How things have changed

**JohnR** · 10th February 2010, 14:41

Originally Posted by Motu

I remember the red and black writing (they must have carried that on for a few more years).The disqualification terms seem harsh,and although I was only a young guy not able to ride or drive yet...I don't remember many people losing their license.Maybe my family and friends were very law abiding.

No quotas (sorry performance indicators) either!

**Ronin** · 10th February 2010, 17:28

Originally Posted by red mermaid

With an attitude displayed in your childish name calling as below, you and any organisation you claim to represent will always struggle to have any credibility in decision making.

With your propensity to be overly judgemental evident in your above post, any opinion you care to share will always struggle for credibility.

**pritch** · 10th February 2010, 17:57

Originally Posted by red mermaid

With an attitude displayed in your childish name calling as below, you and any organisation you claim to represent will always struggle to have any credibility in decision making.

Had a bad day? Fail to meet your quota?

**shrub** · 10th February 2010, 19:48

the penalties were definitely tougher, but the cops were more leniant. In 82 I got pissed and took a mate for a ride and we both ended up in hospital (what a surprise!). Once I was out (I was in a bad way, no helmet and probably 100 mph off) I got called into the cops and he asked me if I had been riding. i couldn't remember (I have still lost the months before and after the "accident"), and he said "I have 2 guys, both pissed. One of you was riding, so I'll charge you both and let the judge decide." I knew I had been riding, so owned up and told him I would never do that again. he said "I believe you. Now fuck off and I don't want to see you again". I never rode pissed again, and it used to be a common thing I did. He knew I had learnt my lesson, yet today I would have been crucified.

I think the cops in those days were interested in stopping people from doing stupid shit, whereas today the focus seems to be on writing out that little old ticket as fast as possible.

**hospitalfood** · 10th February 2010, 20:07

I had a cople of breraks from the snakes when I was a younger man, common sense on thier part rather than throwing the book. Still happens a bit but more in the small towns than the cities I think.

**Motu** · 10th February 2010, 20:35

They had a bad attitude - but that was caused by having to wear jodhpurs.I can't blame them I suppose,it was a really bad look....but I can still laugh at how stupid they looked.But the boots......it was almost worth killing one just for their boots.They were good riders though - one of our local Cops told us we should be able to take the Panmure roundabout at 50mph....so that became our benchmark.That one wrapped himself around a tree on the Pakuranga Highway,drunk.Yes,even the Cops were human back then.

**BMWST?** · 10th February 2010, 20:41

Originally Posted by Motu

They had a bad attitude - but that was caused by having to wear jodhpurs.I can't blame them I suppose,it was a really bad look....but I can still laugh at how stupid they looked.But the boots......it was almost worth killing one just for their boots.They were good riders though - one of our local Cops told us we should be able to take the Panmure roundabout at 50mph....so that became our benchmark.That one wrapped himself around a tree on the Pakuranga Highway,drunk.Yes,even the Cops were human back then.

i had a pair of those boots.Cant remember where i got them.I think i bought them new somewhere?

**Chooky** · 10th February 2010, 20:59

Yer did my bike licence in 1962 at Otahuhu cop shop... Cops were always refered to as snakes, which is more polite than the P*G name of today....
Anyway, turn up for ride test 1 week after my 15th birthday with my brothers BSA, 1st thing cop said, how long you been riding...? I says 1 week.... Cop said ok lets have a look......
Anyway, passed piece of piss then got a lecture about how me and me brother were going to share a bike while were both on learners.....
I said no problem, I've got my own Puch... He was so happy to hear that....
Well here I am now, almost on the fukin pension and still not sick a riding bikes...

This was really about snakes......

**Dadpole** · 10th February 2010, 21:20

Originally Posted by Motu

.it was almost worth killing one just for their boots.

The ones with the strap & buckle at the top? A friend had a set, and we always claimed dibs on them if he wrote himself off. Come to that, a brief lie down would have seen us ripping them off.

**MSTRS:Me** · 11th February 2010, 08:00

Originally Posted by Motu

They had a bad attitude - but that was caused by having to wear jodhpurs.I can't blame them I suppose,it was a really bad look....but I can still laugh at how stupid they looked.But the boots......it was almost worth killing one just for their boots.

The only snake I 'met' was actually very lenient...in a single stop, he did me for 12mph over, but let me off 2 bald tyres, 8 in a Humber 80 and a straight pipe for an exhaust.
The City Council cops on the other hand...absolute pricks.
Oh, and I too had a pair of 'those' boots.

**vifferman** · 11th February 2010, 08:09

I was talking to a cop a while back, and he referred to the HP as 'snakes' as well, and infered that the really enthusiastic snakes weren't anyone's mates - even the other members of the constabulary didn't like them.

As for the 'old' road rules - we just accepted them, as the enforcement of them was generally fairly applied, and as said by others, most of the MOT seemed more concerned with road safety than ticket issuing. When I did my bike test, despite having indicators on the bike, I had to use hand signals. A bit tricky braking and giving a stop signal at the same time.

**Ixion** · 11th February 2010, 10:47

Originally Posted by Chooky

Yer did my bike licence in 1962 at Otahuhu cop shop... Cops were always refered to as snakes, which is more polite than the P*G name of today....
...

No, snakes were traffic cops. The "real" cops were never called snakes. But hardly anyone had any dealings with "real" police back then, cos they were only concerned with criminals. And back then motorists weren't automatically criminals

They called themselves that, proud of the name. But I think, strictly speaking , only the MoT traffic cops were snakes. The MoT guys had a very low opinion of the council traffic cops. That low opinion was deserved. But the MoT guys were professional - pedantic nitpicking arsehole professionals, sometimes, but professionals, and I think they didn't agree with the title "snake" being used by the council wallies.

Yeah, those boots were the schnizz. Why can't I buy boots like that nowadays? Water proof they was too. And yes, they were bloody good riders. Fast, and safe. Granted, they had more incentive not to crash than the rest of us. We only had to worry about being killed or injured. They had to worry about explaining to Sergeant Snakely why the snakemocycle was written off. Better death than that interview.

I had a great deal of (grudging) respect for the old snakes.