Safe As Whangarei - Friday 4/8/06

[The Stranger:Me]

Now I got told by the KB group, that I was the police decoy.... So to all those that I saved....... from getting tickets and you all know who you are....!!!! I charge $10 each person, for being the official police decoy.

Thanks.

Ozzie;
Patch;
Ixion;
CaN;
Renegade Master- I took your rap, cos he said he was wanting you too.
Lou Giradin;

Sure Crashe, The cheque is in the mail.

And I wont cum in your mouth and of course I will respect you in the morning.

[DMNTD:Me]

...Yep I got pinged, I know shock horror, as I am the queen of slow of KB...

Queen of slow? You had no probs over taking 8" 's from me up the overtaking lane just before Whangarei

[Patch]

Fark, for you woman, cause this is definately in the wrong forum. Try J 'n' H

So I rode very sensibly . . . an I got a ticket

Was an interesting meeting, mostly boring as shite having to listen to these nazi bastards try an dictate the direction of the meeting - public consultation, yeah right!!!!


Glad to see Lou sticking it to the nazi's in know uncertain terms. Definately made Mr. Inspector clam up, and he even had the microphone taken from him when he exceeded the given timeframe - naughty little biker boy, shame on you

Even ole Ixion, not even 5min into the workshop making said nazi's uncomfortable. Which led the safety co-ordinator feeling the need to lecture us about having an open mind in our discussions (same bag that took the microphone from Lou) Perhaps if they took stock of what the workshop was for, then some positive outcomes might be achieved but I doubt it.

Even the ole Maori Elder had some very valid points - wise words indeed.



We can only live an hope that these idiot decision makers will bring about some useful policies that will actually be of use in making our roads safer, for all drivers; irrespective of what we drive. Will be interesting to see the outcome of these workshops, if any at all.

At least it was nice to meet and ride with some fellow comrades, esp. those that endeavour to entertain us on our journey;GO QUEENIE

[Ixion]

I think that we achieved our objectives. Let us bear in mind what the meetings are about. They are not anything to do with the Ministry actually wanting public suggestions. The Police , Transit, LTSA have set an agenda based on speed limit reductions, demerit points for speed cameras, less discretion, tougher licensing, more restrictions generally. All focused on the three demons of speed alcohol and youff, and the grail of revenue. The meetings, filled with selected stooges, are to appear to give a public endorsement of that agenda.

Well, they didn't get it in Whangarei (or Hamilton). In fact the clear overall message sent back was to focus on skills and training. Driver competance in fact. The very thing the police do NOT want to hear. If the agenda items got a mention at all they were very muted. So , I think we did what we needed to do. And it is very noticeable from the Safeas website that meetings where there has been no KB presence HAVE followed the agenda pretty much to the letter.

I picked the top table to sit at, with assorted mayors, representatives from ACC and MoT , and the Top Cheese Police dude that was in Hamilton, who I find is called Dave Cliff. They didn't want unwashed scum like me at their table , but couldn't think how to say piss off in a PC way. Unfortunately Top Cheese Cliff decided whem I sat down to promptly move to another table. Wimp.

Interrogating one of the ACC binties I did find out something VERY interesting. And confirmed a suspicion. Injuries caused by off road motorcycles ARE charged to the ACC bike registration fund. So not only are road going bikers paying the ACC costs of off roaders (including all those kiddie MX events): but also the accident rate they keep plugging is artificially inflated , because they take the number of claims (including non-registered, off road) and divide by the number of registered bikes (can't include off roaders, cos there's no way to know how many they are).

The ride up started out shitty, with heavy fog. i don't like fog. The one riding condition I really dislike. Petal doesn't like fog either, she complains that it does not show her chrome to advantage. Then I overshot the Autobahn (actually, didn't realise that was where was meant, only tumbled when I saw Crashe heading in there). So I had to ride back down the on ramp, in the drainage channel.

Fog, fog and more fog, all the way as far as Wenderholm, then it cleared somewhat and I and Petal became a bit happier.

Tootled through Wellsford where Crashe did too good a job of attracting the plod. Fortunately I picked up the plodmobile on the Mk I Eyeball just before I finished passing a pickup truck, in pursuit of Ms Crashe and Mr Renegade_master, so I threw out the best bower and dropped back into the radar shadow of the truck. I think he was going to pull Renegade_master, but then changed his mind and took off after Crashe - I think maybe he thought you were going to do a runner.

Meanwhile , in accordance with my long standing policy of not hanging around where the plod is, I dived down the nearest side street, and hung a U turn and headed back down the road towards Wellsford again. To get out of plod range , and also warn the ones who had been gassing up and were now into their way into the plod clutches (I stopped at the servo to get two stroke oil , was why Iwas so long . That stupid autobahn doesn't have any, what sort of servo is that?).

