Re: Strange police encounter

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:14:49 -0000, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>
wrote:

I've just had a *very* strange encounter with the police.

Two policemen have just visited me as a "service to the community" to
provide me with a "friendly reminder" that my car tax is due at the end of
the month.

These were real policemen, not Community Support Officers. They had a real
jam butty police car and they had actually driven to my house. They had my
name and address on a computer printout from the DVLA. I think that they
were visiting everyone in the area to give them the same reminder.

My first thought was to say "haven't you got anything better to do?" but a
little voice inside told be that might not be wise. The two coppers were
friendly, polite and helpful but I have an odd feeling that could have
changed in a second if I'd said something not to their liking.

I was fully aware of the need to get a new tax disc. I had receieved the
usual notification from DVLA which told me that the earliest I could buy a
new tax disc was 15 March. Yesterday, the 16th, I actually got the new disc.
So, I took the coppers to my car and showed them the new, valid disc. They
went away happy.

However, I'm somewhat puzzled, not to menton concerned, about this. I live
in a small market town in Norfolk. Under normal circumstances it is almost
impossible to get the police to attend an incident. A couple of weeks ago a
woman down the road was mugged on her own doorstep. The police refused to
attend the incident at the time - two CSOs did attend the following day.
There is a Saturday market in town that ensures the middle of the town is a
veritable zoo! I've seen drunken brawls in the street at midday! But there
is never any sort of police presence to sort this sort of thing out. Yet,
two policemen were perfectly capable of visiting me to urge me not to forget
to get a new tax disc.

It also puzzles me that they visited me two days after the earliest possible
time that I *could* get a new disc. I could understand if they were visting
me two days before the tax expired but, had I not got a new one yesterday,
the old tax disc would have still been perfectly valid for another two
weeks. This seems suspiciously like some form of surveillance.

So I have to ask - even if it is only to myself and you lot - don't they
have anything better to do?

Is this normal behaviour for the police? We're always hearing of them having
a lack of resources, yet they can fnd the time to visit perfectly law
abiding citizens and warn them of an action that they need to take two weeks
in the future. Just what is going on?

Well,apart from saying "Tell me this is simply not true" my reaction
is to ask .Do you have the new disc displayed ..'cause you shouldn't
...unless I suppose you have both on display .

and secondly

the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

Also there was no need for you to show them the disc at all . If the
present disc was on display and valid then that's that .
Stuart

P.S. Don't they have anything better to do .? I'd be very inclined to
write to the appropraite Chief Cons to ask WTF is going on .They
always say they are under resourced .

uk.rec.cars.misc added

Stuart B wrote:

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:14:49 -0000, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
wrote:

I've just had a *very* strange encounter with the police.

Two policemen have just visited me as a "service to the community" to
provide me with a "friendly reminder" that my car tax is due at the
end of the month.

These were real policemen, not Community Support Officers. They had
a real jam butty police car and they had actually driven to my
house. They had my name and address on a computer printout from the
DVLA. I think that they were visiting everyone in the area to give
them the same reminder.

My first thought was to say "haven't you got anything better to do?"
but a little voice inside told be that might not be wise. The two
coppers were friendly, polite and helpful but I have an odd feeling
that could have changed in a second if I'd said something not to
their liking.

I was fully aware of the need to get a new tax disc. I had receieved
the usual notification from DVLA which told me that the earliest I
could buy a new tax disc was 15 March. Yesterday, the 16th, I
actually got the new disc. So, I took the coppers to my car and
showed them the new, valid disc. They went away happy.

However, I'm somewhat puzzled, not to menton concerned, about this.
I live in a small market town in Norfolk. Under normal circumstances
it is almost impossible to get the police to attend an incident. A
couple of weeks ago a woman down the road was mugged on her own
doorstep. The police refused to attend the incident at the time -
two CSOs did attend the following day. There is a Saturday market in
town that ensures the middle of the town is a veritable zoo! I've
seen drunken brawls in the street at midday! But there is never any
sort of police presence to sort this sort of thing out. Yet, two
policemen were perfectly capable of visiting me to urge me not to
forget to get a new tax disc.

It also puzzles me that they visited me two days after the earliest
possible time that I *could* get a new disc. I could understand if
they were visting me two days before the tax expired but, had I not
got a new one yesterday, the old tax disc would have still been
perfectly valid for another two weeks. This seems suspiciously like
some form of surveillance.

So I have to ask - even if it is only to myself and you lot - don't
they have anything better to do?

Is this normal behaviour for the police? We're always hearing of
them having a lack of resources, yet they can fnd the time to visit
perfectly law abiding citizens and warn them of an action that they
need to take two weeks in the future. Just what is going on?

Well,apart from saying "Tell me this is simply not true" my reaction
is to ask .Do you have the new disc displayed ..'cause you shouldn't
..unless I suppose you have both on display .

No... just the new one, which they seemed to find perfectly acceptable.

and secondly

the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

Thanks for the warning. I shall go and display the old disc right now.

