However, a bus went past, so I gestured to the policeman who I had slowly advanced toward, with a hand movement that I thought quite clearly asked "can I get out of this end of the street".
He responded with a hand movement which quite clearly indicated "come here please".
I lowered the window and started the conversation with a friendly "Morning".
I was about to ask what was happening when the policeman held out his cellphone for me to look at.
It took a few seconds for me to register that it was a breath-testing device. I was surprised, but more than happy to oblige with my name and address.
It was a much less traumatic experience than the time I accidentally ran over an police officer's breath-testing device, which he had dropped seconds before I stopped.
That was late on a windy, wet night.
This week though, I had barely digested my breakfast.
Police aren't out there on the assumption that Northlanders pour gin on their cornflakes and slug whisky in their coffee.
It is simply a fulfilment of the oft-repeated promise that you can indeed be stopped anywhere, at any time.
