police checking cars?

[castek]

the thing is, i know if i was to get checked, i would get a canary, however i do know my car is safe. it has been lowered (30mm, which is supposed to be legal and insurable), but the lowest part is only 95mm from the ground, its a plastic cover under the engine. my exhaust is 105mm high.

and if they were checking if cars were left locked etc, why only p-platers?

i never hide from cops, i just dont go looking for them (aka chap laps bro). most times that i've been pulled over is on a short trip to the shop, minding my own business.

[pHaT`eL]

I always get a bit paranoid with cops near me. I dont know why, but I have the feeling ill get canaried. Mines an EL Fairmont with exhaust, lowered, 19's and clear tail lights.
My GF's brother is going out with a policemans daughter and he drops her off while my car is parked outside. When I heard he checked my car out I freaked, but he loved it, says its modified tasefully

[robbo_yobbo]

Originally Posted by 302donk

i got a canary one night without being at my car story goes I ran into the pub were my girlfriend was working at left the keys in it and the window down (live in a small country town) was in there for about 5 mins no longer walked out and found 2 TOG cops writeing out a defect notice and to top it off i also got a fine for leaving my keys in the car sucks hey! cops go over board a hell of a lot witch is wrong if you ask me

wow! I didnt know you could actualy be fined for leaving your keys in your car.

that seems rediculous to me!

[robbo_yobbo]

theres allot of talk about people getting paranoid around cops and how they shouldnt if theyre doing the right thing.... well, I dont think so.

I do get paranoid around cops, and I think with good reason...
Ive had the stupidest of fines and defects....

Fined for things like..... one P plate fallen down, indicating for 4 instead of 5 seconds, arm out the window (on a 40 degree day with no aircon), I actualy got fined the other day coz my alternator died and my lights went out while at an intersection so the cop fined me for no headlights, I even got a fine for NO P PLATES at 11:55 the night my Ps expired (5 mins to go before I didnt need them - his watch was slow), riding an electric scooter on the road without rego (they didnt need rego for electric under 200wats at that stage coz they were classified as bycicles by motor reg), IVe been fined for forgetting my wallet! (because it had my provisional liscence in it - I was walking distance from home and on my way back to get it when I got fined!).

I have been defected for......
bald spare tyre, lock cap missing, headlights too dim in the middle of the day, dirty numberplate (numbers still readable, just dusty), center mirror not done up tight enough, no center console, noisy exhaust (I blew an exhaust flange 1/2 an hour earlier - it was a stock exhaust!)

Ive lost my liscence 3 times as a result of the above + 1 speeding fine (the only fine I deserved)......

And the cops wonder why they have a bad name??

[[Tonko]]

Originally Posted by pHaT`eL

I always get a bit paranoid with cops near me. I dont know why, but I have the feeling ill get canaried. Mines an EL Fairmont with exhaust, lowered, 19's and clear tail lights.
My GF's brother is going out with a policemans daughter and he drops her off while my car is parked outside. When I heard he checked my car out I freaked, but he loved it, says its modified tasefully

Reminds me of my mates dad, Senior officer here, and when i had the EA, we chopped the springs and he was having a look.... i was shitting bricks, but he just said "you didnt cut them evenly, give me a go" and he did them for me,
But he did say not to get caught...

[Redrum]

If the police are around, just remember, despite some opinions to the contrary, they are human too, good and bad etc etc. If you are not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about.

More than likely they have other things on their minds, such as how they will write off the next domestic, or how are they going to get time to do all their paperwork, rather than you plodding along next to them.

[robbo_yobbo]

Originally Posted by Redrum

If you are not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about..

Dude, thats in an ideal world that we unfortunateley dont live in, read my post above and you will see that unfortunateley thats not the case (even though it should be)

[castek]

not all cops are sour apples. a few of my friends' dads are cops, and they are really cool. sit down and have a few drinks with them, then they drop me off home in the cop car (they take it home if they have early starts sometimes). one is an absolute car freak, he owns a vk brocky, and a vs statesman with a worked 5ltr.
but yeh, i do usualy get paranoid.

