What Coppie did - A thread listing Police road accidents and bad driving

[Pixie]

So why don't more do as you did - report the incident to the local cop shop?

Oh, that's right this is KB so: "Cos nothing will be done/happen etc" is the most common comment here.......

See post #38

[scumdog]

Actually it is not a whinge thread,or maybe one with a purpose.
I would like to end up with a list showing just how common bad driving practices are amongst the Police and perhaps get some action regarding training or change the "rabid dog" ticketing policies.

Just look at what the general public do....and it's bound to follow that certain cops will drive the same.

BTW people, 'cops' include Youth Aid, LREP and various factions whose goal/focus is not traffic duties, they're just driving to their various appointments..

[Usarka]

So why don't more do as you did - report the incident to the local cop shop?

Oh, that's right this is KB so: "Cos nothing will be done/happen etc" is the most common comment here.......

Didn't have time to get the rego when the cop u-turned in front of me.

Would be treated the same as rocking up to the cop shop and saying "a blue van cut me off".

[terbang]

Can I start a thread on bad driving by non police peole?

A peole..? I've got one of those too, gets a lot of work when I'm drinking beer.

[aff-man]

Ok I have been treated fairly and not to fairly in my encounters with the police, but on the whole have found them helpful, informative and only one one occasion an arse. But this thread is not about the attitude of police towards us/ when speaking with us it (to my understanding) is about risks they take on the road which endanger us... especially when we are vulnerable enough with the stupid driving of everyday NZdr's
If we are holding them to a higher standard then yes they should definately NOT be doing some of the things they do....

Seen a couple U-turns that are silly but not directly affected me but the 2 instances that cheesed me off was...
1 - Bike cop no lights or sirens on motorway came flying passed me in the same lane, close enough for narrowly avoid my mirror and his.

2- about 2 months ago coming home at night with the missus on the back through some pretty serious roadwaorks, was only doing about 25 (hate roadworks and it was night) see mr plod with lights (no siren) coming up behind me so pull over left as far as possible and slow to 20km/h for him to pass. Comes flying passed me at about 80 close enough to nick my jacket with his wing mirror and continues on subsiquently spraying me with dirst and gravel... Now I didn't see his rego or anything and not sure what the procedure is but he almost took us out. Now I was pretty pissed off, not only because he almost cleaned us out but because he gave my GF a pretty big scare as she didn't even see him coming. Could have ended badly if he had been like 20-30mm closer..

[Pixie]

But Aff-man,he was only human or maybe he made a mistake

[trustme]

Actually it is not a whinge thread,or maybe one with a purpose.
I would like to end up with a list showing just how common bad driving practices are amongst the Police and perhaps get some action regarding training or change the "rabid dog" ticketing policies.

I accept your intention , but you/we/motorcyclists have no credibility. We need to clean up our own act first before pointing the finger.
I have driven cars/trucks & ridden for over 35years, never felt I was endangered by a copper although I have seen some piss poor driving. I wish I could say the same of cars ,motorbikes & my pet hate bloody cyclists.
We as motorcyclists seem to have this idea that all other road users are morons, only we have the tremendous skill & ability that enables us to display a totally cavalier attitude to the road rules, the safety of others & even ourselves, only we have are capable enough to treat the public roads as a race track.
For my money , Bronz / Ulys or whoever need to try & change our own attitude & riding first to get some crediblity & then we can start to criticise others, of course this is not sexy with many riders because we know better, & for as long as we point the finger at everyone but ourselves we will continue too be over represented in accident statistics which is why with the greatest of respect I think threads like this are a futile waste of time.
Just a different point of view .

[glegge]

I got this as well but he jumped out from behind a tree.
coming back from palmy to wellington years back. idiot was looking to be run over.
all he wanted to do was say 'got you speeding - tickets in the mail' then he went back to hide behind his tree.
DICKS!

How about riding along the open road at 110, minding your own business, enjoying th eday, when a truck cop jumps out from behind a truck into the middle of the road waving his arms. FUCKEN IDIOT!!!!!!
Locked the brakes & just about run the fucker over. Not sure who got the biggest fright, me or him.
All he wanted was to see who I was, coz hes seen me riding my bike & he didnt know who I was. Nosey cunt!

