Just been berated by police officer for friend shaking head!

[Peglo]

On the basis he was on blue lights before he saw them but then after he had overtaken was not then I’d hazard a guess his emergency call was cancelled, possibly due to him having to slow due to the horses.

really? It takes 10 added seconds to slow down and pass a horse. Not half an hour.

I don’t bash the police. Most of them do a super job and I’ve never had a bad experience with any (other than the cops that took our alcohol of us on our way to a dance when we were 16. That was an annoying time for them to be doing their job ?) but this bloke is an arse.

 

[Fred66]

Regardless of whether or not he was still on a call, there is no justification for having a go at someone for merely shaking their head at them. Had they been abusive then a reprimand but not the sort of response this officer had.

Was he abusive ? OP didn’t say he was abusive, trying to make his point firmly but not that he used abusive language. As I said I wasn’t there and OP report of it has me on the fence, taken as she reports it I am not willing to judge.

 

[wills_91]

Was he abusive ? OP didn’t say he was abusive, trying to make his point firmly but not that he used abusive language. As I said I wasn’t there and OP report of it has me on the fence, taken as she reports it I am not willing to judge.

She said she felt intimidated by him and that's more than enough. The guy is a tosser and we do not need people with such fragile tempers doing a job of great importance.

 

[Fred66]

really? It takes 10 added seconds to slow down and pass a horse. Not half an hour.

I don’t bash the police. Most of them do a super job and I’ve never had a bad experience with any (other than the cops that took our alcohol of us on our way to a dance when we were 16. That was an annoying time for them to be doing their job ?) but this bloke is an arse.

He saw them turned off his siren and lights, slowed and will have reported to control. Then he passed them in this time period the call may have been fully cancelled or he may been stood down , however he would not have interrupted a live call to berate people for attitude.

 

[Fred66]

She said she felt intimidated by him and that's more than enough. The guy is a tosser and we do not need people with such fragile tempers doing a job of great importance.

This is your subjective opinion and you are entitled to hold it, equally I am entitled to hold mine.
He might well be as you suggest but I am entitled to think that there is room for doubt, and as such am willing to give him the benefit of it.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Have you any video footage of this?? Did you see the no plate of the police vehicle or the officer's epaulette's number?

I personally think you friend should report the incident; being ex-police herself she should do the right thing and report the matter.

Or you can report it. Far from being just a bystander you witnessed it and were basically affected because you (and your horse) were both put at risk by it.

I seem to recall an incident a few years ago now where a fire engine was on the way to a shout and had blues & two's on and this caused a herd of cows to spook which then stampeded and killed a farmer. There was a name given to this incident, I cannot recall what it was, but the law was then changed after this which meant that emergency vehicles on the way to a call MUST drive considerately (as much as is possible) AND turn off their sirens & horns if they encounter horses for e.g. on the roads. Perhaps someone else on here will recall this legislation and be able to "name" it......... as you could then use this in your reporting of the incident.

 

[wills_91]

This is your subjective opinion and you are entitled to hold it, equally I am entitled to hold mine.
He might well be as you suggest but I am entitled to think that there is room for doubt, and as such am willing to give him the benefit of it.

Really, you really think there is any circumstances that it's okay for a police officer to go back and berate someone for shaking there head when he has absolutely no idea what conversation they were having? How odd.

 

[ihatework]

He saw them turned off his siren and lights, slowed and will have reported to control. Then he passed them in this time period the call may have been fully cancelled or he may been stood down , however he would not have interrupted a live call to berate people for attitude.

But what if he did interrupt a live call.
Or if there was never a live call why were the blues and twos on.
Why did he over and over have to announce to the riders his important job and urgent call?

This has full justification for reporting. If it’s investigated (fairly) and no fault found then great. (Potential) victim blaming is how quite dangerous people manage to escalate their behaviour.

 

[Cherryblossom]

I am glad she reported it. I don’t think it benefits anyone to have the knee jerk reaction of defending the police because they put up with so much or ‘because we don’t know their side of the story’. Everything on the forum becomes useless supposition if you take that view, and the police are the only ones who can investigate both sides; whether you believe that they’ll be unbiased us another matter.

Refusing to believe that the police, who are all individuals with their own issues, can collectively never be questioned or criticised is what leads to police forces who kill people they’re meant to protect. I come from a family of police officers, and have never had a bad experience, but I think it’s really important for people who would be considered ‘plausible’ (ie white, middle class, sober at the time of the event) to report issues when they arise, otherwise it makes it all the more easy to dismiss claims of more vulnerable people.

