Angry Biker Cop

[Despatch]

There was a traffic jam along Customhouse Quay and Jervois Quay this morning, as traffic was stopped to make way for the Chinese New Year Parade. Some people had climbed out of their cars and were wandering around over the road.

The beauty of being on a bike is that you can work your way through traffic instead of adding to the congestion. The cop directing the traffic gave me an earful for being "rude" and not queuing behind the cars. They stretched blocks back. He directed me to the side until the the backlog of cars were cleared.

If I wanted to get caught in a traffic jam and add to the congestion, I would have brought my car into town.

Has anyone else had similar experiences of cops singling you out as a biker? This guy was one angry fellow. The only rudeness was his shouting at me.

[Maki]

Maybe the cop didn't like the fact that you can filter through traffic on a normal bike while his fat police cruiser has big panniers that prevent this....

Filtering has no effect on cars so I fail to see how it can be rude. It's the same as saying that walking past a line of stationary cars is rude... Would the cop have stopped someone who had walked past the cars and made them wait till the cars were all gone?

What the cop did was rude and stupid and unbecoming of someone who is PAYED by you to serve you. What he did was probably illegal too.

[portokiwi]

:clap: He must have been having a very bad day

[MSTRS]

Totally over the top. If you were doing nothing wrong, he is not within his rights to detain you in that manner. I hope you got his badge number and will make a formal complaint. It is this sort of shit that gives all cops a bad name, and it needs to be stamped on. Fast.

[cheshirecat]

Did you get his number?
We can ask his boss for an explanation.

[Swoop]

Maybe the cop didn't like the fact that you can filter through traffic on a normal bike while his fat police cruiser has big panniers that prevent this....
Rubbish.
You have never followed one then?
A group of about six bikes were happily led along the motorway, by a filtering bike cop, a while back.

[Despatch]

I regret not getting his badge number.

[Maki]

Rubbish.
You have never followed one then?
A group of about six bikes were happily led along the motorway, by a filtering bike cop, a while back.

Lucky another cop didn't stop you, accuse you of being rude and make you wait by the side of the road!
:2guns:

[Despatch]

Its one of those things you think about afterwards. I would definitely get a badge number and seek an explanation next time.

Hopefully, this is isolated.

[ajturbo]

you stopped??? hahahahaha....

sorry i just had to laugh

[R6_kid]

Rubbish.
You have never followed one then?
A group of about six bikes were happily led along the motorway, by a filtering bike cop, a while back.

The only time i've ever been 'caught' by a biker cop when filtering was when they went up the outside in the bus lane - to tell me to slow down. Bike cops only filter quickly with their lights and sirens on.

[davereid]

Ignore him, he's a wanker, and far to busy to chase you. Give him a friendly two fingered wave, and move on.

[Despatch]

Lets be clear about this... filtering is not something to be "caught" about. It is the appropriate way for a motorcyclist to make his/her way through congested traffic.

Being discourteous of "rude" is always going to be open to interpretation, but filtering is not.

[twotyred]

There was a traffic jam along Customhouse Quay and Jervois Quay this morning, as traffic was stopped to make way for the Chinese New Year Parade. Some people had climbed out of their cars and were wandering around over the road.

The beauty of being on a bike is that you can work your way through traffic instead of adding to the congestion. The cop directing the traffic gave me an earful for being "rude" and not queuing behind the cars. They stretched blocks back. He directed me to the side until the the backlog of cars were cleared.

If I wanted to get caught in a traffic jam and add to the congestion, I would have brought my car into town.

Has anyone else had similar experiences of cops singling you out as a biker? This guy was one angry fellow. The only rudeness was his shouting at me.

unless he states that he's arresting you,he can't detain you for more than 15 minutes,to ascertain your identity.... :Police: = :tugger:

[Despatch]

Perhaps he considers directing traffic gives him license to be a wanker...

[Despatch]

He wasn't interested in my identity, and I wasn't detained for more than 15 minutes.

Is 15 minutes a "rule of thumb" or can would I be able to legally ride away if detained longer?

[mattian]

you don't need his badge number. You have the location, time and date etc.... just write in asking for an explanation. Would be very interested in hearing their repsonse.

[Fatt Max]

Blimey, cop sounds like a bit of a twat....or is it the year of the donkey by any chance?

[Dean]

Perhaps he considers directing traffic gives him license to be a wanker...

May i ask what kind of stuff did the cop say to you being rude and all

[Kemet]

Blimey, cop sounds like a bit of a twat....or is it the year of the donkey by any chance?

Year of the Ox...

Just a technicality:whistle:

[The Pastor]

the only reason he can detain you on the side of the road up to a maximum of 15 mins (with out arresting you) is for the sole purpose of getting your identity. Once you hand you license over to him you have lawfully, fully identified yourself.

your detention was fully illegal.

I think.

[Katman]

It is this sort of shit that gives all cops a bad name, and it needs to be stamped on. Fast.

I'm fucking ROFLing.

:rofl:

[twotyred]

He wasn't interested in my identity, and I wasn't detained for more than 15 minutes.

