Overtaking police?

[chickenfunkstar]

It was such a nice day today, so I thought I might give the SV a bit of stick on old north rd on the way home from work, as you do. I was travelling at a quickish pace, coming north, on a sweeper just past the bike track at the top of the hill. On the exit of the corner a saw a police car travelling in the same direction. Because I was going quickish, I hit the brakes and slowed to well below the speed limit. I saw the brake lights of the police car come on as well, so I thought damn, it looks like i'm getting a ticket.

The officer never pulled over however but just carried on driving, but at a speed of 60 - 80 kph. At this stage I couldn't help but think that he wanted me to overtake him, most small trucks would be going faster than he was.
I was tempted, but thought better of it and carried on at this slow pace.

We (eventually) got to the end of the road, the police officer indicated right to go down peak rd and I indicated left to carry on to Helensville. Sweet I thought, as I now could at least do the speed limit home. But no, the officer changes his mind and indicated left as well. No worries, its a nice day and i'm in no hurry I thought. I then stayed at the intersection, waited till I couldn't see him any more, then went right down peak rd. I took it at a sensible pace. I then went left at the intersection of Peak rd and SH16 to head back home to Helensville. I saw the police officer shortly after this, heading in the opposite direction.

This makes me think that he was deliberatly going really slow, 'daring' me to overtake him. Would I have got into trouble if I overtook him? Or was he thinking something along the lines of ' I didn't get your speed before, but you're certainly not getting home any faster', knowing that it was unlikley that i'd overtake him?

P.S. I'm not trying to be a smartarse here, I probably did derserve a ticket when I first came up behind him.

[John]

Thats the problem - people freak out when cops are infront of them - pass them and keep going, I overtake cops happily, I make sure I drop a gear before I pull out but ;).

DONT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE COPS most of them are human.

[CPB]

As long as you overtook him lawfully - ie clear road, not exceeding the speed limit etc etc, no reckless styles, you would have been mint...only problem, guaranteed he'd be tracking your speed from that moment...so you'd need to keep it on the speed limit...funny bugger though...why tootle along like that???

[Smorg]

I reckon he was egging you on mate i've had it a couple of times, yesterday when i was riding i came up behind a community constable holden vectra so i just pulled in behind him but then after thinking a bit longer i thought............
like a vectra could even make a speck on my horizon if i wanted to get away. So i pulled up next to him at the next lights looked in the window and they were both in civilian clothes needless to say i didnt keep sitting behind him all the way home :devil2:

[gamgee]

could that be almost considered entrapment? i mean he's almost forcing you to pass him

[bugjuice]

overtaking isn't against the law. Speeding is tho. So if you were in a 100 zone, and he slowed to 60-80, then overtake where it's safe to.

At that point, he most likely would have radio'd your reg in for a check up, then followed for a while. Then at some point, possibly pulled you up for a 5-min-wonder. I've been close to this myself several times, which has often been the few times I've ridden home from work. No idea what they want, but just play it cool. If you've got nothing to worry about, don't worry.. As soon as you start to stress/panic/get edgy, it'll show, and then the red 'n' blues come on to check you out.

Actually, if they slow down a fair bit, and you don't pass, that might indicate to them that you're guilty of something..


could that be almost considered entrapment? i mean he's almost forcing you to pass him
no. That's a whole huge kettle of fish to start with, but s/he's not forcing you to do anything. It's your choice to overtake or not. They could merely be giving you the option, or may be he's just wasting a bit of time by cutting a bit of speed off.. or may be s/he's a bit of a bike nut too, and just wants to watch you take some corners.. or may be they know that they'd be slower thru the corners, so just giving you the chance to pass safely so they don't hold you up.. but all unlikely, but possibilties

[sir.pratt]

Did you know all those security cameras around now watch your every movement and record them on a BIG computer just in case you are somewhere you shouldn't be, and someone wants to know it.

[Lou Girardin]

I reckon he was egging you on mate i've had it a couple of times, yesterday when i was riding i came up behind a community constable holden vectra so i just pulled in behind him but then after thinking a bit longer i thought............
like a vectra could even make a speck on my horizon if i wanted to get away. So i pulled up next to him at the next lights looked in the window and they were both in civilian clothes needless to say i didnt keep sitting behind him all the way home :devil2:

Was it an Indian guy and woman in it?

