My first motorbike speeding ticket.

[kave]

Got an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit on West Tamaki Road. I was snapped by one of those sneaky, undercover mobile cameras. At first I thought, I did the crime-now pay the fine (even though it was on a relatively main road at 7am during school holidays) and I guess thats still what I will have to do.

The only thing about this that really bothers me is the fact that I have been burgled twice and the cops did nothing, mugged once and the cops did nothing (and made it perfectly clear that it wasnt really of interest to them). I have given police information about someone who was using stolen credit cards, including the address of the person and proof of what they were doing- the police did nothing. I have called 111 regarding a serious incident that was going on (and which involved weapons) and the cops took three hours to show up. I exceed the speed limit and there they are.

I'll still pay my fine, but if I see one of the boys in blue being bashed I will turn away and ignore it, I wont even make a courtesy call to their mates.

[Monsterbishi]

They're just doing their jobs dude, they don't get to pick what task they perform each day.

Instead of harbouring a gripe over the people who are just doing what they're ordered so they can feed their families, go smack Clint Rickards or summin.

[The Lone Rider]

Got an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit on West Tamaki Road. I was snapped by one of those sneaky, undercover mobile cameras. At first I thought, I did the crime-now pay the fine (even though it was on a relatively main road at 7am during school holidays) and I guess thats still what I will have to do.

The only thing about this that really bothers me is the fact that I have been burgled twice and the cops did nothing, mugged once and the cops did nothing (and made it perfectly clear that it wasnt really of interest to them). I have given police information about someone who was using stolen credit cards, including the address of the person and proof of what they were doing- the police did nothing. I have called 111 regarding a serious incident that was going on (and which involved weapons) and the cops took three hours to show up. I exceed the speed limit and there they are.

I'll still pay my fine, but if I see one of the boys in blue being bashed I will turn away and ignore it, I wont even make a courtesy call to their mates.

It's because there is no quota at being a good cop :D

But still.. you know what happens if you speed so you can't be too surprised.

Next time they pull you over though, ask to see the calibration certificate on whatever they zinged you with. If it hasn't got a date on it in the last 7 days, it won't hold in court as well. They are suppose to be calibrated every week I am told.

[marty]

what a fucking wanker. i don't suppose you'll be crying to the cops when you get your head smacked in, or your house gets burgled again, or your one of your kids gets molested, or someone dies in your house, or you crash and are lying on the roadside broken, either?

[marty]

ps. what was the speed?

[jimbo600]

Got an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit on West Tamaki Road. I was snapped by one of those sneaky, undercover mobile cameras. At first I thought, I did the crime-now pay the fine (even though it was on a relatively main road at 7am during school holidays) and I guess thats still what I will have to do.

The only thing about this that really bothers me is the fact that I have been burgled twice and the cops did nothing, mugged once and the cops did nothing (and made it perfectly clear that it wasnt really of interest to them). I have given police information about someone who was using stolen credit cards, including the address of the person and proof of what they were doing- the police did nothing. I have called 111 regarding a serious incident that was going on (and which involved weapons) and the cops took three hours to show up. I exceed the speed limit and there they are.

I'll still pay my fine, but if I see one of the boys in blue being bashed I will turn away and ignore it, I wont even make a courtesy call to their mates.

This is modern NZ mate. Speed and chances are you'll pay. Get mugged, robbed, or burgled and the only way you'll get any justice is to take it out yourself. Is the way it is. Violent crime is up circa 5% nationally and thats good apparently, according to Broad Howard and Annette King.

[kave]

what a fucking wanker. i don't suppose you'll be crying to the cops when you get your head smacked in, or your house gets burgled again, or your one of your kids gets molested, or someone dies in your house, or you crash and are lying on the roadside broken, either?

No I wont be, I have already seen that it is a waste of time and that I have a better chance of sorting those sort of things out using friends and contacts. People whinge that the police are just doing their jobs, but the fact is that they arent doing shit. If its going to take them 3 days to turn up to a burglary or three hours to turn up to a 111 call, they may as well just get on the TV and say "we have failed, we cant protect you, your family or your property, if you want to be safe you are going to have to protect yourselves".

Then again, perhaps I'm just angry and tired and will have a different perspective on this tomorrow.

