Motorway Pace Cars...

Timo Geusch came up with the following;:

....but for seconds?

Yeah, right. That's why at 46 I still have a 156cc Trials bike, want an
Enduro 'again' and am in the process of obtaining a Fazer1000. Though I
guess some peoples ideas of sensible are different to others.

 

They tried it here in one city and it was a miserable failure.

 

On the BikeSafe course I did last year bike plod said he spent all of
his time in the 3rd lane where possible. "It reduces your work rate,
you're further away from slower vehicles in the 1st lane, and thus
actually safer with regard to idiots moving out in front of you."

He did qualify this with, "You have to spend far more time checking
your mirrors though - if someone does want to make faster progress
then you should be prepared to move back into lane 2 before he gets to
you."

I tried this, and it just feels "wrong" somehow. I can see that
moving from lane to lane all the time as you thread your way around
traffic could be regarded as less safe than remaining in one lane, but
I still felt guilty. Too many years of driving a shite old fester I
guess.....

 

swot I fort, but I had to give it a go and show willing to learn from
my betters on the day

Yes, I'll go with that

Not so sure I'll go with that one.
OK, if you're on a bright yellow ducati and you're swerving from 1 to
3 faster than you're going up the road, then OK, but just moving from
one to another in the normal course of events does put you in more
peril from people who just don't look. Someone moving from 1 to 2 in
a cage without a shoulder check can easily miss seeing me on a narrow
bike. I tend to stay between 2.7 and 3.3 for easy lane changes,
avoidance of gits, etc. For simple filtering <cough: undertakes> I'll
weave out into the middle of 3 so I'm visible in his mirror, then move
well into 2.5 or less.

<Thinks a bit> Maybe I'm more likely to be noticed by other road
users is I move around....

Er. ding?

 

I didn't mean that specifically, just it sounded like the rythym they
have.

 

Heh.. proof final.

 

You wouldn't feel pissed off if someone you'd overtaken decided you
were going too fast and reported you thus gaining you unwanted police
attention?

I know I bloody would but then I don't go around suggesting reporting
other drivers. If someone's obviously pissed and a danger to other
road users then do something about it but reporting minor
infringements (no matter who the offender) is just petty minded
interfering.

 

You'd get away with it away from home but not close to home. I knew
someone who ended up selling his bike because he made an official
complaint about a police officers behaviour and the cop in question
decided to give him a bit of stress.

I don't suffer from paranoia nor do I feel a need to waste my time
complaining about other road users behaviour. I just prefer to carry
on with my journey and ignore what other road users do.

Are you going to complain about anyone pulling wheelies at the next
bosm or is that just laddish behaviour compared to a cop sitting in
the outside lane?

 

Not at all. I think you're both either overburdened with hatred of
police officers or interfering tossers when it comes to other road
users.

 

Nope. I have a great deal of respect. I seriously considered becoming one,
but decided that a job where more than the normal number of people would
probably like to kill me was not really for me

Well, each to their own. You are jumping to conclusions, I feel, though. I
have never reported another road user for anything, but I *would* report a
copper that I thought was taking the piss simply because he was a copper.
I reckon it's out of order. YMMV obviously.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 OMF#22
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Ok. I can see that everyone has a right to make their own decisions
but why does a cop have to be above the law at all times whereas you
or I don't? The bit that is getting me is what seems to be the
attitude that you (or others) would report a cop for something you
wouldn't report another road user for. They're still just employees
and they're not all nazis so why potentially **** up his career for
something that you might let another road user do and ignore him?

 

Well, the simple answer, for me, is that as a cop, he's sworn to uphold the
law. It's a role that he opted to carry out, he was not forced to.

Also, I'd point out that as citiznes we *should* also obey the law all the
time. I agree that we almost certainly don't, but we *should*.

Because, as a cop, he should be beyond reproach. I don't really think they
are just employees. At least, when I was considering it, that 'angle'
certainly never crossed my mind.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 OMF#22
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

I suppose with me it's a case of if the cop commits a minor traffic
offence (my view) then it's not a big deal. If he commits a serious
criminal offence (again, my view) like taking a bung then he's crossed
the hidden line.