[Devil]

Definately pass if it is safe/lawful to do so. It pisses me right off when I come up behind a couple of cars (in the cage, or bike) and the one at the front hasnt got the nads to pass the cop, which screws things up for everyone else!

[ManDownUnder]

overtaking isn't against the law. Speeding is tho. So if you were in a 100 zone, and he slowed to 60-80, then overtake where it's safe to.

At that point, he most likely would have radio'd your reg in for a check up, then followed for a while. Then at some point, possibly pulled you up for a 5-min-wonder. I've been close to this myself several times, which has often been the few times I've ridden home from work. No idea what they want, but just play it cool. If you've got nothing to worry about, don't worry.. As soon as you start to stress/panic/get edgy, it'll show, and then the red 'n' blues come on to check you out

Yeah - I pass 'em semi regular... no worries.

Just watch it out that way - some of the roads are 80, some are 100, and Kumeu is 60... make sure you know where you are (and the speed limit) and you'll be fine.

I passed a cop doing 105 once - he was doing 98... and it took FOREVER but it was a huge long straight... so I though "What the hell???"

Makes for a good story (well... after about 2 bottles of wine - as with most of my stories)

[Smorg]

Did you know all those security cameras around now watch your every movement and record them on a BIG computer just in case you are somewhere you shouldn't be, and someone wants to know it.

what "are" you talking about?

[Smorg]

Was it an Indian guy and woman in it?


Yeah it was...................why?

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Just over take the cop. :psst: As long as you do it in side the law, pass. He will note your rego plate as you go passed :oi-grr: so stay at the legal speed. :spudflip:

[vifferman]

When I moved to Chch, I was riding with this guy on a VFR (I was on my VF500), and we both ripped past a line of cars in a passing lane south of Taihape, doing nearly 140. Just near the front of the queue was a cop car. Oops... Luckily, that was in the days when speeding didn't kill, so we just slowed down a bit and carried on.

[froggyfrenchman]

had a cop do that to me, i was 4th back in a line of vehicles, went from 50 into 100 zone. cop at front stayed at fifty. after bout 5mins the cop indicatd left, still at 50 in 100 zone, he pulled over and we all passed at legal limit. he instantly pulled back right up my arse. 20km later, with him tailgating me the whole way, i turned off into my street (15km windy country rd) he pulled in after me. by this point i was shittn meself, had only had licence back 2wks!
So i spooked and thrashed it, lost him and did the last 2km with lights off.

Thinkin bout it later, shouldnt have run.... but what the hell was he thinkn?
I HATE HIGHWAY PATROL!! Stuff like that does wonders for their public apperance....

[cowpoos]

I pass cops...with out a thought...I usually speed up to 110-120....never been nicked....never been pulled....I'll just casually gain ground on them at about 110...and pass them as if it was a pot hole I was driving around...and carry on at 105-110...if you get pulled...sorry officer my speedo must be out...and they will accept that.

If your slowing down and speeding up...you'll get cops attention...if your just cruzing they usually don't care...i've gotten away with three wavey fingers now up around 140kmph...and more than I can remeber below that...but if your in a cage...shit....have i had some fines....and that reminds me...must pay the 128kmph and the 81kmph [in 70 zone]....damit.

[CPB]

could that be almost considered entrapment? i mean he's almost forcing you to pass him

speaking of entrapment of sorts...had a mate who had a police chap ask about his ride while gassing up, turns out the police officer was a local rider himself, loved to carve it up of a weekend...my mate finished filling up, the cop followed him out of town...thinking the cop was wanting a demo, he demo'd...demo'd himself into some fairly costly fines...comment from the cop..yeah I carve it up, but I'm on duty at the moment...and 'I' don't get caught...BUGGER!!!!