P.S. Don't they have anything better to do .? I'd be very inclined to
write to the appropraite Chief Cons to ask WTF is going on .They
always say they are under resourced .

The problem with that is that it would bring me to their attention once
again. I'm not sure that would be wise. I'm afraid that I really don't trust
our fine constabulary. :-(

--
Enzo

I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:14:57 -0000, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>
wrote:

The problem with that is that it would bring me to their attention once
again. I'm not sure that would be wise. I'm afraid that I really don't trust
our fine constabulary. :-(

The whole thing is a troll

Road tax has nothing whatsoever to do with the police

Stuart B wrote:

and secondly

the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

Are you sure about that? Am I supposed to go out at 11:59 pm on the
31st and wait until exactly midnight or should I really be displaying
both and remove the old one the following day?

Even if, in theory I am supposed to do one of the above, does anyone
actually bother? I have never noticed anyone displaying two tax discs,
but I haven't really looked either.

Gareth

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:00:07 +0000, Gareth <me (AT) privacy (DOT) net> wrote:

Stuart B wrote:

and secondly

the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

Are you sure about that? Am I supposed to go out at 11:59 pm on the
31st and wait until exactly midnight or should I really be displaying
both and remove the old one the following day?

Even if, in theory I am supposed to do one of the above, does anyone
actually bother? I have never noticed anyone displaying two tax discs,
but I haven't really looked either.

Gareth

Well Tax Discs are issued for periods of 6 or 12 months .They start
on the first day of the first month and expire on the last day of the
last month so they are valid during that period . They cannot be
valid for display before they start can they so the current (old) one
should be displayed until the new one starts but no-one is suggesting
you stand outside at midnight to do the changeover .or put both up
then remove the old one . I know when I get my new disc I either swap
them if it is "passed" the expiry date of the old one or swap them
over sometime on Day one if I get it in advance . In fact my disc
holder has a number of discs in it as I just put the new one on top of
the previous one(s)

Do parking attendants still check discs as they used to do or has that
practice been abandoned .

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:45:37 +0000, Stuart B <noone (AT) nowhere (DOT) com>
wrote:

the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

It is valid from the day of issue as it is a renewal within the terms
allowed.

Also there was no need for you to show them the disc at all . If the
present disc was on display and valid then that's that .
Stuart

P.S. Don't they have anything better to do .? I'd be very inclined to
write to the appropraite Chief Cons to ask WTF is going on .They
always say they are under resourced .

They better not come this with me else they will be getting asked if
they have found who stole my trailer, who stole my extension ladders
or who it was who totalled my car and put me out of work costing me
tens of thousands in lost earnings.

uk.rec.cars.misc added

In news:d97ov2dpiv08ihlabpa41mlj5t00qglfqb (AT) 4ax (DOT) com,
me (AT) privacy (DOT) net <me (AT) privacy (DOT) net> wittered on forthwith;

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:14:57 -0000, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
wrote:


The problem with that is that it would bring me to their attention
once again. I'm not sure that would be wise. I'm afraid that I
really don't trust our fine constabulary. :-(

The whole thing is a troll

Road tax has nothing whatsoever to do with the police

The Police are the ones who fine you £60 for not displaying a valid disc
though, then the DVLA will fine you again given half the chance.


--
Pete M - Using the Scouse Side of the Force -
Golf GTi,
Mercedes 190E Auto
OMF#9

Currently listening to "The Dead Class - Boo"

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:45:37 +0000, Stuart B <noone (AT) nowhere (DOT) com
wrote:




the new disc is not strictly speaking,as you say,"valid" . It doesn't
really become valid until the first day of the 6/12 month period
which in this case is the 1st April .

But
On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 19:29:52 +0000, AlanG <plant (AT) invalid (DOT) com> wrote:

It is valid from the day of issue as it is a renewal within the terms
allowed.


You were saying ???

Better take it up with DVLA then

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...cle/DG_4022051

"You can apply to tax your vehicle from the fifteenth day of the month
in which the existing vehicle tax is due to expire. The tax disc will
come into force on the first day of the following month and should not
be displayed on your vehicle until then."

Stuart

In article <ndiov294fnk9jpdvuatste9q8nrd1cvv6p (AT) 4ax (DOT) com>, Stuart B
<noone (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> writes

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...urVehicle/DG_4
022051

"You can apply to tax your vehicle from the fifteenth day of the month
in which the existing vehicle tax is due to expire. The tax disc will
come into force on the first day of the following month and should not
be displayed on your vehicle until then."

It does seem a strange restriction since having the car already taxed is the

only way you can get one early.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

<me (AT) privacy (DOT) net> wrote

On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:14:57 -0000, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
wrote:

|
| The problem with that is that it would bring me to their attention
| once again. I'm not sure that would be wise. I'm afraid that I
| really don't trust our fine constabulary. :-(

The whole thing is a troll

Road tax has nothing whatsoever to do with the police

Indeed it has.

--
"A horse a horse, my kingdom for a horse".

I haven't had a winner for six months.

The Count