What cost to the taxpayer?

**peasea** · 15th March 2009, 12:46

Last Friday night (March 13) there was a huge, and I mean huge, road block on SH6 just north of Nelson at Hira. Ok, WOF checks, breath tests and so on don't bother me but surely one or two squad cars could handle that. I didn't have my camera that evening but we can recall about 7 or 8 squad cars there, an unmarked one at the top of the hill and another squad car just on the downward leg on the northern side. They also took my photograph for whatever reason. It was clearly a sting pointed at visiting bikers who'd come to Nelson for the poker run on the Saturday, this was denied by the officer that checked my details. Liar.

Then came the poker run the next day. The assembly point was host to several squad cars and a few unmarked cars. The route was dotted with patrol cars and several unmarked cars. At Tapawera there was a police photographer, unmarked and marked cars etc. They also used video cameras throughout the day. At one intersection (not far from the Riwaka Hotel) they had positioned cameras about 100m up the road to photograph those who did not come to a complete halt at the stop sign. Fortunately I saw the rider in front do a double take, both his feet hit the ground and I followed suit.

Then came the prize; a major operation on the Appleby Highway that saw hoards of bikers pulled over for WOF and Rego checks with breath tests thrown in for good measure.

I don't have a problem with these operations pre se but I did think that the taxpayers money was being wasted here with the scale of these operations. Do the police really think that at such an event anyone is likely to get turpsed-up? If you did that, and proceeded to knock someone off their bike, the law would be the least of your worries.

When I stopped to reverse the situation and take pics of the coppers I got the twenty questions routine; "what do you think you're doing" etc. Had my machine checked out, me checked out and so on. I also didn't get any straight answers to my questions; double standards.

It was over the top, as per fucking usual.

**jrandom** · 15th March 2009, 12:49

Looks like it's just the Highway Patrol involved.

Since they wouldn't otherwise be doing anything useful anyhow, seems like a good idea to me to concentrate them all in one obvious spot, sitting on their bums and not burning gas or rubber.

**peasea** · 15th March 2009, 12:56

Originally Posted by jrandom

Looks like it's just the Highway Patrol involved.

Since they wouldn't otherwise be doing anything useful anyhow, seems like a good idea to me to concentrate them all in one obvious spot, sitting on their bums and not burning gas or rubber.

Good point, and it was the perfect opportunity to go racing around other routes. Tee hee. The photo only shows HP at Appleby but 'real' police were elsewhere throughout the day.

**MaxB** · 15th March 2009, 13:03

I wonder if that guy who U-turned in the Buller Gorge was there?

**JimO** · 15th March 2009, 13:19

he probably organised it

**peasea** · 15th March 2009, 13:28

Originally Posted by jimjim

he probably organised it

Damn, would bling ya but I'm all done for now.
Crackup comment. Tony Bridgeman is his name, doing u-turns is his game.

**MotoGirl** · 15th March 2009, 14:23

After my experience doing poker runs the breath testing seems justified to me. Taking photos is just harrassment.

We stopped doing these runs because it took all day to cover 200km because the ride between each pub was only 20 minutes but the riders would drink for an hour before moving on. By the end of the day so many riders were wasted and riding like lunatics on their harleys, which just ended in carnage.

I don't know if the Nelson area is as bad as this, but if they are, the Police aren't being unreasonable.

**puddytat** · 15th March 2009, 14:38

Fuck had I know that they'd be busy down your way for the weekend I couldve taken the R6 out & thrashed the shit outta it up & down the Buller Gorge.....

**Kickaha** · 15th March 2009, 14:40

Were they pulling cars over as well?

**spudchucka** · 15th March 2009, 15:51

Originally Posted by MaxB

I wonder if that guy who U-turned in the Buller Gorge was there?

He quit, (as I recall), and was charged over that incident so it is pretty unlikely, unless he's since started riding himself, which also seems unlikely.

**Max Preload** · 15th March 2009, 16:26

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Were they pulling cars over as well?

I'd like to know this too. My cynical and experienced side says "unlikely".

**98tls** · 15th March 2009, 16:35

Whilst the bill to the taxpayer may well have been large at least there's some return to the governments coffers not to mention the odd pissed biker off the road awhile,we live in a country that has suburbs full of people living on taxpayers money so the odd police roadblock bothers me little.

**peasea** · 15th March 2009, 18:10

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

After my experience doing poker runs the breath testing seems justified to me. Taking photos is just harrassment.

We stopped doing these runs because it took all day to cover 200km because the ride between each pub was only 20 minutes but the riders would drink for an hour before moving on. By the end of the day so many riders were wasted and riding like lunatics on their harleys, which just ended in carnage.

I don't know if the Nelson area is as bad as this, but if they are, the Police aren't being unreasonable.

A dim view is taken (quite rightly) amongst the bikers I've met in the Nelson area with DIC.

Point taken about the pub to pub routine, but it's one of those 'choice' things; we drink Bundy ginger beer or maybe a pint or two of beer throughout the day. Food is always available etc so there's no excuse for DIC.

**Ixion** · 15th March 2009, 18:12

I went past about 6pm on Saturday (going t'other way) . They were pulling bikes over, letting cars go through

Even Mrs Ixion though the discrimination unjustified. None of the ones I saw were going at any great speed (well, they *were* mostly Harleys

)