Nailed by a cop on the first day out

[jb]

I took my Hensim "sport" bike on it's first real ride today, to work and back. Going to work was uneventful except for some tard getting pissed and honking at me for only doing 45 on a 30 MPH road. Coming home though, I got stopped by a cop on a motorcycle. After like 20 minutes of BS questions, standing out in the 100 degree heat this joker finally tells me he stopped me for not having my headlight on. Fine, my bad, but then he goes on to give me another ticket for not having amber reflectors on the front forks and red reflectors on the rear. Come on, my taillight has reflectors built into it and amber reflectors up front are not required for inspection, so why the heck would it be required by the cops. I'll get the tickets dropped but I can't believe my first ride out cost me a huge amount of hassle.

[buddymom]

so sorry. thankfully he didn't see on the way in. he probably wanted info on scoot, and had to find something to issue a ticket on, what a woose that cop was. here's a bone for you.

t

[tscoot]

my sister is a sheriff deputy and she laughed when i told her this ,she said he must have been bored and that she probably wouldn't have given a ticket for such a lame circumstance have a bone and a better evening

[daqueen]

Well, if it was between ticketing you & kicking the dog..... oh wait! I guess he DID kick the 'dawg'! Sorry to hear it! I hope they get dropped! I'll toss ya a bone, too! Have a better day, today!

[jb]

Thanks for the understanding and the bones guys. I didn't ride the bike today. Yesterdays events kinda killed my fun, but I went and bought reflectors all around and rewired my headlight to "always on" so hopefully this won't happen again.

[cheap0]

How awful, so sorry. Good luck; I wouldn't be so confident of beating the ticket. I have had some bogus ones, and I find that the kangaroo courts ALWAYS find you guilty, regardless.

[jb]

Well the headlight ticket, I will probably have to pay. The reflectors ticket is a fixit ticket. I just have to get pictures of the installed reflectors and it'll get dismissed for a $10 fee.

[bike4miles]

Proof that you can get busted for not running your headlight durring the day. One member on a headlight discusion thread said he has ridden the last 7 years without a headlight on durring the day. I'm guessing he does not ride all that often if he has not been pulled over for it.

I have been itching to remove my reflectors and replace them with some more atractive alternative but so far I have kept them on. Can't beleve you got busted for it when they are built into your tail light! That's the way almost all cars are afterall!

[fufu2wheel]

Jul 23, 2008 15:59:03 GMT -5 bike4miles said:

Proof that you can get busted for not running your headlight durring the day. One member on a headlight discusion thread said he has ridden the last 7 years without a headlight on durring the day. I'm guessing he does not ride all that often if he has not been pulled over for it.

That's me, if you don't know me, please do not assume that I don't ride or I've never been pulled over by LEOs. I have ridden over 200,000 miles on two-wheeled vehicles since Nov. 2001. Never had I been pulled over by LEOs for not having my headlight on riding during daytime, but been pulled over many times for other offences.

I worked as a limo driver though my college years, I drove a Lincoln towncar for over 600,000 miles during those years, that had taught me how to speed without being spotted by police and more importantly how to talk my way out of serious traffic offences. LEOs would never sight someone for not having reflectors if you know how to talk to them. IMO, the starter of this thread must of angered the LEO for some reason.

[bike4miles]

Jul 24, 2008 15:38:24 GMT -5 fufu2wheel said:

Jul 23, 2008 15:59:03 GMT -5 bike4miles said:

I worked as a limo driver though my college years, I drove a Lincoln towncar for over 600,000 miles during those years, that had taught me how to speed without being spotted by police and more importantly how to talk my way out of serious traffic offences. LEOs would never sight someone for not having reflectors if you know how to talk to them. IMO, the starter of this thread must of angered the LEO for some reason.

Sorry for the assumption on my part. I'm not picking on you, just trying to figure out if cops are likely to pull over for noth having a head light on.

I have only been pulled over once but I have heard a fair share of pull over stories and of firends talking themselves out of tickets. I was not ticketed even though I did not have red reflectors on the tail lights of my truck (clear tail lights). The cop didn't even mention it. I just tired to keep my cool and cooperate. I was pulled over for driving too fast on ice althoug I was doing 45 in a 55 zone. He was hammering me about going way too fast and yada yada but I was in a very capable truck with 4 new snow tires and very experienced with slick weather driving. I was tempted to state my case but I'm sure if I did I would have gotten hit with the book. As it was, I just said sorry and I will slow down and got off.

