Scary few minutes

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Hi all.

So were driving in the Fourtrak down to the West Country, on the M5 very late in the evening, not much traffic about, but a vehicle is tagging close behind, even if I pull out to pass others, its been there for some time, starting to bug me and I comment to my partner that I did not like this. Any way we are aproaching Taunton Dean services where we pull off and the following vehicle does the same !!!!!. We pull up in the disabled bays and what I see now is a dark coloured car pulls alongside the drivers door. Female driver and 3 male passengers, who look to be of east european origin !!!.

The passenger window of the car is wound down and she starts to yell to me she is lost( I hit the door locks), through my partialy opened window she informs me she is looking for BRISTOL, she is lost!!!! and low on fuel,(were at Taunton) while this is happening the two rear seat passengers get out, one aproaches my passenger door and one stands to the rear of my door, while she keeps asking me to draw a map on how she can get to Bristol, as she had left Manchester, hours earlier, the guy on the passenger side was now trying the door, so wound up my window and started up the truck, and to reverse out of the bay, with this they got back in the car and drove off . A scary few minutes!!!!.

If such incidents occur, and

If such incidents occur, and they do frequently, and are on a rapid increase, contact the Police by mobile phone. This is not actually illegal as it is classed as an emergency, so you are allowed to do this while driving.
Always report such incidents to the Police, even if nothing is actually done as they cannot find the culprits, it is recorded. Being recorded as an incident builds up a profile, if there are a few incidents of this type the Police will act using plain vehicles, and build up intelligence.

I had this happen a few weeks ago, a car followed me for miles, it was early AM and i was travelling to a contracts meeting, there was an irony to this. I used my mobile to contact the Police, informed them of my location and direction of travel, a marked traffic vehicle intercepted us and stopped us both. The following vehicle was actually a plain Police vehicle containing plain clothed officers, they were on the look out for the came make and colour of vehicle as my company car, in that area.

Whenever you stop; always leave the vehicle in gear and the handbrake off, use the footbrake, and always park where you can pull off from, unobstructed. Keep all doors locked, and open one window very slightly, never wind it down far enough for anyone to get their hand in the vehicle.

Use your mobile phone if it has a camera function, to take any pictures you can of the vehicle and possible offenders, and the vehicle's number plate. The old saying goes"a picture says a thousand words" how true.

co incidence

Some years ago I collected a trailer from Felixstowe dock for delivery to Witney Oxfordshire.This was in the days when we had proper traffic cars on the roads.Must admit I was giving it heavy right foot at the time so did deserve to get a tug.Flashing blue lights and a stop However as the traffic cop appeared at my door a plain car pulled up and out burst 3 quite large fellas.Custom and excise officers>They had been tracking the trailer from Spain suspecting it was used for drug smuggling.I was extremely pleased as I got told to carry on with journey and to say nothing to anyone at delivery address.The one and only time ever got away without a speeding ticket.Never did hear what the outcome of the operation was.