Side lights looking similar to Fog lights?

[ALD0]

Dunno if this has been bought up before.

Was driving back from work tonight, had lights on as obviously was dark.
Anyhow-saw police car coming towards me (not a traffic car) and next thing blue lights went on. I pulled up next to her and she said that I have got my Fog lights on, At first I appologised then looked down only to see that they weren't on, I replied they are not on though and was told back-YES THEY ARE, I replied no they aren't and got the same reply, anyhow to cut a long story short I had to reverse a little then put them on to show that I didn't have them on before.
SHE then appologised and explaind that side lights should be same level as your main beams and that I should carry some sort of evidence around to show the traffic POLICE as they will apparantly pull you over for this.
Anyone from on here had this problem before?

Thanks

Simon

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by interceptor

Dunno if this has been bought up before.

Was driving back from work tonight, had lights on as obviously was dark.
Anyhow-saw police car coming towards me (not a traffic car) and next thing blue lights went on. I pulled up next to her and she said that I have got my Fog lights on, At first I appologised then looked down only to see that they weren't on, I replied they are not on though and was told back-YES THEY ARE, I replied no they aren't and got the same reply, anyhow to cut a long story short I had to reverse a little then put them on to show that I didn't have them on before.
SHE then appologised and explaind that side lights should be same level as your main beams and that I should carry some sort of evidence around to show the traffic POLICE as they will apparantly pull you over for this.
Anyone from on here had this problem before?

Thanks

Simon

First of all, "side lights should be the same level as main beams", absolute rubbish, she's made that up. Look around next time you're out at night, any number of cars (mostly 'sportier' and 4WD types) have sidelights below the main beam. As do classic Mini Clubmans.

As for 'anyone had this problem before'..... yes, me, and quite a few others.

Here's my tale....

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showpost....&postcount=116

[Damo]

Typical! I deal with incompetant people every day (customers AND collegues) always making up pathetic excuses for not knowing there jobs or making silly mistakes, or not paying the bills and blaming it on the cat dying for the 8th time!

Fair enough you could mistake them for fog lights, but to make a load of rubbish comment like "Side lights have to be level...etc" Just accept your mistake and move on. You look less stupid, and retain more respect for accepting you were wrong. (Advice I'll probably never follow )

No wonder even the normal police have no respect for traffic cops! As for the transport police, they hate em even more as they get branded with same the same stick! Oh the stories I've been told *L*

Wasn't going to say anything more but now I'm in a ranting mood.

I'm lucky enough only to have ever been pulled twice.

Once for blatant disregard for a motorway speed limit! My fault, very stupid. 5 points £500 fine, no excuse (except being dumped by said GF 5 mins before but even so!)

Second time to give a policeman a piece of mind due to HIS driving in a Civilian Police car. He pulled me over while escorting a prisoner after my very hot headed brother gave him the fingers.

The short version of his antics was he was undertaking cars in a rush to get no where, only to end up behind me anyway as I was using the fast lane. Anyway after a motorway changes M60 Anti-clockwise to M61 North, he ended up behind me. Even with all his undertaking lane changeing etc.

He finished up driving so close to the rear of the BMW I was driving, I couldn't see his head lights. This was on a very wet motorway doing 70-80mph! So I slowed down further only for him to start flahing his lights. And the debate was, weather he started flashing his lights (Not Blues and Two's just headlights) before or after my brother gave him the fingers.

He spent 5 mins shouting at my brother for "Road Rage", "being an idiot", "people like him getting people killed". For me to finish on the phone to my dad saying I was likley to be late. Get out the car to ask him what he thought he was playing at.

Can't remember the exact conversation, (3 years ago now), mainly about my brothers reaction first. 2 things stuck in mind clearly though. One the complete change in him from the way he was with my "hot headed brother" to me (feeling nervous as hell legs shaking etc thinking oh god whats going to happen) after "persuading" my brother to get in the car (who rather helpfully was shouting abuse out of the window). Afer shouiting about what my brother was like to me and I started talking, he just went quiet and started mkaing excuses that he was an advanced driver etc.

The second thing I remember was my reply. Slightly embelished I won't deny (Was nervous remember) to his "i'm an advanced driver I could see what was going on in front of you so could react rubbish".

"I don't car if you've got the reactions of Ralf Schumacher and the psychic ability of Mystic Meg you ain't going to stop an accident if I had a blow out in front of you".

Didn't come out exactly like that, but the Mystic Meg and Ralf Schumacher bits are acurate. I was more gutted I didn't say Nigel Mansell, or Damon Hill than anything else. Why Ralf and not Michael i'll never know either

Anyway took all his details, badge number, car reg etc. Of course nothing came of the complaint I made. Other than "Experienced driver was escorting a prisoner to stand as a witness to yahdy yahdy yahdy"

I had a lot of respect for the guy who pulled me over for speeding believe it or not. But that guy was a ***. He wasn't a traffic cop though, some CID guy.

When he pulled alongside to start signalling to pull over I was like "No way" after seeing the guy in back seat. When I saw the Uniformed officer in the back seat next to this massive guy my heart sank, nerves started etc.