just thought I'd share...

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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...a disturbing story with ya'll. My friend went to pick up a pony for her in-law in their box to bring to her stables to look after it as it's just come down with Lami, the owners can't manage it and she's able to box rest it etc. Said pony sedated in the back of the box, her husband driving lorry and she was following in her car. They were taking it easy as they obviously had a live animal in back, and being sedated they were extra careful. The posted speed was 40mph, and they were doing 30mph. They passed a police car and my friend allowed the cop thru, who then about two miles later pulled the horse box over...for going too SLOW!

However, that wasn't all....


The box is registered to them, has no markings on it whatsoever (ie livery, business or otherwise). It's non HGV, and the driver is HGV licensed. The police officer quizzed them not only on why was he going so slow (rather aggressively) but also wanted to see his tacho (which they don't have, are exempt). They use the box to go to the odd shows and neither of them drives other horses or for a living. So the cop being rather frustrated that he can't get them on that, started hassleing them about a "dodgy tail light" which the driver said "Oh, yes, the reverse light flickers on - it has something to do with the gear box. It was just in for plating and the VOSA guy was happy enough with it". Ok, cop getting annoyed. Then starts quizzing him whether they go to shows and win? The driver says "Yes, we do sometimes". Oh okay, so then WHAT DO YOU WIN? Driver says..."sometimes a bit of red rag, maybe a wee bit of pewter - we are amatures". The cop wants to know if they win prize money etc...and the answer is "erm, n o......".

My friend is standing in the back of the horse box by this point with the laminitic pony, to ensure it's okay. Her six year old son is in the front (cab) shouting out the window to his mum "Mummy, are you going to get arrested????!"

The cop is still going banging on about going too slow - "You can't do that on an A road, you know" to which the driver says "Yes, but I wouldn't need to go that slow on an A road, but on THIS road I have to keep in mind a live, sedated animal".

So this exchange went on and on, the cop harrassing them about stuff that he never ended up ticketing them for. I'm thinking he was just spoiling for a fight???

The kicker of it all - the cop was giving my friend a hard time saying that if they had to go so slow, then she should have been following in the car with the hazards going. She replied..."I actually was following, officer....but I let you go in front of me at the last junction". LOL

So, now that I've shared part of a rather long silly story - can any one tell me if there's such a thing as a minimum road speed, and what is it???
 
I dont think there is....but would probably be best looking on the net!
(I would but im at work!)
I know you can get into trouble for going too slow on the motorway - as you become a hazard but never heard of it on any other type of road!
 
you shouldnt have your hazards on when in motion anyway (unless movingvery slowly on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway (highway code "MUST NOT") & the coppa should know that.

what a **** (& i have some very good coppers as friends), hope you got home safely.
 
I would have taken his number and reported him for his manner and lack of knowledge, I definitely would have put in a complaint. He should have been commending you for your good sense and not speeding with live stock in.

Silly police man.
 
No, I wouldn't think 30 in a 40 should be deemed as a nuisance etc. Do they pull over tractors or funeral processions? It seemed to me that someone had just graduated cop-school and was eager to make a name for himself. Silly silly person.

The best of it was that the driver of the horse box is a civil engineer, does lots of work on the roads and knows those roads inside and out...and was trying to argue a point about where the speed limit changes, and where the SIGNS were!
 
The interesting thing is that the policeman did NOT at any time ask for the Driving Licence. As his concern was how the vehicle was being driven he surely should have asked if the driver was qualified to drive a 7 1/2 ton lorry. He asked for a tacho when if he had checked the vehicle would have known that the vehicle was exempt, as per a quick check with VOSA this morning. He did not at any time ask for the passport or about competent person etc. We will be complaining.
 
PucciNPoni said:
So, now that I've shared part of a rather long silly story - can any one tell me if there's such a thing as a minimum road speed, and what is it???
Click to expand...
There is at this present time no national minimum speed limit (even on motorways). Occasionally (rare) roads will have a minimum speed limit set which will be indicated using a round sign but with blue background.
Cop was an idiot. :rolleyes:
 
JunoXV you beat me to it, was going to say there is a minimum speed road sign which is a blue circle with white number, but they are so rare... That policeman was obviously having a very boring day, as i drive my lorry at 45 max on the A11 and never been stopped!
 
I am flabbergasted at the fact that they never checked to see if the driver was licensed or insured to drive said box, but also never bothered with the passport...or to even check to make sure that there wasn't illegal drugs or chinese immigrants crammed in to the back of the box!!! Good lordy, he must have been really peeved though that a horse box dared to drive slow enough to make him overtake! Which he did, and then complained that the driver didn't tailgate him!!!!
 
I like to think its that he was more concerned aboout my liberty than his fathers... LOL. Prob truth is that he thought I was more likely to get arrested than his father ...
 
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