Page 56 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

Here are how a police officers’ signals should look.

Figure 28 Correct Police Traffic Hand Signals

My attempt started badly and ended in calamity. For some inexplicable
reason, despite being familiar with the highway code, when the music
stopped and the whistle blew, my signal to STOP the line was made with my
hand in more of a wave at waist height, than up high. The lines stopped but
accompanied by much amused laughter from everyone except Sergeant
Trickett.

The music started again. I pointed to the two opposite horizontal lines and this
time threw up my hand so exaggeratedly, it was more like a Nazi salute.
However, thy remained where they were. Then bungling Bennett did it again.
The beckon on instruction should find the hand above shoulder height.
Whatever possessed me to do this I’ll never know, but I found myself waving
one hand limply in front, the other behind me AT WAIST height!

Tom Trickett had clearly seen enough.

“STOP, STOP STOP!!” and I’ll remember his next words until the day I die.

“What are you doing you idiot, you’re directing traffic, not an Eileen Fowler
dance class!” I was to learn that Eileen Fowler was a celebrity dance and
fitness instructor of the 70’s. Of course, the whole group just fell about in
stitches.
Red faced, I continued and didn’t put another hand or signal wrong,
mastering even the more complicated direction changes until my session
was over. To my surprise, as I left the centre circle, a few claps turned into a
full round of applause. Idiot that I am, I bowed to all four lines only for
Sergeant Trickett to shout, “Get back in line you bloody clown”.

It wasn’t until the last week of the course with the stresses lifted that I would
get the chance to speak to Sergeant Trickett about our exchanges.

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