Spotted: Stealth Cop bike working the South Eastern

SenNey · Post by **SenNey** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:51 am

Just a heads up for Vic riders.

It's official sports fans: This morning during my leisurely ride down the South Eastern freeway, I spotted two bikes parked in the emergency lane. Getting close I noticed that one was a cop giving the other rider a ticket. The difference being that this copper wasn't wearing a uniform.

The bike was a metallic blue-grey BMW that looked (from 3 lanes away) absolutely stock. The little red and blue flashing lights at the back were positioned under the tail and above the number plate. The copper was wearing all black. I didn't get the helmet colour.

So if you use the SE, watch out for nondescript BMWs. That guy behind you might just be waiting for your to lane split so he can make some more money at the expense of traffic congestion.

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:56 am

Been around for ages.... there are 2 or 3 of these bmw's floating about...
You see them quite often on the westgate in the morning...

Just dont do anything illegal... hehe

By the way, one of their favourite tricks is to sit in front of a truck waiting for you to lane split past them..... So watch out for trucks...

To be honest.... some of the riders along there are way too dangerous and deserve a good ticket....

photomike666 · Post by **photomike666** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:04 am

I think that's the one who pulled me as I exited the Citylink, his jacket just has a police patch on the shoulder.

I was lucky enough just to get a rego check, could have been worse.

alexpacer · Post by **alexpacer** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 10:02 am

I'm still not sure in vic under what condition they will issue ticket if you lane split. Or disregard what condition they will issue a ticket.

There were once i finish a weekend ride from mt dandenong. and the traffic was a little busy so i lanesplit whe the light is red.

There were a police car stopping infront a truck that i didn't see when i lanesplit til i stop in front of the red light, just next to the police car, and i got "shit", officers in the car looked at me, and i looked at them, they went nothing. and i was swating...

i must have been lucky...

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:09 am

alexpacer wrote:I'm still not sure in vic under what condition they will issue ticket if you lane split. Or disregard what condition they will issue a ticket.

How about overtaking on the left, failing to indicate when changing marked lanes (this is normally what happens as most people wobble their way between the traffic), due care.... just to name a couple.

I reckon you'll find very few coppers who'll hand out a ticket for bikes who lane split. Unless you do it like a compelte tool.

mrmina · Post by **mrmina** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:24 pm

i thought we covered this already

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:51 pm

aardvark wrote:.......I reckon you'll find very few coppers who'll hand out a ticket for bikes who lane split. Unless you do it like a compelte tool.

that is the secret. Act like a tool, and you will be treated like one. Give 'em lip when you are pulled over, you can just about watch the points dissapear off your licence. Spend some quality time chatting up old mate, and you will *likely* end up with just a stern warning. It works.

I have *occasionally* ended up next to Plod after a lane-split at a red light......

no dramas so far KOW.

hoffy · Post by **hoffy** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:12 pm

I think lane splitting is legal in NSW, isn't it.

Barrabob · Post by **Barrabob** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:24 pm

In Qld you wll either get overtaking where its unsafe to do so or crossing a unbroken white line the line is 60 bucks and no points and the overtaking where unsafe is 120 and 2 points and you will get these off the bike cops doing laps of the freeway in the morning if they need some fillers for their books.

Tried the be nice approach and got the no points option.

Middle of the cars is the better option for lane splitting you dont destroy your tyres with road debris that way.

I dont know why if they can put a decent shoulder on the outside of the road or freeway especially they cant alocate it as a bike lane it does make sence to me and every other bike going to work through the peak hour.

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:37 pm

hoffy wrote:I think lane splitting is legal in NSW, isn't it.

not sure Son, I think the jury is still out on that issue. I know the local plod here basically don't give a bugger, as long as you aren't *filtering* at 60k

This issue got so much press recently, I would be surprised if the final outcome isn't trumpeted in all the scooter press sonner or later.

Barrabob wrote:....I dont know why if they can put a decent shoulder on the outside of the road or freeway especially they cant alocate it as a bike lane it does make sence to me and every other bike going to work through the peak hour.

Its the 'Emergency' lane for breakdowns, and if it was shared with bikers in peak hour.........it could get ugly.....

Bus/taxi/transit lanes are the go, they have just fixed up a rather large clusterfuck in Sydney with wrong signage for these lanes. Its legal to use bus lanes here

, but those bloody M.A.N diesels, they are hard to pass when the traffic is heavy

just tuck your elbows in and Give It The Berries !!

Barrabob · Post by **Barrabob** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:43 pm

HaHa i like the signage on the back of the natural gas buses worlds cleanest buses or something like that and the 3 inch exhaut that comes straight out at head height that gases you in stop start trafic every time.

Much rather sit behind a bus that runs on diesel their exhaust points at the ground not the inside of my helmet.

rocketrod · Post by **rocketrod** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:54 pm

Another one to watch out for in melb is the friggen pushbike lanes.
I mean these people contibute nothing towards road tax and yet they get their own lane and yet they still run red lights,ride on footpaths and do allsorts of other illegal wonderful stuff.

Anyway i got pinched one day for filtering up a pushie lane whilst the traffic was at a standstill and not a pushbike in sight.
$80 on the spot but no points......you have been warned.

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 6:31 pm

that's rather unfortunate. He must have been down on bookings that day ...

Pushbike lanes up here are heaven - you *never* see a cyclist in them during peak hour (not the roads I use), so its open slather.

Its a winning trifecta - Porn, Fireworks, and Empty Cycle Lanes

alexpacer · Post by **alexpacer** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:36 pm

rocketrod wrote:Another one to watch out for in melb is the friggen pushbike lanes.
I mean these people contibute nothing towards road tax and yet they get their own lane and yet they still run red lights,ride on footpaths and do allsorts of other illegal wonderful stuff.
Anyway i got pinched one day for filtering up a pushie lane whilst the traffic was at a standstill and not a pushbike in sight.
$80 on the spot but no points......you have been warned.

dang....i do that all the time

.....

btw...i hate pushbikes on road ...

I-K · Post by **I-K** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:34 pm

rocketrod wrote:Another one to watch out for in melb is the friggen pushbike lanes.
I mean these people contibute nothing towards road tax and yet they get their own lane and yet they still run red lights,ride on footpaths and do allsorts of other illegal wonderful stuff.

Yes, just like those pesky pedestrians and their footpaths.

Anyway i got pinched one day for filtering up a pushie lane whilst the traffic was at a standstill and not a pushbike in sight.
$80 on the spot but no points......you have been warned.

The rule is "pushibikes only in pushbike lanes", not "pushbikes only unless empty". If you'd got done for running a red light when there was clearly nothing coming or going on the cross street, would you complain then?

If you clock cops in your vicinity, chill the fuck out immediately. They may well be some of the reasonable ones, but why take the chance?