The police can stop anyone they like and ask them questions or examine things they are carrying. They can search you if they think or say they thought you might be hiding something illegal about your person.
I got stopped a few years ago - maybe five years ago when I was walking back from an evening with my partner at her house and I was carrying a small back pack. It was maybe four in the morning. They asked me if I was starting work on the early shift and I just said I'd been visiting a lady and we'd had dinner and some wine and I was now walking back to my own house. As soon as I opened my mouth they knew I was legit. They asked me if I'd like a lift home, which I declined.
A long time back - almost fifty years - my best mate at the time had been out with his wife on a late night out and he had left his baby daughter at his mother's house. He was wheeling one of those old fashioned prams along a road at about two in the morning and a funny little Hilman Imp cop car pulled up and the cop got out and asked him what he had in the pram.
'A baby', he replied. The cop peered in and asked if he would like a lift home. My pal looked at the pram, and the tiny car, and said he doubted it would fit in. The cop was embarrassed. Both those situations could have netted them a burglar though, so it was reasonable to speak to both of us.
I was also stopped when I was a student in the middle of the night driving through I think Hatfield. I had set off on my 150 cc James Cadet to ride from London to Newcastle at about midnight. I had a big bag strapped on the rack and as a learner rider, I had left the AI where it turned into a motorway for a stretch and was riding on the old road through the town. These two pulled me over with my big bag and wanted to know what was in it and why I was riding along at about two in the morning. I showed them my dirty clothes and college books and stuff and then they asked where I was going... They looked a bit concerned for my welfare at this point and warned me to take care. I didn't get home until about nine in the next morning. I think that little motorcycle cruised at about forty miles an hour and 300 miles at night is a long way on a bike like that, especially with the terrible six volt head light it had. That bike had cost me a fiver. I rescued it from a garden where it was lying on its side with grass growing through the frame and wheels. Good old villiers engine in it. Never missed a beat except when I got water in the petrol somehow.
I was working for a guy called the Dick in South Kensington connected to One of our biggest Stately Homes .
It was a Monday over the week end I went to buy a Piano, Wayne Sleep came with me .
We where in this guys house London looking at the Piano Wayne was having a good look at it and asking lots of questions .
Whilst he was inspecting the Piano I asked the guy what he did for a living Wayne did not hear this .
The guy said “ I am a senior Trading Standards Officer “ I stoped Wayne and said .
Wayne the Piano is fine it’s as described and e]we bought it and left.
My late father had an old British Airways Transit Van with Windows an old luggage delivery van so we loaded the Piano into the van and left .
The Piano was still in the van when I drove with Dad , my brother Baz and One of the Mills Brothers ( Mentioned in the Krays book )
Coming home from working in Dicks South Kensington Flat I was driving through Hyde Park and Two Police vans full of Armed Coppers passed us I saw in the mirror that they did a U turn and started coming up behind us , I do not know why but I knew they where coming for us .
They stopped us in Sussex Gardens Paddington .
Surrounded us with armed officers with machine guns , one was screaming “What’s in the Van What’s in the Van “ I calmly said a “ Piano you can see it through the widows “ by this time we where sitting against a wall hands on our heads.
The cop screamed “ what’s in the Piano “
I said ‘some nice Irish love songs “
There was nothing to find in the Van as we had all been doing honest work painting for a member of the British Establishment.
I assumed it was linked to the Police it was not to years later I realised it was a much more sinister stop and search ( Idiots !!).
No reason was ever given for the stop it was also around the time the Brazilian guy was gunned down on his way to work in London .
I have 10 Years of these tales to tell and I am skint if any one knows any good publishers pls get in touch .
Cheers
Baz the Balloon Man
