$400 fine for no "L" plate

**marty** · 16th February 2006, 20:05

Originally Posted by awesker

bummer man, welcome to the club, I got wasted with the same fine just outside of h-town, just before xmas. It seems they hassle me more on the highways than in the city. No way to get out or it really, and to be honest I think its seriously dangerous to go 70 on the highway, get overtaken by trucks and allsorts. Id rather get a fine than get ran over by a truck..

so why did you get stopped in the first place?

**marty** · 16th February 2006, 20:06

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Yeah, well someone has to pay the salaries of all involved in the 'justice' system

cops pay tax, so they pay their own wages?

**inlinefour** · 16th February 2006, 20:07

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Yeah, well someone has to pay the salaries of all involved in the 'justice' system

About the size of it I do believe (sadly)

**Morepower** · 16th February 2006, 22:35

Originally Posted by WINJA

THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME IN COURT GOT A $30 FINE AND AN ANGER MANAGEMENT COURSE FOR RANDOMLY PUNCHING ABOUT 10 PEOPLE ON THE STREET , ONE OF THEM WAS A 40ISH YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO WAS OUT SHOPPING , SHE LOST A TOOTH , AND YOU THINK ITS SIMPLE AS THAT , THAT FUCKER SHOULDA GOT JAIL CAUSE THATS THE MAXIMUM FOR ASSAULT , SO WHAT RIGHT OR REASON WOULD A PIG HAVE FOR HANDING OUT A $400 FINE FOR NO L PLATE , HAVE YOU FUCKWITS ALL LOST YOUR SENSE OF FAIRNESS .
FUCK YEAH DO A RUNNER NEXT TIME

For once I agree, You would be better off running someone over or robbing them ,attacking someone etc etc... probably just get diversion , family conference or some other half hearted punishment, then failing to display an L plate $400 fine , any cop enforcing that is not a real policeman in my book , just an officious public servant who should have been religated to meter maid duty.

You have my sympathy

**loosebruce** · 16th February 2006, 22:57

knee scraper, some advice, use the L plate, but fuck sticking to 70kph open road, i'm sure every cop on here will back me up here when i say that someone doing 70kph on the motorway or open road is a hazard to themselves and all other road users, unless you are doing something wrong like excessive speed riding like a idiot, keep it sensible and i dont think you'd get into any trouble, enjoy your bike at the right time and place, not everywhere, just the way it is.

And to the wait till you get a 600 and smoke them, it ain't always that easy, theres alot more too it than just having a fast bike.

**madboy** · 16th February 2006, 23:03

There are three sides to every story - defendant, prosecution and in between will lie the truth. But here's some facts for ya:

Last time I got caught doing a runner (in a cage many years ago) I got slapped with a $350 fine, add some court costs and that's $480 all up from memory. Long story, but it involved speeding past a cop at 110 in a 50, nailing it, getting some drift styles going in the 4wd turbo rocket thru a roundabout, plus some high speed side street action with no lights on (this was late at night). I can see how that is worth $80 more than not having an L plate on.

Now to runners. I knwo you're probably just venting, but I'll give you the speel anyway - I say this cos I've met you, I liked you and I don't want to see you do something stupid without thinking it through. Runners I liken to gambling. Do you bet $100 on some white boy from Remuera to win a gold at the next olympic track 100m sprint? Or do you bet $100 on some fella from USA/UK of african descent to win? One has a decent chance of success, the other doesn't. The non-caucasian gentleman may pull a hamstring, but it is unlikely.

Now I believe it is fairly well known around here that I'm open to the concept of a runner. But I know my odds. I ride a 636 with more than enough horsepower to blow any lit up taxi into the weeds. I've done it before, I know how they work, and I usually know the area well. I do the deed, get the hell outta dodge and don't come back for a long time. In saying that, I've still had some close ones, even when the odds were supposedly in my favour. Of course, I could also have mechanical failure, could misjudge a corner, could have a car do something unexpected in front of me as I sail through at 260k... but it is unlikely.

Now think of your odds. You ride a 250. By the time you've hit 200k, the taxi will be sitting about 50m behind you with a really really clear view of your numberplate. Well - you're pretty much f***ed right then a there. Case closed. Alternatively you might run no numberplate, in which case you'll need to lose them, lose them well, and hope to God you can get home without some do-gooder member of public reporting a fast moving bike heading down XX street, or pulling up the drive of number XX, XXX street. Round town, I'd be evenly split between putting my $100 on a 250 or the cop. But then I'm a conservative gambler. On the open road with a 250, I'd be buying shares in the local meat processing plant, cos I reckon it'd be bacon all the way to the bank.

