Topic: Liar cops

[Terry in Australia]

I've been done a few times for speeding, including a memorable episode in 1978 on my shiny new CB750F1 when I got booked for "Speeds in excess of 180 KPH (112.5 MPH) in a 60 KPH (35 MPH) zone on a Learners permit", it took me nearly 30 years to work out why the charge was "speeds in excess of 180 KPH", until I bought an old cop speedo on Ebay, and discovered they only went to 180 Kph back then, ha ha! I can happily say though, that I've gotten away with much more than I've ever been charged with, so the occasional ticket is no real biggie.

Not all cops are brainless dickheads who were bullies at school with incredibly low IQ's though, a lot of them are just like us, and if you treat someone with a little respect, you'll sometimes (not always) get it back.

A few weeks ago when I was still sorting out the K1, I'd upped my main jets to 140, and removed my home-made baffles, so it was a tad loud. I rode past a bike cop, who promptly pulled me over, and at the same time, he pulled a scooter rider over too. He asked me to wait while he spoke to the scooter jockey 30 feet away, so I sat there wondering how I was gonna get away with excessive noise, incorrect address (by 200 miles) and no registration papers, just my license plate.

I watched the body language of the scooter guy, and could see that he was arguing with the cop, and the cop was looking pissed. He must have told the scooter guy to wait, and walked back to me. I said "G'Day Mate" to him, and he immediately loosened up and told me that the scooter guy was "going ape" about harrassment, "why are you picking on me?" and all that other crap, so the cop was pretty much taking some "time out" for a minute or two.

I commiserated with him, and I said "Yeah, I said G'Day to him at that gas station and he just ignored me, the rude little prick". (which was true) Anyway, that cheered the cop up some, so he asked me for my license, but didn't even look at it, he just handed it back and said "Thanks mate", and I rode off, watching him walk back towards the scooter guy with his ticket book out, ha ha! Cheers, Terry. 

[Goldbug]

Police have a lot going against them. First of all, they aren't allowed to practice real law enforcement anymore. Statistics show that the majority of convictions for overall crime come from routine traffic stops, that and they generate a lot of revenue. Police have been relegated to money trees for their respective municipality. Imagine every time you've had to call the police, a stolen/broken into car, etc. Did you ever get your car/stuff back? Did they ever catch the thief?

The last two times I have found stolen cars I called the police and they didn't even care. I was thinking, "they don't care because this will cost them money rather than make them money." In the first case the car was impounded a couple days later (THEY LET A KNOWN STOLEN CAR SIT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR TWO DAYS), the one I found that had only been stolen for ten minutes, at max, they didn't even want to come out and dust for fingerprints, look for the thief (who was very likely still nearby), nothing. I tracked down the owner myself based on some items in his backseat (I'm a regular #$%*in' Columbo) and drove him to his car, minus a window. But across town they probably had a bull#$%* speed trap set up, wrote a million tickets and got lucky and ran the plates on a stolen car and made an arrest. Why in the hell would they care about a stolen car I found when they find stolen cars and make thousands of dollars for the city just sitting there doing nothing? As most of us have witnessed police are already being replaced by machines. A camera, flash bulb and radar can do the work of 99% of the cops out there. It's ridiculous.

The other thing that cops have going against them, that any large group will have, is that some are, without a doubt, going to be #$%*s. Throw in an authoritative position and even the meek and mild will become the #$%*s they only dreamed of being when we were all making them eat dirt in the 8th grade.

Combine the two, #$%*ty people in a #$%*ty unfulfilling job, and we all pay the price. But damn, the medians in front of city hall sure have pretty flowers!

Another issue I have is how the catch "drunk" drivers. They sit there and pick on people who had half a beer too much and left 15 minutes too early, meanwhile real drunk asses, who drive down the highway in the wrong direction never get caught. Of all the people I knew who got a DUI, none of them had been drinking excessively and all of them were barely over the legal limit. When you hear about someone with a high BAC driving drunk it's usually on the news after they are dead, or killed others. Way to go checkpoints!

But really, #$%*ty cops are a product of #$%*ty politics.

[mrblasty]

If cops are so interested in making the town/world a better place then why don't they buy their own patrol cars, volunteer their time and get out of my fuc-ing pocket.
The portland police are really costing this town some serious money, most recently the beat a mentally ill man nearly to death, tackled and jumped on his chest and stood over his slowly dying body with the paramedics with smiles on their faces for some time before loading him into a patrol to take him to jail. On the way his breath became labored, he slumped in his seat and rather call for medical support, opted to drive him to the hospital with the OK from dispatch. He died of internal injuries, all for the offense of pissing on the street in the new "Pearl district" a high end shopping zone. 
 When will this society make a stand, and put these abusers of public trust and safety in prison where they belong, it sickens me.

