To stop or not to stop.............
Discussion
Recently had an encounter with a Police officer in a "discreetly" positioned car along with video camera; after a long ride (Bike) avoiding the usual hazards:-"hairy" moment exiting roundabout with Diesel spillage (and then seeing 3 more the same!), potholes, sh1t on the road, bloke in an Alfa trying to race me, plus the usual "Numpty" brigade etc, I got stopped for that most heinous of crimes - travelling at 100mph (alledgedly) on an NSL, wide, straight, well surfaced road with NO other traffic about (so I'll be seeing the magistrate soon!)
Now I know that 100mph is speeding (I've had the Lecture thanks!) but the cop seemed honestly shocked at it!! and was full of the "speed kills", "if you fall off - we have to scrape you up" and "all in the interest of road safety" he then he compared this speed to a young lad in a Nova he had stopped on a busy road in the morning rush hour who was doing 107mph!
I don't claim to be a top rider (although I do have over 20yrs experience of riding/driving) and consider myself to be "careful" (riding to the conditions and NEVER speeding through villages or by schools etc).
This Cop was definitley on a full rinse cycle in his brain if he couldn't see the difference (risk of KSI accident) between an experienced rider on a well-maintained top spec sportsbike with Quality tyres and brakes at 100 on a deserted road and a clapped-out max power Nova at 107 driven by a baseball-cap-backwards-spotty youth on a busy road. but I'll probably get the same punishment - arse!
Anyway my point is that If I was in a similar situation again it would be tempting not to stop (shock-horror!) as advised by a Cop in a letter to MCN (Motorcycle News) last week.
As an example, in my case it would be unlikely that the Cop could have caught me and if I later refused to name the rider (assuming he got my No. plate) then whats the likely punishment? come to think of it one of those flip-up No plates is tempting too, but as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen brought up with respect for the law etc my concern is that this would be no good for road safety and law and order in general so I suppose I'll just get fined, banned, jailed or whatever the latest punishment is!
I can, however, see not stopping as a viable alternative for many and believe that this will happen more and more as the relentless "persecution" of the motorist intensifies, especially whilst the "scrotes" walk consequence-free from court for all manner of real crimes.
Any comments?
Now I know that 100mph is speeding (I've had the Lecture thanks!) but the cop seemed honestly shocked at it!! and was full of the "speed kills", "if you fall off - we have to scrape you up" and "all in the interest of road safety" he then he compared this speed to a young lad in a Nova he had stopped on a busy road in the morning rush hour who was doing 107mph!
I don't claim to be a top rider (although I do have over 20yrs experience of riding/driving) and consider myself to be "careful" (riding to the conditions and NEVER speeding through villages or by schools etc).
This Cop was definitley on a full rinse cycle in his brain if he couldn't see the difference (risk of KSI accident) between an experienced rider on a well-maintained top spec sportsbike with Quality tyres and brakes at 100 on a deserted road and a clapped-out max power Nova at 107 driven by a baseball-cap-backwards-spotty youth on a busy road. but I'll probably get the same punishment - arse!
Anyway my point is that If I was in a similar situation again it would be tempting not to stop (shock-horror!) as advised by a Cop in a letter to MCN (Motorcycle News) last week.
As an example, in my case it would be unlikely that the Cop could have caught me and if I later refused to name the rider (assuming he got my No. plate) then whats the likely punishment? come to think of it one of those flip-up No plates is tempting too, but as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen brought up with respect for the law etc my concern is that this would be no good for road safety and law and order in general so I suppose I'll just get fined, banned, jailed or whatever the latest punishment is!
I can, however, see not stopping as a viable alternative for many and believe that this will happen more and more as the relentless "persecution" of the motorist intensifies, especially whilst the "scrotes" walk consequence-free from court for all manner of real crimes.
Any comments?
Sorry to hear about that........
Gotta be tempting to just blatt on out of there n take your chances with the NIP later, but what about radio - nothing to say he cant just put out an alert about a mad biker, give your reg n let someone else stop you further on up the road (bit hollywood maybe, but ya never know)
As for the plod - well, there are always over-zealous dorks in every profession. I'd've thought a quiet word would've been sufficient.
Slightly different point - wots wrong with the Alfa "racing you" - was he just too close, driving like a twat or wot. Personally I like to keep up with the faster bikes, spesh cross country, but I always stay well back, just keep up.
Gotta be tempting to just blatt on out of there n take your chances with the NIP later, but what about radio - nothing to say he cant just put out an alert about a mad biker, give your reg n let someone else stop you further on up the road (bit hollywood maybe, but ya never know)
As for the plod - well, there are always over-zealous dorks in every profession. I'd've thought a quiet word would've been sufficient.
