Speeding tickets. Why the angst?

[Oblivion]

Personally, I prefer to watch the road and other traffic rather than my instruments. I find I'm involved in far fewer near misses that way.

Rep~ blah blah blah

[ducatilover]

Personally, I prefer to watch the road and other traffic rather than my instruments. I find I'm involved in far fewer near misses that way.

You don't tune your piano and attempt to dissect simple statements? Poof.

[Jack Miller]

And another bit: why is it that those that complain the most about traffic policing shortfalls in NZ have never worked for Police?
And are never likely to.
Yet they still know how it SHOULD be done.
Why don't they join and 'make a difference'.

Can't speak for all those who complain about traffic policing but I won't be joining because I don't believe traffic policing makes any difference. The top three causes of accidents (poor observation, poor handling, & driving too fast for the conditions) come down to poor drivers' skills. There is nothing traffic rule enforcement can do about that.

[scumdog]

Jack Miller for Dangerous Bastard!!!

[ducatilover]

I don't believe traffic policing makes any difference.

There we go.
I disagree with you.

[Jack Miller]

There we go.
I disagree with you.

You're right, they probably do make some difference, just not much in terms of the main accident factors like driver inattention, poor observation skills and poor judgement.

[ducatilover]

You're right, they probably do make some difference, just not much in terms of the main accident factors like driver inattention, poor observation skills and poor judgement.

My riding/driving has changed, not a fan of paying fines.
But, I wouldn't know exactly how much of a difference they have made as we have nothing to compare to.

[Parlane]

My riding/driving has changed, not a fan of paying fines.
But, I wouldn't know exactly how much of a difference they have made as we have nothing to compare to.

My driving only changed when I hit 90 demerits. Now that I'm down to 50, it's part way between

[ducatilover]

My driving only changed when I hit 90 demerits. Now that I'm down to 50, it's part way between

I never had that many demerits But I did lose my licence this one time....

[Oblivion]

I never had that many demerits But I did lose my licence this one time....

This one time, at band camp..........

[Reckless]

One of the guys I've ridden with on the odd group ride just git a ticket for 90k in a 100. Yesterday I think it was??

He's the sort of rider that I've never seen lane split, is always in the rear group behaving, always sits in the line of traffic, wouldn't think of illegally removing his L plate etc you get the picture of this type of rider/person.
He was on the motorway doing his best to ride safely still 10k under the posted speed limit but genuinely considered his L plate limit of 70K unsafe with the traffic around etc!

He explained this to the cop
He explained the law has already changed to rid this rule! but not implemented yet!
There was nothing about his riding or bike that would warrant a ticket?
The cop excepted all points but she still wrote out the ticket! Discretion yeh right!!

Me
Got a ticket at xmas, cop hiding in the bush using his Laser gun, two lane motorway, he excepted my explanation that I was doing the speed limit, passed a car, then dropped back to the speed limit. Said he observed me doing this! All safe no problem with my riding, indication etc. Took him two shots to get me at my maximum brief velocity of 117K before I slowed back down. Next thing his car pops out of the bush red and blues flashing following the fresh tyre tracks of last poor bastard he nailed. Looked me up in his computer in the car, no priors, no demerits! oh btw there was no agro between us at all as he was deciding to charge me or not. He still wrote out the ticket in the days that followed and mailed it. Visible policing?? Discretion yeh right!

Was example 1 speeding technically yes, Was I speeding yes I admit it, paid up, and took the hit.

My Ex wife is a watchouse officer, my long time friend watchhouse officer (different station), another really good friend a currently working snake (by her own description). There are threads on here with me defending cops!
I'm certainly NOT anti cop (or wasn't)??

I imagine the cops on here will aggressively defend their position, the KB goodies will say suck it up you got caught (which I did by the way).

But the question was asked why the angst! I now have this angst?? I have previously broken the law, was reckless when younger and always just excepted the consequences of my actions with no angst towards cops what so ever!

The game has changed, you changed it! Do I hate cops defiantly not.
But I for one certainly do not look at a cop car with any respect anymore!

