garradrj - Are you a cooper?
I think from replies, either current or retiired
I have been breathalysed 5 times in 21 years of driving all have been random stop checks, usually late at night TBH but as I dont drink in UK (Only ever drink on holiday) I always had nowt to worry about.
I got pulled once by a motorbike cop pulling out of my local pub carpark, he followed me for a mile and watched me drop 2 of mates off then pulled me over (still had girlfriend in front seat), he asked me if i had had a drink and I said "No I dont drink, just had some coke" then pointed at the empty can of coke my GF was holding, he then said in possibly the most arrogant tone ever "Having seen you pull away erratically from a pub car park it is my belief you are under the influence of alchohol and I am going to conduct a breath test".
My girlfriend just looked at me and said "Erratically?" and giggled (I dont think that helped as he got even more arsey!), he then said "are you refusing to provide a specimen of breath?", I said no I was not refusing I was just waiting to be asked if I would rather than be told I would be!, anyhoo he went back to his bike and got his breathalyser and pulled out a new tube and pulled the wrapper paper off and threw it on the ground behind him.
We then conducted said breat test and got a big fat "0" and green light, I then bent down and picked up the wrapper and placed it on his bike seat and said "I think thats yours mate, you dropped it earlier".
then off I went.
I think what perhaps he had not realised is that I was actually dropping my mate off at the pub as his parents own the pub and also the fact that it was 11am and the pub did not open until 12, had he been nice about things I may well have told him, but as he was an arse i did not bother.
90% of police are good coppers and will be responded to in a positive manner (I have friends who are coppers dont forget and I knwo what they have to deal with), unfortunately the other 10% who insist on speaking to you as if your a brainless moron will be spoken to with large amounts of sarcasm and even larger amounts of large confusing words