Collected some revenue today

[riffer]

Rastus the cat and his owner Max Corkill,

Celebrity duo killed on the road

• PHOTOS: DON SCOTT Rastus the cat and his owner, Max Corkill, approach Christchurch during their fundraising tour of New Zealand in October 1995.
  
  
  
• Januari 20, 1998, New Zealand, National biker-cat celebrity Rastus, his owner, Max Corkill, and pillion passenger Gaynor Martin have been killed in a head-on crash in North Taranaki.
• At 9.30am Mr Corkill, 58, Ms Martin, 48, and Rastus, all from New Plymouth, died instantly in a collision with a car on State Highway 3 just north of Urenui, 32km north-east of New Plymouth.
• Rastus and Mr Corkill were media and charity stars, most recently featuring in a prize-winning Bell Tea television advertisement.
• Rastus and Mr Corkill had clocked up many thousands of kilometres on Canadian and New Zealand roads together since Mr Corkill befriended the tiny kitten dumped at a bikers' swap-meet in Canada.
• Rastus had his own fan club of more than 200 and was a major fundraiser for the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
• The duo had their own company which sold Rastus collectables such as T-shirts, posters, and badges, and even had a joint cheque account. Rastus signed with a paw print.
• After more than 30 years in Canada Inglewood-born Mr Corkill returned to live with his elderly mother in New Plymouth in 1994.The pair were often seen on the roads, Rastus perched on the petrol tank of Mr Corkill's motorcycle leaning into the wind.
• Rastus had special helmets to suit the occasion. He wore a red hat with antlers for Christmas and Mr Corkill dressed up as Santa Claus.
• RNZSPCA committee chairwoman Jackie Poles Smith said: "He and Rastus were one out of the box, completely irreplaceable. There's never going to be another Max and Rastus." -- NZPA

Hundreds of bikers escorted Max and Rastus on their last tour.

[MD]

From the photos in the original post, it's hard to tell whether a crime is actually being committed or whether the Police are merely being pedantic.

I'm surprised you don't find that photo offensive Hitcher?

If you backtrack his line 1, 2 ,3 or so seconds before picture was taken, he would still be completely on the wrong side of the road. But worse, now hidden from oncoming sight by the bushes on the left side of pic. Now place an opposing rider about adcacent to the 4x4 and probably hanging close to the centreline for a good drop into the lefthander..SMASH!

I may speed on winding roads and must confess I rely upon surviving so long as I remain on my side of the centreline. The basic flaw in that plan is assuming we all drive on the left in NZ

Book em Dano!

[FJRider]

From the photos in the original post, it's hard to tell whether a crime is actually being committed or whether the Police are merely being pedantic.

As I understand ... no crime is being committed ... it is a Traffic infringement ... or am I being pedantic ... ???

There are many places in New Zealand where it is entirely safe to cut a corner, as one has complete and unobstructed line of sight for the safe duration of the manoeuvre in question. Overtaking is a classic example of a failure to keep left. I suppose the cops will be going after that next, particularly if a speed in excess of 101kmh is achieved during the execution thereof? It is, after all, technically illegal and not Mandriving(TM).

Overtaking requires (by law) 100 metres of clear visibility throughout the manouver ... not as some assume ... 100 metres of visibility at the start ... The toyota pictured ... would not have had that ... and I would have thought driving dangerously would not be out of the question ... only getting a failing to keep left is a lucky result ...

Another classic stretch of road where the Police often have apoplexy is the Manawatu Gorge. They even set up cameras there from time to time. It is double yellow lined for its complete length. However there are many sections where although the road twists and turns, there is no impediment whatsoever to a driver's line of sight (provided they're not following a truck) and where, in the absence of oncoming traffic, corners and double yellow lines can be cut in complete safety.

With a fair degree of skill and common sense ... this may be true ... but far too many lack these two elements ...

End result ... double yellows and lots of "enforcement" ...

[Blackbird]

Rastuscat,
Please come up to the Coromandel Peninsula and do the same as the local cops don't seem interested. It doesn't matter when or exactly where as there's someone trying to wipe me out from cutting blind bends every 10 minutes or so. It's SERIOUSLY bad up here.

[RDJ]

As I understand ... no crime is being committed ... it is a Traffic infringement ... or am I being pedantic ... ???

