Muriwai Beach - Is it over policed?

**Mystic13** · 7th January 2009, 21:45

Well I cruised up the beach yesterday and *&#% me. They had two cops on the beach. One a good distance up (where it would take you all day to walk to) and one down the lower end on the beach near the Coast Road access.

I saw a bike getting a ticket. I have no idea what he did.

On my way back down I was cruising along at 65k and this 4wd drive was leaving me for dead. I figure he was doing well over 80. He drove past the cop with no issues. He could have slowed down without the cop picking him up I guess. So I'm curious is this a ticket for hooning or unregistered vehicles only.

It is damned hard to see a white 4wd police car on the beach, with the haze all the vehicles look grey in the distance.

There were a fair few bikes that ventured down onto the beach from the forest then back in again.

Then I pass the park ranger on what looks like a quad with no rego. And I'm thinking... shouldn't he get a ticket? It seems the law is being applied a little selectively. I didn't realise it worked like that.

I was glad to see a little kid out with his small Suzuki bike (70cc?) looking pretty happy so I guess maybe kids won't get tickets?

**Ixion** · 7th January 2009, 21:55

So, maybe , sounds to me what you're saying, is that the cops are exercising some discretion, letting people have a bit of fun if it's not likely to hurt anyone, and maybe ticketing people who are doing fundamentally stupid shit that could get folk hurt or worse?

Disgusting!

Burn them!

**Anarkist** · 7th January 2009, 22:11

Originally Posted by Ixion

So, maybe , sounds to me what you're saying, is that the cops are exercising some discretion, letting people have a bit of fun if it's not likely to hurt anyone, and maybe ticketing people who are doing fundamentally stupid shit that could get folk hurt or worse?

I was about to say the same.

**Gubb** · 7th January 2009, 22:18

Originally Posted by Mystic13

Then I pass the park ranger on what looks like a quad with no rego. And I'm thinking... shouldn't he get a ticket? It seems the law is being applied a little selectively. I didn't realise it worked like that.

But of course, before jumping to any conclusions, you checked all over the bike yeah? It couldn't be possible that you may have missed it in a particularly obvious place.

**jrandom** · 8th January 2009, 05:31

Originally Posted by Ixion

and maybe ticketing people who are doing fundamentally stupid shit...

The problem is, of course, who gets to decide what is 'fundamentally stupid shit'.

My experience of the average traffic officer is that they're not very good at anything other than knowing precisely what the rules are.

The OP obviously wasn't breaking any rules. There is, after all, a 100kph speed limit along there.

But I think we all know what would have happened if he'd been seen doing 111kph on the sand, or, heaven forbid, a wheelie.

**barty5** · 8th January 2009, 07:18

Originally Posted by jrandom

The problem is, of course, who gets to decide what is 'fundamentally stupid shit'.

My experience of the average traffic officer is that they're not very good at anything other than knowing precisely what the rules are.

The OP obviously wasn't breaking any rules. There is, after all, a 100kph speed limit along there.

But I think we all know what would have happened if he'd been seen doing 111kph on the sand, or, heaven forbid, a wheelie.

think you might find it only got an 80km speed limit.

**Motu** · 8th January 2009, 07:30

Originally Posted by jrandom

The problem is, of course, who gets to decide what is 'fundamentally stupid shit'.

You and me of course - I have the experience of a hundred people....you have the arrogance of a thousand.Apart from us two,everyone else is fundamentally stupid...they need guidance,we can give it.

**Starky307** · 8th January 2009, 08:17

Well done to the cops for being there and doing their job of protecting the greater mass of public from the small amount of idiots that feel it is their right to endanger others in the name of fun.

**Mystic13** · 8th January 2009, 10:00

Actually the speed limit all the way up the beach is 60 kmph with a wholebunch of new signs installed at regular intervals. (And 30k down the Southern end).

Yes bikes do tend to race around on the beach but it's usually where there is no one.

I thought two cops and a park ranger on the beach was overkill.