[XHUTE6]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

theres allot of talk about people getting paranoid around cops and how they shouldnt if theyre doing the right thing.... well, I dont think so.

I do get paranoid around cops, and I think with good reason...
Ive had the stupidest of fines and defects....

Fined for things like..... one P plate fallen down, indicating for 4 instead of 5 seconds, arm out the window (on a 40 degree day with no aircon), I actualy got fined the other day coz my alternator died and my lights went out while at an intersection so the cop fined me for no headlights, I even got a fine for NO P PLATES at 11:55 the night my Ps expired (5 mins to go before I didnt need them - his watch was slow), riding an electric scooter on the road without rego (they didnt need rego for electric under 200wats at that stage coz they were classified as bycicles by motor reg), IVe been fined for forgetting my wallet! (because it had my provisional liscence in it - I was walking distance from home and on my way back to get it when I got fined!).

I have been defected for......
bald spare tyre, lock cap missing, headlights too dim in the middle of the day, dirty numberplate (numbers still readable, just dusty), center mirror not done up tight enough, no center console, noisy exhaust (I blew an exhaust flange 1/2 an hour earlier - it was a stock exhaust!)

Ive lost my liscence 3 times as a result of the above + 1 speeding fine (the only fine I deserved)......

And the cops wonder why they have a bad name??

So Robbo, you would've lost your license on the spot for that cops watch being slow hey? I lost my license because on the last day of my p plates i ran through a red light in my Semi by accident. i had 23 tonne on my trailer in the wet. Travelling 55 km/h in a 60km zone, i thought i was doing a safe speed. Lights turned amber in front of me on a blind intersection and i estimated myself to have plenty of time but unfortunately for me the timing of the lights wasn't quite right. they're supposed to be in the amber phase for 4 seconds but i reckon they were amber for 2 and 1/2 secs. Pr\cks.. Theres no common sense in the law.. it's all paper and money to them.

[robbo_yobbo]

Originally Posted by XHUTE6

So Robbo, you would've lost your license on the spot for that cops watch being slow hey? I lost my license because on the last day of my p plates i ran through a red light in my Semi by accident. i had 23 tonne on my trailer in the wet. Travelling 55 km/h in a 60km zone, i thought i was doing a safe speed. Lights turned amber in front of me on a blind intersection and i estimated myself to have plenty of time but unfortunately for me the timing of the lights wasn't quite right. they're supposed to be in the amber phase for 4 seconds but i reckon they were amber for 2 and 1/2 secs. Pr\cks.. Theres no common sense in the law.. it's all paper and money to them.

Not on the spot (fortunateley) coz the cop was off duty - this one only happened last week! He said he has to fill out some paperwork for it becuase he wasnt on duty, so Im just waiting for the letter in the mail any day now!

it was at the same time as the headlights failed because of a flat battery (my alternator died), I was sitting at an intersection, and the car started to loose idling power and nearly stalled, I pulled through the intersection (1 street from home) and the cop pulled me over and fined me for no headlights too! I tried to tell him he couldnt fine me for a mechanical failure, but he said he could because I pulled through the intersection instead of stopping! Well I didnt know the headlights went out I told him coz the streets were pretty well lit up.
Coz I was only 1 street from home I wanted to pull into my driveway ( I knew I wouldnt be able to start the car again )- He said no, but I did anyway which I think is what made him even more angry!

Either way Im taking it to court, the bloke was a biker cop looser who was off duty, fined me for a mechanical failure, whinged about how he was supposed to be home already, and fined me due to a 5 minute time discrepency so he doesnt have much going for him.
Im going to ask the judge for an appology letter from the police department too for keeping me up late at night and causing an unescessary inconveniance for a matter that was trivial at best. are cops even allowed to use thier lights or siren when off duty??