Slightly different point - wots wrong with the Alfa "racing you" - was he just too close, driving like a twat or wot. Personally I like to keep up with the faster bikes, spesh cross country, but I always stay well back, just keep up.
quote:
Anyway my point is that If I was in a similar situation again it would be tempting not to stop (shock-horror!) as advised by a Cop in a letter to MCN (Motorcycle News) last week.
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I agree it is tempting ..... However, It doesn't matter how fast your car/bike is, you cannot beat the radio!.....
The Cop's letter (I will post it later if I can find it) was basically about a situation where jail is the likely outcome, say 120+ he suggests that if you're up for it to do a ruuner and says if you avoid towns and motorways then you should get away,(how quick do the cops respond anyway?), however if you're looking at 1 year in jail, 3 year ban & huge fine then I think it's a case of what have you got left to lose.
If it had been 150mph then things may have been different but under the conditions I felt that he would have shown some discretion but....well next time I know what to do.....
The bloke in the Alfa - overtook me on a busy dual carriageway at about 120-130, I've got no problem with that but he was, at least in the eyes of the "road traffic safety partnerships" putting others at risk where my point was that when I was stopped the only risk was to myself and I pay more than enough taxes to be "scraped off the road" and have sufficient life insurance to ensure that my family wouldn't be a burden on the state.
On the other hand if I get a lengthy ban I will lose my income, can't pay mortgage etc and so would be a burden on the state never mind all the taxes & NI etc that they would lose - so really they wouldn't make profit from me but a huge loss - hey maybe I can use that in court!!
If it had been 150mph then things may have been different but under the conditions I felt that he would have shown some discretion but....well next time I know what to do.....
The bloke in the Alfa - overtook me on a busy dual carriageway at about 120-130, I've got no problem with that but he was, at least in the eyes of the "road traffic safety partnerships" putting others at risk where my point was that when I was stopped the only risk was to myself and I pay more than enough taxes to be "scraped off the road" and have sufficient life insurance to ensure that my family wouldn't be a burden on the state.
On the other hand if I get a lengthy ban I will lose my income, can't pay mortgage etc and so would be a burden on the state never mind all the taxes & NI etc that they would lose - so really they wouldn't make profit from me but a huge loss - hey maybe I can use that in court!!
Cazzo, bad luck, you could always tell them that you were rushing some cannabis to your mates as they had run out. Maybe that would mitigate..
Seriously, doing a runner: very naughty, but if it saves a load of bother for what is basically a victimless crime, then you know what you have to do. The real crims wouldn't hesitate, and if in a big enough car, wouldn't hesitate to ram plod off the road. So you're saving the tax payer a lot of money by pegging it.
rgds.
Seriously, doing a runner: very naughty, but if it saves a load of bother for what is basically a victimless crime, then you know what you have to do. The real crims wouldn't hesitate, and if in a big enough car, wouldn't hesitate to ram plod off the road. So you're saving the tax payer a lot of money by pegging it.
rgds.
For those of you who don't read MCN this is the letter from last weeks edition;
"Don't risk prison, run for it
After the story of Wayne Soman being jailed for 12 months for speed I thought long and hard about the thorny subject of 'do a runner or stop?' It sat on the shelf unanswered but I was fairly confident I would not get caught doing that speed. But 125mph! (police officer Jailed for three months - MCN June 26.) When I'm out I do get to those sorts of speeds too (when conditions allow, blah, blah) and I can't imagine going to prison for it.
The decision has been made for me now - get clocked at 30mph+ over the limit and I won't stop.
I'll go to court and plead ignorance, tell them it was a prospective punter who didn't leave their details and wear the fine for failing to disclose the ID of the rider. No points, no custodial. Anybody that stops for the Police in the knowledge that they are now likely to go to prison is asking for trouble.
Nothing new in this attitude and advice? Except that I'm a copper and loads of 'us' are disgusted in the sentencing anomalies that go on. How can I formally deal with speeders when burglars and muggers are walking from court laughing their heads off?
If you've got the balls then don't stop - just go for it. Keep off the motorways and out of towns and you stand a good chance of getting away with it.
NAME AND ADDRESS WITHELD"
Mmmmmmm........
"Don't risk prison, run for it
After the story of Wayne Soman being jailed for 12 months for speed I thought long and hard about the thorny subject of 'do a runner or stop?' It sat on the shelf unanswered but I was fairly confident I would not get caught doing that speed. But 125mph! (police officer Jailed for three months - MCN June 26.) When I'm out I do get to those sorts of speeds too (when conditions allow, blah, blah) and I can't imagine going to prison for it.
The decision has been made for me now - get clocked at 30mph+ over the limit and I won't stop.
