NZ Police public image

[Clockwork]

We could do the same at traffic lights! Oh, that's right, some already do and they crash too! Just like people at stop signs (and give way signs).

Funnily enough none of them ever crash into vehicles they DID see!!
Maybe it's just best to stop eh?
And LOOK too.

Hmmm... so what you would really being ticketed for then is that the culprit MAY not have looked? but of course you will never know that until there is an accident. I know I'm being petty here but just because you've stopped doesn't mean you've looked, just because you didn't stop doesn't mean you didn't look!

Anyway, as a rider havn't you ever found yourself waiting for traffic lights to change, but they are not going to because your bike wasn't heavy enough to trigger the sensor...... and thers no other traffic around to do it for you so you just sit there...... and sit there......
what now? :confused2

[Clockwork]

Stop signs are often installed after a serious or fatal crash or for some other reason the intersection has been identified as particulary risky.

Don't get me wrong, I know of several legitimate (IMHO ) uses for compulsory stops, (buit I'm not sure that a fatal crash site should be a qualification) And where used appropriately, its not a matter of obeying a sign, you simply can't navigate the intersection safely without stopping.

Anyhow, I'm getting now so I'll shut up, I just wanted to point out why some poeople may get upset about being pinged for driving through a STOP sign.

[madboy]

I've gotta say, my opinion of cops is not helped by the HP. General duties I find I respect more the older (read mature) i get, but HP...

Had one pull me a couple years ago. I was driving with no front bumper (therefore no plate) and happened to have a rego/wof expire a couple weeks before. This being a Thursday night, me working delivering pizzas (before I rejoined the real world) so not like a car was optional, bumper due back from panelbeaters next day, which means i could put the plate back on, see the wof guy in the arvo and register it following that. Now the nice HP guy was fine about that, had a laugh over the story about how my complete lack of common sense landed the bumper at the panelbeaters in the first place, accepted (to my face anyway) that I either lost income or drove the car, and said he'd better not see me after my shift finished a couple of hours later else he'd give me a ticket. Have a nice night, drive safely.

I came away thinking wow - a nice HP. Perhaps all the stories I've heard about them were wrong. Alas, a few days later a ticket turned up in the mail from this lovely officer for no wof/reg. What a lovely person - give me one expectation, then slap me with a ticket through the back door - couldn't even say it to my face. Good man.

So you can now understand why everytime I see the HP car with SLOWDN (or whatever variation it is) as a plate, I drop two gears...

[Lou Girardin]

So you can now understand why everytime I see the HP car with SLOWDN (or whatever variation it is) as a plate, I drop two gears...

An HP car with a personalised plate? Hard to believe.

[Paul in NZ]

I've gotta say, my opinion of cops is not helped by the HP. General duties I find I respect more the older (read mature) i get, but HP...

Had one pull me a couple years ago. I was driving with no front bumper (therefore no plate) and happened to have a rego/wof expire a couple weeks before. This being a Thursday night, me working delivering pizzas (before I rejoined the real world) so not like a car was optional, bumper due back from panelbeaters next day, which means i could put the plate back on, see the wof guy in the arvo and register it following that. Now the nice HP guy was fine about that, had a laugh over the story about how my complete lack of common sense landed the bumper at the panelbeaters in the first place, accepted (to my face anyway) that I either lost income or drove the car, and said he'd better not see me after my shift finished a couple of hours later else he'd give me a ticket. Have a nice night, drive safely.

I came away thinking wow - a nice HP. Perhaps all the stories I've heard about them were wrong. Alas, a few days later a ticket turned up in the mail from this lovely officer for no wof/reg. What a lovely person - give me one expectation, then slap me with a ticket through the back door - couldn't even say it to my face. Good man.

So you can now understand why everytime I see the HP car with SLOWDN (or whatever variation it is) as a plate, I drop two gears...

No, sorry, I don't understand!

You got a ticket because your rego / wof was expired! Thats no justification for being an idiot for the next 30 years. Perhaps the HP didn't have a choice once he got back to base?

I'm sorry but it's not the cops fault you were an idiot and broke your car and were not organised enough to have a back up plan for work! Don't transfer the blame!

