Well it had to happen

Off-topic
1

Going home on the A40 on Thursday, I was traveling rather swiftly when I saw a large headlamp come up behind me, so I pulled into the middle lane thinking he would pass, but he just stayed there. As i was now getting close to the car in front I indicated and pulled out again and sped up.

When we got to the traffic on the White City flyover he was still behind me I quickend my filtering and on came the blues, Black Rat, ******!

Was ordered to pull in on the on ramp, off with the helmet, he seemed a bit annoyed.

“How long have you been riding?” Him

“Thirty years” Me

“Well it doesn’t look like” Him

“You first came to my attention when you were passing on the inside before the Marylebone flyover, You then sped up on the flyover up until I came up behind you at White city.” " I should do you for due care and you know that exhaust is illegal, I should do you for that too" Him still annoyed

“How fast were you going?” Him

“About eighty” Me

“Er fair enough” Him

We then had a bit of a chat about how he got me and he seemed to calm down a bit saying there was a time and a place etc and said he would book me for the speeding only, and I don’t think by the length of time it took him to make up his mind, he wanted to do that, giving me the “Scrapping you off the road” speech.

While this was going on some bloke in a van tried to pull in front of a buss on the slip road, causing the bus to brake and sound his horn.

Ratty immediately waved the van in behind me, the guy gets out and starts giving it with the excusses.

“Wait until I have finished with this gentleman and ten I’ll deal with you” He says.

I get my ticket, and still the guy is protesting. As I leave I hear Ratty say "Look this gentleman has been cooperative and I booked him, you are giving me attitude so is there any reason why I shouldn’t book you?

I left before I found out the outcome.

I am always polite to the Police and if have been caught own up, it’s the best policy.

2

for some maybe…if they are rude to you, which many are and if they use condescending tones they have to expect people will react

3

I always find it best to to keep looking over their right shoulder going “ohhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh” and occasionaly picking your nose and eating it

4

You have to be a bit fruity with your riding in central London - otherwise you wouldn’t make any progress and might as well be in a car - when i first started riding in town the guys I watched, admired and learnt from were the hardcore couriers.

No point in being rude or argumentative with the Police when pulled over on a bike or car - yes sir, nor sir, three bags full sir is the best policy. e.g. if you don’t acknowledge the power of the law they quickly make you aware of it.

5

Agreed yes sir no sir is the best policy even if you dont like it. Everyone has bad days

6

The police have a crap job to do with policing these heavily congested roads and if you get caught for speeding or “riding without care”, then that is how it goes. I find courtesy is free, mouthing off just digs the hole a lot deeper. Poor obs on not spotting that he was a Black Rat though… :D;)

7

I should have pointed out, it was dark so all I saw was a headlamp in the mirror.

8

Fair enough. I’ve been in similar position before, but was not speeding at the time, just filtering progressively. He overtook and went quite a bit quicker than I had been going…

9

I think its the “grown up” way to deal with it…

If you were speeding then you were speeding and you have to own up to it. I’ve had to deal with coppers being arsey with me and I’ve always taken the higher ground and never stooped to a slagging match.

They are really targeting that area… What kind of car was it? I was going to work along there today in the outside lane at about 70 when I see’s a beige focus that I’d seen pulling someone before, tinted windows, so i slowed down andas I passed him had a look in his car and could see the blue’s behind the car’s grill…

10

Car??? What part of Black Rat do you not understand?

11

I’ve never heard that term before :doze:WTF is a " black rat " ???

12

black rat= traffic cop.i’m sure someone will come with more detail but there’s something about the colour of their lids and whether they are actually on a bike or in a car…just found this bit from johnse1…If they had white hats, they’re rats (traffic police) and they’re probably stopping people who ping up on their in car ANPR, usually for no insurance. If they had normal coloured hats given they had a 4x4 and motorcycles they’re probably be from the Transport division who deal with bus routes…

13

lets hope you weren’t that rude to the old bill

14

Black Rats is a term used within the Metropolitan Police for Traffic Police. The term apparently originates because they used to patrol Blackwall & Rotherhithe Tunnels on their solos (Met Police term for motorbikes) and when they came out of the tunnels they would be covered in soot and smoke from all the lorries & cars in there. The air quality is very poor in those tunnels. Traffic police in London (and most other forces) wear white flat caps instead of the black ones mere mortals have to wear because it stands out more when they’re in the road dealing with something. This is despite the fact they are told not to wear their caps when dealing with something on a fast road (a road on which the speed limit is above 40mph), which is where they spend most of their time, due to the dangers of it falling off into the traffic flow, and potentially causing an accident by people breaking and swerving to avoid it.

A less charitable version of how they got their name is that like the unpopular rodent type creature, if they can’t find anything better they’ll eat their own… and they got the white hats so they can show how ‘superior’ they are…

<off at slight tangent, but I’m bored>

Supervisors within Traffic are particularly unliked. If you are careless/foolish/unlucky enough to stack one of the Commissioners vehicles, a Garage Sergeant (Traffic Sergeant) or if you’re very unlucky a Garage Inspector will pop down to the scene, download the IDR (black box type thing) speak to witnesses and if your driving falls short of the exacting standards set down at Hendon, they can issue points against your police driving record (10 points and you’re out), or if you’re really bad, or if someone died or might die he’ll immediately suspend you from driving - so you’ll be walking, which is a particularly cold, miserable and soul destroying experience… for some people at least

</slight tangent mode>

Of course any Rats on this forum are exempt from the above descriptions, as are most of the ones I actually know…and the two who stopped whilst off duty & helped at my recent off…

15

It doesn’t matter what their chosen chariot is…car/bike/4x4/unmarked car… they’re still Rats

16

sorry, just suffering from a bout of dyslexia. :slight_smile:

17

+1, Thats what i thought

Car??? What part of Black Rat do you not understand? <—Confused!!!

18

I was stopped at the lights behind a couple of bike police in Oxford Circus a couple of months back - these guys had guns on their belts! - I guess they escort govt. ministers, foreign diplomats and the like?

19

You’ll have to ask Broady about those guys

20

I have only ever heard of bike poice being called black rats, hence the little stickers of rats they wear on their helmets and ticket books. I have never seen any car cops with the stickers. Most old school couriers would only call bike cops black rats.