I think it unwise, when bikers are in a group , and one is pinged, for the rest to stop. You cannot help the hapless bother (or sister), and the presence of other bikers is likely to antagonise Mr Plod. And runs the very real risk of him saying"Oh, you're together. Well you were going as fast as she was , and today is two for one day, so here's a ticket for you too". Much better to make oneself scarce while plod is busy, and come back once the coast is clear to help the poor pingee, if necessary.

Five more plod at least , plus unmarked ones, between Wellsford and Whangarei. Why aren't they catching burglars? And an uneventful, slow and law abiding tootle through to Whangarei, sort of a Nana's group ride. I'd never have found the place, so thanks for local help.

Interesting we passed a driving school car (marked one) on the way, that was proceeding at snails pace. And I understand the prats complained to the plod at the meeting about us? Can anyone confirm that?

The run back was better, until the Northern motorway. Still MORE plod along the Waipu stretch, but fortunately oncoming cages were good about flashing their lights. Cages was good about moving over for us too, thanks chaps.

I tagged along behind the group that went back the scenic route along the coast, but Petal was far out of her depth once things got really twisty and bumpy. Even in her heyday she was a Grand Tourer not a sprotsbike, and now the arthritis has got into her suspension, she objects strongly to bumps. Curves is OK, but Petal does not consider that a dowager of her dignity should have to tolerate bumps. The very bumpy left hander into the one lane bridge was, hm, interesting.

Doesn't help either having those shitty chinese tyres on. Yes, yes, I WILL replace them once they've worn enough not to unduely offend my instinct for parsimony.

Did I ever tell you about the sad fate of my grandfather, Ikey McTavish, BTW? Someone told Ikey that 1935 thruppences were worth a lot of money (which they are) . Now Ikey knew that in 1935 he'd put not one, but several thruppences into his sporran. And what went into the McTavish sporran seldom if ever came out. And , in a rash moment, prompted by the wish to check the dates on those 3d bits, Ikey opened his sporran, without taking the usual bomb disposal precautions. And suffocated in the cloud of moths and dust that burst forth. Very tragic, very tragic.

So Petal and I were far behind by Mangawozzaname. Thanks for waiting so patiently, guys And Petal showed her displeasure by losing a silencer mounting bolt. Not to worry, a quick flick with the duct tape held things together long enough to reach the local Hammer Hardware , who were happy to supply a suitable bolt for the munificent sum of 50cents. A shining beacon of hope is a small town hardware store. It must be a bad breakdown indeed that is beyond the aid of resource offered by the hardware store.

From Mangawherzthatagain, I tagged along behind Messrs Patch and CaN , who were cruising back at a nice slow Nanaish speed, comfortably according with Petal's capabilities and my Nana instincts. No more plod, but an interesting diversion at Wenderholm , where we encountered an alien from another planet in a Subaru. Well, he was off this planet, anyway. Dunno what his problem was. The undertaking was, um, interesting. Now why is that the plod are never there when they ARE wanted. But, he wasn't speeding , just extremely dangerous, so I don't suppose they would be interested.

The end of the journey was as bad as the beginning. Rush hour traffic , compounded by an accident on the Northern bridge approach, traffic at a standstill from Northcote to Mt Wellington. It's not every day you see a Water Buffalo lane splitting . Yes, "Thank God, for that" is probably the mot juste. Especially as I had fitted hard plugs for the journey, so they kept fouling at low speed. The eternal two stroke dilemma. Fit hard plugs and foul them in traffic, or soft ones and risk burning a hole in a piston. So the lane splitting was a succession of slow speed progress on one cylinder, interspersed with frantic lunges forward as the other two suddenly kicked in without warning. Interesting.

I have also found that it is not possible to lane split up the inner lane of the bridge when the concrete barrier thingy is there. There's not room between the concrete thing and the steel thingies. Bugger, I won't make that mistake again.

[crashe]

Tootled through Wellsford where Crashe did too good a job of attracting the plod. Fortunately I picked up the plodmobile on the Mk I Eyeball just before I finished passing a pickup truck, in pursuit of Ms Crashe and Mr Renegade_master, so I threw out the best bower and dropped back into the radar shadow of the truck.


I think he was going to pull Renegade_master, but then changed his mind and took off after Crashe - I think maybe he thought you were going to do a runner.

No way would I ever do a runner.... I ride a cruiser not a sprotbike

I am interested in knowing excately how far I was away from the change up from 50km area to the 70km sign as to where he was sitting in his car?
As I cant quite recall now as to where he had his car parked.
Ixion can you recall?

I had slowed down and pulled over to the far left, as soon as I saw his flashing lights as you are required to do by law to let them pass but no he slowed right down.... and I had to find a safe place to park. After parking off the road, I got off my bike and then he wanted me to move further down onto an pavement parking area as he had his car halfway on the road and halfway off when he pulled up behind me. Like I had got off the road to be safe from cars coming down that hill.

The wee stop cost me $230 and 35 demerit points.

