View Full Version : North Wales have no bike cops...
...were the almost parting words of one member of the forum yesterday. Oh contrare!! Long thread warning....
I left Ponderosa, followed Pete/Lissa & Plowsie down HorseShoe, and branched off on the A5 home. Traffic was pretty heavy, but progress made quite easily.
Then I came to Betws-y-coed, and up ahead, a bright coloured Pan, so I guessed it was either a bike cop, or the BikeSafe guy. I decided that I'd keep up with him, and by that I mean to keep him in sight, but let him vanish around bends, then I'd see him around the corner again.
This carried on up past Capel Curig, and he was shifting quite well, and so was I. Only I misjudged it a little & cought up with him coming towards Llyn Ogwen, so he pulled over in the car park before the A5 drops down the hill. The kind of pulling over where you think "he's coming out behind me to follow."
So there we were coming down the Ogwen pass, both of us overtaking cars where possible, and him staying a couple of cars behind me.
On the straight bits, I misjudged an overtake a little, and clipped the white line as I came back in, opps. I could of made it if I'd opened the bike up harder, but then I might of been done for speeding. But I didn't think much of it, and after the next section the bike cop was right behind me, so I stuck thumbs up at him, just seeing him as another biker.
Then came the corners before Bethesda, so I figured I'd take them briskly, but not anywhere approaching usual speeds, no brakes needed, just rolling on & off the throttle to use engine braking. He was sitting approx 2m behind me, right in my blind spot, so I was making mirror checks mid bend very obvious as if to say "do me a favour & back off a little."
Just by the campsite I heard the siren, and looked behind me half thinking "time to pull over" but also "does he want to come past me on a shout." Turns out he wanted me to stop.
His first words to me were "Your riding is very very good, but you leave yourself no margin for error." I couldn't help thinking that I was taking it easy as he was behind me. I bit my lip though.
I won't go into much detail of what happened next (he took a polaroid of my plate and it advertises the org), but the result was £60 & 3 points for crossing the white line, and £30 for the plate.
End of the day? I'd had a good weekend, and it was a nice smooth ride down the Ogwen pass, only I did something illegal. I've had a long run of good luck with stops before, and one day your luck has to run out. He actually told me that if I'd of pulled out for a view, seen it wasn't on for the overtake, then pulled back in, he'd of just followed me towards Bangor without stopping me. Apparently a guy recently lost his ROSPA Gold status on the very same white line for the same thing, and the cop was his examiner.
Anyhow, other than the £90 out of pocket, I had a binding weekend :)
Pedro68
10-09-07, 09:55 AM
Very philosophical of you, and good to see you taking it "on the chin" m8 ... still it's never nice to get a ticket (of any sort). After what you've said also, I think I "may" just reconsider that replacement plate for my SV when I get it back.
I'll bet the copper logs on to have a look at the "org" too ;-)
Sorry to hear about the ticket, but good to see you at the weekend and glad to hear you enjoyed it regardless :D
Pete
plowsie
10-09-07, 09:57 AM
Sorry to hear about that mate, you're taking it better than i would it seems
Luckypants
10-09-07, 10:11 AM
Well I stand corrected about the N. Wales traffic cop department.
Bad luck on the ticket. Just 'clipping' the solid white gave him an excuse to pull you over I guess as there was quite a bit he could have done you for on your bike.
It is also nice to see one of Brunstrum's stormtroopers not taking a scorched earth policy and giving you a ticket only for the specific offence. I think they are still keen on number plates here, due to the reliance on cameras, so they always gonna do you for that also if they do you. Did he explain what it was you were doing that 'left no margin for error'? Did he advise on rider training or just give you an ear bashing?
markmoto
10-09-07, 10:33 AM
lets hope the coppers arnt smart enough to clock onto the next ride out route! ;-)
petevtwin650
10-09-07, 10:52 AM
What a crap end for you even more so after all the time you spent helping and encouraging Melody.
I know you don't normally do double whites so must've been incredibly annoying that one slight misjudgement goes so heavily punished. Would have a thought a word would've sufficed. Your plates not even that bad.
bad lucks over now dave you should be ok for a bit lol, i wish he would have been behind me id give him something to chew on :pukel:
markmoto
10-09-07, 11:14 AM
it is abit harsh that isnt it whatever happened to discresion, a friendly telling off would have been more appropriate in that case i feel.
DoubleD
10-09-07, 11:39 AM
Bad luck there Baph.
I knew the law would get hold of you at some point ;) (only jesting)
Yeah sorry to hear of your bit of bad luck mate, you,ll be ok for a while now though ;)
What a bummer!!! Even more so after plodding along all day with me.
If I'd been there, I'd have used my feminine charm on that naughty copper.:p
Bluepete
10-09-07, 04:39 PM
If I'd been there, I'd have used my feminine charm on that naughty copper.:p
You can try it on me if you want! I'm a naughty copper ;););)
Getting the tax sorted on mine soon so will be back out to play!
Luckypants
10-09-07, 04:42 PM
If I'd been there, I'd have used my feminine charm on that naughty copper.:p
You can try it on me if you want! I'm a naughty copper ;););)
Getting the tax sorted on mine soon so will be back out to play!
yeah a married copper, the naughtiest kind.
Whereas I'm not married :) (or a copper, but don't let that put you off Mel)
plowsie
10-09-07, 05:33 PM
yeah a married copper, the naughtiest kind.
