pulled up

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Keith1983

how often are car drivers pulled over just for a chat about their daft exhausts, speed, being on their phones, smoking etc? Exactly never. Car drivers only get stopped with a reason whereas it is seemed to be ok to pull bikers over just for the sake of it!

I'm not so sure about that... Spend any time with hot hatch guys or young drivers and you will hear this: "The police stopped me for my exhaust/bodywork/to warn me about x, why are they always hassling us, they never bother bikers with their loud exhausts and they're way faster than us..." Grass is always greener...

To some extent it's justified too, bikers do have more single vehicle accidents than we should, proportionally, so catching us where we gather and saying "watch out" isn't too unreasonable. But it's annoying when it happens I know. Plus, sometimes it's very badly handled, I got made 15 minutes late for work one day because the traffic copper involved thought my tyres were illegal- he was going backwards and forwards on the radio to figure out what the law was. That's really shoddy. (in his defence, he thought he'd just caught me with no tax, because I'd forgotten to change the discs )

I have never been pulled on my bike yet!!

But I don’t see the need to be pulled by a traffic cop for a docs check unless the ANPR camera has flagged up a warning about something.

If it was me and I was told to stand I a line like a kid knowing I have not done anything then I would just get bored and calmly walk off as I would not be under arrest so they can’t keep me there for no good reason.

I would not generally be bothered if I get pulled after all I have all the relevant clean licences and insurance MOT’s and tax so nothing to be worried about.

Originally Posted by Brian

If I got pulled i'd of asked him what the charge/reason was if no charge etc, then i'd of told him to get bent (but not in those words) lol.

Exactly the reason I keep my bike legal, I don't have a nice can (I will be getting one), but once I do I'll keep the baffles in. So I can say, your welcome to check my bike, I'm licensed, MOT'd, taxed, insured, I wasn't speeding, so if your happy with my tyre treads - bugg3r off! Nothing winds them up more than realising they've got nothing on you.

I've got no problem with getting pulled, and when you get pulled en mass in the popular biking spots the coppers are usually pretty cool (often they are bike cops), they are enjoying a sunny day out in the sticks too and on a pleasure ride you don't really mind the stop or the chat. But round about where I live the local cops are just arsey and act superior most of the time and as Northy noted, don't understand biking law, that hacks me off.

Being told to join a line in the middle of town for no reason just isn't on. Makes you feel like a convict on parade.

[northwind]

On the other hand, if they did understand biking law then every time I've been stopped they'd have had me for exhaust, plate and visor And I think it does help to bear that in mind, far more bikers are riding in some way illegally than drivers, as a percentage, or at least that's my belief. We're doing it in a harmless, sometimes even beneficial way, but it's still illegal. Which is why I don't grumble too much when I get stopped "for no reason"

[Bluepete]

Still not heard what Gid had to stand in line for? Did he get a ticket for anything? Was standing in line an alternative to prosecution for something?
We occasionally crack down on seat belts. We offer an alternative to the ticket of a visit to the Fire Station (we set up "Shop" right outside) to watch a VERY powerfull video and a look at some real RTC pics involving heads through windscreens etc. Takes about 5 minutes all in.

Originally Posted by northwind

And I think it does help to bear that in mind, far more bikers are riding in some way illegally than drivers, as a percentage, or at least that's my belief.

Yes, this is probably true, especially when it comes to insurance. I'm sure more than 1 in 20 (the figure often quoted for cars) are technically uninsured due to undeclared mods. Ironic, isn't it, that the government's own reports describe us as the most courteous road users (even if it is self-serving not wanting to crash that causes this) and that we are aside from professional drivers, we are the most highly trained road users?

well Ive been asking about and there appeers to be two schools of thought,none of these are mine of course,just the banter.
Thought one.there have been a few thiefts lately
thought two(most popular)Weston is full of and relies on visiting older people for a lot of its income,and loads of bikers ,"with their long hair and loud bikes" can be very off putting.The hotteliers and tourist trade have had a slow summer,and need the trade that coaches full of olds bring in the autumn.Money speaks.
Any way,I'm not saying the above are correct,and rumours soon spread,lets wait and see.

I used to get pulled 3-4 times a week due to my job and social habbits, my dad made a complaint to the police and told them if they carried on then he'd be looking at going down the harrasment route, didn't get pulled for ages!!

When they started pulling me again, one copper told me my car was black marked meaning a pull everytime I was seen, more or less, shortly after this I couldn't get pulled, even when I tried. I have a hunch they thought I was some evil criminal (due to some of the people I knew) and so were waiting to get me for something serious!!

Nowadays, I only get pulled when I've done something wrong and they're always courtious.

Regards

Phil, I used to get that a lot too ... I worked in a pub and was frequently seen walking out of the pub at gone midnight, jumping in the car and driving off ... so I got pulled and breathalysed or given a producer ... it never bothered me though cos I used to have fun with it:
Copper: "Evening sir, is this your vehicle?"
Me: "No ... it's my dad's"
Copper: "Oh, and are you insured to drive it?"
Me: "Yes, of course"
Copper: "Couldn't help notice that you had just left the pub ... have you had a drink tonight sir?"
Me: "Yes I've had a few"
Copper: "Oh right, and what have you had to drink"
Me: "Errr, half a lager and 3 or 4 glasses of fresh orange".
Copper: "And how long have you spent in the pub this evening sir?"
Me: "Ooh lets see ... about 4 hours".
Copper: "And that's ALL you've had to drink? That's very restrained of you sir ..."
Me: "Well I don't drink & drive, and I'm not allowed to drink alcohol WHILST WORKING, hence the orange juice. I had the half a lager just before I started my shift"
Copper [quote clearly disgruntled now]: "You work in the pub? Ok on your way!"

It got to the stage where I got pulled and the copper even told me my address and that I was driving my dad's car, and on my dad's insurance, and he even told me my fathers name before he said, "yeah, you do get stopped quite regularly don't you? sorry son, you're free to go".

I never once saw it as "harassment" ... although one female copper did annoy me once when she suggested that "we've had reports of a car similar to this being stolen ... a silver VW passat" ... my reply was none too helpful/accommodating and got me breathalysed for my trouble ... and all because I had the audacity to say, "Firstly, this car is metallic GREEN ... NOT SILVER. Secondly, you expect me to believe that you are trying to trace a stolen car and the owner did not give you the REGISTRATION? And finally, why would ANYONE in their right mind want to nick a 10 year old VW Passat Estate?? It's hardly the ideal getaway car is it?" (I'd had a hard night, so wasn't really in the mood for being pulled). She got all ar$ey with me then, and I got a producer AND breathalysed, but since the car WAS my dad's and I hadn't been drinking, everything was good

Amazing the "FUN" you can have when your all legal and haven't done anything wrong.

I love the question "have you been drinking" and will answer yes alot of the time and when they ask what tell em about 4 pints this evening. Only to go on to tell them, it was 4 pints of cola.

They absolutely hate it and it's all because they didn't ask the correct question "have you consumed any alcohol this evenin"!

Another is when your a passenger, just get out of the car and go sit on a wall nearby, when they come to speak to you, tell em to clear off (as your the passenger they have no right to stop or question you and they have no right to knowing your name). The amount of times my mate has told em to F-off because of this is unreal!

I don't hate coppers, nor even dislike them (there are a few c**ts as in any walk of life) but I know my rights and when I get an A**E of a copper I will play with them and have as much fun with them as posible!