 

[blitznbobs]

Really, you really think there is any circumstances that it's okay for a police officer to go back and berate someone for shaking there head when he has absolutely no idea what conversation they were having? How odd.

there is shaking ones head then shaking ones head … we do only have one side of this story … the police officer’s i am sure is a bit different - where the truth lies could be with either party unless you were there and independent then there is almost certainly bias in the picture

 

[Tiddlypom]

There are indeed two sides to every story, but this is not just about whether the police officer was in the wrong to stop his car while on an urgent call to remonstrate with a member of the public who had shaken her head at him.

It is also about whether he was driving too fast for that road and whether he should have been sounding his sirens at all on it. Not only was an ex police officer and an advanced driver of the opinion that he was wrong on both counts, but a member of the public was so concerned at the speed at which he was driving that she turned her car round to check that the two horse riders were ok.

I always do my best to pull over or do whatever I need to facilitate the safe passage of an emergency responder with lights and sirens, but it is just not safe to use sirens on certain sections of road with blind bends.

Remember this case?

Fireman admits causing death of farmer trampled by cows http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-11990507

 

[wills_91]

there is shaking ones head then shaking ones head … we do only have one side of this story … the police officer’s i am sure is a bit different - where the truth lies could be with either party unless you were there and independent then there is almost certainly bias in the picture

As a patient facing NHS worker I've had more than my fair share of people shaking there heads at me (and worse!) when they don't like something, especially over the last few years, I don't feel the need to go storming back and tell them how important my job is, can you imagine the uproar ?.

When you are dealing with the public you need to stay cool, calm and collected.

 

[SEL]

Agree with this, there is a lot of police bashing going on here. There are over 150,000 police officers in the UK and yes you will get the occasional bad one, but the vast majority are not.
OP said that in her opinion the police man drove appropriately past them, that it was only after he stopped that there was an issue.
On the basis he was on blue lights before he saw them but then after he had overtaken was not then I’d hazard a guess his emergency call was cancelled, possibly due to him having to slow due to the horses. It’s highly unlikely that he decided to ignore an emergency to point out to someone their attitude sucked.
Obviously shaking your head at someone is not a criminal offence, however pointing out to someone that their attitude is crap isn’t either and neither is it bullying.
Horse riders rely on drivers slowing and passping them with care and if when this happens riders not only don’t thank them but disrespect them then they run the risk of alienating drivers.
Please note this is not directed at OP as she was not the one with the issue.

I appreciate other POV normally but quite frankly this is ridiculous. Getting out of his car because a fellow road user shook her head? I do that regularly when people pass me too fast and it's hard to make it especially offensive.

For whatever reason that day this policeman decided to take out his anger issues on two ladies on a public road. Their attitude didn't "suck" and no one should be thanked unless they've made a particular effort to pass wide and slow.

Policemen aren't gods who we bow down to at every opportunity. They are public servants who should be held to account for their attitude and behaviours. In this instance this individual was out of order and it needs to be addressed.

 

[onemoretime]

When I was a teenager I was going to the stables on my moped early on a Sunday morning to get my pony ready for a show. I had all my show kit in my bag on the back of the bike and was tootling along the road when a police car stopped and asked where I was going. I told him but he was quite disbelieving that I was out at 5am to go tart up my pony and asked for my license which I had in my purse. He then pulled everything out of my kit bag and searched me. I was a really quiet shy teenager and this really traumatised me and I was still crying when I got to the stables.
45 years later I still totally panic if I get stopped in the car by the police.

Sounds like he was on a power trip!!!

 

[onemoretime]

UPDATE, hacking buddy is putting in formal complaint giving me as witness. Not sure we will hear outcome of it but hopefully his attitude in both respects will be addressed

Brilliant well done.

 

[sunleychops]

I think he wouldn’t have done that if you were men.

Cool, lets just default to everyone is sexist.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Thanks all. It has been reported and I expect a call tomorrow to tell my side as a witness. The police complaints will hopefully do their job and it will be investigated fully. Driving wise I have no idea what will be the outcome but fell very sure than some 'words of advice' will be given to the officer in question as his behaviour was unacceptable on every level once he had stopped. If I hear the outcome I will update ?

 

[CJoe]

he was probably taking the panda car for a service lol!! report the jumped up little twat!

 

[AmyMay]

he was probably taking the panda car for a service lol!! report the jumped up little twat!

Good grief!!