breaking the law lol, so i then pointed to the seatbelt light on my dash which was lit. As if i'm not gonna notice that when im driving!
Upon returning to his car, i stated the fact that with my fiat grande punto sporting having a smallish back window with a black border surrounding it, that it was hard to see my seatbelt. He got in my car, and put my seatbelt on while i stayed in the car to see if i could see it. I moved my head to the drivers seat and moved it around at different angles. Yes, i could see he had it on, but hardly. Due to the fact the seatbelt comes across its not showing the bulk of the belt.
He returned and said that i could attend a 2 hour crash course and no further action would be taken, or id get taken to court. Well because im innocent of breaking the law, i said id see him in court (im from the UK so our system will be different i'd assume). He starts writing out a bit of what was said. And then said that my attitude wouldn't help matters. Which is a joke considering that he was basically bullying me and using an intimidating tone. Calling me a liar, when im not. I was standing up for the truth, and of course im gonna defend my point. He didnt like it, and he defo had a chip on his shoulder.
Saying that he's pulled a number of people not wearing their seatbelts that day, and how he's got a career for 30 years bla bla. Yet when i stated to him that i'd past a parked policecar already that day, and if i wasn't wearing my seatbelt he'd have seen. He dismissed this also. I felt like he was using the threat of court to persuade me to go this course.
I asked him a number of questions, like how do i contact to know about going to court etc. I did take the option to go the course, because he said that i dont have to go and still get summoned. So i wanted options i guess, but because i felt under pressure i dont know what was the best course of action to take.
I see this "crash course" as a community service, why should i go when i ain't done owt wrong? It's the principle. Why should the cops get a tick to say i attended so they can say they got x amount of people to boost some stats?
If i go, yes its over and done with in 2 hours, no further action taken. Yet what would you each do if you were wearing your seatbelt, and you were dealt the same as i was? I want to put in a complaint against the officer, and go to court. I'l say that yes my reaction wasn't a calm one, and this perhaps did me no favours, but i did say to the officer in the car, that i didnt mean to have an attitude.
What should i do now? Please anybody who could help, i'd greatly appreciate it, thanks.
Also, i had an accident 3 months ago. My car was written off, i hit a tree straight on at bout 40mph. I was wearing my seatbelt, so i fully know by experience the importance of wearing one. Yet why am i made to feel guilty and having to explain myself? I've been stressed for hours, but i want my name cleared.
Please. Speak for yourself. I talk to cops on a fairly regular basis and no harm has ever come to me (unless you count that speeding ticket I got 6 months ago, which was no fault of the cop's).