I have no idea how many Police there are out there but as in any population there will be a smattering of all personality types. You getting a shitty deal on a ticket does NOT excuse subsequent behaviour for goodness sake!

'Society is to blame eh!'

What a load of bollocks!

Paul N

[marty]

In Upper Hutt there are several compulsory stop intersections on 50kph roads where there is at least 50 meters visability in both directions. My feelings are, if you can see there is nothing comming and no reason to stop, why would you?

Now I know the Police didn't mark up these stupid intersections, but I have to say, I would be pretty pissed off if I got ticketed through one of these intersections when there was no good reason for me to stop!

actually, the police didn't make up any of the laws of this country - your elected government(s) did. the police are their agent to enforce those laws, that's all.

[marty]

Don't get me wrong, I know of several legitimate (IMHO ) uses for compulsory stops, (buit I'm not sure that a fatal crash site should be a qualification) And where used appropriately, its not a matter of obeying a sign, you simply can't navigate the intersection safely without stopping.

Anyhow, I'm getting now so I'll shut up, I just wanted to point out why some poeople may get upset about being pinged for driving through a STOP sign.

so what you're saying, is that every intersection should be a give way, until there is a fatal crash there, when i would be ugraded to a stop sign.

[marty]

Don't get me wrong, I know of several legitimate (IMHO ) uses for compulsory stops, (buit I'm not sure that a fatal crash site should be a qualification) And where used appropriately, its not a matter of obeying a sign, you simply can't navigate the intersection safely without stopping.

Anyhow, I'm getting now so I'll shut up, I just wanted to point out why some poeople may get upset about being pinged for driving through a STOP sign.

so what you're saying, is that every intersection should be a give way, until there is a fatal crash there, when it would be ugraded to a stop sign.

[**R1**]

No, sorry, I don't understand!

You got a ticket because your rego / wof was expired! Thats no justification for being an idiot for the next 30 years. Perhaps the HP didn't have a choice once he got back to base?

I'm sorry but it's not the cops fault you were an idiot and broke your car and were not organised enough to have a back up plan for work! Don't transfer the blame!

I have no idea how many Police there are out there but as in any population there will be a smattering of all personality types. You getting a shitty deal on a ticket does NOT excuse subsequent behaviour for goodness sake!

'Society is to blame eh!'

What a load of bollocks!

Paul N

I agree...in part with what ya saying..yes sure ya break the law then sure take ya medicine.....but this is what this whole tread was about 'public image of the police, now when a copper says he is not going to give ya a ticket then ya going to leave the side of the road with the attitude...'man that was lucky i will have to sort my shit out asap or better slow the fuck dwn ...what eva' but then to recieve a ticket days later.....yeah that would fuck me off big time, and lower the allready crapy image of the coppers that i allready have. it would (to me anyway) be much better to have the copper grow some balls and say 'look mate your a dick sort ya shit out heres ya ticket' end of story, but being two faced about it isnt at all going to win any popularity contests is it????

a few months ago i took the wife for a blast through town...to cut a long dodgy story short we got pulled over(not going to do a runner with anyone on the back) doing 65k in a 50k the chik copper asked me how many demerit points i had.....i told her 90....she said she didnt think what i had just done deserved to loose my licence for, so she said she would think about it and i may or may not get a ticket in a week or so.....now that had me sweating for the nxt month and i can honestly say i didnt break the law in that time, at least she had the balls to tell me that was what she was doing....thus improving my image of the coppers anyway......


well thats my 2cents.... i just reread it and im sure it duzn make sence but its my opinion....

[Paul in NZ]

I agree...in part with what ya saying..yes sure ya break the law then sure take ya medicine.....but this is what this whole tread was about 'public image of the police, now when a copper says he is not going to give ya a ticket then ya going to leave the side of the road with the attitude...'man that was lucky i will have to sort my shit out asap or better slow the fuck dwn ...what eva' but then to recieve a ticket days later.....yeah that would fuck me off big time, and lower the allready crapy image of the coppers that i allready have. it would (to me anyway) be much better to have the copper grow some balls and say 'look mate your a dick sort ya shit out heres ya ticket' end of story, but being two faced about it isnt at all going to win any popularity contests is it????

a few months ago i took the wife for a blast through town...to cut a long dodgy story short we got pulled over(not going to do a runner with anyone on the back) doing 65k in a 50k the chik copper asked me how many demerit points i had.....i told her 90....she said she didnt think what i had just done deserved to loose my licence for, so she said she would think about it and i may or may not get a ticket in a week or so.....now that had me sweating for the nxt month and i can honestly say i didnt break the law in that time, at least she had the balls to tell me that was what she was doing....thus improving my image of the coppers anyway......


well thats my 2cents.... i just reread it and im sure it duzn make sence but its my opinion....