[jb]

Jul 24, 2008 15:38:24 GMT -5 fufu2wheel said:

Jul 23, 2008 15:59:03 GMT -5 bike4miles said:

Proof that you can get busted for not running your headlight durring the day. One member on a headlight discusion thread said he has ridden the last 7 years without a headlight on durring the day. I'm guessing he does not ride all that often if he has not been pulled over for it.

That's me, if you don't know me, please do not assume that I don't ride or I've never been pulled over by LEOs. I have ridden over 200,000 miles on two-wheeled vehicles since Nov. 2001. Never had I been pulled over by LEOs for not having my headlight on riding during daytime, but been pulled over many times for other offences.

I worked as a limo driver though my college years, I drove a Lincoln towncar for over 600,000 miles during those years, that had taught me how to speed without being spotted by police and more importantly how to talk my way out of serious traffic offences. LEOs would never sight someone for not having reflectors if you know how to talk to them. IMO, the starter of this thread must of angered the LEO for some reason.

And there you go making stupid assumptions of your own. I did absolutely nothing to anger, whatever the hell a LEO is. In fact, aside from being a total ass in stopping me to begin with, we were both quite cordial. Now you keep going through life telling yourself you can "talk" your way out of anything serious. It ain't gonna get you far. I thought along the same lines at one time too. I've since grown up and become an adult.

[cat0020]

Jul 24, 2008 18:06:44 GMT -5 jb said:

And there you go making stupid assumptions of your own. I did absolutely nothing to anger, whatever the hell a LEO is. In fact, aside from being a total ass in stopping me to begin with, we were both quite cordial. Now you keep going through life telling yourself you can "talk" your way out of anything serious. It ain't gonna get you far. I thought along the same lines at one time too. I've since grown up and become an adult.

I don't think that was a stupid assumption, you broke the speed limit, police was doing his job when he stopped you, instead of giving you a speeding ticket, he let you off with a headlight and reflector ticket, both consider to be non-moving violation... I would pay the full fines on both tickets and be greatful for not getting a speeding ticket.
I have witnessed a friend talked himself out of many situation with officers, it is quite a skill, I get too intimidated by the uniform to do anything other than answering questions, but he seems to befriend the officer no matter the situation.

[jb]

cat0020, I never broke the speed limit. I have no idea what you're talking about. I was sitting at a dead stop in a left turn lane when the cop pulled me over. It would be quite difficult to be speeding with the clutch engaged, brake on, and both feet on the ground.

[cat0020]

Jul 25, 2008 6:50:42 GMT -5 jb said:

cat0020, I never broke the speed limit. I have no idea what you're talking about. I was sitting at a dead stop in a left turn lane when the cop pulled me over. It would be quite difficult to be speeding with the clutch engaged, brake on, and both feet on the ground.

In your own words:

Jul 21, 2008 18:34:56 GMT -5 jb said:

I took my Hensim "sport" bike on it's first real ride today, to work and back. Going to work was uneventful except for some tard getting pissed and honking at me for only doing 45 on a 30 MPH road. .

45 in a 30 mph road.. that's speeding. The officer probably clocked you before you knew you were speeding. He must have asked you why you think your were stopped by him. I think he gave you break for siting you non-moving violations.

[jb]

You misread that. That was in the morning on my way to work. Yes at that time I was doing 45 on a 30MPH road, to keep from getting run over. The incident with the cop was in the afternoon. I was not speeding; I was sitting at a red light.

[Don]

sorry to here about your luck...i would bet he would not have cared about your lack of reflectors if your head light was on......the light gave him a reason to put your over...being a "d1ck" made him look over the bike to write a bigger ticket......

sorry for the luck mang.....have a bone

[luckeydawg]

Children, Children.... Can't we all just get along!! Don't make me get one of the moms on here to put ya'll in time-out!!!!! LMAO!!!!!!!!

[jb]

Haha. It's all good lucky. As far I am concerned, I tend to get heated up a bit quickly sometimes and hardly every carry the grudge for more than a few minutes.

[phaze]

gots to love them revenue agents, LEO is a lame enforcement officer i mean law just didnt have my eraser handy.sorry lol

[therustyaxe]

Most bike cops around here can be cool if your on two wheels. If your on four you aint gett'n no love!

Could have been worse like a moving violation. Don't let it get you down.

Ride on Dawg!

