Auckland waterfront police overkill?

[spudchucka]

The reason Quay St and Tamaki Drive (the waterfront you speak of) is flush with police is because Auckland Central have an STU (Strategic Traffic Unit). There are not many (if any) streets in the inner city patch that they patrol where it is common for cars to speed along during the day...except Tamaki Drive.

It is 50 kph which may seem a bit ridiculous to you lot but I work a lot out of St Heliers Station which means Tamaki drive is my patch too.
This road is VERY popular with cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and mums pushing those three wheeled contraptions.
I attend at least one accident in my set of shifts on Tamaki drive each four days.
Most are not serious but a LOT involve Car V Cyclist. These would have been very serious often fatal if the speed limit were 60 or 70..remember people travel 5 to 10 over anyway generally. The last one I did attend was fatal.. albeit on Long Drive not Tamaki drive but there next to each other.
So the reason the cops patrol that stretch of road so vigilently is beacause that is the danger spot for that particular section. it is 50 for a reason...YOUR SAFETY!!!! Unless you want to have a cop stopping you.. or worse still seeing my sorry ass looking over you... then I suggest you do the speed limit along there and be done with it.. easy aye!

Hope that answers your question.

Now if I had said that I would have been just a blind cop towing the company line. Thanks for sharing your experiences and for your commons sense approach to this question.

[spudchucka]

Wasnt 2 asain dudes kidnapped and takenb to banks to withdraw thier cash when one of them handed over the withdrawl form saying his was being held hostage the security gaurd called 111 and couldnt get through......... the line was bussy. Maby he just bypassed the cops all together and ran cheep cabs?

Boy, you obviously keep yourself well up to date with current events.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3292359a10,00.html

[Lou Girardin]

Wasnt 2 asain dudes kidnapped and takenb to banks to withdraw thier cash when one of them handed over the withdrawl form saying his was being held hostage the security gaurd called 111 and couldnt get through......... the line was bussy. Maby he just bypassed the cops all together and ran cheep cabs?

Unaccustomed as I am to defending the Po-lice. Part of this affair happened outside work. If the cops didn't answer 111 they must have bloody good intuition, the area was swarming with them. Funny how the little fucker in the car didn't move much with a hulking detective in his face and with his hand on the Glock.

[Lou Girardin]

The reason Quay St and Tamaki Drive (the waterfront you speak of) is flush with police is because Auckland Central have an STU (Strategic Traffic Unit). There are not many (if any) streets in the inner city patch that they patrol where it is common for cars to speed along during the day...except Tamaki Drive.

It is 50 kph which may seem a bit ridiculous to you lot but I work a lot out of St Heliers Station which means Tamaki drive is my patch too.
This road is VERY popular with cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and mums pushing those three wheeled contraptions.
I attend at least one accident in my set of shifts on Tamaki drive each four days.
Most are not serious but a LOT involve Car V Cyclist. These would have been very serious often fatal if the speed limit were 60 or 70..remember people travel 5 to 10 over anyway generally. The last one I did attend was fatal.. albeit on Long Drive not Tamaki drive but there next to each other.
So the reason the cops patrol that stretch of road so vigilently is beacause that is the danger spot for that particular section. it is 50 for a reason...YOUR SAFETY!!!! Unless you want to have a cop stopping you.. or worse still seeing my sorry ass looking over you... then I suggest you do the speed limit along there and be done with it.. easy aye!

Hope that answers your question.

Perhaps if the cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and mum's with 3 wheeled contraptions stayed on the footpath where there's even a cycle lane there wouldn't be a problem.
The biggest threat on Tamaki Drive would be driver distraction in Summer. The cops need a S B U (Strategic Bikini Unit). You up for that Spud?