[Karma]

Ah, the warm after-glow of speeding tickets.

[FJRider]

As I understand,speed cameras are done under contract.Cops arent the ones taking the photos.The "bonus" is speed camera fines DONT (as yet) have DEMERIT POINTS attached.You know the rules,we know the rules,get caught... only one person to blame.You want the rules changed...get into Goverment and do it (try) or Vote for someone who WILL (try).
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Experience is something you dont get... untill just after you need it

[norwester]

What a stupid statement....:baby:..ya big baby....it really don't deserve a retort SLOW DOWN be a good cyclist...it's free

[_intense_]

wah wah... sob

dont speed up when you see a patrol car then.

SHEESH! woulda thought that would be obvious.

[cowboyz]

harden up. Did you not realise that police give you fines if they catch you exceeding the speed limit? It is a calculated risk every time you decide to speed.

[bull]

Good on ya for venting Kave, i read through your whole post and like you said at the end youll pay the fine, good to get the rest out their for people to see too. Im gutted you didnt get the police service you required/wanted/expected but lets hope your situation is the exception to the good work the police do, you know the cases that go right and dont make it into the media coz good media doesnt get the attention.

[kave]

As I understand,speed cameras are done under contract.Cops arent the ones taking the photos.

Thats true, but the vacancies are advertised on the police website, so those taking the photos are employed by the police.

Anyway, I am starting to calm down a little. I guess I shouldnt be aiming my vitriol at police officers, but rather at the policing organisation and at government (its hard to stay pissed off at police when the ones I have met socially have been pretty good blokes). I still stand by my comment that the police organisation is completely shite at solving crime (other than traffic offenses), but I guess its not the fault of the individual officers.

I broke the law, but I feel I did not do anything dangerous. I dont believe I endangered anyones life, I believe that a good traffic officer would have taken into account the location I was in, the lack of traffic, the time of day, the good weather etc. Cameras cannot make judgment calls, and thats probably a big part of what is pissing me off.

On the brighter side, I have now been caught breaking the law, which makes me a criminal. My wife will have to beat off all the ladies attracted by my new badboy status.

[jimbo600]

I dont believe I endangered anyones life, I believe that a good traffic officer would have taken into account the location I was in, the lack of traffic, the time of day, the good weather etc. Cameras cannot make judgment calls, and thats probably a big part of what is pissing me off.

Not a chance bud. A Highway patrol officer would ticket you regardless. Quota, quota, quota mate. No cerebral activity is employed by HP members.

NZ Police are very VERY good at homicide resolution, however, in my opinion they lack resource and hierarchal will in other areas. It is a fact that road policing takes priority over violent offending, youth crime, and burglary etc.

[marty]

so what was your speed?

and a camera ticket is not a criminal matter. it's an infringment.

[kave]

so what was your speed?
I am not going to be exact, because I dont think speed is relevant unless directly compared to the road conditions by an observer, but it was more than 10ks over but definately less than loss of license speeds.


and a camera ticket is not a criminal matter. it's an infringment.
There goes my dreams of being swamped by hordes of lithe supermodels, aroused by my outlaw status.

[FJRider]

It only becomes CRIMINAL when you dont pay the fine.Check out how many demerits you could have got from a HP officer "infringement notice"
__________________________________________________ _____________________ _A journey of a thousand miles starts with a flat tyre and a fouled plug.

[Beemer]

I broke the law, but I feel I did not do anything dangerous. I dont believe I endangered anyones life, I believe that a good traffic officer would have taken into account the location I was in, the lack of traffic, the time of day, the good weather etc. Cameras cannot make judgment calls, and thats probably a big part of what is pissing me off.

Yeah, right! I got done for doing 123kph on the Himatangi Straights at 9am on a sunny Sunday morning with NO other traffic in the immediate vicinity - apart from the unmarked cop car heading towards me. He put the lights and siren on and did a U-turn and before I'd even got the chance to take my helmet off and get off the bike, he was beside me with his hand out wanting my licence. His first words were "licence please, I am issuing you with an infringement notice" - no "did you realise you were speeding/what's your excuse for travelling above the speed limit, etc" or anything.

