Big brother policing during Covid19

Convicted Driver Insurance

C J 1980

Established Member
Morning

Not necessarily a drink driving topic but I wanted to get people's view on the policing tactics during Covid19.

I'm not a fan of the boys & girls in blue but I'm starting to think that they are behaving in a draconian manner and are challenging a lot more motorists.

If you are over the limit & behind the wheel - there is a higher chance you will get pulled if you go on to the motorway network. If you stay close to where you live and simply drive from A to B there is less chance of a pull than if you go a long distance. I'm not actually encouraging DD here but I am warning that people chancing their arm if they know they are over the limit are potentially more likely to be caught!?

From a banned driver perspective - I'm actually glad I'm out the equation on this one. I've already been told some bad stories about the police in the last fortnight. Below are two examples of why the police are not doing themselves any favours in the popularity stakes at present.

I know a lady who's daughter is coming to the end of a difficult pregnancy and was heading to her house when daughter started to have a bleed. The daughter already has another child & had rung 999. The lady panicked and clearly as her daughter would be admitted to hospital - she was driving the 30 mile journey to simply care for her grandchild. She was actually pulled on the motorway & turned around by Mr Plod who said if the ambulance have been contacted, daughter has a partner (father of the child and unborn child) who can look after said child, so it is not an essential journey & she was turned around and sent home.

Another example is a guy I know from doing an AA (Alcoholic Annonymous) meeting. He says that during the current climate some members of AA have relapsed - their network of meetings and socializing has been cut off and a lot of these people don't have the luxury of Skype. Therefore, they have clearly fallen into the danger zone of drinking again. One member has relapsed quite badly by all accounts & even though he has been spoken to over the phone there is some concern about him because he lives on his own & is in poor health. The guy I know was travelling to this guy's flat to do a welfare call on his doorstep (as he is a sponsor) but was turned around on the way there by the police. The cop who stopped this bloke was an ****hole to put it bluntly. He said, the bloke was clearly safe - as he had been spoken to over the telephone, it was a lifestyle choice and he was not allowing two alcoholics to have a get together so they could have a piss up! Absolute disgrace.

I think there will be a lower opinion of the police when this is all over. Has anyone else had any experience of the police since the Covid 19 measures started?

CJ
 
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Whilst in normal times both of those journeys would have been routine, in these exceptional times I agree with what the police did.
in the first case the little girl was not going to be on her own as her dad was at the house. He would not have been allowed to travel in the ambulance.
In the second case, whilst the officer could have chosen his words better, the relapsed drinker had chosen to do what he was doing and had received support on the phone. The “sponsor” wanted to back up the phone call with a visit, but one visit would be unlikely to make a dramatic change in the mans‘ circumstances, so daily visits?
If the alcoholic has been going out regularly to get alcohol he may have contracted the Virus and could pass it on to the sponsor who then takes it back to his family, (or indeed the sponsor could have the virus and take it to the alcoholic who is in poor health)..... or pass it on to a Police Officer risking his health to try to get us all to act responsibly.
What next? lots of people suffer from anxiety and would benefit from home visits. Many elderly people will be feeling lonely but are having to see this through on their own.
We have to see the longer picture and not put their own wants ahead of what needs to be achieved to get us past this horrible virus.
 
I think in both cases the action was reasonable. There will also be a few 'bad eggs' but on the whole, the police have very difficult task under very challenging circumstances and do a fine job. People really do have to ask themselves 'is this journey necessary'. In both cases yes, it's an emotional reaction but in these times we need to look beyond this way of thinking.

It's easy to 'bash the old bill' but these guys and girls face huge risks every day just for going out and doing their jobs. Protecting the well being of you and I. Many are seriously injured and even lose their lives in the line of duty. My job doesn't expose me to that risk and I am sure I am financially compensated far better than any of them

Yes, it's their choice to do the job but thank God they do.
 
Its fair to say that this wicked virus is taking it's toll everywhere.

The fall out from Covid19 is immense. People are generally being left between a rock & a hard place at the moment.

The government is clearly focused on the physical aspects of the condition & the implications of fatality amongst a lot of people who would fall under the 'vulnerability' umbrella. My concern is the other aspect of vulnerability such as mental health, alcoholism & drugs which I do think is being ignored.

The AA scenario is savage - people who rely on their meetings have literally had their legs cut off at the knees and cannot even rely on fellow members coming round to visit them if they are struggling.

The other scenario is grave - the woman in question is a friend of my mums and she is in a really bad way at the moment - her daughter maybe has to under an emergency caesarean while in hospital and there is absolutely nothing she can do at the moment!!!

Bad times for everyone.

CJ
 
Hearing more an more stories of Alcoholics relapsing because they cannot attend meetings , heard one guy 20yrs abstinent suddenly decided to drink!.
If this is true then the twelve steps have failed the AA system if indeed there are mass relapses

There is always a phone call and help without face to face coffe n biscuits
 
I also think people's anxiety has gone through the roof which could be another factor that is pushing `people back to the drink, usually on the forum we see them go hand in hand when DVLA write out to the GP ......drink&anxiety....
 
Yep anxiety HM?you all be careful what's divulged over this crises the DVLA will have zero sympathy for anyone !
 
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