THE UTTER FAILURE OF THE POLICE

[PatM]

Boris does tend to provoke people with his writing; it's his stock in trade.

However, in some Australian states (and he lives in one of them), there is a definite anti-motorcyclists culture within the government and police. Indeed, it has been said to the editor of one of our more respected motorcycling journals, by a Federal politician who'd had a "couple of sherries", that "If we could find a way to crush all those f***ing things you ride, we'd have them off the roads in a week".

Motorcycle riders are targeted. For example, at the recent Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island, reportedly (I wasn't there) every single motorcycle being ridden to and from the circuit was stopped by police for a full roadworthiness and registration check, and riders' licences also checked. Literally thousands of motorcycle were stopped and the delays were horrendous; I read up to four hours wasn't unusual. The same did not happen to motor vehicles.

One state forces motorcycle riders to pay an extra levy on their rego and CTP because they are "unsafe"; I think it's about $65 a year. The money is supposed to help improve safety; it doesn't. It is used in anti-motorcycle television propaganda campaigns, among other things.

Most states' road and traffic bureaucracies regard motorcycle riders as just two steps above drug dealers and one step above firearms owners.

Restrictions are for our "own good". Currently being "discussed" (discussed = legislation being written in secret) is mandatory "approved" safety clothing (jacket, trousers, gloves, boots and reflective vest!) ... helmets are already mandatory; forcing "returning" bike owners to undergo approved "retraining" (despite the fact they have a valid licence) OR cancelling your rider's licence if you don't have a bike registered in your name for XX years; mandatory unswitchable ABS; phasing-in of traction control; increasingly restrictive "endorsements" for MC licences (e.g. say for 250, then 500, then 1000, then >1000, separate offroad endorsement, pillion endorsement ... and so on).

We are not liked. I rarely do anything "wrong" on the bike (if anyone's around  ) so I don't stress too much about coppers.

But there is antipathy in Australia between riders and most police. It's a shame, because it needn't be like that.

(Disclaimer: Never been booked for ANY traffic offence in 44 years of driving/riding. I'm not a goody two-shoes; I just object to giving the government any more of my hard-earned!   Although I have had a parking fine ...)

Europe is going that way too. Not the targeting but the safety, ABS, clothing thing.

[wibornz]

Never been pulled over by a cop while riding.  I have had them turn on their overhead lights point at me and motion to me to slow down when doing a ton plus, but never pulled over.

[Papa Lazarou]

Europe is going that way too. Not the targeting but the safety, ABS, clothing thing.

It is a real worry.

[Hardware]

Cops always mess with FJR's.  It's one of the few bikes that can't run away.



 

Sock puppet.  Gotta' be...

[Royal Tiger]

Besides this coming from a rider from the right coast I'd like to see confirmation of this because I doubt it is at all true.

I have seen it in the US too, unfortunately.  As I said before in the other thread, I refuse for the most part to cite in just about all single vehicle collisions, as it seems like "piling it on" to me.

[Royal Tiger]

Sock puppet.  Gotta' be...

My apologies if you have one.

I was teasing County as I know him from when he was a regular on SBN.

[Formerly Known as Bigfoot]

I have seen it in the US too, unfortunately.  As I said before in the other thread, I refuse for the most part to cite in just about all single vehicle collisions, as it seems like "piling it on" to me.

My comment was based on this:

"Hmmm, was just involved in a conversation with a rider from the east coast. In that state (to remain nameless), if you have a solo motorcycle accident (e.g. oil on the road, gravel, cut off by someone resulting in a fall), the rider will still be charged with "Careless driving" and be required to face a court."

I don't believe for a minute that any east coast state does this as a matter of routine.  Can a single officer or even agency do this?  Hope not but possible.  But it most certainly is not a big problem.

[Royal Tiger]

A good Trooper friend of mine (I work in a city) told me the Pennsylvania State Police are strongly encouraged to cite in ALL reportable crashes.

[ianbh]

My comment was based on this:

"Hmmm, was just involved in a conversation with a rider from the east coast. In that state (to remain nameless), if you have a solo motorcycle accident (e.g. oil on the road, gravel, cut off by someone resulting in a fall), the rider will still be charged with "Careless driving" and be required to face a court."