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Not on the spot (fortunateley) coz the cop was off duty - this one only happened last week! He said he has to fill out some paperwork for it becuase he wasnt on duty, so Im just waiting for the letter in the mail any day now!

it was at the same time as the headlights failed because of a flat battery (my alternator died), I was sitting at an intersection, and the car started to loose idling power and nearly stalled, I pulled through the intersection (1 street from home) and the cop pulled me over and fined me for no headlights too! I tried to tell him he couldnt fine me for a mechanical failure, but he said he could because I pulled through the intersection instead of stopping! Well I didnt know the headlights went out I told him coz the streets were pretty well lit up.
Coz I was only 1 street from home I wanted to pull into my driveway ( I knew I wouldnt be able to start the car again )- He said no, but I did anyway which I think is what made him even more angry!

Either way Im taking it to court, the bloke was a biker cop looser who was off duty, fined me for a mechanical failure, whinged about how he was supposed to be home already, and fined me due to a 5 minute time discrepency so he doesnt have much going for him.
Im going to ask the judge for an appology letter from the police department too for keeping me up late at night and causing an unescessary inconveniance for a matter that was trivial at best. are cops even allowed to use thier lights or siren when off duty??

is there any reason for all this attention or do the police just hate you randomly ?

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Dude, thats in an ideal world that we unfortunateley dont live in, read my post above and you will see that unfortunateley thats not the case (even though it should be)

But in all those examples you had done something wrong. So my point stands.

[StealthAu]

From the sounds of it robbo, you must have screwed the sargents daughter at one stage

[tankclare]

a copper that use to be here was an alright fella..use to race people in his car when off duty but when he was on duty bl00dy hell watch out

[robbo_yobbo]

Originally Posted by stockoau

From the sounds of it robbo, you must have screwed the sargents daughter at one stage

I only wish - it might then have been worth the troubles. She wouldve had to have been pretty good though!

The majority of those things were all the same cop. Ive been pulled over by him in my car, the work van, and after he cost me my liscence - on the electric scooter too. He's an ***, even his associates say so. The judge told him straight he should be focusing on real crimes. Thats why biker cops are on bikes - because nobody will partner with them

Originally Posted by Redrum

But in all those examples you had done something wrong. So my point stands.

And realy Redrum??? Then I ask for you to explain to me the following.....

when my alternator died with a cop tailgating me and sitting up my *** at an intersection and the cops watch sat 5 minutes slower than mine - what did I do wrong??

When I drove down the dirt road on a rainy day and mud flicked up on my numberplate, wha did I do wrong?

When My tyre blew and I had to change it (therefore putting the worn one in the boot) what did I do wrong?

When my factory headlights werent bright enough (in the middle of the day) what did I do wrong?

When my P plate fell down, what did I do wrong?

When after loosing my liscence I buy an electric scooter (who as advised by many officers, the sales rep and transport SA and the road traffict act is classified as a bycical and doesnt need liscence or rego) and ride it on the road, what did I do wrong?

When I indicated for 5 seconds but the cop only counted 4 - what did I do wrong?

When my factory exhaust blew out the $2 flange, what did I do wrong?

when the screw on the mirror worked its way out for the 3rd time that day to make it wobbly if grabbed (we all remember most xfs were like this from new) what did I do wrong?

[bodes-sh]

Originally Posted by XHUTE6

So Robbo, you would've lost your license on the spot for that cops watch being slow hey? I lost my license because on the last day of my p plates i ran through a red light in my Semi by accident. i had 23 tonne on my trailer in the wet. Travelling 55 km/h in a 60km zone, i thought i was doing a safe speed. Lights turned amber in front of me on a blind intersection and i estimated myself to have plenty of time but unfortunately for me the timing of the lights wasn't quite right. they're supposed to be in the amber phase for 4 seconds but i reckon they were amber for 2 and 1/2 secs. Pr\cks.. Theres no common sense in the law.. it's all paper and money to them.

unfortunately for you, the traffic act states that no matter what colour the lights are, you are supposed to approach an intersection as if they are going to, it doesn't make any difference on how long the lights were amber for, because amber also means stop

[DOC]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Im going to ask the judge for an appology letter from the police department too for keeping me up late at night and causing an unescessary inconveniance for a matter that was trivial at best. are cops even allowed to use thier lights or siren when off duty??

What ? if it was a trivial matter why did it keep you awake.