[curious george]

When I rule the world, Tamaki drive will be shut down to cars.
Hey Lou, you ever tried to ride/walk/push/rollerblade on that stinking footpath?
It's BS. Tamaki drive is full of morons in cars that dont take any care, that only thing that slows them down is the amount of traffic that makes them crawl.....
As far as I'm concerned, it Aucklands biggest 'recreational road' and police want to patrol it in a stealth bomber, I'm all for it.
I'm voting for the next guy who wants to put guided rocket launchers on speed cameras. That'll take care of the bastards. Speed now muddafuggers!

[Lou Girardin]

When I rule the world, Tamaki drive will be shut down to cars.
Hey Lou, you ever tried to ride/walk/push/rollerblade on that stinking footpath?
It's BS. Tamaki drive is full of morons in cars that dont take any care, that only thing that slows them down is the amount of traffic that makes them crawl.....
As far as I'm concerned, it Aucklands biggest 'recreational road' and police want to patrol it in a stealth bomber, I'm all for it.
I'm voting for the next guy who wants to put guided rocket launchers on speed cameras. That'll take care of the bastards. Speed now muddafuggers!

If it hasn't got an engine I don't want to know.
Gee, I bet you don't get out of 2nd on that RGV in the 'burbs.

[Zed]

The biggest threat on Tamaki Drive would be driver distraction in Summer. The cops need a S B U (Strategic Bikini Unit)...

You dirty old man Lou!

[Zed]

When I rule the world, Tamaki drive will be shut down to cars

Yeah I like that idea. ONLY bikes allowed, and of course the speed limit will have to disappear...

[curious george]

Gee, I bet you don't get out of 2nd on that RGV in the 'burbs.

,
Urmmmm OK, point taken, but that's different, innit?

Actually, I am a bit of a speed wuss, (just look at my track lap times.. :-p ), and dont really go faster than allowed to on the road. Have done of course, but have really buttoned off in the last year or so.
Reformed rider blahblah yadda yadda etc etc

Tamaki drive is just an old favourite road I used to cycle on a lot, and in the last 5-10 years gotten bussier and bussier, when I feel major traffic should be diverted away from the waterfront.
And I was a member of the S.B.U unit for some time.
Gotta love the waterfront

[What?]

... The cops need a S B U (Strategic Bikini Unit).

Might just join up myself if that eventuates...

[johnsf1980]

I live in St Heliers and ride to work downtown on Tamaki Drive every morning and back home every evening sun, wind or rain.

And Im quite pleased that they have cops out there patrolling Tamaki drive with some of the stupid things I see being done by cagers..... and also quite a few motorcyclists & scooter riders who pass me by riding on the median, or on the left, etc

The reason Quay St and Tamaki Drive (the waterfront you speak of) is flush with police is because Auckland Central have an STU (Strategic Traffic Unit). There are not many (if any) streets in the inner city patch that they patrol where it is common for cars to speed along during the day...except Tamaki Drive.

It is 50 kph which may seem a bit ridiculous to you lot but I work a lot out of St Heliers Station which means Tamaki drive is my patch too.
This road is VERY popular with cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and mums pushing those three wheeled contraptions.
I attend at least one accident in my set of shifts on Tamaki drive each four days.
Most are not serious but a LOT involve Car V Cyclist. These would have been very serious often fatal if the speed limit were 60 or 70..remember people travel 5 to 10 over anyway generally. The last one I did attend was fatal.. albeit on Long Drive not Tamaki drive but there next to each other.
So the reason the cops patrol that stretch of road so vigilently is beacause that is the danger spot for that particular section. it is 50 for a reason...YOUR SAFETY!!!! Unless you want to have a cop stopping you.. or worse still seeing my sorry ass looking over you... then I suggest you do the speed limit along there and be done with it.. easy aye!

Hope that answers your question.

[bikerboy]

beware.......pillocks should be spending more time casing the intersections for the hundreds of red light runners (now THATS actually dangerous!)

When they did on the intersection of Ponsonby rd, K road, Newton, Great N road, instead of hiding, about fifteen stand on all four corners with cameras and note pads wearing bright green vests.

They are so visible everyone stops when the light turns yellow instead of the usual minimum of three cars going through the red. Seems stupid as once the police clear off, it's back to the usual.