[josetann]

Hrm, well you just got it...I would have said this:

"Dang piece of ****, can't believe the junk the Chinese are putting out. Dadgummit it! *keep banging around the headlight and discreetly turn it on while hitting it* There we go, hope it doesn't crap out again before I get home and call the dealer yet again! First it's the wheel falling off, now this!" Etc. etc.

Ok, actually I would have just looked dumbfounded and looked around for the headlight switch, since I would have assumed it would automatically come on, since the other scooter and motorcycle I had was like that. I bet the other way would have a better shot at getting a chuckle and a "sorry for bothering you."

[90GTVert]

Jul 21, 2008 18:34:56 GMT -5 jb said:

he goes on to give me another ticket for not having amber reflectors on the front forks and red reflectors on the rear. Come on, my taillight has reflectors built into it and amber reflectors up front are not required for inspection, so why the heck would it be required by the cops.

That's the silly part to me. If it is not required for inspection, there's no reason to get a ticket for that. Some cops don't know all the laws, or perhaps they were just overlooked during inspection. Not sure either way.

Bored cops suck. I've been hassled for 30 mins and never got a ticket. Cop was more or less bored and checking out my car. He just picked apart anything he could think of while he looked it over. I was parked with engine off when he came up.

[alwims]

First of all, Law Enforcement Officer, hence LEO. Second, being a former cop, I can tell you, he may have possibly seen you going to work, speeding and didn't have time or couldn't stop you at that time. Remember, cops are humans with memories. Just consider yourself lucky, if this is the case, he didn't ticket you for speeding as there is no rule that states when LEO's can give you a ticket for an illegal action they witness. Put this behind you and go on with your life. You'll be much happier.

[fufu2wheel]

Aug 24, 2008 11:04:55 GMT -5 alwims said:

First of all, Law Enforcement Officer, hence LEO. Second, being a former cop, I can tell you, he may have possibly seen you going to work, speeding and didn't have time or couldn't stop you at that time. Remember, cops are humans with memories. Just consider yourself lucky, if this is the case, he didn't ticket you for speeding as there is no rule that states when LEO's can give you a ticket for an illegal action they witness. Put this behind you and go on with your life. You'll be much happier.

Thanks for the support of my earlier post.

LEO do not pull people over or write off ticket for no reasons, or just because they are bored. More than likely he's seen you breaking the law elsewhere.

[greg]

ya its well known us scooter riders are quick to temper!! we are a rowdy rough lot!! lol

[roughrider]

Several years back when I was traveling the USA and Canada installing Textile machinery I was pulled over on my company car on the weekend at home.My father in-law was sitting in the front seat and my wife was in the back.We had been looking at some houses and were on our way home.I pulled out onto a four lane and I had not traveled a quarter of a mile yet and was driving a Cutlass Supreme with a small v-6.There was a deputy sherriff in the media and as I passed him he pulled in behind me.My father in-law asked me why was he pulling me over and I had no clue.My father in-law looked at my speedometer and I was doing 58.As the deputy approched my window I asked why he had stopped me.He told me I was speeding and was traveling 79 in a 55 zone.Mind you this was at the end of the month and they were nearing their quotas for the month.I have never refused to pay a ticket but this one I was not going to.My father in-law was a minister and there was a state trooper and a deputy sherriff that attended his church.He had spoken to them about it and they talked to the deputy and told him I was fighting the ticket.I talked to an attorney a couple of times and did what she said do.I also tried to talk to the deputy on the court day and he refuse to talk to me.When I was called before the judge we all explained what happened and I told the judge that I was guilty of 58 mph but I was not guilty with what I had been charged with.He said he could tell I was not happy with what I was charged with and went on explaining what the money was used for.I told him I had no problem paying a fine when I was guilty but in this case I was not guilty with what I was charged with.He then asked me if I had any points against me and I said yes.I explained to him what kind of work I did and I spent a lot of time on the road.About this time the deputy steps up the the bench and tells the judge I have a clean driving record which was a lie.The judge then gave him a hard look and said which is it does he does he not.The deputy still repeated the same.I told the judge that was not true.He reduced my ticket and the deputy was ordered to have a discussion in the judges chambers afterwards.So there are times when people are done wrong by law enforcement.

[yogibabu]

Words of Ice T: F...U....C....K THE POLICE !!!!!!!!!!!!! Cop killer

[exspook]

I've found that it pays to be friendly to the LEO if pulled over... next time try offering him a beer!