Was it off duty filth?

[J4mes]

Was coming home from work today, entered a dual carriageway 50MPH limit and filtered(?) between two cars doing 35-40mph.

One of them then starts flashing his lights like crazy, so I flip the bird, he carries on flashing, I flip some more, he keeps flashing, I flip some more. I then give up and carry on, at 50mph.

I look in the rear view mirror, and a yellow Hi-Vi has appeared on the dash, and the vehicle is still flashing. I go round the next roundabout, pull in to the left lane and slow to 40mph, do an obvious shoulder check for a few seconds and the vehicle is still sat about 100 yards back. I carry on for 1/2 mile at 40ish, but he doesn't get any closer.

I enter a 70mph limit after another roundabout, accelerated to 70 and carried on.

So, was this off duty 5-0 trying to pull me over, or a quantity surveyor trying to put the willies up me?

I'm going with the latter as he never tried to close in when I slowed down and looked back, and I've been home 4 hours and swat haven't come in to my house and disrespected my whole family

Thoughts?

[bunglebubs]

If you've not heard anything by now must be some twat
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899 Panigale, K7 GSXR 750

[Tungtvann]

Doesn't sound like he made much of an effort to pull you over, maybe just a prick. Unless something was falling off your bike.

[Irn-Bru]

I would be paranoid and check the bike over when I got home, specifically lights and stuff. Maybe something fell off and he was worried. Maybe he's just a nobber.

I really don't think they can pull you without blue lights, undercover would have those fitted to the car.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[rac3r]

Why would an off duty cop give him/herself work to do!?!
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[Boris the spider]

[bunglebubs]

[Rogerborg]

[soforene]

[-Matt-]

I'd be very suprised if it says anywhere that off-duties can stop you by flashing their normal lights - considering the potential for it to be dangerous to oncoming vehicles for one i highly doubt it would even be a relevant arguement of 'i tryed to stop him flashing my headlights' if it was an off duty.

[27cows]

No, blue lights, no pull. End of.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[Walloper]

YU Paranoid Bro?

Furgedit.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[rac3r]

Traffic wise nothing can be done off duty. Must have been some health and safety inspector or maybe he was trying to tell you your riding is awesome
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[ScaredyCat]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Must've just been some fucktard thinking they could shit you up. Kudos for repeated birds dude.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Khanivore]

[ninja_butler]

Two cars doing 35-40mph? Like blocking both lanes of the dual carriageway, or was one just overtaking the other?

[Rogerborg]

I'll say this again and I'll type it slowly: any copper can try and stop you. On duty or off, in uniform or stealth, in a marked vehicle, unmarked vehicle, or no vehicle at all. There may be force policies against it, but that's an administrative matter.

See: Police Complaint Commissioner and law professor says unmarked vehicle stop was "not legal".

Shortly followed by: ... oh, hang on, now that I've bothered to read the actual law...
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[stinkwheel]

I once (back in 2005, wow time flies) had what was probably an off duty copper take it upon himself to chase after me in his shitty little citroen then sit alongside me on a dual carriageway, steering with one hand while leaning across the car and holding his warrant card up against the passenger side window.

Almost certainly was a copper.

I looked at him and waved.

So yes, it could very well have been a jumped up little prick taking his work home with him.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mysterious_rider]

Is that a too fast too furious quote!?
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KAWASAKIIIII

[J4mes]

[Matt B]

If it really was a plod, and they really wanted to talk to you, then he could have followed you all the way home and pulled his warrant card out.

I would like to say I'd never stop for anything other than blue lights. However, my personalty and temperament would probably force me to pull over and see what the knobber wanted.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[gixerladsw]

IF it was plod I doubt they would have ceased to follow you. And dont think they would use HI VIZ to indicate authority. Just sounds like a knobber to me!

[map]

[esullivan]

Maybe he was just telling you should be wearing a hi-vis? That's what he/she probably meant by putting it on the dash.

On an barely related topic, there seems to be a distressing tendency among some here to assume the car driver is a knob and respond appropriately. This reminds me of the windshield washer fluid thread from a weeks ago.
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