'Ello, 'ello, 'ello; what's all this then?

It was a strange day yesterday, not least because of the election (more of which in the next post).  I finished work early, so had Tilly out for her evening walk shortly after 5pm.  We walked a circuit near to the shore that brought us to the top of Grey’s Hill, one of the roads that leads to Bangor’s seafront.

There the road was cordoned off with police tape, and a real life policeman to make certain of compliance.  I was initially inquisitive as to why the cordon was there, but the upside down wreck of a car that was blocking the road quickly filled in the missing details.  According to the BBC, the accident involved 4 cars (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50759186  The picture below is taken from here). 

 

First, let me admit that I cannot comprehend how this accident happened on a narrow hill that has a lot of very large speed humps?  It was the young policeman that really puzzled me though.  As I went past the cordon and did a double take when I saw the wreckage (the car was there, any occupants had long since bee rescued), he came out with the immortal statement, “Move along sir, nothing to see here”.  That comment is just wrong on so many levels.

Firstly, there is quite obviously something to see.  Why else would a press photographer be busy setting up a tripod for his camera only feet from this officer?  But further, what kind of cartoon policemen actually comes out with a phrase like that?  Do they implant the 100 best police clichés in every recruit’s brain when they go through training?  Was there a string with a loop protruding from his back that set off random police phrases when pulled, or could it be that this particular officer had simply been waiting for his chance to use this phrase since he first decided to become a policeman as a child?  If so, then he has obviously watched way too many old black and white crime films in his youth.

Strange, damned strange.