So what's this all about??

[Black Magic]

Hey everyone.

I took the new Gixxer for a ride over Mt Mee to Kenilworth and over Obi Obi today with a few friends. As we got to the bottom of the mountain there were cops in their usual spot, but they weren't doing their usual thing (speed gun).....

they were pulling EVERY bike over (probably twenty pulled over when they got us.) They were breathalysing us AND taking down everyone's details. They had a page on a clipboard where they wrote our bikes, the colour of the bike, the rego, who we were, what we were wearing (ie- helmet, jacket etc.)

Anyone ever seen this before? What's the go? Comes very close to what I heard about them photographing bikes and their riders when they are pulled over.

[ttc]

They're keeping you safe on the road didn't you know....



It's along the same lines as the photographing people theory I think.. In case you do a runner, they can track you. (they wish haha)

[mike-s]

it'd be neat if someone was able to find a loophole to tell them to give it a rest though. It almost assumes you ARE going to do something daft at some point, so they've got all the ammo they need to get a lead on who its likely to be. And the chances of them following a dud lead with this is huge anyway.


one of the few times i wish you could tell em to get farked *Shrug*, but yeah, protecting yo from yaself don't ya know

[dave#3]

They were doing this in NSW a while back too. No evil came of it (that I know of) but it shat me nonetheless.

[Black Magic]

We were tempted yesterday to back track, swap jackets and line up for the RBT/ interrogation again and again until they had pages and pages of 'who wore what jacket and helmet on which bike'???????
That would really stuff them up.

[Stereo]

Hey everyone.

I took the new Gixxer for a ride over Mt Mee to Kenilworth and over Obi Obi today with a few friends. As we got to the bottom of the mountain there were cops in their usual spot, but they weren't doing their usual thing (speed gun).....

they were pulling EVERY bike over (probably twenty pulled over when they got us.) They were breathalysing us AND taking down everyone's details. They had a page on a clipboard where they wrote our bikes, the colour of the bike, the rego, who we were, what we were wearing (ie- helmet, jacket etc.)

Anyone ever seen this before? What's the go? Comes very close to what I heard about them photographing bikes and their riders when they are pulled over.

I asked a policeman about it one day when I was being pulled over for the third time that day....... He said they just keep it for the day and then it is thrown out.... it just helps them identify someone if someone has an accident.

Now, if they actually ran the plates through a database and checked the VIN ... Then I would be happy... perhaps people with stolen bikes might get them back...

[Strika]

They have been regualarly doing this at the top of Reefton spur and down the Ocean road intermittently for a while now here in Vic. At one point when I had the Hornet, I was pulled over by the same motorcycle cop, on the same bike wearing the same gear something like six times over six weekends. On the last Occasion, I asked him as I pulled in if he remembered me? He said he did! I then asked him, that if he knew who I was why he had pulled me over? He then said it was to get his numbers up. He is required to pull over and gather information of at least 40 riders and there details, before he is allowed to go and do something else! I politely let him know, that if he remembered me, and already had recorded my details on the previous 6 Occassions, why he would need to re-do it over and over and over again. I suggested that the next time he does pull me over, nice guy or not, I will make a formal complaint to the police Ombudsman. (if you are not aware, officers really do not appreciate complaints being made to the Ombudsman as it causes loads of internal stress trying to defend the complaints and can often cause the officer to be taken off normal duties and be given admin or other similiarly boring functions.)

[Neka79]

glad i still have 3 jackets and 3 lids....

i could play "mix-ups"

[nicko]

Pretty Pointless to pull over 20 bikes!
You think they would just take down rego and licence number!

[Nanna10r]

Did they book anyone for anything Wendy ?. Fenderectomy, leds etc ?.

[Black Magic]

Did they book anyone for anything Wendy ?. Fenderectomy, leds etc ?.

Brett, if i still had the blinged up ER I would have lost my licence in one go! (I was thanking the God's of motorcycling that I traded the Kwaka, I can tell you! )

No-one was booked for anything! I got a warning for my rego label holder (it is one of those cylindrical ones.)
He threatened to book me- said that the entire label couldn't be read from 6 metres away! (I was very tempted to ask if he could read the other rego labels ENTIRELY from 6 metres away- because if he could he should make the next Superman movie instead of wasting his talents harrassing bikers, but I thought better of it- seeing as he had everything about me written down apart from the colour of my underwear!) Should be thankful for getting a warning I guess.


