Coming soon to a roadside near you.

[dizzyblonde]

stopping riders who have committed no offence

Well bleddy stop some that are then

TBH I'd be frightened I had done something wrong, its bad enough going to a weekly meet up here for fear of being pulled by the small plate and loud can only brigade without doing this aswell.

[the_lone_wolf]

Nobody is suggesting that educating riders is a bad thing...

But the concept of random tugs with an attached safety lecture will achieve nothing;

Riders who don't want to be educated won't listen and riders who do want to be educated will almost certainly have sought out and heard what they have to say already

The time and money would be far better spent sending the police m/c teams out to the busiest Sunday meeting points with a big banner that says "Free assessment rides" - or even just letting them go down on the police bikes to show that under the battenburg they're riders as well, building a better relationship with riders and a respect for the police would do far more than randomly delaying people as they try to go about their legal business

We had an unmarked car show up at our bi-weekly meet one evening last year, rather than busting the hundreds of offences they could have done such as plates, pipes and visors they had a wander round and chatted with as many people as possible, even showing anyone who wanted to chat the equipment they use. They achieved far more in that one evening than they would have done in an entire summer of randomly pulling riders over and giving them a standard lecture and a freebie hi-viz

personally i would be quite happy to be stopped and listen to his advice, whats 5 miniutes out of my day if either he or i come away with one thing that may improve either of our riding or driving or understanding of each others position or road hazards in general. Dont see the problem myself.

And if they spot my small plate, non legal exhaust or bald tyres and choose to mention them then frankly i've only myself to blame. Cant blame plod for enforcing laws i've chosen to ignore.


edit, well said tlw.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

We had an unmarked car show up at our bi-weekly meet one evening last year, rather than busting the hundreds of offences they could have done such as plates, pipes and visors they had a wander round and chatted with as many people as possible, even showing anyone who wanted to chat the equipment they use. They achieved far more in that one evening than they would have done in an entire summer of randomly pulling riders over and giving them a standard lecture and a freebie hi-viz

We had a sole Police bike a couple of years ago at Squires do that. Just quietly sat on a wall, cuppa in hand, just like everyone else, stuck out like a sore thumb though. Bearing in mind there were more than a handful of people there,as thousands cram in during a summer Wednesday night.
Much more well recieved than random tugs as you say. People willingly went up to talk to him.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Kilted Ginger

...personally i would be quite happy to be stopped and listen to his advice...

And that, in a nutshell, is why the police would be wasting their time in stopping you

You already have no chip on your shoulder with the police, you're just a sensible guy who doesn't take the **** on the road, you're not the kind of rider that the police need to get through too

The one size fits all solution of random tugs makes about as much sense as saying "Well a lot of young car drivers have accidents so we're going to randomly pull cars and give every driver, young or old, a lecture on safe driving"

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

far better spent sending the police m/c teams out to the busiest Sunday meeting points with a big banner that says "Free assessment rides"

Unfortunately (in the words of Greater Manchester's chief inspector Hayden Roberts) it's the job of the police to enforce, NOT to educate. Words he used when I asked him why GMP don't run Bikesafe days when almost every other force in the country does.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Woz

Unfortunately (in the words of Greater Manchester's chief inspector Hayden Roberts) it's the job of the police to enforce, NOT to educate.

Shame, if he did a little more of the latter there'd be less need for the former...

[keith_d]

Having just signed up for a very heavily subsidised BikeSafe day I'm very happy with the level of education that the Met are providing.

Stopping me when I'm out riding to tell me biking is dangerous just seems completely redundant.

[Bibio]

a bit more stealth up here last summer, they were stopped at roadside cafe's giving the bullsh!t there. but here is a free coaster for your troubles.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Daimo

Can't see the big issue tbh.

POlice pull you over, have a chat about road safety, interupt your day slightly, carry on as normal.

Can't see the big hassle if your doing nothing wrong.

So you won't mind if they knock on your door and invite themselves into your house to rummage around and see if everything is as it should be?

'Cause that's what'll happen!

Give them an inch...

"if you're doing nothing wrong."
a) I'm sure they could find something if they looked hard enough.
b) They should leave you alone if you're doing nothing wrong.
c) Why should they detain you when they feel like it. If you've got nothing better to do, why don't you go off to the IAM or Bikesafe or something and get some advice.