If you're going to call the beach a public road and ticket bikes, you should also ticket cars and quads. I wouldn't expect to see Auckland City Council parking wardens driving around in unregistered cars and likewise if ARC want to start invoking laws for the masses then their Park Ranger should abide by those laws.

Yes I'd like to think there is a bit of give and take in the enforcement. If they're not going to ticket you for doing 80 or 90 k as long as you're behaving yourself then they should change the speed limit. That would be the same as putting a 60k speed limit on the open road and then judging behaviour beyond that. You can't know what the rule is and it would be a bummer to be ignored on most days then get a tciket on another for the same behaviour.

**pritch** · 8th January 2009, 11:13

Originally Posted by Mystic13

I thought two cops and a park ranger on the beach was overkill.

I'd normally agree, but the other night on the TV News there was a story of a beach user injured by a speeding car. I think the driver was charged with "failing to stop". If that was Muriwai I'd expect the relevant people to be putting on a show.

I also seem to recall a beach user was killed or injured by a speeding bike not too long ago? There was also a story about protected species being damaged by vehicles on a beach.

It'd only be surprising if the lads weren't out and about.

**jrandom** · 8th January 2009, 11:14

Originally Posted by Mystic13

Actually the speed limit all the way up the beach is 60 kmph with a wholebunch of new signs installed at regular intervals.

Really? Bugger. Just goes to show how long it is since I've been up there.

**.chris** · 8th January 2009, 13:03

Yep 60kph speed limit now. Signs near most of the access points.

I can understand why the cops are there, so many people out there today, was more traffic on the beach than the main road.

I would rather have it policed then a bunch of stupidity related accidents have it closed to vehicles.

**paturoa** · 8th January 2009, 17:33

There are 2 types of minorities that spoil it for the majority.

The first are the a'holes that piss off the majority, by being generally a'holes.
The second is the wowsers who want to ban the majority because of the first group.

I'm not sure which is worse.

anyhoo....

I was there on Sunday with the family. 3 kids - 9, 12 and 15 as well as Mrs P.
We took a PeeWee 50, a chinese micro quad, DR125 and KDX200. None registered etc. I went in at the Rimmers Road entry.

I've been going there intermittently for more than 20 years.

Anyhow - while I was unloading the trailer at the car park, the beach patrol rozzer comes up the track from the beach and stopped for a chat.

He gave me the rules about the beach, requiring road registerred vehicles etc. So I asked him where was it best to take the kids and he asked me to go up the beach. Dam fine peice of rozzering.

It's cops like that that I admire, sensible, exercising discretion and a good communicator.

While we were going down the track to the beach this guy came past on the track in a grey oldish land cruiser. He stops and tells me that we can't do that cos it's illegal etc. I told him I was aware of that and "thank you" and we continued on our way.

He drives down onto the beach, u-turns and comes back again for another go.

Well this time he informs me that the car park is private property and that the company that owns it, only provide the car park so that people can walk to the beach. That what we are doing is illegal and we should stop now!

Then he tells me that the company will file a trespass order on me cos I used my trailer to unload my bikes. Hmmm.

I then asked him who he was, and he informed me that he worked for the company but didn't give his name and then promptly drove off.

This is a prime example of the wowser breed.

We continued down to the beach and had a throughly good time for a couple of hours, and perfectly safe I add too. The rozzer from earlier in the story drove past us at one stage and waved to us.

All of the bikes I saw on the beach while we were there were not registerred and driving (mostly) sensibly.

**Ixion** · 9th January 2009, 16:56

The Harold says

(In part) --
Police patrolling 40km of Muriwai Beach say they are giving out lots of advice but few tickets since new speed limits came in a month ago.

A police officer was there daily for pro-active education patrols and using discretion on issuing infringement notices where there was no safety concern," said Kumeu Community Constable Anna Crane.

"There have been some infringements for those who push the boundary and drive inappropriately.

"A few are still going too fast and will be targeted and action taken. It will take a while for the message to get through because it's a major change from what people are used to.