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Mr_Sworld
Had to drop a Mate off at Stansted early this afternoon. Could have done without the mist & rain.
Steaming up the M11, we see a sign saying '45 min delay between J8a & 11'.
Google Maps is having none of it.
We exit the M11 at the junction for the A414 and circle the roundabout in case Google Maps has yet to update it self. Still no reported hold up, so rejoin the M11.
As approach the Stansted (no need to slow down) intersection, we can see stationary traffic on the motorway, so exit as if we wish to visit the Birchanger Services,
but swing to the right to access the A120 towards Stansted.
A couple of minutes later we are on an empty dual carriageway towards the airport,
(so assume something has blocked the intersection).
Getting close to the Terminal, we are at the penultimate roundabout,
(which had all the earthmoving done when the intersection was built 6/7 years ago,
and clearly is designed to be an underpass, but thi is not yet built).
Onto the roundabout and our exit is full of stationary traffic, and swinging round the roundabout we can see there is a Police checkpoint. We complete our revolution of the roundabout and join the slow moving traffic. We are traffic-coned down to a single lane, and an Officer bids us to stop.
'Destination?', 'France.' my passenger informs him.
'And you're the owner?', 'Yes'.
His colleague a few yards further on with an iPad indicates the registration checks out for Tax, Insurance & MOT and we are allowed to proceed.
Returning after dropping off my Mate, I note they have a high mounted lighting gantry and generators, a flatbed tow truck, and about a dozen empty vehicles waiting to be 'recovered',
presumably all in violation of T, I or MOT?
I seldom venture to Stansted.
Is this a standard procedure by the Essex Constabulary?