[Ixion]

I dunno where he was in relation to the 70k sign. cos I never saw the sign!

He was just over the hill on the blind side. Where was the sign, in relation to the street on the left I dived down?

[crashe]

Top of the hill on the other side was a 50km sign..... to change down going into Wellsford.

So there must be a 70km sign around there to change up... to head north.

Cos the police officer pointed out the 50km sign to me on the other side of the road.



PS: I have just checked the ticket..... damn I should have gone to look in his car, at the radar machine to confirm it.
He states he clocked me at 77km which is 27 over the limit.

[Ixion]

Well, logically, I'd expect the 70 sign to be opposite the 50 one?

So if he pointed it out, I wouldn't have seen it, cos I'd already headed off to safety (and you'd all gone round a bend)

[crashe]

Well I have a bit of time to pay this or write a letter...

So on a fine day I want to go back up there to check it out...

Ixion are you up for a ride to assertain the spot with me... where the police car was parked etc etc. Need to get pics as well...

If anyone else is up for a ride, the more the merrier...
It will be a slow ride, since I ride slow.

[Ozzie]

Interesting we passed a driving school car (marked one) on the way, that was proceeding at snails pace. And I understand the prats complained to the plod at the meeting about us? Can anyone confirm that?

Yes, I can confirm!

The lovely, one heart beat off the white light, law abiding chaps (3x) were at my table. Not long after lunch (when the adds were showing) the penny dropped, and they concluded that the 5 bikes that passed them must have been us (less Lou, TL rider, Rider in Black, and Renegade, who wasn't up with us). They also had a little pow wow, and decided we were altogether far too reckless, and driving dangerously. So the louder and older of the group, decided it was his moral obligation to get the Northland top cop into the food prep area and tell him precisely how "bad" we were. He then came back to the table, told the croons of his expert moral judgement, and willingness to act. Funnily enough, his glasses must have failed him, or he thought my ears were a painted on accessory. People like him get my goat, it is unsafe to pass in a car, therefore it is unsafe to pass on a bike. The nerve! I bet, being the absolute law follower, he never speeds when overtaking, only does it if he can do so at 100kph, whilst maintaining the 2 second rule, abserving his mirrors and remaining ever vigilant for law abusing motorists. I wonder how many prangs he's caused.

It was quite anoying actually, one of their group was quite a nice guy, the other two were dottering old fools. Not so much that what they had to say was trype, but they wasted half the allocated time arguing with themselves. That is, not with the others in their group, but literally them self. Noone else was saying they were wrong, and I had already written what they said.

And they teach people to drive? Where do the bad habits come from??????

The oldest fella, otherwise known as Nark, perported that he had trained inexcess of 18000 drivers (all over 70 resiting their license ), and only one had died in a road crash. The one that died, apparently commited hurry curry, and even told the old fool which lamp post he was going to do it on.....Oh, the failings of the mental health system.

Anyway, long and short of it, yes they did winge, and whether coinincident or not, there were shitloads of visible plod on my way home.

[RiderInBlack]

There is the Rodney Highschool on the left just over the raise heading Norf out of Wellsford. So my bet is he was sitting ta catch drivers "Speeding" around schools were he could do ya for 5kpm over 50kpm. Easy pickings. If I remember rightly the 70kpm zone starts around 1/2 way down that hill somewhere around the Wellsford Honda Shop.

As for the Workshop, it was a complete farse IMHO. Glad Lou, and you dudes were was there ta keep some balance.

Thanks,

Doug

[RiderInBlack]

As for the number of cops on Waipu/Ruakaka Straights leaving the meeting (which is one of the reasons why I ride with an escort), there were no more than usual IMHO (4-5 is not unusual along there during peck traffic), but they did seem disappointed not to have bagged any of those bad bikers.
Enjoyed stretching "Roxanne's" "legs" through the Gorge ta Mangawhia, but had ta turn back there ta get back ta Whanga in time ta trim a horse.

[Ixion]

Cop was on the Wellsford side of the Honda shop, though not by much.

[Ixion]

,,
The oldest fella, otherwise known as Nark, perported that he had trained inexcess of 18000 drivers (all over 70 resiting their license ), and only one had died in a road crash. The one that died, apparently commited hurry curry, and even told the old fool which lamp post he was going to do it on.....Oh, the failings of the mental health system.

,,.

18000 drivers. Any riders? If not, he's not qualified to judge riding. And anyway how does he know that none of them have died in a road crash? Does he monitor the life progress of every one of the 18000 in perpetuity, until they die of something else? I very much doubt it! Lying old git. I hate old people,.

[Ozzie]

18000 drivers. Any riders? If not, he's not qualified to judge riding. And anyway how does he know that none of them have died in a road crash? Does he monitor the life progress of every one of the 18000 in perpetuity, until they die of something else? I very much doubt it! Lying old git. I hate old people,.

Ahh, me messenger, please don't shoot!

Right with ya, silly old fart!