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Hands free in unmarked Police cars?

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 IceKing 31 May 2012
Driving home last night on the M60 (in heavy traffic) there was an unmarked Beemer Police car (with its blue lights on) doing a ton in the outside lane on the opposite carriageway.

Thing was, the driver (I couldn't see anyone in the passenger seat) had a mobile phone pressed to his ear.

Surely it's risky enough travelling at high speed down the outside lane in heavy traffic but whilst talking into a mobile phone? Do cop cars not have hands free? Or do they normally ride two-up so the passenger will deal with the communications?
 cuppatea 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

Sure it was a phone and not a radio mic? it's permissable to use 2 way radio while driving
 winhill 31 May 2012
In reply to cuppatea:
> (In reply to IceKing)
>
> Sure it was a phone and not a radio mic? it's permissable to use 2 way radio while driving

But you don't usually press the mic to your ear.
OP IceKing 31 May 2012
In reply to cuppatea: Yep, definitely a phone
KevinD 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

telling the doughnut shop he would be late for the pick up.
 cuppatea 31 May 2012
In reply to winhill:

True enough, I use both.
The driver was observed late at night at high speed and the distance from ear to chin is only a couple of inches (at least it is where I live)
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

police cars whether marked or unmarked do not have hands free for phones. All cars have a radio car kit and a radio control button next to the streering wheels so radio's can be used for talking whilst driving without removing hands from the steering wheel. There is no set up for mobile phones though.

It is also the same rules for police with regards to using mobile phones whilst driving.

Police radio's can also be used as a phone but it is not force policy to use the radio as a phone whilst driving.

Hope this helps,

AT
OP IceKing 31 May 2012
In reply to cuppatea:
> (In reply to winhill)
>
> True enough, I use both.
> The driver was observed late at night

It was about 5pm
OP IceKing 31 May 2012
In reply to An Triubhas: Thank you, that answers my question.
 Albert Tatlock 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

Are you sure it was not a fire officer,they use their own vehicles,fitted with blue lights / klaxon etc, to attend incidents.
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to Big Jonnie: even if it was, it is still against the law and not a professional appearance!!!
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

you are welcome!!!! p.s police radio's also have the choice of wearing and earpiece so that would be another reason not to have to hold the radio if it was a radio and not a phone!

AT
OP IceKing 31 May 2012
In reply to Big Jonnie: No, I'm not sure. It was a BMW five series with blue lights in the front grill and alternating flashing headlights. I assumed it was a police car as I'd seen the same many times before. Could be a fire officer perhaps but seems unlikely, especially as it may have been the end of shift and a good way to get through rush hour traffic
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

what colour was it??? Charcoal / gun metal grey colour???
OP IceKing 31 May 2012
In reply to An Triubhas: I'd say a cross between metallic blue and gun metal grey.
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

yeah sounds like the plain police vehicles, the majority are BMW's in them kinda colours!!!

Plain fire vehicles still normally have a badge on them!!
Removed User 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

If you personally was in the middle of an emergency, where time is important, I think you would be chancing the use of a mobile while you were driving; irrespecitive of the law. You wouldn't be pulling over and parking to either make a call or take one relating to the emergency.

If he had his blues on then he is probably dealing with an emergency, and using some common sense to expedite the situation to best effect. Much the same as you would.

Yep, it ain't professional, but if it was you he was rushing to help I think you'd be happy for him to do it. I don't mean that in a bad way, all polite like, but you get my drift, not that you was having a go at him.

 doz generale 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

He was probably one of those cops that plays by his own rules and is not afraid to bend the law to get his man. I recon he had probably had a few swigs of scotch from a hip flask to sharpen his nerve. He would have had a telling off from his chief this morning that would have included threats to demote him to a lolypop lady, But later on in the afternoon was vindicated as he arrested some criminal mastermind after a shoot out and a fist fight.

He lives in a rundown narrowboat and sleeps with a shotgun under his bed. Hes probably called something like DI john Mallard and would be played by a young John nettles type if they made a TV series about him.
 AdCo82 31 May 2012
In reply to Removed User: what about using his radio??? Police do not use mobile phones in an emergency!!!
 Tom Valentine 31 May 2012
In reply to doz generale:
Priceless!
Removed User 31 May 2012
In reply to An Triubhas:

His radio wasn't working.
 toad 31 May 2012
In reply to doz generale: He'd be on the phone to his rebellious teenage daughter, who hasn't forgiven him for the breakup of his marriage due to the pressures of the job. She's fallen in with the wrong sort and he was on his way to deliver some hard justice, and rescue her from her crack-addled boyfriend, before taking her back to her mother, who realises she still loves Mallard, but he loves the job more.

That sort of thing?
 Yanis Nayu 31 May 2012
In reply to toad: Wouldn't he be driving a classic car though?
 Albert Tatlock 31 May 2012
In reply to IceKing:

Are you sure it was not Gene Hunt in his Quattro .
 gethin_allen 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Removed User:
So a dead police man in a smashed up car on the motorway is going to be able to help out with whatever emergency was happening? What's one of the first things you get taught on emergency training courses? Don't become a victim/casualty as you are no use to anyone then and worse someone else has to rescue you putting more people at risk.
 AdCo82 01 Jun 2012
In reply to gethin_allen: spot on!!!
Removed User 01 Jun 2012
In reply to gethin_allen:

Yes of course, how stupid of me, what was I thinking when I wrote that twaddle. Sorry.
 Camm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to IceKing:
Their car sets have a mic that looks like a phone, you hold it up to your ear just like a phone and talk through it, so it was probably this. With the road noise at 100mph control wouldn't be able to hear what's being said. That's IF it was the Police, but it could be anyone, so assume nothing.
 cuppatea 01 Jun 2012
In reply to danrock101:
> (In reply to IceKing)
> Their car sets have a mic that looks like a phone, you hold it up to your ear just like a phone and talk through it, so it was probably this.