Is 15 minutes a "rule of thumb" or can would I be able to legally ride away if detained longer?

my understanding is he has to tell you that he is detaining you to ascertain your identity,if he doesn't even do that he has no right to detain you.

my lawyer once told me once you have given them the details just tell them "i am leaving now" and go,they will have to arrest you to stop you.

[Insanity_rules]

The other day I filtered up next to a cop and had a chat in the traffic. Nice guy too.

[spudchucka]

I regret not getting his badge number.

Badge number? TV has a lot to answer for.

[spudchucka]

Perhaps he considers directing traffic gives him license to be a wanker...

Not really but being assigned to those duties would piss me off more than getting kicked in the nuts.

[Littleman]

you don't need his badge number. You have the location, time and date etc.... just write in asking for an explanation. Would be very interested in hearing their repsonse.


Surely you're not suggesting hearing both sides of the story?

[Despatch]

He said words to the effect of "You, I'm talking to you. Move off to the side of the road. Now. Over there. You are rude. These cars have been waiting longer than you have. Move. Now. Don't move again until I tell you."

[Despatch]

I'm sure he was having a bad day. Perhaps he can go home and kick the cat or something. Leave me out of it.

[HungusMaximist]

He said words to the effect of "You, I'm talking to you. Move off to the side of the road. Now. Over there. You are rude. These cars have been waiting longer than you have. Move. Now. Don't move again until I tell you."

I agree bit a of a bitch that cop., I certainly won't be taking that sort of lip.

However, going as far as making a formal complaint about him being a little bitch?

I think we're taking being P.C. a little too far here...

[slofox]

I'm sure he was having a bad day. Perhaps he can go home and kick the cat or something. Leave me out of it.

With any luck the cat will scratch his balls off and serves him right.....

[jrandom]

He said words to the effect of "You, I'm talking to you. Move off to the side of the road. Now. Over there. You are rude. These cars have been waiting longer than you have. Move. Now. Don't move again until I tell you."

And you didn't think to yell back "Come over and make me, motherfucker!", drop a smoky burnout in the middle of the road and then ride off while making a rude gesture?

[Despatch]

I'm mostly interested to know whether others have had a similar experience, or whether this is an isolated instance. From the feedback so far it seems isolated.

[Shadows]

You weren't being rude.

This, is rude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHT4N31-TzY</EMBED>

[Despatch]

Maybe the best suggestion so far...

[Ixion]

I've heard of it happening. Never experienced it. "Are you addressing me, officer. I don't like your attitude .. "

You say he was a bikie cop? Was he a big maori guy?

[Despatch]

No, he is euro

[Ixion]

Hm. Sounds like there's two of them. Unusual from a bikie cop, I've heard of it from non-bikie ones.

And yeah, the 15 minutes is pretty much his limit. Normally , would not recommend pushing that point, but in a case like that I'd be timing him (and make sure he knew I was)

Independant Police Complaints Authority is what you want. Insubordinate and out of line. Get his number (preferably , sight his warrant card. And if possible take a photo of him . they hate that , he'll erupt.

[vifferman]

I've had a similar experience, years ago. Three of us were filtering through stopped traffic on the way to work. A cop on a bike was nearly apoplectic with rage (spittle flying everywhere, eyes bulging, etc.) He said to me (and presumably the other bikers when he raved at them), "If you rode like a proper motorcyclist instead of a bloody idiot, you wouldn't give the rest of us motorcyclists a bad name!"
I was too dumbfounded to think of asking him exactly what I'd done wrong or what his problem was. His attitude was SO over the top it was laughable.
So I laughed...

I think in this case, no further action is required. The thing to have done was discuss it with the oroficer concerned at the time, asking him what his problem was, pointing out you'd broken no laws, that you filtering past the traffic had made absolutely NO difference to their progress, that unlike the car drivers, you ran the risk of overheating while stopped in traffic, and that what you did wasn't rude but sensible and expedient.

[FROSTY]

Dude the way I see it you had two choices. there n then at the time.
ask the cop what law you had broken or pull over and wait.

[MSTRS]

Dude the way I see it you had two choices. there n then at the time.
ask the cop what law you had broken or pull over and wait.

Hard to argue with a cop at the time. A cop is legally able to make you stop for up to 15 minutes, perhaps for no good reason. Doesn't mean s/he should or will, but because the 'request' is legal, you can't argue the point at the time, without risking an upping of the ante. But a complaint later about his un-necessary action and attitude is definitely in order.

[Despatch]

I didn't get the opportunity to question him. I waited at the side of the road like an idiot while he directed the traffic past me.

[Okey Dokey]

That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard! I've certainly never heard of such a thing happening before.

[mikeey01]

you don't need his badge number. You have the location, time and date etc.... just write in asking for an explanation. Would be very interested in hearing their repsonse.

I agree, that explanation would be interesting to read and posted up on here too.


He wasn't interested in my identity, and I wasn't detained for more than 15 minutes.
Yes an explanation needed indeed.