From: Phil Payne 

> You should have taken his number and formally complained. AFAIK a policeman
> has to have a reason to stop you.

As a consequence of a heated dispute that I won't bore you with, the local
"Deputy Civilian Manager of the Neighbourhood Watch" took it upon
himself to notify the police in Northamptonshire that my vehicle was
"to be watched" - I was stopped eight times in six weeks at the
end of 1998.

One night I left Lutterworth for Kettering very late - 01:30 or so.  I
crossed the M1 at Junction 20, and followed the A427.  OK - M1 and A14 is
quicker,but I wasn't in a "quick" mood.  The A427 is a sweeping
non-dualed "A" road - hazard and surprise free.  There were two
cars in front, who gradually lost me, and one behind.  About seven
villages, and around twenty miles.  Nothing unusual.

Until I go to Market Harborough.  As I came into the town (overgrown
village) an artic (semi) was coming up the hill.  Utterly without warning,
he turned across me.

Quattros can stop.  Audi's training is STOP and let the brakes off if
you've still got room.  That's what I did.  The guy behind was catching up
fast at the time, and he lost it.  Headlights waving everywhere.  I
assessed the issue, decided I could give him thirty yards, and let the
brakes off a little, coming within five yards of the back of the truck.

The guy behind wound up at a funny angle in the opposite lane - luckily
there was nothing coming.

I rolled on - the guy behind followed.  Then he turned the fairy lights on
and stopped me.

His first words:

"If we'd had an accident it would have been your fault. I've been
folowing you since the motorway."

Me: "That's over fifteen miles.  I believe that counts as a pursuit,
and I don't think - in the light of your driving back there - that you're a
Class One driver.  Let's go to the nearest police station."

I haven't been stopped since.

--
  Phil Payne
  http://www.isham-research.com
  +44 7785 302 803
  +49 173 6242039

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