[Jonesy]

Fight it in court and play your luck. The last time I did that the court screwed up. The cop did show, but they double-booked him in 2 courtrooms, the other room holding a misdemeanor trial, which was considered more important. He stepped in just long enough to dismiss all of his tickets as he could not leave the other room for very long. Me and 6 others got off scott free.

I hope my luck still holds for my upcoming ticket. Luckily they scheduled the original hearing on a date when I already have to be out of town on business, so I was granted an adjournment. Hopefully this increases my chances that he won't show up...

[TwoTired]

So, when there's trouble, who ya gonna call?
Not all cops are liars...

[holysmokes]

ghost busters

[my78k]

Gotta be honest and say that I did not read the entire post but rather the first few and felt I had to respond here...May not be a popular oppinion but as I studied to become a cop and have an uncle who ranks fairly highly in the Metro Toronto PD I have a tendancy to stand up for them.

First of all there are dicks in any profession! I am willing to bet that the same percentage of Doctors are just as rude as cops are...secondly (atleast in Ontario Canada anyways) he does not have to show you the actual reading on the gun. The most you can ask for is the warrant card which he is to carry that validates it's accuracy and when it was last calibrated.

Think about it here guys...someone tells you that something you say is bull#$%* you'd get your backs up too! Perhaps something like "Wow, that seems a little odd. I was only riding in first gear etc..." instead of calling BS would have been a better way to go...

Another thing...I bet the court will side with the cop on this one! He is not required to provide them with the actual readings or anything so basically it is your word against his...his word being held in a much higher regard than your's. Keep in mind he is a public official and has no motive to fabricate a story (not saying that he isn't full of #$%* just that he has no motive unlike yourself who may lie to get out of a ticket...in the court's mind anyways)

Anyways, I am not saying that this guy wasn't lying or anything else I am just saying that you have a better chace of getting out of a ticket by playing nice with the cop than you do once you get to court...especially if the cop points out that you are riding a bike that most likely has many years of use / mods / tire changes etc and I am willing to bet you have never verified the accuracy of your speedo...atleast that is what I would say if I was the cop!

Dennis

by the way...the reason I mentioned that I studied to become a cop but didn't go through with it was I can make just as much or more by working for the phone company up here and don't have to worry about getting shot and leaving behind two little orphans...I hate it when people broad brush an entire group!

[mlinder]

Sure, other people can be dicks too, but as officers are in a position of power, they need to NOT be.
Joe Blow the 7-Eleven guy can be a dick, but it won't cost you anything for him to be a dick.
A cop being a dick costs you: a ticket, insurance, and time.
Big difference.

[ofreen]

...his word being held in a much higher regard than your's. Keep in mind he is a public official and has no motive to fabricate a story (not saying that he isn't full of #$%* just that he has no motive unlike yourself who may lie to get out of a ticket...in the court's mind anyways)

His motive is that he has a quota to meet.  Don't tell me they don't, because I have had police officers tell me they do.  If they don't write tickets, it is assumed by their superiors they aren't trying hard enough.

[mrblasty]

Ditto.
 I always thought the police were there to serve the needs of the people, not the needs of the buisness known as local government.  All "great" powers come to an end. I hope to see it happen in my life time.

[heffay]

think of it more as an expectation than a quota.
my dad has told me that he NEVER had a quota in the 3 departments he has worked for but, there was always an expectation.

[eldar]

Well an expectation may as well be a quota. If they don't meet the set expectations, they end up going somewhere else, just like any other job. Just saying they are basically the same thing.

[heffay]

i agree that semantics are at work here but, having someone tell you that you need to write 100 tickets this month vs. try to write more traffic tickets this month are  still 2 different things... in my mind.

both... are still not what i would expect of a police department yet, it is the norm.   

[74cb750]

quota?
Wait, wait,
maybe THAT is why I got a speeding ticket for
driving 19mph in a 35mph zone.

Cop asked me why I was driving so slow?

"Well, every night for the past 8 days when I leave work
there is always a police car kitty-corner behind me until I reach
the highway entrance ramp..."

 

fought the ticket and won.
peace,
michel

[my78k]

I don't want to beat a dead horse here...but the quota thing doesn't make any sense to me...I am not saying that they don't have quotas/expectations to fill but to imply that the guy needs to lie to be able to write one up is absurd!

There are a literally hundreds of thousands of total knobs on the highways during my commute and I could fill a monthly quota in a day just picking up on the top 5%! and thats only the unsafe drivers text messaging while doing 150 kmh in a 100 zone!

One thing we must remember here is that especially when we are on our bikes we are very conspicuous to cops (we may be invisible to cagers but not to cops!) and it is always best to try and "fly low under the radar". If you do get dinged use respect etc to try and difuse the situation...I really enjoyed the earlier post about how to get out of a ticket and was very similar to one written by a bike cop in one of the many bike mags currently scattered in my "reading room".

As for the notion that we are better off without the cops or wanting the establishment to fall is ridiculous...