Yeah but we just got one side of the story. The bit he wanted to hear! Now he feels his actions are justified by his treatment by one person. Christ on a crutch if some douche bag in a car cuts you up on the road by accident (or on purpose) that is NOT a valid excuse to kill everyone else is it! "Sorry officer but someone cut me off leaving home this morning and I could not take the risk that was going to happen again so to save time I killed all the neighbours"

Blame transferance. It's not my fault I'm bad, you drove me to it! Pathetic!

Good save with your story though! Jeeze do you feel a dick while the law is giving you the what for on the side of the road and your significant other is standing there arms crossed, eyes boring into you skull turning your brain to ice (and your groin)... Gulp!

[Clockwork]

QUOTE=marty]so what you're saying, is that every intersection should be a give way, until there is a fatal crash there, when i would be ugraded to a stop sign.[/QUOTE]

No... as an aside I said that I don't think that just because a fatal accident has occurred at an intersection that this is justification for requiring a compulsory stop.

I also tried to say that there are legitimate reasons for STOP intersections but that generally where they are required sensible/safe driving/riding would dictate you're going to stop even if the intersection is marked Give Way (we have a few of these in Upper Hutt too.)

Basically I belive that STOP signs should only be used to address visibility issues and not just be STOP (coz we said so!).

[**R1**]

Yeah but we just got one side of the story. The bit he wanted to hear! Now he feels his actions are justified by his treatment by one person. Christ on a crutch if some douche bag in a car cuts you up on the road by accident (or on purpose) that is NOT a valid excuse to kill everyone else is it! "Sorry officer but someone cut me off leaving home this morning and I could not take the risk that was going to happen again so to save time I killed all the neighbours"

Blame transferance. It's not my fault I'm bad, you drove me to it! Pathetic!

Good save with your story though! Jeeze do you feel a dick while the law is giving you the what for on the side of the road and your significant other is standing there arms crossed, eyes boring into you skull turning your brain to ice (and your groin)... Gulp!

I think the loverly officer thought we were cute...its been a while since the wifey has been on one of my bikes and she couldnt get her helmet or gloves off...so heres me trying to blink fast and look all inocent at this chik copper at the same time as trying to help my seeminly(sp) retarded misis, it was probly kinda funny looking. and yeah ya right my much better half was none to amused. no after ride fun

[spudchucka]

I just wanted to point out why some poeople may get upset about being pinged for driving through a STOP sign.

Sorry but that just doesn't wash with me. While I'm prepared to cut a little slack around stop signs, (as explained in my earlier post) I can not see that anyone can moan if they receive a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign. Everyone knows what "stop" means, we all had to study the road code to get our licence so I'm afraid we have no cause to moan if we don't stick to the rules and subsequently get pingged.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, stop signs are there for a reason. Its not hard to stop, it will probably add about another 1.5 seconds to your journey.

[marty]

my feeling is that a stop sign should be treated like a red light, and you wold expect a ticket for running a red light, so expect one for running a stop sign.

[DrDee]

Well from personal experience with my dealings with the police in New Zealand I would have to say they are a lazy bunch of vindictive pricks who forget their job is that of a public servant, (eg: I was arrested in a busy public street, taken to Auck central, strip searched, had jewelry and piercings cut from my body locked in a cell overnight, laughed at because I wasn't allowed to make a toll call from the cells as I was only in Auck visiting, for possession of a pipe. I had to go to court and got fined without conviction for $100. All because I pointed out to a cop that some dude just ran a red light. That is just ONE story I can tell!) but at the end of the day I would help any man (or woman) that was getting beaten no matter what clothes they are wearing.