I'll go to court and plead ignorance, tell them it was a prospective punter who didn't leave their details and wear the fine for failing to disclose the ID of the rider. No points, no custodial. Anybody that stops for the Police in the knowledge that they are now likely to go to prison is asking for trouble.
Nothing new in this attitude and advice? Except that I'm a copper and loads of 'us' are disgusted in the sentencing anomalies that go on. How can I formally deal with speeders when burglars and muggers are walking from court laughing their heads off?
If you've got the balls then don't stop - just go for it. Keep off the motorways and out of towns and you stand a good chance of getting away with it.
NAME AND ADDRESS WITHELD"
Mmmmmmm........
Suppose it would depend on how far you were from home, or somewhere to hide, I've done the latter before, gone flying past plod going the other way, seen them turn round, so just kept it nailed and hide down a dark country lane off the road I was travelling along, give it 5 minutes, and creep off home, but remember kids 'speed kills' 
quote:Its possible in a car too
Not so easy in a car tho ..........
You need to decide quickly whether the cop has clocked your numberplate, you also need to decide whether you can get out of sight quickly or not. (If they are using vascar, there should be unbroken visual contact I believe) Probably only worth doing if you were seen at silly speeds & if you have a lot faster car than them. Once you're committed, you're committed....
For motorways you probably need to do >140MPH & get off at the 1st junction or service station - cars will no doubt be radioed & you're a sitting duck on the motorway.
cheers,
Craig
P.S. They love it when you run. Go on - make a cop's day
I know where he is coming from on this. Not about the speeding side of it but the general points of the letter.
I am doing a job at the moment that concentrates on strret crime, mugging and personal theft. We have had a lot of success increasing detections from 17% last year to 38% so far this year with a substantially increased number of offences. We are increasing on the detection rate at the moment too. It is very labour intensive and expensive but working.
How about this then.
One of our customers is a 28 year old 'neer do well' who has a string of like convictions.
He was caught after a handbag snatch a few weeks ago and the court decided to give him bail with conditions.
Conditions were that .
1)he was to stay away from the town centre areas.
2) that he lives at XXXXX address
3) That he has a curfew 2000 to 0800
4) That he reports to the local Police station twice daily between 1000 and 1200 and 1700 and 1900
We check these people regularly to see if they are complying with their conditions of bail.
A visit to this chap last week found that he had gone walkabout at 0200 in the morning.
He was arrested at 0700 the following morning and put before the court.
We were hoping they would lock him up.
WHAT A SURPRISE
The court did not further punish him for breaching his bail.
They DID REMOVE THE LAST CONDITION OF HIS BAIL CONDITIONS AS THEY FELT IT WAS TOO HARSH
This is the guy that robs grannys in the street and thumps them in the process.
I am doing a job at the moment that concentrates on strret crime, mugging and personal theft. We have had a lot of success increasing detections from 17% last year to 38% so far this year with a substantially increased number of offences. We are increasing on the detection rate at the moment too. It is very labour intensive and expensive but working.
How about this then.
One of our customers is a 28 year old 'neer do well' who has a string of like convictions.
He was caught after a handbag snatch a few weeks ago and the court decided to give him bail with conditions.
Conditions were that .
1)he was to stay away from the town centre areas.
2) that he lives at XXXXX address
3) That he has a curfew 2000 to 0800
4) That he reports to the local Police station twice daily between 1000 and 1200 and 1700 and 1900
We check these people regularly to see if they are complying with their conditions of bail.
A visit to this chap last week found that he had gone walkabout at 0200 in the morning.
He was arrested at 0700 the following morning and put before the court.
We were hoping they would lock him up.
WHAT A SURPRISE
The court did not further punish him for breaching his bail.
They DID REMOVE THE LAST CONDITION OF HIS BAIL CONDITIONS AS THEY FELT IT WAS TOO HARSH
This is the guy that robs grannys in the street and thumps them in the process.
I was at a set of traffic lights with no right turn in my Calibra Turbo when the guy on my LEFT decides to turn right, swerving across my path and nearly taking my bonnet with him. Road rage got the better of me and I really wanted to kick the f**k out of him so I chased. Who do plod see making the illegal right turn? So he starts to chase me and I leg it. I went down a couple of side roads and then killed the lights and used the handbrake to stop. I waited but could hear loads of police cars turning up so decided to leave the car and walk. Anyway got stopped walking and they basically knew it was me so questioned me. But all was well in the end, they let me go. I knew what I did wrong to get caught. I should have parked the car better, (it was at a shit angle and slightly across someones driveway) and should have hid in someones garden using the side access gate. Dont suppose they would call Thermal imaging helicopters for that would they?
