How is a typical traffic stop conducted in the UK, around Manchester specifically? Reason I ask is a couple of mornings ago at about 6 am I was idly patrolling around, looking for a last minute ticket or two when I observed a car blow through a flashing red light. I got in behind it and activated my overhead lights expecting the normal, late for work driver. Well the vehicle just kept on going as if I didn't exist. So I activated my siren and let dispatch know the vehicle wasn't stopping and we proceeded to have a fairly low speed, not very exciting pursuit for several miles while I tried to get this car to stop. Now, in the past I have had everything from confused old people to users trying to smoke up the last of their drugs in these type of situations so I was unsure exactly what was going on in the pursued car. Eventually the driver seemed to get the hint and stopped and we "detained" her until we could determine what the heck was going on. Turns out she is from Manchester and claimed that she was confused because I didn't pull in front of her and have a little sign pop up in my back window telling her to stop. While I found this idea tactically unsound, she claims that is the way they do it back home. She seemed sincere, was not wanted or transporting drugs or contraband, and hadn't driven recklessly when failing to yield so I decided to just cite her for the red light violation in the interest of international relations and not being overly harsh for culture clash. So is that how a person is pulled over in the UK, by pop up sign or what?
.
