AliceCaroline

Thank you.
I shall translate that as best I can, fill it in and take it into a tax office when next over.

It will be good to get used to doing such things

captainflack

I got stopped by the rozzas in a routine stop a month or so ago on the way back from shopping in Lisbon, about 9.30pm. They had a couple of GNR cars and were pulling selected drivers over to the layby. The guy didn't speak much English, but was polite enough. He asked for my docs, which I had a whole bunch in the car. Didn't have my passport, but had my UK license and the IMT doc that it was registered with them from couple of years back.

Was expecting the worst, he took me over to breathalyze me, and I blew a zero which he seemed happy about. He wrote my name down in a list, and my alcohol reading, and that was it, he said good night and told me to go careful.

Red Eric

Why?

captainflack

No particular reason, I've just never been stopped by the cops before in any country and I guess paranoid that there might be some issue with the docs for the car or not having my passport on me.

Red Eric

Ah, I see.

I was a bit nervous the first time but it's one of those things I've got very used to now because it's happened so often. They're always very pleasant up here - some of them like a bit of a chat. I know some people think it's a bit authoritarian but I'm comfortable about driver and car documents being randomly inspected. Once you've got the permanent resident card you can carry that about instead of the passport.

GeniB

Never ever stopped in the UK ,but at least 4 times during my time in NL .Quite nerve wracking when it happens, as these guys carry guns (in NL & PT) The first time in NL the police followed us all the way to our rented house and up the driveway! at midnight. Luckily hadn't had a drink. Turned out that OH had crossed a duel carriageway without first coming to a complete stop.It was pitch black, in the country,you could see traffic coming for miles.I'm guessing the cop was bored.Very nice,very polite,no action taken. Another time on the motorway in those giddy early days when Dutch cops drove Porsche's on the 'snelweg' One open topped one passed OH (who WAS speeding) A gauntleted glove appeared and a finger wagged at him before it sped off into the distance.Ahhh
The only member of our family to have any real bother was our poor YD.She had come with us to a party,OH had drunk some punch like concoction,then had his usual beer.Found himself unusually 'chatty' shall we say lol .I couldn't drive as I had a foot in plaster.YD had had a couple of drinks,didn't know our car (a large 4x4 automatic) but offered to drive.Once again I suspect two eager young and bored women police officers decided to pull her in.Reason? she drove around a roundabout too cautiously. What? She failed the breath test by a point.They looked rather apologetic after the desk sergeant had had a 'word' He obviously felt sorry for YD when the story came out .Her fine came through 6 months later.Naturally we paid it.Never received anything but politeness from the law and would rather have them stop people every now and then ,than not.Oh! got stopped here the day we arrived,as we crossed the border from Spain.Reason? policeman hadn't seen a car like ours before and wanted to check it out .OH and he spent a happy few minutes boring me to death over all things car

Red Eric

I've never been followed or pulled over by a squad car - now that would alarm me! Here they do a lot of roadside stops, though. Generally (but not always) on roundabouts. You tend to get warning from oncoming traffic flashing their headlights if there's a stop operation on the go.