Come on traffic cops... you are losing my respect

**Postie** · 21st September 2006, 16:33

how far did he drive?
anyone is allowed to drive 150 yards in the bus lane with in the city at any time.

**crashe** · 21st September 2006, 16:54

Originally Posted by Postie

how far did he drive?
anyone is allowed to drive 150 yards in the bus lane with in the city at any time.

ONLY if that vehicle is turning left into a driveway or turning left into a side street. Not for any other reason.

I think the length the other vehicles can travel in that lane is less than the 150 yards. (need to go look in Auckland city council rule books or lsta websites to find the correct rulings)

EXCEPT for emergency vehicles when it IS a emergency and they cant get throu the traffic down the middle of the road, and then they should have their lights flashings and in some cases sirens going.

The "so called" bus lanes around Auckland city is only to be used by buses, pushbikes and motorbikes.

**JeremyW** · 21st September 2006, 17:09

Yea he drove for about 750m, undertaking moving cars, not turning left and he was certainly not in an emergency!

**spudchucka** · 21st September 2006, 17:15

Originally Posted by JeremyW

Heres a quick tale - As I was driving (yes in my cage unfortunately) down domionion rd today at about 2:45 I had a traffic cop undertake me on the inside at about 60km/h while I was doing about 30km/h in traffic. He/she then cut back into the traffic in a rather rude fashion and later turned into the police station just off dom rd, obviously in no rush.

Now dont get me wrong, I have huge respect for the police and when I am up s%#@ creek the person I most want to see is Mr Plod. They deal with everything we cannot and that is why they have my respect.

BUT after hearing some of the stories on here of unfair cops and incidents such as today I am losing my respect for the traffic division.... Those bus lanes are dangerous enough for cylists / bikers without cops abusing them.

What gives them the right do break traffic rules and endanger fellow cylists / bikers? Auckland roads are dangerous enough without those trusted in protecting us on them blatantly breaking the rules.

I would like to hear from any police bikers on this thread with their response to this.

You would have to talk to the cop involved to know why he did it.

I have had maybe four or five incidents where I have had to get back to the station urgently, it happens. Sometimes it might be that you've been contaminated through having contact with a P head, other times it might be a nutty prisoner trying to top themselves etc.

Alternatively it might be that he just needed to take a dump or there was a shout of doughnuts back at the station.

Eitehr way you'll have to ask him to know.

Was it a blue & orange car or a blue & yellow one? The orange are general duties and the yellow are traffic.

**inlinefour** · 21st September 2006, 17:17

Originally Posted by The_Dover

naughty piggies abusing their position.

whatever next? I expect they'll be scalding fully grown men for picking their nose in public, it's just so offensive

they like to stop to give a talking to those members of the public that like to give the fingers of their piggy helecopters....

**JeremyW** · 21st September 2006, 17:57

twas a blue and yellow traffic cop.

I understand he may be in a rush but if it was ANYONE else who was in a rush for ANY reason then they would have been in trouble. He didnt seem to be rushing just wasnt interested in sitting in traffic, hence my frustration.

**Swoop** · 21st September 2006, 18:06

Get his numberplate and *555 him.

**spudchucka** · 21st September 2006, 19:39

Originally Posted by JeremyW

twas a blue and yellow traffic cop.

I understand he may be in a rush but if it was ANYONE else who was in a rush for ANY reason then they would have been in trouble. He didnt seem to be rushing just wasnt interested in sitting in traffic, hence my frustration.

Frustration is understandable.

I think Lou calls it occupational immunity, others call it a perk.

**fozz rock** · 21st September 2006, 19:53

Originally Posted by spudchucka

Alternatively it might be that he just needed to take a dump or there was a shout of doughnuts back at the station.

Mmm doughnuts

**scumdog** · 21st September 2006, 20:16

Originally Posted by placidfemme

cops are always doing shit like that... I'm surprised thats the first time you've seen it happen... I've seen cops put on thier lights just to get through a red light, and once through they turn off the siren and resume to drive at 50kph, seen that more than 4 times, I've seen cops doing illegal U turns (no lights or sirens... so obviously not urgent)... and one of those times the fucker nearly hit me

Seen both the situations above and each time there WAS urgency.

Don't always have light'n'siren on when heading to urgent jobs myself.
also we've been known to be 'stood down' immediately after doing some overtaking/going through red lights etc, most embarrasing....

And..and.. all together now: "Oh no, not ANOTHER cop bashing thread!!!!"

**Lou Girardin** · 21st September 2006, 20:31

Are you positive that the bus lane applies at 2.45PM? If, as I suspect it doesn't, he was not committing an offence.

**Skyryder** · 21st September 2006, 20:32

Originally Posted by scumdog

And..and.. all together now: "Oh no, not ANOTHER cop bashing thread!!!!"

to the tune of

We All Live in a Yellow submarine a Yellow Submarine

Skyryder

**Ixion** · 21st September 2006, 20:36

Actually - I think you're right. I've ridden down Dom Rd (in the bus lane of course) several times recently and I'm pretty sure that the signs say Bus Lane with morning and evening times. In fact outside those times most of the bus lane is taken up by parked cars there's mostly only room for a bike.

So maybe he wasn't breaking any rule. I remember being surprised that none of the cages used the (out of hours) bus lane.

Still doesn't excuse the cop. When the lane's not being used as a bus lane it should be a bikes only lane. Anyway he was in a cage so he's guilty anyway. And he was prolly Welch.