**Shadows** · 16th February 2006, 23:06

Thing is, that you can't exceed 70km on a learner's license.
I think there is a general consensus within this site that you can't avoid the open road in this country if you want to go anywhere, and that being restricted to 70km on a wee motorcycle on the open road where everybody else is doing 100km + is MINDNUMBINGLY FUCKING STUPID unless you have a death wish and the person(s) that dreamed up and passed such a fcuking absurd piece of legislation should have their nipples removed with a rasp while they have angry rabid porcupines let loose up their backsides and their noses cut off with the edge of a traffic ticket.
So, why the hell would anybody with a little bit of intelligence who is most likely going to exceed a life threatening speed limit for their own safety bring attention to the fact that they are not abiding by the ridiculous conditions of their licence by attaching a loser plate to their bike????
I certainly never did.

**Da Bird** · 16th February 2006, 23:10

Originally Posted by Deviant Esq

Exactly.

Virtually every other learner I know never has one on their bike either. I mean, why advertise breaking licence conditions both by travelling at 100km/h and being out after 10pm, with your L plate on?

Yes, $400.00 is rather excessive for this offence but the police didn't make the law... I would rather see $400 fines for red light running.

The thing I find interesting is how many people on this thread alone admit to not having their L plate attached. Have you heard of attracting attention to yourselves?? Do you want the police to start random stopping of bikes to check if there should be an L plate attached. Think about it.

BC

**Shadows** · 16th February 2006, 23:20

Originally Posted by Bykey Cop

Yes, $400.00 is rather excessive for this offence but the police didn't make the law... I would rather see $400 fines for red light running.

The thing I find interesting is how many people on this thread alone admit to not having their L plate attached. Have you heard of attracting attention to yourselves?? Do you want the police to start random stopping of bikes to check if there should be an L plate attached. Think about it.

BC

But did you not just say you think $400 is excessive? Would it not be reasonable to think that your views are part of a common thread amongst the Police, maybe even up to senior level? Then if so why the hell would you want to see every bike pulled over so that you can enforce a law that you have just basically branded as not just? Did you not join the Police to help people, rather than mindlessly enforce legislation you feel is inequitable? Why not target red light runners??? At least a worthwhile message would be getting across.
One word.... DISCRETION

**Da Bird** · 16th February 2006, 23:34

Originally Posted by Shadmeister

But did you not just say you think $400 is excessive? Would it not be reasonable to think that your views are part of a common thread amongst the Police, maybe even up to senior level? Then if so why the hell would you want to see every bike pulled over so that you can enforce a law that you have just basically branded as not just? Did you not join the Police to help people, rather than mindlessly enforce legislation you feel is inequitable? Why not target red light runners??? At least a worthwhile message would be getting across.
One word.... DISCRETION

I do think it is excessive and I've very rarely given a ticket out for no L plates (and none yet to any motorcyclists that I can think of, maybe a mini chopper or two) but if people are so intent on making it known that L plates aren't put on as a matter of course, then that's just asking for something to be done about it.

Yes, there are a lot of worse things than not having an L plate and I spend a considerable amount of time targetting red light runners (thanks for the tip) but if I get bored and a bike goes past, I might just use my discretion and decide to stop it.

**Shadows** · 16th February 2006, 23:52

Originally Posted by Bykey Cop

I do think it is excessive and I've very rarely given a ticket out for no L plates (and none yet to any motorcyclists that I can think of, maybe a mini chopper or two) but if people are so intent on making it known that L plates aren't put on as a matter of course, then that's just asking for something to be done about it.

Yes, there are a lot of worse things than not having an L plate and I spend a considerable amount of time targetting red light runners (thanks for the tip) but if I get bored and a bike goes past, I might just use my discretion and decide to stop it.

LOL good use of discretion.

But maybe it should be well known, maybe something would then be done about it too, but by the legislators and not by the administrators. Ditch the 70km limit and then maybe more people would use the plates for whatever pathetic reason it was that they thought we should use them in the first place.

**iwilde** · 17th February 2006, 00:36

The only time I had an L plate on my bike was the day I did the learners to restricted cbta coarse, and I had every idiot in Ak tail gating and cutting in on me. I sorted the problem by going from a learners to a full licience in under 3 months thanks to the now finished cbta coarse. But as it's been said, don't attract attention to yourself and get a restricted licience as soon as you are able to.

**kro** · 17th February 2006, 05:44

I am laughing right now, not because of the L plate thing, but because of some of the comments from some of the people in this thread.

Let me paint you a wee picture......................
When long term KB'er Mr XXX gets done for 120 on the motorway, and or was speeding on the Rimutaka's, the comments from some of you are " bugger mate, sorry to hear", but when a new KBer has no L plate, he gets quotes from the book of law, and comments like "what did you expect, if you were breaking the law"?.

:slap: :slap:

**spudchucka** · 17th February 2006, 07:19

Originally Posted by inlinefour

If I sticka L plate on my 600 can I expect the same treatment?

Being a learner licencee on a 600, displaying an L plate. Wouldn't that kinda draw attention to yourself, the general idea is to NOT make yourself noticeable to the cops. The clowns that collect tickets constantly just never figure that out.