I don't believe for a minute that any east coast state does this as a matter of routine.  Can a single officer or even agency do this?  Hope not but possible.  But it most certainly is not a big problem.

Let's run this by you one more time.  You're in VA, he's in Australia.  Ian, Iowa

[spd2918]

A good Trooper friend of mine (I work in a city) told me the Pennsylvania State Police are strongly encouraged to cite in ALL reportable crashes.

.....when it is clear that there was a violation.

[Royal Tiger]

.....when it is clear that there was a violation.

There is almost ALWAYS a violation.  Careless fits for anytime you do not properly control your vehicle, be it 2 wheels or 4.  My own father got a ticket by PSP for failure to control his vehicle when his car slid on the Interstate in an oil slick and hit nothing but the center median.  No other parties involved.

[TBone]

Let's run this by you one more time.  You're in VA, he's in Australia.  Ian, Iowa

I've tried twice, nobody pays attention.  

Unless it's because of the ignores...  

[spd2918]

There is almost ALWAYS a violation.  Careless fits for anytime you do not properly control your vehicle, be it 2 wheels or 4.  My own father got a ticket by PSP for failure to control his vehicle when his car slid on the Interstate in an oil slick and hit nothing but the center median.  No other parties involved.

Sounds like he didn't have control.  

[Royal Tiger]

Sounds like he didn't have control.  

Which backs my point versus yours.  You can just about always find a violation, but my opinion is it's not necessary to cite in a single vehicle crash unless there is impairment (DUI).

[spd2918]

Which backs my point versus yours.  You can just about always find a violation, but my opinion is it's not necessary to cite in a single vehicle crash unless there is impairment (DUI).

He was lucky he hit a curb instead of a motorcyclist.

[Formerly Known as Bigfoot]

Let's run this by you one more time.  You're in VA, he's in Australia.  Ian, Iowa

   I'm in VA. Australia.


   Yeah.  Guess I ASSUmed when I saw east coast and states.  My bad.  And no Dan, no ignores here except Ratfly.

[Royal Tiger]

He was lucky he hit a curb instead of a motorcyclist.

Yeah that is relevant to the conversation about citing in single vehicle crashes.  It's good he hit the median and not the Space Shuttle too.

My point is still unless there is some over riding factor, citing a bike (or car) that crashes without damaging anything else, or private property, seems over the top.  Having a policy (even if it's an "unwritten" one) that pressures or encourages officers to do that reeks of income generation to me.  That's all.

[Papa Lazarou]

  It's good he hit the median and not the Space Shuttle too.

Not the space shuttle!  

[Hardware]

Yeah that is relevant to the conversation about citing in single vehicle crashes.  It's good he hit the median and not the Space Shuttle too.

My point is still unless there is some over riding factor, citing a bike (or car) that crashes without damaging anything else, or private property, seems over the top.  Having a policy (even if it's an "unwritten" one) that pressures or encourages officers to do that reeks of income generation to me.  That's all.

Well, maybe people need to start paying attention and stop crashing with such frequency.  We've gotten out of the habit of referring to motor vehicle collisions and/or crashes as "accidents" because only a tiny (arguably negligible) percentage are not due to some from of driver error.  Over 30,000 people died on US roads in 2010.  

It's time for people to smarten the fuck up.

[Formerly Known as Bigfoot]

Yeah that is relevant to the conversation about citing in single vehicle crashes.  It's good he hit the median and not the Space Shuttle too.

My point is still unless there is some over riding factor, citing a bike (or car) that crashes without damaging anything else, or private property, seems over the top.  Having a policy (even if it's an "unwritten" one) that pressures or encourages officers to do that reeks of income generation to me.  That's all.

Come on RT.  Income generation?  From charging at single vehicle accidents?  You don't really believe this do you?  My former agency back in the 70's had this same policy and it was the feeling of the administration that if there is a crash (not accident) then someone did something wrong.  Not saying I agreed with that all the time but there is a lot of truth to this.  The problem with this though is it can be difficult to convict without witness testimony or an admission from the person at fault.  Luckily we moved away from this policy over time but it never had anything to do with income generation.  If an agency can make decent income over single vehicle crashes then I'd hate to see the stats there for crashes.