Whereas I'm not married :) (or a copper, but don't let that put you off Mel)
God sake Mike you cant help but de-rail a thread can you :rolleyes:
slark01
10-09-07, 07:58 PM
Ouch sorry to hear that Baph :(
Luckypants
10-09-07, 09:03 PM
God sake Mike you cant help but de-rail a thread can you :rolleyes::D:smt097
:D:smt097
Mike..............that's not very gentlemanly!!!
Melody won't want to go pillion with a bad man!
:D:D:D:D:D
yeah a married copper, the naughtiest kind.
Whereas I'm not married :) (or a copper, but don't let that put you off Mel)
LP, do you attend these rideouts to pull the lovely ladies who attend??
Last time it was the Paramedic, this time Melody. LOL =D>=D>
Luckypants
11-09-07, 12:45 PM
LP, do you attend these rideouts to pull the lovely ladies who attend??
Last time it was the Paramedic, this time Melody. LOL =D>=D>
Well if I do then we have two resounding failures! :(
unless you want to prove me wrong Mel? or TC come to that.... drat she's engaged to a nice bloke.
I am sure you will snare one on one of the future rides.
but please dont throw the VFR through a hedge to try it;)
Shellywoozle
11-09-07, 01:08 PM
You have PM, try it may work ;)
Well if I do then we have two resounding failures! :(
:smt056
Not entirely. I'll be pillion candy at next ride out.:p
:smt056
Not entirely. I'll be pillion candy at next ride out.:p
Joking apart Melody, I don't know how much pillion riding you have done. But it is good for confidence in the bike. If you were to pillion with someone like Mike you will get a feel of what the bike can do, and how far you can tip it in without unsettling it ;)
I have ridden pillion with Wayne quite a bit and it is just as much fun, if anything it gives you the chance to actually enjoy the ride rather then concentrating so hard that you forget the enjoyment bit! You can watch the road, and watch the lines taken. He does scare me occassionally ;) But then that makes me more confident when I am back on my bike, because I am back in control ..... where I like to me;)
Joking apart Melody, I don't know how much pillion riding you have done. But it is good for confidence in the bike. If you were to pillion with someone like Mike you will get a feel of what the bike can do, and how far you can tip it in without unsettling it ;)
I have ridden pillion with Wayne quite a bit and it is just as much fun, if anything it gives you the chance to actually enjoy the ride rather then concentrating so hard that you forget the enjoyment bit! You can watch the road, and watch the lines taken. He does scare me occassionally ;) But then that makes me more confident when I am back on my bike, because I am back in control ..... where I like to me;)
So you like to be in control do you ?;-)
So you like to be in control do you ?;-)
I am female!
I am female!
Judging by my riding skills at the weekend, so am I :D although tbh I think you,re a slightly better rider than me judging by my white knuckle ride of death trying to follow you and mike and pete on the way up the ponderosa from ruthin, I mean I nearly smudged meself :smt045 :D
Joking apart Melody, I don't know how much pillion riding you have done. But it is good for confidence in the bike. If you were to pillion with someone like Mike you will get a feel of what the bike can do, and how far you can tip it in without unsettling it ;)
I have ridden pillion with Wayne quite a bit and it is just as much fun, if anything it gives you the chance to actually enjoy the ride rather then concentrating so hard that you forget the enjoyment bit! You can watch the road, and watch the lines taken. He does scare me occassionally ;) But then that makes me more confident when I am back on my bike, because I am back in control ..... where I like to me;)
You're right Tomcat. I actually miss being pillion.
I've not been pillion since passing my test and sometimes I just want to enjoy the bike without having to do the hard work myself. I'd probably learn something too rather than just being a passive passenger.
Just don't tip it too far over Mike. My knees were not made for sliding.:D
Luckypants
11-09-07, 02:51 PM
Just don't tip it too far over Mike. My knees were not made for sliding.:D
Nor mine hunni. Might tip it over far enough for you to be grinning like the mad pillion that is lissa though!
Bluepete
11-09-07, 04:08 PM
So when is the next ride then?
Luckypants
11-09-07, 04:33 PM
So when is the next ride then?
When you next not available? :smt077
Bluepete
11-09-07, 05:54 PM
Ohhhhhhh you Bi*******tch!
(Flounces off)
Nor mine hunni. Might tip it over far enough for you to be grinning like the mad pillion that is lissa though!
Mad?
Me?
Oh, OK then, guilty as charged:D
Did he explain what it was you were doing that 'left no margin for error'? Did he advise on rider training or just give you an ear bashing?
I got an earbashing basically. He said "all it takes is for Mr. Fox to run out into the road... blah blah blah." I did pass comment to him at that point on how close behind me he was through the bends, but I don't think it sat well.
I know you don't normally do double whites so must've been incredibly annoying that one slight misjudgement goes so heavily punished. Would have a thought a word would've sufficed. Your plates not even that bad.
It wasn't really a double white, it was dashed on the other side (not my side), but still a solid white, so still illegal. As we've discussed before Pete, usually if you clip on the way back in, it's forgiven, this time it wasn't. It wasn't really anything annoying, at first I hadn't even realised why he pulled me over. We were both making progress quickly down the Ogwen pass (it could of even been above the speed limit most of the way, I wasn't paying attention to the speedo TBH), so I just went for the overtake seeing him as another biker, ignoring the fact he had lights & siren. My mistake I suppose.
bad lucks over now dave you should be ok for a bit lol, i wish he would have been behind me id give him something to chew on :pukel:
Now that's just uncalled for Smudge, I wouldn't wish that on anyone!!
You have PM, try it may work ;)
Thanks again Shell, replied.
So when is the next ride then?
Unless Mike wants to sort it out, then you'll have to wait a few months, possibly the New Year ish (but then you risk colder weather too).
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