Got stopped another time (again in the calibra) and wsa joined by 6 police cars. Apparently some nutter in a white Calibra outran traffic plod senator and the helicopter! They didnt even get his reg no! Apparently at 145 the senator was maxed but Calibra kept pulling away. How can you say that to an 18yr? Shouldn't give me ideas like that...
Got stopped another time (again in the calibra) and wsa joined by 6 police cars. Apparently some nutter in a white Calibra outran traffic plod senator and the helicopter! They didnt even get his reg no! Apparently at 145 the senator was maxed but Calibra kept pulling away. How can you say that to an 18yr? Shouldn't give me ideas like that...
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...... and should have hid in someones garden using the side access gate. Dont suppose they would call Thermal imaging helicopters for that would they?
Yes there is every possibilty that they might. More likely than that though would be the deployment of a Police General Purpose German Shepherd Dog to look for you. They are trained to sniff out people that are hiding or who have run away from incidents. They are quite successful.
Believe me you dont want to run the risk of being found and chewed by one of these. It hurts!!!
quote:
They DID REMOVE THE LAST CONDITION OF HIS BAIL CONDITIONS AS THEY FELT IT WAS TOO HARSH
This is the guy that robs grannys in the street and thumps them in the process.
Who are these c
ts?? How can we get rid of them and get some PHers to mete out justice properly?? Sod the law, its all a pile of pants, wots the point in respecting it when that sort of thing happens?? To$$ers!
To run or not to run that is the question.
Blue lights in the distance behind, 90 in a 60, feeder road to duel carriage way, nice and safe, quick zip down turning off and gently go for a drive in the other direction,
Who, me ?? didnt know you were following. (if they found you)
As mentioned if they have you number plate, then no point. (no pun intended) But if not then who knows.
I have no points and no crash history (12 years) but do drive sensibly not over 95mph anywhere (only because you will get banned) and try not to cut up others but im going to get caught one day doing 80-85 in a 60, and then do you run or not.
In the past no of course not. I would stop. but now?
If you knew there would be just points then fine, but with the way the system at present you could get
a) hung drawn and quartered, BBC CNN world news....
b) or jail and a ban and fine and points
c) ban and fine and points
d) points & fine
e) told off
There appears to be no consistency thus encouraging you to run rather than stop which is what the original thread was talking about I beleive.
Blue lights in the distance behind, 90 in a 60, feeder road to duel carriage way, nice and safe, quick zip down turning off and gently go for a drive in the other direction,
Who, me ?? didnt know you were following. (if they found you)
As mentioned if they have you number plate, then no point. (no pun intended) But if not then who knows.
I have no points and no crash history (12 years) but do drive sensibly not over 95mph anywhere (only because you will get banned) and try not to cut up others but im going to get caught one day doing 80-85 in a 60, and then do you run or not.
In the past no of course not. I would stop. but now?
If you knew there would be just points then fine, but with the way the system at present you could get
a) hung drawn and quartered, BBC CNN world news....
b) or jail and a ban and fine and points
c) ban and fine and points
d) points & fine
e) told off
There appears to be no consistency thus encouraging you to run rather than stop which is what the original thread was talking about I beleive.
quote:
A great pity that more of them don't fall down stairs before the arrest isn't it?????
Funny you should mention that. The full story is that in his desperate attempt to get away from the handbag snatch on his stolen £700 mountainbike, he was pedalling like sh*t through a busy car park when a careless shopper opened a car door and he rode straight into the top corner which had the effect of tearing a hole in his chest like the rip on a pair of trousers from a barbed wire fence, just below his collar bone. We found him in a snotty heap on the floor still with the bag and a collapsed lung into the bargain. He was quite glad to see us from that point on as we managed to stop the plethora of vigilantes that had gathered from further disturbing his badly damaged anatomy.
THERE IS A GOD ( Sometimes ) or is it a dog?
quote:
quote:
A great pity that more of them don't fall down stairs before the arrest isn't it?????
Funny you should mention that. The full story is that in his desperate attempt to get away from the handbag snatch on his stolen £700 mountainbike, he was pedalling like sh*t through a busy car park when a careless shopper opened a car door and he rode straight into the top corner which had the effect of tearing a hole in his chest like the rip on a pair of trousers from a barbed wire fence, just below his collar bone. We found him in a snotty heap on the floor still with the bag and a collapsed lung into the bargain. He was quite glad to see us from that point on as we managed to stop the plethora of vigilantes that had gathered from further disturbing his badly damaged anatomy.
THERE IS A GOD ( Sometimes ) or is it a dog?
Poetic Justice - must've been sooooooo tempting to just turn away and let them at him for a few mins.....
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