[Ixion]

Just look at what the general public do....and it's bound to follow that certain cops will drive the same.

BTW people, 'cops' include Youth Aid, LREP and various factions whose goal/focus is not traffic duties, they're just driving to their various appointments..

Ah, no. Police are granted enourmous privileges, compared to the general public. The counter of that is that they are expected to maintain a higher standard of behaviour than the general public. That applies to driving as well as other things. If police drivers are only going to be of the same standard as the general public, then they must lose those privileges (which includes the privilege of handing out tickets)

[Spearfish]

where are all the rivet counting stats men?

How many call outs completed per crash?
How many crashes per police population compared to bikers?
Time of day
Yearly trends...
Model of police car
What tread depth was left
The mileage
Mufti v marked
Total value of what the fine would have been if the car hadn't crashed compared to the repair of said crash...
How many times bikers get away with something compared to getting pinged..(ooops wrong thread)
Gender of crashee..
Age of crashee...
Time in service of crashee...
How many times crashee completes a (P1? not sure of term) job unnoticed compared to uncompleted because of public bin.
Its a rhetorical question..I would want to disturb the private moment stats men have with a rolled up tube of paper and their favourite chain lube...

[aff-man]

But Aff-man,he was only human or maybe he made a mistake

Hence me saying are we going to hold them to a higher standard....
human or not going at pace dangerously close to a motorcycle at night through roadworks is not making a mistake seeing as he had heaps of time to see me. It's dangerous driving.

[MSTRS:Me]

Just look at what the general public do....and it's bound to follow that certain cops will drive the same.

BTW people, 'cops' include Youth Aid, LREP and various factions whose goal/focus is not traffic duties, they're just driving to their various appointments..

What the general public do should have no bearing on the driving/roadcraft standards of cops.
As for the various sections of the farce...if they are in a marked car, then they are all just cops to us. Makes no difference whether they are HP or not. Since we can't tell the difference from GD to HP to Whover.

[Ixion]

I forgot one in post 2:
Being followed,on the Mangawhai rd,in the dark,by a police ute at 100 kmh, who sits 2 metres off my rear wheel and refuses to pass when I give him the opportunity.
Perhaps trying to elicit a speeding offence from me?
.

Oh, I forgot that one. Was only a couple of months ago. Tootling down the Southern, lightish traffic, but I'm quite legal. Up ahead, cop car parked beside the road, as they do. Back off a bit, although I was under the limit anyway. Pass the cop, and check my mirror, he's pulling out. Hm.

He comes up behind me, and sits maybe 2 foot from my tail light. Hm. Change lanes (indicators, shoulder check, all by the book). Hm, he's changed too, still two foot (max) from my rear.Change back into origianl lane, yep he's still behind me. Hm. I know this game, it's not going to work Charlie. Stay at 95 kph. By the book

Get to my off ramp, down ramp, he's still behind me. Lights at bottom, turn (all by the book) , he turns behind me, still 18 inches or so behind. Stay at constant 48 kph. Another lights, stop (even gave a stop hand signal). Turn and glare at him, he stares straight ahead. Green light , start off, 48 kph, cop peels off in a (dodgy) U turn, back onto the motorway.

Now, most of us now what he was up to - intimidating me in the hope I'd speed up to "get him off my tail'. I know this game, and it's not going to work with me. But it does work with less suspicious folk, and it is pretty common.

Yamaha looks smaller than a 600, lots of folk think it's a 250. I guess he thought I was a novice, and easy quota.

This sort of shit happens far far too often.

[onearmedbandit]

So did you report it?

[bogan]

For my money , Bronz / Ulys or whoever need to try & change our own attitude & riding first to get some crediblity & then we can start to criticise others, of course this is not sexy with many riders because we know better, & for as long as we point the finger at everyone but ourselves we will continue too be over represented in accident statistics which is why with the greatest of respect I think threads like this are a futile waste of time.
Just a different point of view .

So if bikers have some bad riders, we can't critisise anyone else, but if cops have some bad drivers than can just carry on critisising our driving/riding? (in the form of tickets obviously) Seems a bit one sided to me.