When I look at the two Howick cops, when I'm out for my Daily hour walk, double teaming in their cop car, obviously hunting, traveling slowly round and round the same block? I saw them four times on one walk! Why the Angst??

Is it my new angst fair? Dunno? but its how I feel! Is this feeling bred by the fact I got caught (sour grapes) or by the feeling that the tickets in both cases above are simply revenue gathering! Tickets for the sake of tickets that all these officers could have spent their time better in the battle against road deaths and the promotion of road safety??

Dunno? fairly or unfairly its how I now feel?? Is this a feeling of angst against the traffic police gathering momentum by many people and undermining the general respect we have for the entire police force built up over many years? Joe public don't see a road cop they see a police officer.

It appears it is the new face of the police force! The new feeling of angst you ask about, is it Self inflicted? You earn and have to maintain respect? You decide?

Dis-agree or agree it matters not?? You asked for comment??

PS you can tell work is slow anyone doing an addition/alteration want plans done

[rastuscat]

Thanks for your honest views.

[scumdog]

Yep, I've had my share of hard-bastard cops - but mainly MOT cops, that was when I was younger. (Police almost ignore cars and driving stuff, left it to the MOT back then.)

So everybody 'hated' MOT guys, everybody loved police, why? because day-to-day you were more likely to have interaction with the MOT guys. (There was a number of times back then I thought: "Oh, police, whew lucky it wan't a traffic cop")

But now they're all wearing the same 'colours' and you think "are they traffic, are they police" ....

And on KB it seems you have a run in with one or two cops (over what you consider is trivial ) and all cops get tarred with the same brush: Bastards.

I wonder if cops are allowed to think the same looking from the other direction?

i.e. They pull over a car, the driver (and passengers at times - hey, THEY ain't going to get the ticket, are they?) gives the cop non-stop verbal flak and abuse and denial while sitting in a p.o.s. car and arguing there's nothing wrong with it.

So they and cop part company - does the cop then think: "Those bastard gum-diggers in their Jowett Javelins are all right arseholes, never going to speak to them again and they better not even THINK I'm going to help them".

I greatly doubt it.

But we all know this eh......

[Scuba_Steve]

Yep, I've had my share of hard-bastard cops - but mainly MOT cops, that was when I was younger. (Police almost ignore cars and driving stuff, left it to the MOT back then.)

So everybody 'hated' MOT guys, everybody loved police, why? because day-to-day you were more likely to have interaction with the MOT guys. (There was a number of times back then I thought: "Oh, police, whew lucky it wan't a traffic cop")

But now they're all wearing the same 'colours' and you think "are they traffic, are they police" ....

And on KB it seems you have a run in with one or two cops (over what you consider is trivial ) and all cops get tarred with the same brush: Bastards.

I wonder if cops are allowed to think the same looking from the other direction?

i.e. They pull over a car, the driver (and passengers at times - hey, THEY ain't going to get the ticket, are they?) gives the cop non-stop verbal flak and abuse and denial while sitting in a p.o.s. car and arguing there's nothing wrong with it.

So they and cop part company - does the cop then think: "Those bastard gum-diggers in their Jowett Javelins are all right arseholes, never going to speak to them again and they better not even THINK I'm going to help them".

I greatly doubt it.

But we all know this eh......

Well see there ya go, separate the PIGs from the cops again, bring respect back to the cops .
Or (now for the impossible) rewrite the laws as sane, stop the speed scam.

As for cops brushing every1 with the same brush, up north they do. If your a teen in a car, your a boy racer! No if, when's, or but's.

The amount of times I got pulled over for "standard checks" in my 1.5l stock standard Nissan Vanette, or my parents stock "old peoples" Mitzi Gallant. Never them only ever me, cause I was a teen with a car & therefore a "boy racer"

[Berg]

Today's discretion
Stopped a van. Possible $1170 worth of fines. Warned on two at a value of $970 and issued the one for $200.
I could have been a "hard arse" and issued the lot and a lot of cops will rubbish me for not issuing all the infringements but I got my message across and it still cost the man some $$$$$$$$
Am I a bastard