Inappropriate use of cattle trailer

[Landyman]

I thought I would post a warning to anyone in the Carmarthen area about this issue.
We were stopped by the police, full blues and two's, for using the cattle box to transport some solid drain pipes home. Granted they were sticking out quite a bit. But did the nice policeman really need to radio for a 2nd police man to hold the tape measure for him?
Apparently you are allowed to have 3 foot overhanging as long as it is clearly marked. Any longer and you need permission from the police to carry said item. And a cattle box is for carrying cattle, nothing else, hence the charge of inappropriate use.
The matter is to be referred to a police panel to decide on appropriate action.
We were not allowed to carry on home, we had to leave in a friends field, we were followed to make sure this was done. Said friend described the police man in question and said that he has already been stopped 3 times by him.
You couldn't make it up!

What an officious arsehole

 

[Wendy10]

Interesting... We're a few miles above Sancler and have heard from friends of a rather officious fellow working on the A40 and... I was coming back from Llandeilo a few weeks ago, towing an empty cattle trailer, and had got past the B&Q in Carmarthen - so before the mart - when a chap in a marked police car came up behind me and followed for a mile or so, then he pulled along side for a while and kept leaning over to get a better look at me, after a while this irritated me so I winked at him and blew a kiss, much to my boys' amusement. No reaction at all, he just went off ahead, I got off at Sancler and saw no more of him. I wonder if it was the same fellow.

The thing is, even with a 14' trailer and the pipes up at an angle he's still applying the law correctly - even if a bit too over-enthusiastically. I think the same fellow had a go at a local contractor who had some gate posts sticking a bit far out the back of a pick-up, and we are only talking about a foot or so. There used to be a fair bit of discretion and common sense applied by the plod and they ignored you or just had a quick word unless you really were taking the p*ss - which was fair enough.

@Wendy10 did you get his number? It would be interesting and entirely legal to have a record on here of repeat offenders (if you see what I mean).

@bobk the dead ones in your pic are in a lot better shape that some of the African ones I've seen who braked hard while carrying unsecured loads; one near Moshi had a huge amount of 1" rebar redefine the meaning of 'kebabbed' or 'shafted'....

I didn't get out, it was my husband he wound up a treat. No he didn't think to take his number, but he's not too tall with black hair, which seems to match others description of him.

 

[Danllan]

I didn't get out, it was my husband he wound up a treat. No he didn't think to take his number, but he's not too tall with black hair, which seems to match others description of him.

Yes, my one had short dark hair and so did the one who pulled the guy with the posts, no idea how tall in either case. @Cowabunga does this fit the description of your favourite cop?

Perhaps he's instructing in Llangunnor!

 

[GTB]

It might well be him.

There is no rule whatsoever that says that nothing but cattle can be carried in a cattle trailer. Tell them that you'll see them in Court.

Unfortunately your overhang might well have been over the limit, although unlikely on the face of it, but I would have thought that a fixed penalty notice would have been appropriate, if not just a warning.

However, Westbury is undoubtedly the biggest plonker in the Welsh police force and probably near the top for the whole of the UK. He's notorious not only with the public, and farmers in particular, but within the police force nationwide.

In one case he stopped a catering trailer on a Sunday and decided that one of its tyres was worn. Sprayed it with yellow paint and put a stop notice on it in the lay by until rectified. Luckily the lone lady driver knew a local, to her, tyre fitter that came out to it. It was dark and late by then. The qualified tyre fitter/business owner, looked at the tyre and couldn't find a single thing wrong with it apart from yellow paint. Westbury was just as bloody-minded as usual and made stuff up to suit his power-crazed agenda.
In this case a complaint was made to the Chief Constable and subsequently a letter of apology was obtained along with the implied 'Oh no, not Westbury AGAIN!'

I suggest that if the overhang is legal, that this goes the same route. An official complaint to the Chief Constable.

It's not just him though. We have had dealings with two others, one of whom I know is a local farmers son. Both of them have s huge anti farmer chip on their shoulder. And wjat's worse is that they don't really know the rules and do in fact make rules up as they go along.

We used to have a rural officer in this area who took great time and effort to get to know the farming community and built up a lot of respect and trust. Unfortunately westbury and co have spoilt all the hard work he did.

 

[kiwi pom]

Sounds a bit over the top.
I wonder if the inappropriate use is from the fact there are no tie downs to secure the load.
Looking at it from another point of view, if it was a truck the driver would be done for overhang, so should it be different for a farmer?

 

[Cowabunga]

Yes, my one had short dark hair and so did the one who pulled the guy with the posts, no idea how tall in either case. @Cowabunga does this fit the description of your favourite cop?

Perhaps he's instructing in Llangunnor!