It still pisses me off now (seven years ago next Monday!) but although I am not a fan of the police (for totally unrelated reasons), I would not refuse to do anything to help if one was being assaulted by a tosser. Sure, cameras can't make judgement calls but not every cop can or will either.

[Ocean1]

I got done for doing 123kph on the Himatangi Straights at 9am on a sunny Sunday morning with NO other traffic in the immediate vicinity

Must be some sort of Burmuda triangle thing going on up there.

Many years ago when I was younger, (and less than the well rounded, rational individual you now see before you) I was heading up to Mercer, for the Nationals. Himatangi, and my mate had a break of a mile or so on me, stuck behind a big truck and trailer. I'd just passed the turn off to Palmie, looked... nothing, so out we come and off we go. I was just getting past the trailer and a dodgy looking old cortina appears to the right, exiting a padock gate, behind trees, sideways. No time to drop back, no time to get past. I ducked my head and tucked in between the truck and trailer, trying for eye contact with the truck driver in his mirror on the way. Felt like I was under there for half a fuckin hour before the cortina went past, very close. Stopped for a wee constitutional until my mate came back looking for me.

A year or so later I got done for 112, in exactly the same place, with no traffic in sight other than the clearly marked patrol car heading the other way. Didn't even see the point in slowing to be honest. I was wrong. I thought "meh, tax time, about due...". Then I got the lecture, the uncut version. My blood pressure rose and words were said. I got pulled over three more times before I hit Taehapi.

Couple more years, two bikes heading north in traffic, behaving themselves. Very close to the same place as above, and a big Kawasaki passes at warp 7, accelerating. About 30 sec later a patrol car passes, chasing. A dozen miles further on and the patrol car's back, turns, picks his way through the cars behind me with his lights on and pulls me over. "Who's yer mate?" Fucked if I know says I, wasn't with us. "Well I'm guna do you for 130 then", which he proceded to do. He knew full well it was bullshit, and I knew too. I was seriously pissed, lawyer, witnesses, court... guilty.

I'm told I'm conservative, I do usually stick loosely to the rules, but I've learned my lesson. I've declined to be pulled over on the Himatangi straights a couple of times since then.

[Dave-]

the original argument is death caused by speeding vs death by someone being burgled or mugged, the fact you called assumes you're still alive, your mental state is up for argument, but that's the psyches problem to sort out in the comming weeks.

more people die on the roads as a result of speeding than those who die of missing a few items.

by no means does this justify the problem i can imagine how you feel but it's the cold truth.

[scumdog]

Not a chance bud. A Highway patrol officer would ticket you regardless. Quota, quota, quota mate. No cerebral activity is employed by HP members.

Hmm, I must have the best quota in NZ then _ I've only written out three speeding tickets in the last two weeks....oh and a total of about five other (seat-belt X 2, a couple I cant remember).

Oh, and I've done about eight warning including some for speed.

Not bad for somebody meant to be doing traffic eh?

[jimbo600]

the original argument is death caused by speeding vs death by someone being burgled or mugged, the fact you called assumes you're still alive, your mental state is up for argument, but that's the psyches problem to sort out in the comming weeks.

more people die on the roads as a result of speeding than those who die of missing a few items.

by no means does this justify the problem i can imagine how you feel but it's the cold truth.

Catching and processing crims cost money, road policing by zealots make money, that my friend, is the cold truth.

[scumdog]

Catching and processing crims cost money, road policing by zealots make money, that my friend, is the cold truth.

But, but on KB everybody moans about people who don't pay fines and do PD instead?
Or say how THEY'RE not going to pay their fine.

[jimbo600]

Hmm, I must have the best quota in NZ then _ I've only written out three speeding tickets in the last two weeks....oh and a total of about five other (seat-belt X 2, a couple I cant remember).

Oh, and I've done about eight warning including some for speed.

Not bad for somebody meant to be doing traffic eh?

Ah but you're special Scummy. In fact, if it were up to me you'd be police commissioner, and the next All Black coach.

As ever you have added balance to my largely hyperbolic rants. But if everyone used honesty and tempered argument on these forums no-one would ever visit them.

Keep up the good work

[jimbo600]

But, but on KB everybody moans about people who don't pay fines and do PD instead?
Or say how THEY'RE not going to pay their fine.

People don't pay their fines? What kind of sick world are we living in?