[scumdog]

As above.. STU.. It is there Job to patrol the road.. not attend incidents... thats what the "I" cars are for. And speeding is a crime anyway.. one we are all guilty of to different degrees.. lucky your speed hasnt killed or maimed anyone... yet

Good point SM, went to an incident last week, bunch of scatter-brained 4th formers (is that what you still call them?) standing out on the roadway waiting to cross, little old lady comes along in her new Maxima, sees the girls and as she got near to them slows down to just under 40 "just in case one stepped in front of me".

Sure enough when she was only a short (unknown) distance away two of the girls start running across the road side-by-side, girl nearest car sees it and comes to a screaming halt, second girl does not notice and keeps going, the l-o-l stands on the brakes, hits 2nd girl who slides up the bonnet until her face is about a metre away in a straight line from the l-ol-s, much shitting of knickers all round, luckily 2nd girl o.k. enough to walk away (impact knocked her out of her shoes though).

Point is, if l-ol-l hadn't been so cautious and had been like certain posters on KB and did the old "fuckit, 63kph ain't too fast for in town" I'd guess the 2nd girl would still be in hospital or worse - and if l-o-l had been on a scoot of some sort? Not good eh?

[Ixion]

.. little old lady comes along in her new Maxima, sees the girls and as she got near to them slows down to just under 40 "just in case one stepped in front of me".

..

Point is, if l-ol-l hadn't been so cautious and had been like certain posters on KB and did the old "fuckit, 63kph ain't too fast for in town" I'd guess the 2nd girl would still be in hospital or worse - and if l-o-l had been on a scoot of some sort? Not good eh?

But - by your statement: l.o.l SLOWED DOWN from some (unknown higher) speed to 40 kph. In other words l.o.l detected hazard and adjusted speed accordingly. Why do you assume motorcyclist would not do the same ? So hypothetical motorcyclist following l.o.l , doing 63 in stretch with no hazard (and you don't know that the l.o.l was not doing > 60kph before she slowed down ) , also sees girls and slows down "just in case".

And if the l.o.l had been doing 50 kph (completely legal)? Odds are the girl would have ended up in hospital ?

The objection to blindly enforced speed limits is exactly that - people will drive at the speed limit and think that's all they need to do. "I'm not speeding so I MUST be safe". Rather than adjusting speed for conditions and hazards. As l.o.l sensibly did.

[scumdog]

But - by your statement: l.o.l SLOWED DOWN from some (unknown higher) speed to 40 kph. In other words l.o.l detected hazard and adjusted speed accordingly. Why do you assume motorcyclist would not do the same ? So hypothetical motorcyclist following l.o.l , doing 63 in stretch with no hazard (and you don't know that the l.o.l was not doing > 60kph before she slowed down ) , also sees girls and slows down "just in case".

And if the l.o.l had been doing 50 kph (completely legal)? Odds are the girl would have ended up in hospital ?

The objection to blindly enforced speed limits is exactly that - people will drive at the speed limit and think that's all they need to do. "I'm not speeding so I MUST be safe". Rather than adjusting speed for conditions and hazards. As l.o.l sensibly did.

Point I was trying to make was that it's not mandatory to drive/ride at the speed limit but there are a lot of people on the road who think because they are 'only' doing the speed limit (or 63kph?) they are safe, speed limits are there partly because if they WERN'T there so many people would cruise through town at 80kph or more -unless a hazard was actually right in their path and waving a red flag, - asked one woman doing a little bit more than 50 "How many metres do you think it would take you to stop from 50kph?" and she quite straight faced said "Oh, one or maybe two?" asked to show me how long a metre was and she held her hands about the right distance apart so it wasn't llike she didn't know how long 'on or two' metres was.

Limits cater for the lowest common denominator - the slack-jawed, mouth-breathing, lack-witted, improvident oxygen thief who is driving on his "L" licence (and probably with 4 unlicenced 'tard mates in the car).