They fined the man for ‘improper use of the hard shoulder’
A police force has received tons of backlash online after they boasted about fining a driver who pulled over for a roadside wee.
Thames Valley Police shared a post on Facebook – which has since been removed – in which they said their morning drive down the motorway was “interrupted” by a motorist “using the hard shoulder as a toilet”.
They said this was not only “unhygienic” but also “dangerous” for people who need the lane in an emergency – and so fined the man for “improper use of the hard shoulder”.
Members of the public however were quick to slam the actions of the officers – using the comments section underneath the post to argue that some people have “genuine” reasons for needing to use the toilet urgently.
One commenter wrote: “Money making scam.. Sometimes when you need to go you need to go. Hygienic nonsense.”
Another added: “You jobsworths. Some people have a genuine reason they can’t hold it in as well as everyone else.”
A third said: “What if he has prostrate cancer or even an enlarged prostrate that makes you want to go to the toilet quickly. You get little warning.”
One Facebook user asked if officers would have also fined a driver who had stopped due to a child needing the toilet, while another argued that “a quiet word about planning would have been enough, don’t you think?”
Thames Valley Police’s full post, which was posted on Tuesday (April 29), read: “#XRX11’s lovely drive down the motorway in the morning sunshine was interrupted by this motorist who was using the hard shoulder as a toilet.
“What made it worse is they had only just passed the services and were only a few miles from the next!
“Not only is this unhygienic, it is dangerous for those that need the hard shoulder in a genuine emergency!
“This has turned out to be a very expensive bathroom break as the motorist given a fine for improper use of the hard shoulder.”
Drivers are regularly stopped by police and fined for improper use of a hard shoulder on a motorway.
Last December, North West Motorway Police officers spotted a BMW 4 Series, with its hazard lights on, stopped on the hard shoulder of the eastbound carriageway at junction five, near Manchester Airport.
Officers stopped to speak to the driver, who explained that he had stopped his car because he was waiting for a call from his wife.
According to the driver, the call was to inform him that she had made it through the gates at Manchester Airport.
Officers issued a Traffic Offence Report (TOR) to the driver, and advised motorists that the hard shoulder is only to be used in the case of emergencies.