A clean get away

**Sycophant** · 17th December 2003, 23:06

I just dug my police scanner out of my box of crap (I'm working nights in the city, and bored as hell, so I figured, I become a bored loser with a scanner).

I pulled it out, switched it on, just in time to hear a Motorways unit try to pull over some guy on a bike who passed him at around 160. The guy didn't stop, and a brief chase ensued, but the guy lost him after leaving the Southern Motorway for the North Western. They never got a plate, and the guy got clean away.

I hope it wasn't anyone here.

**wari** · 17th December 2003, 23:35

Originally Posted by Sycophant

I just dug my police scanner out of my box of crap (I'm working nights in the city, and bored as hell, so I figured, I become a bored loser with a scanner).

I pulled it out, switched it on, just in time to hear a Motorways unit try to pull over some guy on a bike who passed him at around 160. The guy didn't stop, and a brief chase ensued, but the guy lost him after leaving the Southern Motorway for the North Western. They never got a plate, and the guy got clean away.

I hope it wasn't anyone here.

I wasn't me occiffer..

**jrandom** · 18th December 2003, 08:53

Originally Posted by Sycophant

I hope it wasn't anyone here.

Why?

Oh, sorry, of course... you wouldn't want to hang out on a discussion board with the kind of degenerate criminals who would do 160 down the motorway and then fail to stop for a pair of disco lights... *bad* motorcyclist! Smack!

**Lou Girardin** · 18th December 2003, 09:06

Naughty, naughty biker! Imagine doing a runner rather than lose your licence for a month. And dropping the 'pluck your licence' limit to 40km/h over won't make this more common either Will it?
Lou

**Timber020** · 18th December 2003, 20:39

He got away with it, my hat off to him. cops are getting so anal about giving tickets and stomping on people they end up pushing people out of normal actions, creating a hardcore "criminal" element.
Its getting to the stage that getting pulled over doing what can be just overtaking speed on a decent sport bike costs so much thats it seems worth the gamble to flee. Its in human nature, fight or flight. Some bikes flee, and once youve done the initial runner youve got nothing to loose legally but theres a glimmer you could get away.
Im not saying its smart.

**Slingshot** · 18th December 2003, 21:22

With all the talk about police chases over the last couple of days will have a big impact on the number of chases.

It sounds like as soon as a chase hits a certain speed the chase will be called off and will not be restarted. I wonder what the limit will be??? I guess that won't become public knowledge.

**Timber020** · 18th December 2003, 21:36

Originally Posted by Slingshot

With all the talk about police chases over the last couple of days will have a big impact on the number of chases.

It sounds like as soon as a chase hits a certain speed the chase will be called off and will not be restarted. I wonder what the limit will be??? I guess that won't become public knowledge.

Sure it will, I will keep you posted!

**Sycophant** · 19th December 2003, 01:25

Originally Posted by Slingshot

It sounds like as soon as a chase hits a certain speed the chase will be called off and will not be restarted. I wonder what the limit will be??? I guess that won't become public knowledge.

I am sure the Police will fight this, because as soon as it becomes a hard and fast rule, people will just do whatever they can to reach the cutoff speed. It seems even more dangerous.

If you know there's a maximum speed, you will just drop the hammer as soon as you see the red and blues. Don't know the exact limit? No problem, it's probably lower than your top speed, so just go as fast as possible.

When you consider all the crappy drivers in riced-racers driving around, and how much they'd be hating to loose their licence, I think it's a damn scary idea. I certainly don't want to be riding a bike on the same road as someone with 'nothing to lose' in a chase if they can go fast enough.

And, I hoped it wasn't anyone here because he was reported as weaving through traffic at up to 160km/h through the works area on the Southern Motorway south of Symonds St...

**Lou Girardin** · 19th December 2003, 09:46

The cops say they stopped the chase at 100 in a 50 zone for the fatal in Mt Roskill.
I think it's Chicago Police that banned all traffic chases. Strangely enough, they haven't had a fatality in a chase since then. I believe the road toll stayed the same too. The cops do get majorly pissed off with bikers doing wheelies past them and not being able to stop them though.
Lou

**merv** · 19th December 2003, 10:27

I think its time OSH stepped in because with cops behaving like they have, surely the hazard has been clearly identified and they (the Police) should be prosecuted for not taking all practicable steps to eliminate, minimise or isolate the hazard and they have clearly put lives at danger.

If its not safe for the public to drive over the speed limit (i.e they seem to imply you'll die immediately you break the limit) then this is clearly a hazard in the work place of the Police and they should not be allowed to speed at all.

How many other employers are prosecuted for deaths in their workplace by OSH? Its time these guys were treated the same.

**Jackrat** · 19th December 2003, 13:14

If some body busts into your home an the cops are chasing them do you still want them to give up the chase,or maybe the runner is suspected of some other major crime what then.

**James Deuce** · 19th December 2003, 13:34

Originally Posted by Jackrat

If some body busts into your home an the cops are chasing them do you still want them to give up the chase,or maybe the runner is suspected of some other major crime what then.

Whatever you do don't "restrain" the dude that runs into your house (assuming it survives) because the cops will be witness to your assault and possible battery of the naughty speeder.

**wkid_one** · 19th December 2003, 14:07

Not a day goes by now when I don't see the cops parked up on the side of one of the two motorways in Wellington pinging people with the laser looking for an excuse to right a ticket - yet in the main - if you travel at 120kph - very few cars pass you down here.

If my house was broken in to - it would take the 4 days at least to come and visit - I would be better off to jump in my car - speed around my neighbourhood and lead them back - caus sure as eggs, the minute I starting speeding, there will be a cop on my tail.

The worst is yet to come - Police in NZ are looking at double demerits during public holidays and inside reduced/controlled speed zones (eg outside Schools and construction zones) - something OZ has been running for a while now.

Who cares what they do about chases - provided the decision is based on common sense and safety. Somehow I think having a cut off level kinda promotes people to speed.

Lou - you mentioned no chasing in Chicago - HOWEVER, they are more traffic control and police helicopters there to pursue the car. Mind you - our helicopters still manage to crash over our motorways

**curious george** · 19th December 2003, 17:47

We were talking about this at work the other day.I thought police chases were ok, chase 'till you can chase no more.

The opponents arguement was "what if that was your family that the crims smashed into?"
Ok, fair enough, but what if my family had just been assaulted/raped/killed/burgled and the police gave up. "Sorry, he was doing 65 in a 50 zone. Damn to fast for us"
How would that make you feel?

Either way there is a loss, just a question of what or who.
What do you do now? More helicopters/copsroadblocks/stunguns?Real guns?
Nobody I know has offered any plausable soultions-I think.
If you were top-cop, what would you do for real?

**Marmoot** · 19th December 2003, 20:32

Amazing how in some issues we want procedures to be 100% politically correct and standardized, while in the others we want it to be case-by-case-reviewed and have room for discretion. And, in most of the time, the two conflict each other in 1 single situation.

I guess it is not easy being a government, eh? Especially when the rules in place are already fcuked up.