Dealing with the po-po

I had been thinking about posting this type of thread for a while and Derstuka's recent post on getting a red light ticket convinced me to go ahead with this.

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you all what I've learned on dealing with cops and maybe you can provide some tips as well.

Just so you know I speed just about every day and not just a little over mind you it's more like 20 or more over. There's this street with a 45 mph zone that I routinely do at least 80 mph. You would think that I must get speeding tickets all the time right? Nah, I get one about every three to four years. And for those speeding tickets I just go to court and get them thrown out.

First of all, the most important thing I've learned is to know when to be a good boy and when it's ok to be a bad boy. Hauling ass in school zones is a BIG no-no because not only are you endangering children you're going to be an easy target for cops because they like to set up speed traps there.

Same for night-time. You can almost think of cops as cockroaches because they all come out at night. Plus at night-time it's hard to see if the car ahead of you is a cop or not. Unless you have night vision on your helmet I recommend being a good boy at night.

On highways be a good boy when you see a bridge up ahead. Cops love to hide there and by the time you see them it's too late. Same for construction zones. Those workers are risking their lives to build roads for us and they at least deserve our careful attention and cautious driving. Same for curves where you can't see 200 feet ahead. They like to set up in curves so by the time you see them you won't have time to brake.

If you're traveling in an unfamiliar area be a very good boy. Use your turn signal, stop completely at signs, etc... Cops like to give citations to out-of-towners because chances are they're not going to come back and fight the ticket at court. If you just have an itch to see what your baby can do make sure to scout the area first.

To scout the area I recommend riding both directions at least three times (3 one direction, 3 other direction) like a good boy and take note of any cops that you see. Do you see any on the side of the road? Do you see any patroling the area? If you don't see any cops at all in both directions then go for it! Otherwise even if you see only one cop, don't take the chance. Cops can't monitor every road in town and they know it too. If you take your time you'll find a clear road.

Same for your route to/from work. Try to be a good boy for at least a week or so and take note of any cops that you see. You may even want to change your route to find a clear road. When I go to work there are several streets that have a 45 mph limit but cops don't watch them so I just go at least 80 on them all the time.

Now, some of you may have thought about running from cops when you see the lights go off. The only time I would even think about running is if the cop is going the other way. When they're going the other way they have to stop and turn around. With a motorcycle you have an incredible advantage of pure acceleration. Yes the cops have fast cars but they just cannot accelerate as quickly as the motorcycle. Otherwise if you see them riding behind you just pull over. The risk isn't worth the jail time, fines, etc...

Anyway, one VERY important thing about running is to make sure they do not get your plate number. If they get it you might as well pull over because they're gonna end up knocking at your house even if you get away.
Because of this if you want to run make sure to HAUL ASS. Redline the bike at every gear. This is not the time to baby your bike. That, and make as many LEFT turns as you possibly can. Right turns are easier to make and cops assume you're going to make a right so they may call for back up on the right. A bonus would be turning into an unpaved road because cops usually assume you're not going there with the bike.

Once you've lost them find a good hiding spot usually behind a house, grocery store, church, etc... Make sure to turn off your bike so they can't hear you. Depending on how bad they want you, your hiding time might range from 15 minutes to a whole day. If only one cop was chasing you and you don't hear any sirens in the distance just keep on going after a 15 minute hide and make sure to go the opposite direction that you were running since cops will assume that you kept on running. But if you end up getting the whole department involved just call it a day. You could even call up a buddy who has a truck and have him pick it up. Make sure to cover up the bike with tarp or something so the cops don't see the bike.

As for when the cop pulls you over and assuming that you did not run GIVE THEM THE SILENT TREATMENT. Answer with one word, e.g. "Yes, No, Ok, Sir" I've had good chances just saying nothing and only responding to questions. There was one time I was going about 85 in a 65 and cop pulled me over. He said, "You were going 85 in a 65" I just looked at him and said nothing. The cop just stood confused and walked to his car then came back and said, "Ok make sure you slow down".

Also, make sure to pull over in a safe area. If you're on a road with guardrails slow down and wait until you see a break in the guardrails or even pull into a street on the right. To make the cop feel better you can wave and acknowledge that you are aware of him and that you are just looking for a good spot to pull over. The police officers have a dangerous job and you don't need to put them in any more danger by pulling over dangerously close to traffic.

For extra insurance I recommend buying a blue line sticker from http://thegeorgiaspeedingticketkiller.com/thin_blue_line.php and put it on the back of your helmet. Make sure to put it on so that the police can see it from their cruiser while you're riding. For those who don't know the police actually have a "secret" sticker that they put on their civilian cars and their spouses do the same as well. It basically gives them immunity from the law. Anyway, if you get pulled over and the cop asks you about the sticker just say your wife/husband works in the sheriff's department in some small town and gave you that sticker.

I also have this blue line sticker on my cage. It even works for those damn red light cameras. Near my work there are red light cameras and since I put the sticker on I ran a red light several times but didn't get a ticket in the mail. It's pretty sweet!