[Brutalgixer]

not to hijack this topic , but a fairly amusing story

a little while ago me and my mate were travelling on the motorway to town, from south, and yep,, it was pretty quiet" so one thing leads to another , and before you know it we were going a "wee" bit faster than the actual limit, ( i dont know if it was 1 k over or a 100 !!) dont ask-- but anyway,, just before the newmarket overpass i thought " id better slow down,, whatdo you know, at the khyber pass turn off there was a cop waiting, in a red commodore" ( waiting for me, , sure enough as i rode past him, he followed, and followed and followed and followed, until he pulled me over, being the gentlemen that i am i got off my bike, took my helmet off, and said hi to him , and asked what the problem was, he said , ooh a few of my colleagues phoned ahead, they couldnt catch ya" , so they phoned me,, i said "officer , Was i speeding??? ( he clocked me at 106 k's) anyway i was polite to him ,and he said it was no biggie" turned out he rides a bike, and was going for a ride later, "nice fellow he was, with that i said my goodbyes,

so i guess the point im trying to make is " "most" cops are are human, treat em like that, and you'll be amazed--he/she might be a biker!!

and oh yes, t"he ones that are wankers" treat em as such" they are gonna book ya anyway"

:motu:

[hondacmx450]

i pass them and some times thay pull me over waste my time but other times thay just cruse along it a job some ones got to do it

[Wolf]

I quite happily pass cops - being careful not to exceed the limit by more than 10km/h and being sure it is safe to do so and that I indicate properly. No worries. Once in front I settle back at around the legal limit and go on my way.

We had a cop follow us to up the road a way when we were coming back from Wellington. I just sat on 100kph, drove sensibly and used my indicators when required. No doubt he did a check on us and was watching for any signs of stupidity but I didn't give him reason to worry and he then indicated and pulled off the road - probably to snaffle a few speeders with the radar or laser.

[Motu]

I pass them,but speed zone changes are a problem and they exploit them.They are doing other things as well as speeding tickets - one is running rego plates for stolen vehicles on a boring day in the country....I'm sure you'd be happy if someone stole your bike,and the arsehole was picked up when he passed a Cop who did a plate check as he followed behind....

[chickenfunkstar]

Yeah, next time I think I would overtake, i'd just have to be careful how I did it. Most of the overtaking on that road usually involves a quick squirt in 3rd, its over and done quickly but i'm often quite a bit over the speed limit.

The reason I was cautious was because I though he was dileberatly holding me up, wanting me to overtake him (for whatever reason). My exhaust is also a bit loud so he may have pinged me for that, even if I overtook legally.

[Lou Girardin]

speaking of entrapment of sorts...had a mate who had a police chap ask about his ride while gassing up, turns out the police officer was a local rider himself, loved to carve it up of a weekend...my mate finished filling up, the cop followed him out of town...thinking the cop was wanting a demo, he demo'd...demo'd himself into some fairly costly fines...comment from the cop..yeah I carve it up, but I'm on duty at the moment...and 'I' don't get caught...BUGGER!!!!

I suppose he pats rabid dogs too.

[madboy]

I pass any car that holds me up. Only difference is if they are a cop I make sure I'm doing something not too illegal when I do it. Quite often I'll split past them on the commute. Only fear I have is getting busted for no rego if they run the plate (that I may or may not be running that day). WOF is always up to date.

Most cops I've come across don't seem to bother with gently splitting bikes, I guess cos it'd be a pretty serious effort for a cage in rush hour to catch you... and that's before you upped the ante! And most cops are human too, they probably don't care.

Hate people who don't pass cops, holds everyone up. Okay I guess if it's just you being held up though.

[Flyingpony]

Go past police units provided I'm able to do so without breaking the speed limit.

If they're following me in town, take a number of random streets in quick secession. My favourite is heading for a round about and just going around and around it. Problem solved.

Have actually had one police car in Auckland do a full circuit or two. It was then they figured I was onto them by just going around and around instead of getting off, so they went on their merry way. Was very funny.

[loosebruce]

lol always cracks me up when a cop slows down to 90kph on the motorway and so does everyone else, feeling sorry for the cagers going slower than normal i pull up next to the cop pull a whleelie cop chases me and everyone else resumes normal service, how kind me thinks. (PT)
I always pass em, some even make an effort to give me room on the open road, always make my pass as legal as poss and even give em a wave to say thanks, at the end of the day if you're not doing anything to iilegal i dont think a cop would care.

Cfunkstar, you may remeber that the police are targeting that area of road for bikes specific, apparently bikes are doing speeds of over 200kph at times and pulling wheelies :whistle: so it doesn't surprise me that he slowed when he saw you, i've seen more than a few out that why lately (just in time i might add).

Keep ya eyes peeled people. But stay safe all the same.