They let every car go past, and pulled up every bike. By the time they let us go we had a procession of bikes following a blockade of cars up the mountain-

much safer for ALL concerned!

BTW- when we got over the mountain to the northern side there were another three officers with a speed gun.

[biggles08]

That sounds like police harassment to me! Targeting bikers like they are all criminals! I thought the police were bad here but if this happened to me over in NZ, I would politely (or not so politely) ask if I was being detained for anything illegal and once he/she said no, I would explain that I had somewhere better I needed to be and bugger off! That is bullshit IMHO and I for one would make an issue of it (most likely at my peril I'm guessing).

[Black Magic]

That sounds like police harassment to me! Targeting bikers like they are all criminals! I thought the police were bad here but if this happened to me over in NZ, I would politely (or not so politely) ask if I was being detained for anything illegal and once he/she said no, I would explain that I had somewhere better I needed to be and bugger off! That is bullshit IMHO and I for one would make an issue of it (most likely at my peril I'm guessing).

This is how i felt. I really don't understand letting the cars go by and stopping the bikes. I saw WAY more cars do dangerous things than bikes that day. (Crossing double white lines, coming around tight corners on the wrong side of the road, tailgating, doing 20kmh in a 60km zone, etc, etc)

If you are going to do it- do it to EVERYONE. Imagine if they only pulled over cars and let all the bikes go through??? Do you think we'll ever see that?

[biggles08]

This is how i felt. I really don't understand letting the cars go by and stopping the bikes. I saw WAY more cars do dangerous things than bikes that day. (Crossing double white lines, coming around tight corners on the wrong side of the road, tailgating, doing 20kmh in a 60km zone, etc, etc)

If you are going to do it- do it to EVERYONE. Imagine if they only pulled over cars and let all the bikes go through??? Do you think we'll ever see that?

I actually think its bad either way. Unless they are checking warrents or Regos, but just pulling people over to take personal details is reminiscent of Nazi Germany! Actually it would be interesting if a law type person would have something to say about this because I'm pretty sure we could tell them to get knotted if they asked us anything personal...mind you, as per your post they were merely writing your description down so I'm guessing they were hiding behind the fact that they breathalysed you...thats why they pulled you over.

The fact that they were only 'breathalysing' bikers could be a sticking point for them though. This IMO is targeted harassment and is not allowed I believe.

[Quick_Stix]

It may seem 'unfair' and like 'harrassment', but like it or not, Police have the power to stop any motorist for the purpose of cunducting a breath test. (Road Transport (Safety and Trafic management) Act - for NSW) failure to submit to the test is an offence and the penalty is the same as blowing high range, ie: suspension of licence on the spot and a court attendance notice. A Police officer also has the power to ask the driver of a motor vehicle to state his/her name and address and supply their drivers licence to the officer. Failure to do either of these is also an offence. As for recording what riders are wearing etc, the reason given of identifying the rider in the event of a crash could very well be correct. obviously its not going to go on any computer system as people change their clothing all the time. It could also be used for if someone was seen riding say a green ninja 600 wearing a red/ black helmet and blue / silver jacket doing say 120 in a 60 zone but it was unsafe for the police to give chase, they can look at their notes for the day and find 1 or 2 people who match this description and have a chat with them. Probably nothing will happen as a result, but its surprising what some people will unwittingly admit to.

As for targetted harrassment, what is wrong with targetting certain road users in the interest of safety? Would you jump up and down complaining if they were pulling over every b double on the pacific hwy and doing drug testing? Probably not. They would be targetting bike riders as they are known for exceeding the speed limit in that area, or for committing any number of other traffic offences. To stop these persons and maybe scare them into slowing down is probably a good thing. I know not every rider rides like a maniac, but some do and we've all seen them. It is not a nice thing to go to an accident where a bloke on a nice new 900 has come off and managed to wrap himself around a telegraph pole. Remember it only takes 1 mistake or 1 error of judgement to stuff up big time. All the actions by police concerning traffic are to attempt to cut down on the amount of road trauma. Over 500 people die every year on Australian roads. That is more than any other un natural cause like murder, drowning etc. if anyone can suggest other ways of slowing people down go ahead, but its not as easy as it seems.

Any way thats enough of a rant for now...