Court case and "substantial fine" looming for not obeying non-existent road signs
Last month I wrote about an incident in Glasgow when I — and many other drivers — were stopped by the police and fined for driving in an unmarked bus lane. Basically the two police officers on duty acknowledged that the signs and road markings which should have been there, didn’t actually exist.
But they had been ordered to issue fines anyway so that’s what they did.
On principle I can’t pay that fine. Yes I could just hand over my £30 for a quiet life. But I refuse to be punished for a council’s failure to put up road signs.
In my opinion this matter was handled in wholly the wrong way by the two police officers on duty, although I accept that it wasn’t their fault as they were merely "following orders". It’s the orders that were wrong. The person who issued those orders was, in effect, ordering his officers to intimidate and punish law-abiding members of the public for absolutely no reason.
I thought you may like to know what progress has been made…
Sadly, not very much progress at all.
I wrote to Strathclyde Police, explaining why I didn’t think the fine should have been issued, and including photographic evidence to show that the road markings and signs didn’t exist.
They wrote back, saying that they can’t discuss the matter as it will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of prosecution.
Click here to read the police response.
This whole incident has made me lose so much confidence in the police.
I just wish it had never happened. I wish I could have continued in my blissfully ignorant belief that the police don’t really do things like this to people.
The sickening theme running throughout has been that the police do not care that I haven’t done anything wrong. The officers who issued the ticket knew that the bus lane wasn’t marked and didn’t have adequate signage. They even advised me not to pay the fine!
Why the hell is someone in authority at Strathclyde Police wasting valuable time, money and human resources on prosecuting people for driving in an unmarked bus lane?!!
about 4 months ago
You are going to need the patience of a saint!
Their next tactic will be try to wear you down through tedium, stupidity, boredom, passing the buck, and threatening to raise the fine x10 if you don’t pay it.
Best bet is to publicise it all in glorious fashion and then embarrassing someone with responsibility to do some serious back-peddling. If you play by their rules and the system you will probably die first.
about 3 weeks ago
Andrew,
We do not have a police force, or a criminal justice system in this country any longer. They spend very little time solving/preventing crime, and an awful LOT of time carrying out revenue increasing activities such as this. They then use the threat of VERY heavy fines and jail, to ensure that you pay the small fines. Extortion by legal means.
How many of the motorists on that day that were stopped have just paid up for a quiet life – betting 99%.
I have a friend and his family that were tormented by a group of kids for years. Windows smashed, stones thrown, had to live with their curtains wide open every night for 5 yrs. He repeatedly caught the kids and handed them over to the police for nothing to be done. One night he was trying to catch up to one of the boys, using his car (he’s disabled and cant run after them), but clipped the wheel on the kids bike and he fell off. The kid then went to the police, He was arrested and spent 24hrs in detention, and was then charged with the next offence down from attempted murder. He has tried to fight this, and would have loved to have his day in court.
The way that the CPS works, is to threaten and bully individuals into the fines/costs they want to levy. Constantly threatening that if he insisted on taking it to court that they would seek a custodial sentence. Its not a justice system, its a money making racket. In the end he couldnt risk a prison sentence so had to accept what they offered (extorted).
Sorry for the long post – but it really is starting to get on my nerves the way the system is operated these days.