‘Stop crying,’ officer tells rider caught texting.
BBC“The tears won’t work on me – I’ve seen too many people killed on the roads,” PC Joshua Ace tells a motorcyclist.
The young rider was caught red-handed texting while riding his L-plated motorcycle through a Tesco parking lot in Leicester. The officer was just around the corner, dressed in a uniform and a high-visibility jacket, and keeping a close eye on a traffic safety operation in Leicester.
Despite his pleadings and tears, the rider received six penalty points and a £200 fine. So far this year, Leicestershire Police have conducted 17 similar operations targeting reckless drivers.
It has resulted in 165 motorists being stopped for not wearing a seatbelt, 96 distracted by their cell phones, and 38 additional crimes such as no insurance, MOT, or driver’s license.
The phone-using motorcyclist was apprehended during the most recent raid on New Park Street on Thursday. Despite being caught red-handed, he begged the officers for leniency. “I’m enforcing the law; you chose to break it,” PC Ace informed him.
“So none of this is my fault, this is all your fault.” When the sobs did not cease, the officer stated, “cease sobbing, accept accountability and responsibility, and deal with this when it happens. “In the future, if you need to take a phone call, pull over so you don’t endanger yourself or others.
“The tears will not work on me because I’ve seen far too many people killed on the road because they were distracted by their mobile phones.”
So stop crying now.” The rider’s claim that it was the first time he had used his phone in such circumstances was instantly discounted. “No, this isn’t the first time.” This is the first time you have been caught.
So don’t lie to me and pretend you’ve never used your phone,” PC Ace advised him. He then reassured the rider and encouraged him to calm down before leading him to a police cruiser for a conversation.
The offence may have further ramifications for the rider, as accumulating six or more points on a provisional licence within two years after passing the test can result in its revocation.
“Fair enough to him, he admitted it straight away,” PC Ace subsequently told the BBC.
“The excuse was that he was on an emergency phone call because his mother was ill. “But clearly, that is not an emergency. It only takes 20 seconds to pull over and have the opportunity to take that phone call.
“In a moped, you’re already exposed, far more so than if you were driving a car. So you’re riding the motorbike with only one hand while also being distracted.
“You do not have access to both your brakes. So, taking a phone call because someone is ill is not an emergency; it is not an excuse.”
PC Ace added that the rider claimed to be dealing with his mental health, but when he offered to assist him with referrals, he declined, claiming he was frustrated.
“We do find that some people play on our compassion as police officers,” according to him. “And, while we understand, accepting that phone call puts him at risk.
“What use will he be to his mother if he gets in a vehicle accident? He is a father, and he has obligations.
“It was a challenging conversation because, as a human being, I want to deal with people rather than just the offence in front of me.
“There are some people who try to play on our empathy and compassion, but in reality their regret is that they got caught, not that they had been doing something wrong.”
Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.