Brilliant British Coppering
Nov. 9th, 2009 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peteryoungToday's round of sparkling dialogue:
PY is proceeding along in his motorised vehicle in an orderly manner, he negotiates a busy roundabout and turns off. As he does so he spots a Jam Jar in the queue to get on the roundabout, two cars back, about 25m away. Thinks nothing of it. Turns a couple of corners, pulls into a car park, loosens his seat belt and reverses into a parking space. As he does so, said Police Car pulls up alongside. Winds window down.
Brilliant British Copper (so young it's probably the first time they've let him out on his own): "I noticed as you were on that roundabout that you weren't wearing your seatbelt."
PY: "In fact I was, you're mistaken. You can see it here, it's still over my shoulder."
BBC: "I really don't think you were. I could at least caution you."
PY: "For what? I was wearing my seatbelt. You're mistaken."
BBC: "No I'm not. I could see quite clearly."
PY, seeing where this is going: "Well, it's your word against mine."
BBC: "There's no need to be like that. I'm not going to book you." (I thought only American police used the term 'book'.)
PY: "Well, I wouldn't be "like that" if I had done something wrong, I'd be apologetic at the very least. You were 25 metres away, I was turning a corner and the seatbelt is the same colour as my shirt. Now you're this close you can clearly see I have been wearing my seatbelt. As I said, you're mistaken."
BBC, perhaps frustrated that he's getting nowhere: "Well, let's leave it at that. Consider yourself warned." And drives off.
Obviously not an official warning, just a tetchy one. I'd be happier if he left it with "OK, fair enough." This is actually the second time I've been stopped by the police in the last week; the first time was last Thursday while driving a hire car in Soweto, South Africa, by two black policemen doing licence checks. They even asked me how's the weather in England and if I'm enjoying my time in SA, they were that cordial.
PY is proceeding along in his motorised vehicle in an orderly manner, he negotiates a busy roundabout and turns off. As he does so he spots a Jam Jar in the queue to get on the roundabout, two cars back, about 25m away. Thinks nothing of it. Turns a couple of corners, pulls into a car park, loosens his seat belt and reverses into a parking space. As he does so, said Police Car pulls up alongside. Winds window down.
Brilliant British Copper (so young it's probably the first time they've let him out on his own): "I noticed as you were on that roundabout that you weren't wearing your seatbelt."
PY: "In fact I was, you're mistaken. You can see it here, it's still over my shoulder."
BBC: "I really don't think you were. I could at least caution you."
PY: "For what? I was wearing my seatbelt. You're mistaken."
BBC: "No I'm not. I could see quite clearly."
PY, seeing where this is going: "Well, it's your word against mine."
BBC: "There's no need to be like that. I'm not going to book you." (I thought only American police used the term 'book'.)
PY: "Well, I wouldn't be "like that" if I had done something wrong, I'd be apologetic at the very least. You were 25 metres away, I was turning a corner and the seatbelt is the same colour as my shirt. Now you're this close you can clearly see I have been wearing my seatbelt. As I said, you're mistaken."
BBC, perhaps frustrated that he's getting nowhere: "Well, let's leave it at that. Consider yourself warned." And drives off.
Obviously not an official warning, just a tetchy one. I'd be happier if he left it with "OK, fair enough." This is actually the second time I've been stopped by the police in the last week; the first time was last Thursday while driving a hire car in Soweto, South Africa, by two black policemen doing licence checks. They even asked me how's the weather in England and if I'm enjoying my time in SA, they were that cordial.
