The Clarkson named ''Traffic Wombles''

[MaybeGuy]

What sort of powers do they actually have?

Say they were parked on the opposite side of a road (reasons unknown... speeding gun?) and someone just so happened to wheelie past them (not speeding, just consistant 70).

Would they be able to do anything if no chase or pull over was made, provided they got the reg?
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[bEN_]

I think they can just inform the police at the most or maybe take details down, they'll probably be given more powers eventually like have onboard recording equipment or some shit
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2010 Ducati 848 Dark

Lamp Post Enthusiast

[Mr.Ormes]

If they got the reg, they would inform the police and then they would send you a summons for dangerous driving and or not in controll of your vehicle....something along those lines, however...if your in a 70 mph wheelie, chances are your going to be accelerating harder and faster x
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DT 125 1995
Thumpstar 120
Suzuki ZR 50

[AngelGrinder]

They aren't Police, and have little to do with them in most regards. They can report you, but 99% of the time they won't. The only time I've heard of them getting someone done is when someone overtook a rolling road block for accident.

I don't see why everyone has such a problem with them, and knows so little about them? Basically, they are there to help people who have broken down, put cones out etc to improve visibility. And to be there to assist with accidents, or any time the motoways need closing or diverting.

I've had some let me take a trailer 2miles down the hard shoulder that had a blow out while they followed with the lights on.

They are there to help. Speed past them all you want.
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[MaybeGuy]

sweet
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[thepeteh]

They are often first on the scene to some nasty accidents, I'm not sure if I'd like to be first there for big pile ups. Big responsibility IMO an underrated service that's often the subject of unnecessary ridicule!




















Still hate it when they make me slow down as I thought they were coppers with their bloomin' battenburg though!

[iooi]

Most greatfull to them on the M1 today.

Speed signs saying 50 and Obstruction ahead. After a mile or so came up flashing red lights in centre lane doing 50.
Prats still flying up the outside lane and braking hard. Some even tried to pass. He just moved over on them.
Bought down to a stop then passenger jumps out and retrieves 3 great big lumps of wood out of the outside/middle lanes.

Over the next mile were 4 cars all with punctures on the hard shoulder....

Brave man to just out of a car on a M'way even with flashing lights.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[UnknownStuntm...]

Well a lad I went to school with seemingly lucked right out and is now a traffic womble. I bumped into him in Sainsburys. Well, that is, I was exactly halfway down an aisle and he turned into the same aisle with a trolley and I couldn't gtfo before he saw me. He absolutely loved telling me his job and thought he was the Chihuahua's Testicles. Among other things (advanced driving course for 6 weeks? Paramedic training to 'level 4' or some old shit whatever the fuck he thought he was talking about) he told me he has a speed camera on board his 'vee-hick-ull' and he's had a 'two week course' on how to use it. Fuck knows what they use MY fucking tax on, for that course, seriously, "look through there, press this button", how hard can it be? I always thought he was a cockend and this just proved it really. In any case, they can't pull you over, and they are to be viewed with the same respect you'd give a "community speedwatch old dear". Slim to zero.

[ThoughtContro...]

[J4mes]

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, we have the power to stop and direct traffic, close lanes and carriageways and manage traffic and it is an offence not to comply with our directions. This means if you fail to follow directions given by a traffic officer or as indicated by our signs you could face a fine of up to £1000 as well as possible driving licence endorsement or even disqualification.

Not sure if they can pull you for speeding, wheelies or whatever but worth keeping in mind

[WildGoose]

They close lanes on a motorway if somebody so much as farts in a way that is not conducive to road safety.

Sometimes it might be necessary, there is no doubt, but I have seen plenty of times when it is uneccesarily making a mess of all traffic for hours just so the 'elf and safety' brigade can tick a box to say procedures were carried out in accordance with.

How ever did we manage for so many years without them?

Just fine, is the answer. People died, people still die.

Before anyone pipes up in their defence. They are just another public mcjob, well paid monkeys taking the piss out of the public coffers.
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[Deaks]

They are there to do the non-police stuff that the police used to do on the motorways, supposedly to free up the police to deal with more serious stuff.
Mainly they assist with breakdowns, deal with crap in the road, sort out non-injury accidents (friend is a team manager so get to hear about this stuff).

A lot of them are pretty sound, but some really think they are coppers and act like tossers.

Personally I would imagine you would only really be in trouble if you broke one of their roadblocks or rode through a closed bit of road. But generally I wouldn't think you would want to as normally those things are there for a reason, like iooi said, wood in the road or stuff like that.
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Suzuki SV650S '04 (09/08-02/11), Triumph Tiger 1050 '07 (02/11 - current).

Live to Ride. Ride to Feel Alive.

[John933]

[Daimo]

Actually, they are there to take the effort AWAY from the police.

The more of the traffic officers look after stupid things like motorway debry, accidents etc, give the police more time to catch law evaders. It stops the police having the man the accidents, pull over to assist broken down drivers, control the traffic flow etc.

No they don't have many powers, and i've known of quite a few stories from the local depot where powers have gone to the officers heads, and they've been fired not long after.

tbh, I really can't see the issue and the problem people have. Sure they slow you down, but sometimes its just simply a case of making room for the traffic flow rate to increase (but you need to make the space first). Others its just to remove debris. Its not really much out of your day, you may be delayed by 2-4 minutes. Woooooooooooo, ohes noes, thats gonna make me late....

They are there to assist road users, have no powers, and it doesn't bother me in the slighest that they are there to do their own job. I go past at normal motorway speeds.


Bugger, just read the reply 2 above (Deeaks). I've jsut repeated it

[D O G]

[Nexus Icon]

[dogbot]

Wasn't really worth posting twice...

[dogbot]

[Kris]

Whatever you do don't get into an argument with them and ride off after telling them to "do one". DAMHIKT.

Also, after stopping for a fellow biker who'd run out of fuel - and taking him on a round trip to get fuel - we arrived back at the bike to the Wombles clambering all over it. I think they were about to put one of their fancy 'Do not attempt to remove this vehicle**' stickers on it. They took one look at my slightly dirty plate and apparently I received a warning from him about it. I just laughed.

**these stickers come off quite easy and don't mean J.Shit.
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