[robbo_yobbo]

Originally Posted by bodes-sh

unfortunately for you, the traffic act states that no matter what colour the lights are, you are supposed to approach an intersection as if they are going to, it doesn't make any difference on how long the lights were amber for, because amber also means stop

Nah, not quite, red means stop irrespective, amber means stop if its safe to do so.
If your doing 55 in a 23 tonne truck though, I think youd need more than 2 seconds notice to be able to stop safeley.

Originally Posted by DOC

What ? if it was a trivial matter why did it keep you awake.

Trivial AT BEST, Because it shouldnt have been a matter at all (ledalone a trivial one). but because the cop chose to persist (and I chose to continue to tell him he was wrong) he decided he should continue arguing it with me for an hour and a half (from after 12am to 1:30am) when I could have just gone to bed if he realised the error in his ways, and gave up.

Instead he thought that he would make sure I understood exactly what it was I did wrong - I obviously dissagreed with hime and could not see any validity to his point which agrivated him even more.

[Van D]

Honestly, I think locking doors that were left unlocked (if that's the case) it's a bit of an iffy situation. My mate once left his door unlocked at a shopping center for about 10 mins whilst he ran inside because he only had his spare key which worked in the ignition but not the doors.. Someone who saw it tried to do the right thing, locked it and put a note in his car saying he should be more careful. Well he got back and had to call RACV to get into it!

Coincidently my English teacher at school told us a similar story about himself one day.

Just made me think.

[DOC]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Trivial AT BEST, Because it shouldnt have been a matter at all (ledalone a trivial one). but because the cop chose to persist (and I chose to continue to tell him he was wrong) he decided he should continue arguing it with me for an hour and a half (from after 12am to 1:30am) when I could have just gone to bed if he realised the error in his ways, and gave up.

Instead he thought that he would make sure I understood exactly what it was I did wrong - I obviously dissagreed with hime and could not see any validity to his point which agrivated him even more.

Dood i'm not going to keep you up all night on the subject, but reading your post is it that you knew your alternator was dodgey ? ,

Your say you ignored the guys directions and drove it home any way, then say you stood there for an hour and a half argueing this point trying to tell a copper he is wrong ?

Should have taken all of one minute to work out to keep your mouth shut and you would have saved 1.29 munutes of rubbish.

I'd say he was a very patient cop and don't see your letter of complaint going anywhere so instead of loosing sleep staying up writing it, get an early night.

[robbo_yobbo]

No, that was the night I found out my alternator was dodgy, when I pulled up at the intersection and the car started stuttering, I looked at the guages and saw that the volt guage was sitting below 10 volts, so put 2 and 2 together and worked out it was battery/alternator related on the spot. You could see my driveway from where I was pulled over, and the OFF DUTY cop just wasnt using his brains.

My options were a) turn the car off there, and get out so the cop could do his thing (only to be stuck trying to push a 1700kg car uphill at midnight), or b) pull 20 meters up the road into my driveway and turn my car off there instead - but he didnt want to hear it, so I just did it anyway.

That ****ed him off, but it wasnt his argument - at that point he'd alredy made up his mind he was fining me (he told me through the window). He even told me he was going to fine me for driving unregistered even though I told him the car was registered (there was no sticker - I renewed rego over the net 2 days before).

He wasnt patient at all, he was completeley irrational, I could hear the guy on the other end of his radio (im guessing a sane sargeant) saying not to worry about the P's becuase my provisional conditions had already expired by the time he inquired, but he suggested that hed pulled me over before 12 and would be fining me anyway.
Ive been in court with this cop before, and the judge has told him straight before to get real, so Im pretty sure this will stop at the comissioner of police and will be dropped before it even gets to court, but me and this cop have allot of history (as you'll se above) so there was no way I was going to let it go without a protest. And the only way he would have given up was if I acknowledged he was right - if I did that, he would have written that acknowledgement in his little book and there goes my argument in court - hes got nothing going in his favour and wasnt even on duty and I intend on keeping my liscence!

[red_hotxr6]

With all the crime taking place now a days you would think they would be doing something more than driving through a railway station car park checking out which cars need to have a defect notice put on them.Lets just hope they were checking on a stolen car.