Now, even with all those advantages you might run into a jerk and still gives you a speeding ticket. For those not living in Georgia I recommend buying an eBook from www.beatmyspeedingticket.com and for the Georgians there's http://thegeorgiaspeedingticketkiller.com/home.php

With those services you have an excellent 99.9% chance of beating your speeding ticket in court. Make sure to practice and prepare a lot before court. They're going to make a lot of objections and make sure to be ready. DON'T CHICKEN OUT. Stand your ground. To give you an example here's how my last court went:

Me: Your honor, may I see the certificate of the radar gun?

Judge: Uh... I don't think you're required to see that

Me: Yes your honor I am required (and handed judge the exact law requiring the certificate)

Judge: Ugh, ok We'll have to take a 15 minute recess to find it

(About 4 cops search through a pile of papers as thick as a phone book for the certificate and one of the cops swear a certificate in)

Me: Your honor, does the certificate serial number match the one on the speeding ticket?

Judge: (Making angry face) Shoot, it doesn't match

Me: Your honor, I motion for dismissal of case due to lack of evidence

(Judge is obviously pissed off and there is silence in the courtroom for about 3 minutes)

Judge: :frusty: But the radar gun is a valid device! It's used worldwide by police and is an established standard!

Me: I understand your honor but this is certification of the radar gun. It must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that it was in proper working order at the time of the arrest.

Judge: :target: (Gnashing his teeth) Arghh!! uh... Ok, case dismissed get out of here!

Me: :whoo:

The judge is NOT your friend and will do ANYTHING to make you pay. Make sure you stand your ground and don't even acknowledge he may have a point.

And those are the things I've learned in dealing with the police. I hope it all helps in some way and if you have any other tips I'm always open to them. Until then keep the rubber side down!

 

.....squid.....

 

Folks. I wouldn't count on this poor advise.

 

Joeydude you obviously think you know alot about LEO's and the job they do. You don't. Enough said about that.
If you routinely do 80 in a 45 a speeding ticket should be the least of your worries. You should be worried about the car that don't see you, or that deer that fixing to jump into your path (how do you scout for those?)
You've stated in previous post about all your riding experience without a crash, I'm afraid you will soon be a statisic. You can rationalize your speed all you want but the fact is you admit you prefer to ride at near double the speed limit. Maybe one of those nice officers who cut you a break will be as equally understanding when he has the unfortunate duty of telling your family you won't be coming home because you were irresponsible. I hope you don't take an innocent person with you.

 

Silly rabbit, tricks are for squids.

 

Joey, let me guess- your 16 years old, immortal, with no family obligations and don't care about injuring others?

 

I always understood a "squid" to be someone in the Navy. What's it mean here?

 

Now THAT's funny! :biggrin:

 

joey, let's go riding some time.:jaw: North Georgia??? you sound like you're from L.A., California. Just when 5-0 thinks I;m about to pull over... I flip a bitch pull a wheelie ride right up on his hood, do a stoppie on his roof and jet out from there into oncomming traffic
Don't listen to these guys... they are all wimps... You rock!!! I bet your funeral will be the shit, and the after party will be off the hook!:vtr2:

 

:drum: I'm 'stuka junior in training!

 

Depends, it means a lot of things. Here's a few:

-Any novice rider, without respect to the definitions below
-A rider who doesn't wear protective gear. However, there is usually an emphasis under this definition that the rider wears blatantly bad gear, like a tank top, shorts and sandals.
-Performs stunts on public roads, without regard to other motorists
-The aftermath of a rider who doesn't wear gear and is involved in a crash; who only wore the legally required helmet, his body afterwards looks like a dangling mess of flesh hanging out of head, like a squid.
-A rider who guns it on straightways, but slows to a crawl at turns due to lack of confidence/skill to turn; much like the swimming pattern of a squid.

 

That's awesome! That fourth definition is pretty gruesome, but I understand the imagery. Cool...thanks for the explantion, "VFR"! :biggrin:

 

Yeah...SQUID!!!
Joey, Are you serious, or just trying to sell the books you mentioned?

 

Jason
I KNEW you'd ahve some cool pic's for this one!

Action

 

Yeap, only 18, I get that a lot, thanks haha! Trust me, if you saw me in person you'd think I was 16 year old though at 5'8 and 130. Oh that and I couldn't grow facial hair to save my life :biggrin:. To further add confusion to my age, I have an exceptionally deep voice unless I perk it up (which I usually do, otherwise people are afraid of me).

Though, I will admit I did want a Hayabusa more than anything else at one point (i was 15 at the time). I slapped myself out of that delusion with the quickness though (Never before I came to this board would I have ever used "the quickness"). Also admittedly, I have been riding squidlike since my jacket and pants were stolen last week (I left my stuff hanging on my seat with the bike on the street just outside my garage).

EDIT: Though, I wonder how many times I can use "though" in a single post.

FTR, my mom thinks she raised me wrong, wanting to kill myself on a motorcycle and all.

 

Maybe I'm just chicken, but I don't have the balls to go even around the block without my helmet, jacket and gloves at a minimum. Who would wear shorts on a motorcycle?!?

 

People who want nice burn scars on their legs. Haven't you heard? Chicks dig scars man!