ON my phone in car - naughty or not ?

Dominic · March 2017

Yesterday,in a quiet side road, I pulled over to make a phone call .........I parked ,switched off engine ,ate a banana and then dialled my sister .
Next thing ;a Traffic warden is tapping on my window - there was no issue about where or how I was parked but he had pulled in on his moped to tell me that I was breaking the Law and to get off the phone ! I showed him that keys were on the passenger seat .
He insisted that despite being immobile and the car engine switched off that to use a phone inside a car parked on a public carriageway was an offence ...........I ignored him and continued my call ;he noted my number and rode away .
It's got me thinking in retro .......seems absurd but could I be wrong ?................Hope not .

Fuengi · March 2017

What a load of nonsense. You can't be expected to get out of your car or move seats to make a call. You did the right thing.

stickyfiddle · March 2017

Completely legal. He's a jobsworth dickhead

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

Dominic · March 2017

That's what I figured but my reason for posting was that a friend had been subject to a very similar thing in central London last week from a Plastic Police so I thought that the law perhaps was an Ass !

kaypeejay · March 2017

I really hate it when people use their phones whilst driving or momentarily stopped in a queue. What you did was perfectly acceptable.

Deadman · March 2017

Haha what a cock.

slacker · March 2017

The gov site states safely parked.

rlw · March 2017

slacker said:

The gov site states safely parked.

Ah, but define "Safely Parked".................................

thomasross20 · March 2017

Think you're ok!!

stickyfiddle · March 2017

rlw said:

slacker said:

The gov site states safely parked.

Ah, but define "Safely Parked".................................

If the parking warden didn't give a ticket he'll struggle to argue you were unsafely parked after the fact...!

Flink_Poyd · March 2017

Unless his local authority have given him the power it's none of his business anyway. Traffic, litter and dog fouling is pretty much what they cover

ICBM · March 2017

I've wondered if it's legal if you're stuck in a stationary traffic jam - ie one where it's obvious you won't be moving for several minutes, not 'queuing traffic', and you've turned the engine off - since you then *can't* either move or park. I assumed it would be since it's clearly safe, but there have been cases where drivers have been prosecuted for eating a sandwich or something like that in the same sort of situation - although as far as I know the magistrates have done the sensible thing and thrown the cases out.

Bridgehouse · March 2017

Without knowing the parking location - if we assume you met the general safe parking rules then you were completely in the right.

You should have told him to do one and that you were talking to 999 about being harassed by a jobsworth in a hiviz jacket and a hat....

Brize · March 2017

What a jumped-up little shit - I would have provided him with an unequivocal response.

scrumhalf · March 2017

I don't know why they're stil called traffic wardens. Their job is solely to collect revenue.

Cirrus · March 2017

ICBM said:

I've wondered if it's legal if you're stuck in a stationary traffic jam - ie one where it's obvious you won't be moving for several minutes, not 'queuing traffic', and you've turned the engine off - since you then *can't* either move or park.

7 or 8 years ago a policeman told my dad off in that exact situation.

It didn't get better either...

Policeman: "you need to maintain your awareness even in a situation like this. And it's not a good example to your daughter."

Dad: "She's not my daughter."

Policeman: "What's your relationship then?"

Dad: "None of your business."

57Deluxe · March 2017

They trying to liken it to the drunk in charge of a vehicle ruling where even if you are asleep in your car in your driveway you can be done for drunk driving...

BUT simple solution - slide across to the passenger seat to make the call!

VimFuego · March 2017

I believe this is what is known as a gateway crime. There is a provable link (for a given, but hidden, definition of provable. And link) between using your phone in a stationary car with the engine off and the keys on the passenger seat and the trafficing of young women across international borders to work in the sex trade/starbucks. With any luck your details will now be entered onto a database, thus enabling a closer scrutiny of your daily actions prior to being sent off to one of our almost luxurious reeducation centers. Thank you for your cooperation.