It's all about the tourists, but not the foreign ones.

**WALRUS** · 27th December 2017, 14:32

I'm new here and after trawling through posts for a while and seeing this Cassina name pop up, I thought they were taking the piss and even got a couple of chuckles out of it.. I worry now that they are a real person and genuinely think like this?

Speaking as someone who used to work for my state's Michelin distributor and has also done some work for other manufacturers; If you don't think that tyres have a best before date and confidently take something out with 15+ year old tyres because the pressures are set about right and they still have some tread, you are one terrifying arsehole sir!

Back to the OP though, I know all too well what it's like over here where we get flooded by tourists (international, interstate, and local) and Grey Nomads every Spring to Summer. They all end up with full on tyre blowouts, shagged out bearings, leaking fluids, etc etc conveniently just far out of town enough to make it a real pain in the arse to get in the van/truck and go to help them. On top of that, people who live in cities and don't understand how to go around corners on twisty roads (I found one of those stopped in the middle of the road on Takaka Hill to take a photo of the view once!) or don't know how wide their obnoxious 4x4 and Caravan are and borderline force you off the road as they slowly amble their way around narrow roads in the middle of the bloody thing!

Some riders are just as bad though. The guys (and gals) who wait until the first hot day of summer, dust off the Fireblade and Daineses, hop on and instantly try to Marc Marquez their way around a country road only to find that they're a bit rusty after not riding since the end of last February, their chain is full of tight spots, and their tyres are nice and old, hard, nasty piles of crap.. I don't know why people don't just maintain their vehicles more and develop their abilities of using them??

**Jeeper** · 27th December 2017, 15:08

In all seriousness and going back to topic, I have seen people swap out to aftermarket alloys and not bothering to check that the lug nuts need to be different styles to match. They just use old lug nuts, and the wheels falls off. Wondering why!

**caspernz** · 27th December 2017, 15:21

Originally Posted by Jeeper

In all seriousness and going back to topic, I have seen people swap out to aftermarket alloys and not bothering to check that the lug nuts need to be different styles to match. They just use old lug nuts, and the wheels falls off. Wondering why!

Yes thanks for bringing us back to the topic at hand. After all, we've now had comprehensive evidence that some folks are indeed dumb enough to think a tyre is safe if it's got tread. Oh and the WOF is a magic instrument that absolves us from having to do any preventative maintenance between WOF checks. Maybe it is time for NZTA to tighten the regulations regarding tyres...

So who's coming to the memorial for common sense in January?

**R650R** · 28th December 2017, 09:06

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay...ectid=11966023

**pete376403** · 28th December 2017, 12:37

Originally Posted by R650R

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay...ectid=11966023

A Honda Odyssey with 9 people on board and the police were unable to catch up with it? Were the cops on bicycles?

**jasonu** · 28th December 2017, 13:19

Originally Posted by R650R

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay...ectid=11966023

That's some dagum shitty policing right there.

**caspernz** · 28th December 2017, 13:32

Originally Posted by R650R

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay...ectid=11966023

Originally Posted by pete376403

A Honda Odyssey with 9 people on board and the police were unable to catch up with it? Were the cops on bicycles?

What's the full story though? Bet you there's more to that than meets the eye...

Below is something I copied off my Facebook feed, from Waikato Police. I found it worthwhile...

‘You never know who you’re following’

Whilst driving home from the Mount after enjoying a day off yesterday; I was travelling on SH29 between the Matamata turn off and SH1. (im in my own car)

I was following a vehicle which was doing around 90-95kmph. It’s the holidays and I’m definitely not in any hurry so I happily keep my distance and cruise along listening to the fine tunes of Six60 with my arm out the window.

I’m approach from behind at speed by a silver merc who’s driver decides it’s a good idea to tailgate me, knowing very well that I can’t go any faster than the vehicle in front of me. By tailgating I mean l can’t even see his number plate in my rear vision mirror.

The car ahead of me turns off so I can increase my speed to 100; however the vehicle behind me still tailgates me. He backs off, then comes racing up behind me again. This happens a few times over the next few kms.

We turn right on SH1 and the moment he gets the passing lane he’s gone, and flys past 10-12 vehicles (at a guess probably doing 130-140). I can see him in the distance; sure enough tailgating as the passing lane ends.

I phone the Police comms centre (via my hands free) as this is a driver that needs speaking to. The comms operator advises me that the vehicle has had numerous driving complaints throughout the year.

After speaking to Comms who has dispatched the job as priority; i get in touch with a colleague who I know is working. One of his team manages to clock the vehicle at 130 going the opposite way, he can’t turn around due to the median barrier. I continue following giving updates of the vehicles location and a few minutes later my colleague passes me and stops the vehicle in the distance. I pull up behind and speak to my colleague.

Moral of the story - ‘The next vehicle you are following could be a off duty police officer . We’re never on holiday❗️

1 infringement for tailgating ✅
1 infringement for excess speed. ✅
1 spoken to about his driving behaviour ✅
A possible accident prevented ✅
Safer communities together ✅

Remember - 2 second rule at minimum; and if it’s wet increase your following distance to 4 seconds.

*555 is the port of call for ‘urgent but non life threatening road incidents’

It’s the festive season and we’d all like to get to and from our holiday destinations safely.

- Pete 👮🏼*♂️

Many thanks to Highway Patrol Constable Cam and Richard.

**Akzle** · 28th December 2017, 16:40

i dealt with an constabulary the other day. he was telling me about wearing seatbelts to save myself when someone crosses the centreline. i adivsed him that i maintained enough forward observation to mitgate the risk, and hey it's my own fucken skin eh. he went a shade quieter when i asked how many infringements he'd (issued) noticed "failing to keep left"

i also had the misfortune of being stuck behind some fuckwit (aucklander) who held up one kilometer of traffic from kaukap to fucken tauhoa (including the artic truck right behind him - now, if you're holding up a fucken artic, surely to god you gtfo) that was the closest i've come to a) pulling over behind him and bollocking him and b) *555ing the cunt.

so while your feel good story might be a minor win for the enforcement, it's pretty much just a fucken circle jerk because road manners at large remain shit.

**Akzle** · 28th December 2017, 16:53

Originally Posted by pete376403

A Honda Odyssey with 9 people on board and the police were unable to catch up with it? Were the cops on bicycles?

no. but close: holdens

**Kickaha** · 28th December 2017, 16:54

Originally Posted by cassina

No need to replace the spare as I had only ever used it once from brand new. If tires had a non wear related lifespan they would be date stamped like gas cylinders would they not?

I've seen several "brand new" spare fail shortly after being fitted, they were all 13-15 years old, if it's over 10 years old treat it as fucked whether it's been fitted or not, one of them did $1200 worth of damage to the vehicle

Originally Posted by Jeeper

In all seriousness and going back to topic, I have seen people swap out to aftermarket alloys and not bothering to check that the lug nuts need to be different styles to match. They just use old lug nuts, and the wheels falls off. Wondering why!

Yes, I've seen that often when people have bought secondhand alloy wheels

**FJRider** · 28th December 2017, 17:20

Originally Posted by Kickaha

I've seen several "brand new" spare fail shortly after being fitted, they were all 13-15 years old, if it's over 10 years old treat it as fucked whether it's been fitted or not, one of them did $1200 worth of damage to the vehicle.

Perhaps she should google tire rotation ...