'e wasn't after me after all...

[slofox]

Was pootling northwards on Gordonton Road yesterday afternoon, in a line of traffic, waiting for a chance to wail past them all in one go, when a LEO happened past in the opposite direction. As is my want, I gave him the friendly, secret KB wave as he went by and then watched dubiously in the rearview mirror as he pulled a u-turn, about two cars behind me. "Hmmmm" I thinks, "can't be after me, not speeding, not drunk, on correct side of road, WOF and Reg up to date...must be just patrolling around...unless I got that bloody wave wrong again....which finger am I supposed to point up with....?"
Next thing I know, the disco lights go on and he comes fanging up behind, passing the traffic between us at some rate of knots. "Ahhhh shit," thinks I, "musta got the bloody wave wrong again...OR, perchance he just wants me to participate in the Hamilton Bike Check scheme..."
So I moved left and prepared to stop. But lo and behold, he just hooned right on past, overtook the next car and hauled over some dude with a trailer on the back of his car - dunno why, but that's what he did.
I did not wave again as I passed him and continued on my way.
Why is it we always feel so guilty when that happens?

[JimO]

i was heading to a job in my trusty hilux over the northern motorway out of dunedin when a cop car avec lights blazing appeared behind me i thought shit and checked the speedo...gasp 110.so prepared to pull over and he roared past .he must have been going pretty quick to catch up with me before i could spot him in my mirrors

[dpex]

Was pootling northwards on Gordonton Road yesterday afternoon, in a line of traffic, waiting for a chance to wail past them all in one go, when a LEO happened past in the opposite direction. As is my want, I gave him the friendly, secret KB wave as he went by and then watched dubiously in the rearview mirror as he pulled a u-turn, about two cars behind me. "Hmmmm" I thinks, "can't be after me, not speeding, not drunk, on correct side of road, WOF and Reg up to date...must be just patrolling around...unless I got that bloody wave wrong again....which finger am I supposed to point up with....?"
Next thing I know, the disco lights go on and he comes fanging up behind, passing the traffic between us at some rate of knots. "Ahhhh shit," thinks I, "musta got the bloody wave wrong again...OR, perchance he just wants me to participate in the Hamilton Bike Check scheme..."
So I moved left and prepared to stop. But lo and behold, he just hooned right on past, overtook the next car and hauled over some dude with a trailer on the back of his car - dunno why, but that's what he did.
I did not wave again as I passed him and continued on my way.
Why is it we always feel so guilty when that happens?

Because, most often, we have every reason to feel guilty. God knows how many times I've slowed down, just for drill, only to find a a cop-car just one or two behind the drivers coming at me.

I ride on, smugly, thinking, Jesus, if it had been just another fifteen seconds before, he would have pinged me for X???

Funny old thing, is chance.

[crash harry]

Dunno. I always feel edgy when there's a copper behind me. Always feel like they're watching me extra closely because I'm on a sportsbike. Which, if you think about it, they probably are, and with statistically sound reason too...

[varminter]

Good grief, are we all paranoid.....or are they out to get us

[jaymzw]

Good grief, are we all paranoid.....or are they out to get us

I just worry about the ninja's!

They are everywhere

Edit: that reminds me i need to move my rego so when i run a month or so over you cant see it blatantly on the side of my number plate. Could cost me 200 notes if im ever unfortunate enough to be stopped at the lights infront of a cop.

[caseye]

We? are an easy target, specially if they've got a rego! so running is pointless, just keep honing the sniff em out techniques fellow riders.Chance is indeed a fine thing.
Always nice when they pick someone else out of the line ahead.

[steve_t]

I automatically slow down when I see a but these days I find I don't actually need to. I guess I'm getting old...going slow... granny shifting, not double clutching...
I used to think "I'll get out of the way" when the blue and reds flashed behind me... but now the old man paranoia has kicked in and it's "what have I done now?!"
The same tailed me for a bit around Borman Rd down Barrington Drive. Maybe he was looking for you?

[skidMark]

I saw 45 people get pulled over around me in 2 years.... 43 of them were me being pulled...

so yeah if lights come on, i figure its me.

[Gremlin]

Its obvious slofox... you're breaking the law

Stop breaking the law

[Reido]

but KBers are respectable members of society and would never break the law!

[slofox]

Its obvious slofox... you're breaking the law

Stop breaking the law

I wasn't! Not that time anyway...

[MarkH]

can't be after me, not speeding, not drunk, on correct side of road, WOF and Reg up to date...

What about your wheels? Were they both on the road at the time?

I like them barriers - they stop head on collisions and the cops can't do U turns. They can flash their lights at you, but if they can't turn and chase you then you can just carry on. Not that the cops ever have any reason to flash their lights at me

[Simon]

I got a little enthusiastic coming off the southern motor-way, last weekend, on the way over to Tauranga. Sure enough just as I'm about to pop over the hill, the law crests just in front of me heading the opposite direction.

Bugger, i think, as the disco lights flick on – And its not the first time i've been pinged by a copper hiding behind a hill. So i slink along, and pull over to await the inevitable.

1min... 2mins... 5mins. Guess he's not coming back! Sweet time to bugger off before my luck changes!

I've never been 'flashed' like that before. Is this a gentle warning to pull your head in? Or just a coincidence?

[MarkH]

I've never been 'flashed' like that before. Is this a gentle warning to pull your head in? Or just a coincidence?

So many factors - if you are not going all that much faster than the leeway the cops allow AND if they just can't be bothered turning around and chasing you then maybe that will turn their disco lights on then off again to let you know that you are currently skating on thin ice and you should monitor your speed a bit more carefully from now on. I suggest you take it as a warning and try hard to not get caught going too fast.