Police
I thought it was about time to update you, with regards my run in with ‘the law’. Some already know what happened, others have heard from friends etc. and the story is getting twisted. At work the other day I was practically accused of being arrested! I can assure you now that I have not been arrested, and my criminal record remains woefully non-existant (more on that later). So what about my story? Well I remember it like it was yesterday…
There I was, returning to work after my lunch break, driving past Morrisons in the usual queue of traffic, when I see a Police Transit Van (registration un-noted) parked on the double yellows outside an extremely crowded and busy junction, as well as the entrance and exit of Morrison’s Petrol Station. In itself enough to warrent suspicion, but then I see where the police officers are - just inside the Petrol Station, apparently taking details from a driver parked to one side of the pumps. Now, fair enough, had there been an axe wielding maniac holding the employees hostage I would not have had issue with the officer’s absurd parking, in fact I would not have been interested. I would instead have been photographing probably the most exciting thing to happen in the history of Skegness. But alas, this was not the case and the officers were merely carrying out some boring traffic conviction… I noted there was plenty of space on the Petrol Station forecourt for their little van, as well as across the road, in fact there were many places they could have stopped so as not to obscure people’s view of traffic as they pulled out of the station. But the Police had decided not to use their inginuity, but instead abuse their power and simply stop on the road.
And the story continues… I darted round the next corner and parked up, in a designated space obviously, and then walked back round to the station, camera phone in hand. I strolled up to the rear of the van and proceeded to photograph how it was incorectly parked, on the public highway. I thought ‘great, the Police know my rights and aren’t going to do anything’ but oh, how wrong I was…
As I go to leave, who was to confront me but one of the two officer’s talking to the man they had stopped. Shouting across to me before I had a chance to leave, the exchange went as follows: (I wrote this down in as much detail as I could, as soon as I got back to work)
Cop: What did you take that picture for?
Me: What picture?
C: Why did you take a picture of the police van?
M: Why not?
C: Why did you take it?
M: Because the van is on the double yellows.
C: Would it be better in here causing chaos?
M: It’s still parked on double yellows.
C: Why did you take it?
M: To have a picture of the van on double yellows
C: What are you going to do with it?
M: Nothing.
C: Why did you take it? what are you going to do with it?
M: Nothing, just wanted it, show my friends.
C: What are you going to do with it?
M: You know what, forget it.
:: at this point I showed the officer that I was deleting the photograph ::
M: There gone, deleted.
C: Thank you very much.
M: No problem at all sir.
All rather ridiculous if you ask me. For starters, I had done nothing wrong and was being harrassed by a Police officer who clearly had something else to do. Secondly, why ask me what I was going to do with the photograph? I was either going to lie (which I blatantly did) or tell him the truth, in which case he certainly would have confiscated my phone or performed some other ridiculous act of intimidation. I truly regret not pushing him further, however I was at work, in my work clothes, so it really wasn’t a suitable time. Next time though, I will, and I am going to bring you that photograph.
In the mean time however, my friend captured another instance of dozy parking on the Police’s part, this time in Tesco’s car park. I know, this technically is private land and as such double yellow lines are not enforcable, but it still shows how unthoughtful the Police can be. Again there was no major disturbance or danger, yet instead of parking in one of the many free bays, they decide just to stop as closs as possible to the entrance. You can insert your own ‘…well the Police are so fat from eating doughnuts all the damn time, that they can’t walk very far anyway…’ joke there. As soon as I get the photo off him it will be up here for your enjoyment.
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