Just Got Pulled Over

Liz and I have just been to see Newbury registry office to see what it's like. On the way back a police car was behind us in the queuing traffic which always makes me feel slightly on edge. I just don't like it when they are following: everyone makes mistakes and I don't want a cop car following me in case fate should decide that it's at that very moment that I should make a daft mistake. After queuing for about 5 minutes with the copper directly behind us we finally got onto the road back home when he stuck his lights on. I pulled in, thinking he merely wanted to get past, but instead he pulled up behind us and started getting out. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I wound the window down and he came across and asked me for my name. Then he asked if the car was mine. Then he asked how long I'd had it. I explained that we'd only bought it last week. Then it turned out that he'd been running checks on us while he'd been following us as he said that the car wasn't yet registered in my name - which is, technically - an offence. I fail to see how it is an offence, I'd filled out all the relevant paperwork. Just because the DVLA haven't put it on their database yet doesn't mean I'm doing anything wrong. Then he asked to see my licence which is always an uncomfortable thing to be asked: I've still not sent off for the full licence. It's perfectly valid but it looks a bit dodgy handing over a learner's licence. So off he goes to his car to run a check on the card to make sure I have indeed passed my test and that it is still valid.

When he came back he said it was okay but pointed out that I'd moved since I'd registered the card. I said that yes, I'd moved from Aberystwyth to Newbury. He then said the card was registered for Nottingham (I'd used my parent's address for the card simply because it was easier than applying for a new card every year I was a student) and that too was an offence. He finished by saying "get it all changed over, yeah?" before going back to his car.

How smegging nerve-racking? Very smegging nerve-racking. I've done nothing wrong: I filled out the relevant paperwork for the car (it's actually more legal than my old car which is still registered to my mum) and I transferred my insurance across. Fair enough, I really ought to get my full licence sorted out but it's perfectly legal to drive on the provisional licence for up to 2 years. But no matter how innocent you are, being pulled over makes you feel like a criminal.