Bike cop blocking my pass

[Varkp]

So this morning I'm travelling down a state highway in or around Wellington. Traffic (cars) are backed up and moving at about 20 kph.

A passing lane comes up and I do all the legal things of indicating and start passing cars keeping will within the speed limit.

Lo and behold, Mr Biker Cop pulls out in front of me and blocks my passing and slows me right down to the same speed as the cars, all the way to the end of the passing lane. Moves back in and i have no choice but to move in behind him. All the while he is watching me in the his mirror.

I got the distinct feeling this cop was following me even later when i did pass him, he kept watching me and waiting for me to make a transgression so he can jump me.

A few questions here.

1. Was I doing anything illegal.
2. What is the law viewpoint on passing cars in a passing lane if they are moving slow and it is safe for you to pass them.
3. I feel this cop was baiting me.

[BMWST?]

you werent doing anything illegal....if he wasnt actually overtaking then he was the illegal one(keep left unless overtaking).
However when the traffic is heavy the act of merging(even on a motorcycle) at the end of the passing lane slows down the "inside lane" and that causes a ripple effect which slows down the traffic further back even more.Its why on holiday weekends the outside passing lane is sometimes closed.

[CB ARGH]

Just like a baby playing with an atomic bomb, the cop was only playing with the traffic.

I cannot see how anything you did was against the law/dangerous.

[slimjim]

So this morning I'm travelling down a state highway in or around Wellington. Traffic (cars) are backed up and moving at about 20 kph.

A passing lane comes up and I do all the legal things of indicating and start passing cars keeping will within the speed limit.

Lo and behold, Mr Biker Cop pulls out in front of me and blocks my passing and slows me right down to the same speed as the cars, all the way to the end of the passing lane. Moves back in and i have no choice but to move in behind him. All the while he is watching me in the his mirror.

I got the distinct feeling this cop was following me even later when i did pass him, he kept watching me and waiting for me to make a transgression so he can jump me.

bugger what's illegal..

pass why not..

bugger give him a friendly bikers wave.........

[awayatc]

Yesterday on my way south on SH 1 south of Kaikoura, a newish darkblue Toyota camry pulled of from the shoulder....
I didn't quite trust it, so slowed down behind him..... (at around 90 ish kph.)
When I did pass him on a passing lane,after having suffered through a couple of terribly boring minutes , I still did not go (much) over the limit..
Glancing sideways I saw the driver wearing a police issue uniform.......
Took a while to lose him.....since I could only speed away a bit in corners.....

Sounds to me your particular cop wasn't as bike friendly as most bike cops usualy are....

[MIXONE]

awayatc the cops around Kaikoura are using all sorts of unmarked cars.I even saw one in a holden twin cab ute.Just as well the ride is so good that you don't have to speed to have fun.

[MSTRS:Me]

... blocks my passing and slows me right down to the same speed as the cars, all the way to the end of the passing lane. ....
1. Was I doing anything illegal.
2. What is the law viewpoint on passing cars in a passing lane if they are moving slow and it is safe for you to pass them.
3. I feel this cop was baiting me.

1. Cop was breaking the law
2. Passing lanes are just that...for passing. Speed of traffic in the left lane has nothing to do with it. As long as you do not exceed the posted speed limit, and you are passing them, then you are not doing anything wrong.
3. I'd say so

One thing you don't make clear...was the passing lane free of other traffic, or were you attempting to split down the right?

[Varkp]

One thing you don't make clear...was the passing lane free of other traffic, or were you attempting to split down the right?

The passing lane was absolutely clear, no cars, no other bikes, 1 dead possum.

i have the bikes reg if anybody is interested ...

Seems the cop has a bit of an attitude problem, seen him in the area before, and have noticed he pulls people over for the fun of it.

Once by mistake (on hindsight now) gave him a friendly greet and he just stared at me.

Maybe he should get a transfer to Chch to go have a go at the boy racers ...

[Devil]

It's got nothing to do with the law, it's the cop being wary of the traffic flow.

Like has been stated above, in heavy traffic situtations, passing lanes only make it worse with the merging slowing the whole thing down.
I'd hazard a guess that the lane was empty because everyone knew that they'd arrive at their destination quicker by not overtaking.

Last thing they need is someone giving everyone else the idea that overtaking is a good thing (in that situation).