Seeing as I'm such a law abiding upstanding citizen, I've had no dealings with him. Plenty of friends and acquaintances have though. I've had several incidences recounted first hand. Apparently he has a brother that isn't an arsehole. But that could be just him introducing himself to someone why knows the name.
Last year he was at marts, not only checking lights, tyres, brakes, number plates, safety brake cable and so on, but actually measuring tow ball size.

 

[Purli R]

@Wendy10 while you were pulled up on the roadside,did you see the 2 stolen landrovers & a stolen quad drive past

 

[Cowabunga]

Sounds a bit over the top.
I wonder if the inappropriate use is from the fact there are no tie downs to secure the load.
Looking at it from another point of view, if it was a truck the driver would be done for overhang, so should it be different for a farmer?

No he wouldn't. Not unless the overhang was longer than the limit. Also, in what way was the load insecure? It doesn't need a tie-down to have a secure load or every blade of grass in my silage trailer would have to be individually secured.

 

[Landyman]

@Wendy10 while you were pulled up on the roadside,did you see the 2 stolen landrovers & a stolen quad drive past

Which were you driving

 

[Danllan]

Seeing as I'm such a law abiding upstanding citizen, I've had no dealings with him. Plenty of friends and acquaintances have though. I've had several incidences recounted first hand. Apparently he has a brother that isn't an arsehole. But that could be just him introducing himself to someone why knows the name.
Last year he was at marts, not only checking lights, tyres, brakes, number plates, safety brake cable and so on, but actually measuring tow ball size.

That is quite remarkably funny and the guy is leaving himself wide open for some enormous wind-ups. If he's always on his own it's because the other plod don't like him. I do like a policeman who doesn't know the law, it's such good fun educating them!

 

[Purli R]

Which were you driving

 

[Nearly]

What an officious arsehole

this gets me every time.
any similarities?

my standard 'marker' for long loads is a high viz jacket tied on.
Done 6m drainage pipes on 14' trailer for 50 miles. (but I didn't go via Carmarthen)

 

[Wendy10]

@Wendy10 while you were pulled up on the roadside,did you see the 2 stolen landrovers & a stolen quad drive past

No but our vet drove past and texted to see if everything was ok. I do feel we are easy game. I wonder how he would cope with a proper criminal?

 

[simmy_bull]

That's one way of putting it. Wouldn't the said policeman better better employed catching real criminals?

Couldn't possibly they might cause him some hassle in his daily routine.

 

[GTB]

Friend of mine was moving sheep between farms using his wife's discovery and his 14' ifor. He was pulled in by the local copper who's a farmer's son. By some miracle he couldn't find anything wrong with the disco and trailer (even the number plates were matching!) so he asked my mate for his paperwork. My mate asked him what paperwork he wanted to see. PAPERWORK! he demanded, so my mate calmly said to him, you tell me what paperwork you need to see and I'll show it to you. Copper told him to just fudge off and stormed back to his squad car. Plonker!

 

[Renaultman]

this gets me every time.
any similarities?

my standard 'marker' for long loads is a high viz jacket tied on.
Done 6m drainage pipes on 14' trailer for 50 miles. (but I didn't go via Carmarthen)

I love that sketch, that and the trucking song.

 

[simmy_bull]

Friend of mine was moving sheep between farms using his wife's discovery and his 14' ifor. He was pulled in by the local copper who's a farmer's son. By some miracle he couldn't find anything wrong with the disco and trailer (even the number plates were matching!) so he asked my mate for his paperwork. My mate asked him what paperwork he wanted to see. PAPERWORK! he demanded, so my mate calmly said to him, you tell me what paperwork you need to see and I'll show it to you. Copper told him to just fudge off and stormed back to his squad car. Plonker!

I'm sure they'll all know about movement licences etc now that they have been educated in reading ear tags

 

[Purli R]

No but our vet drove past and texted to see if everything was ok. I do feel we are easy game. I wonder how he would cope with a proper criminal?

So if you did"nt see em go past ,nor did he.BTW he"s probably never dealt with a proper criminal............til now!!

 

[Mickstup]

That's one way of putting it. Wouldn't the said policeman better better employed catching real criminals?

Absolutely, like the complete plonker in front of me at 11pm last night coming back from hereford with a leaping dear and 3m power harrow drill combo, all his rear worklights on and both beacons on as well, couldn't see a f*****g thing past him to try and overtake. Good job he wasn't a farmer.

 

[Cowabunga]

Absolutely, like the complete plonker in front of me at 11pm last night coming back from hereford with a leaping dear and 3m power harrow drill combo, all his rear worklights on and both beacons on as well, couldn't see a f*****g thing past him to try and overtake. Good job he wasn't a farmer.

He deserved penalty points. Rear white lights are certainly not allowed.