I think there is a sound principle being written about in your post. We have increasingly as a society defined most crime as transgressions which a normally law-abiding middle-class person can be stopped for, interrogated for, prosecuted for, fined for - with the expectation that he or she will pay up like a good 'un - and then occasionally jailed for. The more egregious crimes such as murder rape and violent assault are of course still prosecuted, but there are many apologists out there seeking to excuse such bad behaviour in the name of lack of privilege, post colonialism, diversity, cultural differences, lack of job opportunities, and so forth.... But no one apologises and excuses the speeding middle-class citizen. Traffic rule infringement is not crime. Much as various people would have it so. YMMV...

[scumdog]

I may speed on winding roads and must confess I rely upon surviving so long as I remain on my side of the centreline. The basic flaw in that plan is assuming we all drive on the left in NZ

Book em Dano!

Some don't know what ikut kiri means.

Book 'em for sure, I've got no time for piss-poor or incompetents that NEED to cut corners just to stay on the road.

EDIT: And such a ticket shold incur 50 demerits, bugger the fine - take their licence quicker.

[st00ji]

rastus, my 2c

i think what you are doing (in posting) is fantastic, as you say a multiplicative effect. maybe if the police did more of this sort of thing it would go a long way to dispelling some of the persistent myths around their behaviour.

i myself am guilty of thinking to myself when witnessing such a mindless act of driving, 'where are the cops now, probably busy with someone caught doing 112 in the middle of nowhere humph' so its great to see other types of bad behavior do get targeted.

god i hate people that cant / wont stay in their lane.

to be perfectly frank, i've always quite liked your sense of humor - but the last few posts of yours i've read have honestly helped to restore some of my respect for the NZ police. if the public got to vote, you'd have mine for commissioner. or something. not that you'd probably want such a thankless job.

ok man love moment over, carry on.

[pete376403]

How about a campaign on car drivers doing 3 point turns in inappropriate places - not much revenue in it though

[FJRider]

How about a campaign on car drivers doing 3 point turns in inappropriate places - not much revenue in it though

At $250 a head ... more than failing to keep left ...

[scumdog]

How about a campaign on car drivers doing 3 point turns in inappropriate places - not much revenue in it though

Really?

$250 will buy nearly 9 boxes of 440ml 5% Woodstocks...

[FJRider]

Really?

$250 will buy nearly 9 boxes of 440ml 5% Woodstocks...

Buy ... dont you fella's confiscate it anymore ... ???

[oldrider]

Set some signs up. Variable message signs.

Attachment 244419Attachment 244420Attachment 244421

Collected revenue from 14 errant motorists.

It's all about raising money for the gubbermint, nothing about penalising bad driving.

Gonna collect some more tomorrow. Unless everyone drives better. Don't think that'll happen.

The driver of this one lectured us about revenue collecting, how unfair it was. Ho hum.

IMHO failing to keep left is the most "consistently practised bad driving" on New Zealand roads!

Fucking good job that you guy's are policing it .... no complaints from me on that one!

[rastuscat]

to be perfectly frank, i've always quite liked your sense of humor - but the last few posts of yours i've read have honestly helped to restore some of my respect for the NZ police. if the public got to vote, you'd have mine for commissioner. or something. not that you'd probably want such a thankless job.

ok man love moment over, carry on.

Awwwww shucks.............

[Berries]

Nah, I think it is a crock. If you have a nice open curve where you have more than 100m clear visibility then you can legally move out of your lane to overtake another vehicle, yet if there is no vehicle ahead of you and you cross the same centre line you can get fined?

On corners where you don't have sufficient visibility then sure, throw the fuckers in jail. But to assume that just because someone cuts a corner where there is plenty of visibility they will cut a corner where there is zero visibility is a bit much IMHO.

[Jack Miller]

Thing is, bikes CAN overtake easily, quickly and mostly safely. Trouble is, we have to apply the same rules to pretty much everyone, so expect everyone to keep left unless overtaking. Each individual cop has discretion, but this is an offence we are pretty unlikely to use our discretion on.

Gotta love Twisties. Not the ones in the blue bag, I prefer Burger Rings.

Bikes sure can overtake easily, quickly and safely. But you'll probably exceed the speed limit in doing so. Is that OK?