[Fatjim]

The cop can make you do anything he likes as long as its reasonable and not dangerous to you.. I'm not sure he needs his red and blues on either if his intent is clear.

He's just a wanker though. there is a ginga cop in Welly on a bike. He pulled me over about my loud pipes, but was good enough not to ping me on them so he wasn't as bad as some. However he did proceed to give me a lecture on the dangers on lanesplitting, then came up with a pearler about how mine seemed ok. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell me in the end.

He was on a power trip, but obviously I caught him on a the good part of his monthlycycle.

[Varkp]

It's got nothing to do with the law, it's the cop being wary of the traffic flow.

Like has been stated above, in heavy traffic situtations, passing lanes only make it worse with the merging slowing the whole thing down.
I'd hazard a guess that the lane was empty because everyone knew that they'd arrive at their destination quicker by not overtaking.

Last thing they need is someone giving everyone else the idea that overtaking is a good thing (in that situation).

fair comment, but I was on a bike and it is more dangerous for a bike to be jammed between cars, I have had SO many incidents were I was nearly taken out from behind by some moron on his mobile not watching what he is doing.

By me on a bike sitting in the traffic I'm going to make you the cage'r get to work later, purely because it takes me longer to take of from a dead stop then you in the car. There is a certain speed at which a car can still steer but me on a bike must stop dead.

my defence as a biker is to get away from a dangerous situation is to move.

[Fatjim]

And so you should. You safety is ultimately what you should be worried about, not the misdirection from a copper.

[Max Preload]

So this morning I'm travelling down a state highway in or around Wellington. Traffic (cars) are backed up and moving at about 20 kph.

A passing lane comes up and I do all the legal things of indicating and start passing cars keeping will within the speed limit.

Lo and behold, Mr Biker Cop pulls out in front of me and blocks my passing and slows me right down to the same speed as the cars, all the way to the end of the passing lane. Moves back in and i have no choice but to move in behind him. All the while he is watching me in the his mirror.

I got the distinct feeling this cop was following me even later when i did pass him, he kept watching me and waiting for me to make a transgression so he can jump me.

A few questions here.

1. Was I doing anything illegal.
2. What is the law viewpoint on passing cars in a passing lane if they are moving slow and it is safe for you to pass them.
3. I feel this cop was baiting me.

1) No. You could have overtaken him, on his right, without crossing the yellow line, if there was one on your side (sure to be) and he couldn't have done anything about that, but I'm sure he would have stopped and bothered you and in all likelyhood trumped something up, such are the ridiculous subjective laws we currently have. Like this gem:

Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 (SR 2004-427) (as at 01 August 2008)
(1) A driver must not operate a vehicle in a condition or manner that causes or is liable to cause—

(b)annoyance to any person

2) nothing specific as long as it comes under the all-encompassing 'safe to do so' which is a total rort since it too is entirely sujective. Exactly when is it entirely safe to do anything on the road?

3) Not a question, but an observation.

It's got nothing to do with the law, it's the cop being wary of the traffic flow.

Subjective.

Like has been stated above, in heavy traffic situtations, passing lanes only make it worse with the merging slowing the whole thing down.
I'd hazard a guess that the lane was empty because everyone knew that they'd arrive at their destination quicker by not overtaking.

So you shouldn't use passing lanes to overtake slower vehicles because you inevitably have to merge again anyway? Yeah, that makes sense...

Last thing they need is someone giving everyone else the idea that overtaking is a good thing (in that situation).

Really? I'd have thought the last thing we'd want is idiots using passing lanes for preventing other vehicles from overtaking slower traffic.

[Bren]

Really? I'd have thought the last thing we'd want is idiots using passing lanes for preventing other vehicles from overtaking slower traffic.

Happens all the time down here...some people sit right ion the middle of the passing lanes to block other cars passing. This is common on the lanes just out of Paraparaumu and Waikanae I never saw this kind of thing down south, and am now realising the driving up here is worse than down south

Seems the further north ya go then the bigger the tosser is on the road!

[Badjelly]

Happens all the time down here...some people sit right ion the middle of the passing lanes to block other cars passing. This is common on the lanes just out of Paraparaumu and Waikanae.

It's a local, informal road rule. Odd, eh?