[colossus]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Ive been in court with this cop before,

And there you have it - they dont pick on little crap like that consistently unless you are a constant troublemaker they are targeting. I find the whole poor me routine pretty hard to believe.

In 20 years of driving performance cars fast on the road I have been pulled over once for speeding. Its an attiude thing - you blokes bring it on yourself.

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

I only wish - it might then have been worth the troubles. She wouldve had to have been pretty good though!

The majority of those things were all the same cop. Ive been pulled over by him in my car, the work van, and after he cost me my liscence - on the electric scooter too. He's an ***, even his associates say so. The judge told him straight he should be focusing on real crimes. Thats why biker cops are on bikes - because nobody will partner with them



And realy Redrum??? Then I ask for you to explain to me the following.....

when my alternator died with a cop tailgating me and sitting up my *** at an intersection and the cops watch sat 5 minutes slower than mine - what did I do wrong??

When I drove down the dirt road on a rainy day and mud flicked up on my numberplate, wha did I do wrong?

When My tyre blew and I had to change it (therefore putting the worn one in the boot) what did I do wrong?

When my factory headlights werent bright enough (in the middle of the day) what did I do wrong?

When my P plate fell down, what did I do wrong?

When after loosing my liscence I buy an electric scooter (who as advised by many officers, the sales rep and transport SA and the road traffict act is classified as a bycical and doesnt need liscence or rego) and ride it on the road, what did I do wrong?

When I indicated for 5 seconds but the cop only counted 4 - what did I do wrong?

When my factory exhaust blew out the $2 flange, what did I do wrong?

when the screw on the mirror worked its way out for the 3rd time that day to make it wobbly if grabbed (we all remember most xfs were like this from new) what did I do wrong?

If I had a dollar for every time I hear these excuses............. Your car was not road worthy. You can word it any way you like, but if your vehicle fail to meet the requirements of your states relevant legislation then you can and did receive a fine.

If you felt so strongly about all the points you mention then why not fight it out in court, especially if you believe you were wrongly penalized for that scooter. The problem is, when people are caught committing traffic offences quite a few of them come up with your excuses and the line that they did nothing wrong.

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by Redrum

If I had a dollar for every time I hear these excuses............. Your car was not road worthy. You can word it any way you like, but if your vehicle fail to meet the requirements of your states relevant legislation then you can and did receive a fine.

If you felt so strongly about all the points you mention then why not fight it out in court, especially if you believe you were wrongly penalized for that scooter. The problem is, when people are caught committing traffic offences quite a few of them come up with your excuses and the line that they did nothing wrong.

Originally Posted by colossus

And there you have it - they dont pick on little crap like that consistently unless you are a constant troublemaker they are targeting. I find the whole poor me routine pretty hard to believe.

In 20 years of driving performance cars fast on the road I have been pulled over once for speeding. Its an attiude thing - you blokes bring it on yourself.

true true true.

[3vXT]

and as for the yellow light,
not sure about other states but in NSW you can be fined for driving through a yellow light if they believe you could've stopped on time safely. I'm glad they dont enforce that one, everyone does it.

[FRDPWR]

there probly driving through the carpark doin rego checks, trying to increase there weekly revenue. find a car thats reg has expired thats a quick 500 fine

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by ken2903

and as for the yellow light,
not sure about other states but in NSW you can be fined for driving through a yellow light if they believe you could've stopped on time safely. I'm glad they dont enforce that one, everyone does it.

Yes it's amber.
Yes you have to stop if safe to do so.
Yes you can be fined in Vic for not stopping.

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Yes it's amber.
Yes you have to stop if safe to do so.
Yes you can be fined in Vic for not stopping.

I believe its also up to the officers discretion whether you are fined or not???.
As i am sure officers will have different views as to what is an acceptable stopping distance should a light turn amber.

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by TZENU

I believe its also up to the officers discretion whether you are fined or not???.
As i am sure officers will have different views as to what is an acceptable stopping distance should a light turn amber.

Yeah, i think you'd have to be doing something pretty silly to catch a fine for it.