| Casual pullover |
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I got pulled over by the police recently: it was late at night and I was driving a Ferrari 599 (the same car that was featured recently on Top Gear). I assumed he was just interested in the car – it wouldn’t be the first time that I had been stopped purely out of curiosity – but as I walked towards the policeman I could see he was hoping for more than a quick chat: he was expecting a blow job. “You can put that away,” I said, pointing at his breathalyser kit and adding: “I don’t drink.” That happens to be true – I don’t drink (anything alcoholic, that is) and never have done – but I didn’t expect him to believe me. “Right ho, sir,” he replied. “Have a good evening and drive safely”, and with that, he got back into his Volvo and drove off. All rather casual, I thought. The police car had followed me long enough for the observer to run a PNC check, when he would have discovered that the car belonged to Ferrari GB and that I wasn’t reported stolen. And since no mention was made of any moving traffic offence, and all the car lights were in working order, by what authority did he stop me? Are the police now entitled to stop any car they fancy, just on the off-chance of finding a) a driver over the limit; b) a boot full of drugs; c) a scrote wanted on warrant; or d) someone who looks like a terrorist? The fact that the policeman took me at my word was also a bit puzzling. I hadn’t got close enough for him to smell my breath, nor had I walked enough paces to reveal any lack of sobriety. So how did he know? Is there a traffic officer out there who could shed some light on these matters?
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