They are just doing a job and a difficult one at that. Consider if a
traffic cop should use discretion and bollock a driver for an offence
or whether he should stick to the law and book said driver for the
offence no matter what the circumstances.

We'll never really agree on this one and I can't be bothered stabbing
you in the neck with a broken beer bottle over it. I think you'd be a
tosser if you reported a police driver for sitting in the outside lane
and you think I'm an antagonistic **** for saying so. That's fine but
there's probably a middle ground we haven't found yet.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Catman

I AM THE LAW[1]!


[1] I watched that in French a couple of months back. Oddly Sly Stallone
was easier to understand than he normally is.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

It's not me who needs to do some thinking, it's you.

Is plod in the wrong when he decides to give you a bollocking for a
minor traffic infringement or should he book you straight away because
he's plod and that's what they do?

If you'd been here a bit longer then you might realise that not all
coppers are bastards and some of the most genuine and helpful people
you could hope to meet are making a living by being scrote hunters.

This newsgroup has had a few resident policemen and two that I can
think of (Stu & JP) would bend over backwards to give advise to anyone
who asked for it. I for one have emailed JP asking for help (non
traffic related) and he went out of his way to tell me what the likely
outcome would be and to offer to give further advise if needed. I'd
sooner judge our police force by the ones I've been helped by than by
a few cunts but you obviously think differently.

If you're fishing then find a better subject next time.

 

You sad, bigoted ****. I've had run-ins with the police like many
other people but I've also met people that I'm glad to say I look on
as friends who are in the police force. I'll stand up and argue my
case against a cop who I feel is in the wrong but I'm not going to say
they're all the same and have a go whenever a window of opportunity
opens up for me.

 

Never had a bollocking and been told to **** off and behave?

 

I would agree. In this specific case though, it did seem as if he was
trying to use his status as a cop tosomehow legitimise his actions. So not
only was he (probably) beahinvg like a bit of a dick full knowingly, he
would appear to think that flashing his warrant cad gives him some kind of
right. That I find worrying.

Yep. If he'd not got his warrant card out, though, I wouldn't have dreamed
of reporting him IYSWIM

*Extremely* difficult, but I just don't see it just as a job. Don't forget
that I'm not suggesting he should be fired here, but if you or I were
caught doing something dumb, we'd expect at least a bollocking.

Phew

Nah, I wouldn't use the word antagonistic......
I'd just like to re-iterate I'd only consider reporting him if he tried to
use his warrant card as some kind of shield for his behaivour.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 OMF#22
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Yes, I was hoping that no-one else was going to notice how close that was
getting.

Maybe I read too much 2000AD as a kid

Heh
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 OMF#22
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Wrong, pointlessly illegal[1], dangerously arrogant, lazy [2] and also
considerably slower.

Shows that some of the plod riders enjoy having fun though, it's the
sort of advice I'd give to an earnest young learner...

It also means you'll make faster progress. On my route to work I think I
generally take less time overall whilst I'm not necessarily the fastest
peak-speed vehicle. Several cars will overtake me since I've little
interest in doing 100+ for a few yards and then braking.

There are three lanes on motorways, use all of the fuckers; well use the
least congested one whichever it is. Oh, and try to make sure when
you're undertaking a car that you've got somewhere to go on your left
incase the driver take umbrage and tries to block you; always but always
have an alternative route planned in any overtaking manoeuvre. Position
yourself (when not overtaking) so that you've the maximum 'free' space
in front of you; I find sitting between lanes 2 and 3 gives me this
generally but be conscious of the movements of the cars around lanes 2
and 3; watch for drivers heads moving towards their mirrors and cars
weaving around slightly.

BTW that wasn't for your benefit, Champ, it was for Leo.

[1] If you're going to brake a law do it for a reason, not laziness.
[2] Good protestant, me.