[chickenfunkstar]

I just got the feeling that I was gonna get pulled over, stopped and talked to if I did overtake.
I've overtaken a policeman before in my car and ended up getting a ticket for not indicating for 3 seconds whilst pulling back onto my side of the road.
I know that there's at least 1 thing wrong with my bike that I could get a ticket for if the cop wanted to.


lol always cracks me up when a cop slows down to 90kph on the motorway and so does everyone else, feeling sorry for the cagers going slower than normal i pull up next to the cop pull a whleelie cop chases me and everyone else resumes normal service, how kind me thinks. (PT)
I always pass em, some even make an effort to give me room on the open road, always make my pass as legal as poss and even give em a wave to say thanks, at the end of the day if you're not doing anything to iilegal i dont think a cop would care.

Cfunkstar, you may remeber that the police are targeting that area of road for bikes specific, apparently bikes are doing speeds of over 200kph at times and pulling wheelies :whistle: so it doesn't surprise me that he slowed when he saw you, i've seen more than a few out that why lately (just in time i might add).

Keep ya eyes peeled people. But stay safe all the same.

Yeah, apparently.

[Ixion]

Methinks Mr Bugjuice was on the reason. He wanted to get your rego so he could run a check. To get it he needed you to pass him. Why he wanted the rego, but not enough to stop you ? Maybe someone reported a bike doing naughties and he thought it might be you? Or, HOK.

[chickenfunkstar]

Methinks Mr Bugjuice was on the reason. He wanted to get your rego so he could run a check. To get it he needed you to pass him. Why he wanted the rego, but not enough to stop you ? Maybe someone reported a bike doing naughties and he thought it might be you? Or, HOK.

Yeah guess it could have been. Hadn't been doing anything particularly naughty prior to to the time he saw me. :whocares:

HOK as in Hærens Operative Kommando???

[spudchucka]

Methinks Mr Bugjuice was on the reason. He wanted to get your rego so he could run a check. To get it he needed you to pass him. Why he wanted the rego, but not enough to stop you ? Maybe someone reported a bike doing naughties and he thought it might be you? Or, HOK.
If he wanted the rego he would have just pulled over and then pulled out again behind the bike. There isn't any point in being suptle when you are in a marked cop car.

[CPB]

I suppose he pats rabid dogs too.

Haha, yep, pretty much what I said to him at the time...he still gets shit about it 5 years on...

[Beemer]

As long as you overtook him lawfully - ie clear road, not exceeding the speed limit etc etc, no reckless styles, you would have been mint...only problem, guaranteed he'd be tracking your speed from that moment...so you'd need to keep it on the speed limit...funny bugger though...why tootle along like that???

Not always! There used to be this prick of a cop in Whakatane who would deliberately bait motorists. He was crawling along the road at about 30kph and my father was getting fed up with sitting behind him so he said he was going to pull out and pass him (my mother was freaking out, didn't want him to do it!). He told me (sitting in the back) to keep an eye on the speedo and make sure he didn't go over 50. He only had to get up to 45 to pass him, and as soon as he did, the lights and siren went on and he was pulled over. My father asked why he had been pulled over and was told it was for speeding. Dad said he had not exceeded 50 during the overtaking and he only overtook because of the excessively slow speed the cop had been doing. Cop didn't like this and then went over the car with a fine tooth comb. About 15 minutes later when he realised there was nothing he could legally book my father for, he said "I'll be keeping an eye out for you from now on".

He was hated, think his name was Raffin or something similar. Got beaten up by locals more than once and ended up being transferred.

[Pixie]

As long as you overtook him lawfully - ie clear road, not exceeding the speed limit etc etc, no reckless styles, you would have been mint...only problem, guaranteed he'd be tracking your speed from that moment...so you'd need to keep it on the speed limit...funny bugger though...why tootle along like that???
He was hoping you would pass.Then he would hang back and catch up to you later to see if you sped up.
Old nth rd is quiet -not many "contacts"

[zadok]

You don't know if the cop was going slow for some particular reason, but as has been said repeatedly, overtake legally no prob's. I haven't been stopped yet for it.

[chickenfunkstar]

He was hoping you would pass.Then he would hang back and catch up to you later to see if you sped up.
Old nth rd is quiet -not many "contacts"


Yeah I was thinking that he was playing some sort of game. A commodore driver who knew what he was doing would probably be as quick if not quicker than me. (Provided that there was light traffic)
Anyway not the sort of game I was willing to play.