By the way...you could always try to lobby against the practice of ticketing to support the budgets of the local police departments but then you would be taxed as heavily as we are north of the border...although it would give us something new to #$%* about 

Dennis

[heffay]

i don't think anyone said they had to lie to meet a quota... the original post-er of this thread said the cop he dealt w/ lied and then the topic moved over toward quotas... yes they were in the same discussion but, related... nah.  at least, i don't remember anyone merging the two.

[kghost]

http://www.thenewspaper.com/

Scroll down and read the article about the Chief getting fired. Think qoutas don't happen? Think again.

(Dallas morning news 2/18/07)


Anecdotal evidence produced from analyzing some large Texas police departments and the Texas DPS suggests that at least half of all moving violation tickets written by any traffic enforcement agency are for speeding violations.

In response to speed trap towns such as Iowa Colony, Texas, the Texas Legislature limited the revenue that smaller cities may collect from traffic tickets. All funds in excess of this amount are remitted to the state. Oregon and other states have similar laws.

I'm not even going to go into how many County Sherriffs have gone to jail in this neck of the woods over the last few years. (And I've lost count of the deputies that have gone too for the likes of murder, extortion, and drug smuggling)

[nickjtc]

FWIW I believe that we see different methods of policing in different jurisdictions, and definately in different countries. In my experience dealing with a speeding situation here in BC (which I might add has always been my fault, no contest, and a fair cop) every single police officer I have dealt with has been professional and respectful. I always act very humble; sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't.

What I don't understand in this thread is why, if there is a clearly posted speed limit, would anyone get choked if they get pulled over by exceeding it. The police officer does not set limits, but he is the unfortunate who has to enforce them.

And yes, I have heard of (very rare) cases here where the police officer has been perhaps less than honest in his evalution of a situation; according to the person who was pulled over.

[Bob Wessner]

I agree. Every once in a while folks write letters to the editor of the local paper complaining about police tagging them for infractions or speeding. The complaint is generally along the lines of harassment or quotas, etc. My thought is, if you don't commit a violation you don't have to worry about the motivation. I think they call it safe driving or some such.

[nickjtc]

My thought is, if you don't commit a violation you don't have to worry about the motivation. I think they call it safe driving or some such.

Good point, Bob. It never ceases to amaze me when people speed in their driving/riding test (!!) and then get a strop on when I have to tell them that they did not qualify as a result. Speeding, like not stopping at stop signs, is one of those things that a lot of folk do 'just cos'. Doesn't make it any less illegal though.

[ofreen]

I agree. Every once in a while folks write letters to the editor of the local paper complaining about police tagging them for infractions or speeding. The complaint is generally along the lines of harassment or quotas, etc. My thought is, if you don't commit a violation you don't have to worry about the motivation. I think they call it safe driving or some such.

The problem is that speed limits in many areas are too low, whether they are set for revenue enhancement or for regard for the lowest common denominator for crummy drivers.    When a road has its speed limit set too low, most people will exceed it.  When that road is crawling with cops (whose time could be better spent elsewhere) that are having a field day writing speed tickets, people just naturally resent it.

Here in Idaho, the speed limits are reasonable so getting a ticket is a rare thing if you are sensible.  In western Washington and all of Oregon, speed limits are ridiculously low on many roads.  Add a new law making not wearing a seatbelt a primary offense as they are doing in many places, and you create a situation where the police are nothing more than modern day road agents robbing the passers-by.

[holysmokes]

police officers provide a service we all need and enjoy, we are truly blessed












okay, nuff of that crap..who am I trying to fool

[Uncle Ernie]

I'm thinking back here... doing the speed limit but there's a light rain. I have on a one peice rain suit and it's Sa Francisco where it rains a lot. I get a ticket for going too fast for conditions (I was 5mph under the limit.
Ticket for following too close because I stop about 10 feet behind a car that pulls into a driveway in the country.
Ticket for not wearing a seatbelt where the belt rubs a hose coming out of my shoulder for dialysis.

I did get a ticket for speed ing on the sidecar- I deserved it and paid it.  The others I went to court and it was my word against the cops.  Well, except for the hose;  My court date came soon after my transplant.  I pulled my shirt up and everyone saw railroad tracks (staples) going from here to there.  Gosh that was fun! Dismissed.

[Bob Wessner]

Well, except for the hose;  My court date came soon after my transplant.  I pulled my shirt up and everyone saw railroad tracks (staples) going from here to there.  Gosh that was fun! Dismissed.

 

[74cb750]

Last year the speed limit in the Village went down to
15mph.
WHY? Well it seems many well placed people in town
were upset at all these darn teenagers going through town.

Most people do not go that slow, but if you are a young kid,
you better, because if you go twice over the speed limit in
Vermont you could lose your license.

Sometimes I really believe many legislators forget about when
they were kids.

Most of the cops here will not bother you, but once or twice
I have seen speed traps 50 feet down from the
15mph sign.
peace,
michel