Something like this?
http://www.northumbria.police.uk/Images/Uniform4_tcm4-19085.jpg

or this?
http://www.lbc.co.uk/mm/image/18223.jpg
OP IceKing 01 Jun 2012
Having watched Police Go Stop Turn-a-Round Helicopter Rescue Interceptor Chav Chasing Cops programs I've seen what they've used on there and this was much smaller and really looked like a modern mobile phone.

My 'guess' was as it looked like a mobile phone, he appeared to have it pressed to his ear like a mobile phone, and he was talking into it like a mobile phone that it might be a mobile phone! Go figure!

Anyway it is beside the point. A police car with one occupant was doing a ton in the outside lane in very heavy traffic in rush hour on the M60, it was being driven one-handed by a driver who was distracted by speaking into a mobile phone/walkie-talkie/radio/dog toy in the shape of a phone (copyright Father Dougal from Father Ted). What technology he was actually using seems to not be the point perhaps?

My question was do they have hands free, it seems like they should so they can avoid doing this with whatever they happen to be communicating with. As much for their benefit as mine!
 Sir Chasm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to IceKing: Research indicates that it's the act of carrying out the conversation that is the distraction rather than the medium through which it is carried out. So don't worry, your fictitious event would have been no less dangerous had your imaginary copper been using hands free.
OP IceKing 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Sir Chasm: I'm not trolling and it wasn't fictitious (although I'm impressed by your argument technique - it didn't happen therefore I can go 'la-la-la' it doesn't exist). But your other, more relevant argument, begs the question - if that's true, firstly why aren't hands free in cars generally banned then? And why wasn't there another cop in the car to handle comms? The risk of what he was doing was the same whatever the research says he was disracted by.

Personally, though I'm sure you'll disagree - which is what you do after all - is I'd like my cops to arrive and arrest Mr Big or whoever he was after rather than be a long, red smear along the outside lane of the M60 near the Trafford Centre.
 Sir Chasm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to IceKing: Of course I believe you. 100mph on the m60 in the rush hour, when all the lanes are full and lights and sirens are barely enough to clear a path. Of course i believe you.
OP IceKing 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Sir Chasm: I was heading towards the Trafford Centre from Stockport and it was stop start on my side of the carriageway, as it often is along there. On the opposite carriageway it was free flowing and whether he was doing a ton I can't 100% say but it appeared to be a fair bit above the speed limit. The fact remains it seemed risky, my OP was enquiring about hands free as I was a little surprised by what I saw, did it sound like I was trolling by making it sound outrageous? No. I wasn't trying to start an argument about how cops might do this or that. I asked a question and someone answered it directly. That might tell you something. But you carry on believing what you like.
 1202alarm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to IceKing:
Sounds like he was using a hand held mobile device whilst driving. If it bothers you that much go and report it. I take it you got the vehicle reg and made a note of the time?
 Sir Chasm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Scotsken:
Iceking: I'd like to report a policeman speeding and using a mobile phone.
Cop: Where did this happen, sir?
Iceking: In my imagination.
Cop: Very good sir, if I could just take some more details.
OP IceKing 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Scotsken: <<Whoosshh>> That's the point of my OP going right over your head...
OP IceKing 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Sir Chasm: You do know that it's bad form trolling if you keep repeating yourself? I quite like some of your posts, they can be quite witty and incisive. This isn't one of those.
 Sir Chasm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to IceKing: Sorry.
 Neil Williams 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Sir Chasm:

"Research indicates that it's the act of carrying out the conversation that is the distraction rather than the medium through which it is carried out."

Yes, but it's not just about distraction, it's about the fact that you have a phone (or cup of coffee, or MP3 player, or cigarette, or whatever) in one hand and thus would have a short delay to chuck the item concerned before the hand would be available for use on the wheel or other controls in emergency.

Neil
 Sir Chasm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to Neil Williams: I wonder how long it takes to simply let go of a phone? Do you think it takes longer than, ooh let's say moving your hand from the gearstick to the wheel?
 Richard Carter 01 Jun 2012
In reply to doz generale:

*pulls up a chair*

Nevermind this phone nonsense, tell me more about DI Mallard!
 Camm 01 Jun 2012
In reply to cuppatea:
No, they're the personal radios, most of the car sets have a coiled cable, just like this, http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/wp-content/phoneimages/2007/10/opticom-b400-c...
but obviously not the right hand side of the phone lol

But yeah as said above, if I needed help, I couldn't give a shit if they used the phone on the way to me or not haha.
In reply to An Triubhas:
> (In reply to IceKing)

OK, I will bite
>
> police cars whether marked or unmarked do not have hands free for phones. -
Well mine did (but that was a few years ago)

> All cars have a radio car kit and a radio control button next to the streering wheels so radio's can be used for talking whilst driving without removing hands from the steering wheel -
yes, mine did but can you actually say ALL cars do?

> There is no set up for mobile phones though -
well mine did

> It is also the same rules for police with regards to using mobile phones whilst driving -
This is true however sometimes needs must. The law states you can not use a mobile phone whilst driving unless in an emergency. A police office on blue lights might well be in an emergency

> Police radio's can also be used as a phone but it is not force policy to use the radio as a phone whilst driving -
yes but policy is guidance to be followed, it is not law



 AdCo82 02 Jun 2012
In reply to 9WS9c3jps92HFTEp:

Well you are wrong about that in some areas of England!!!
In reply to An Triubhas:

Which bit?

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