Another Motorcycle Milestone Passed

[hqp921]

Hi folks... as some of you know, I'm fairly new, this is my first season (I took the MSF BRC last October).

Anyway, I passed a major milestone on the bike today.

I got pulled over.

Zippin' down merrily down Route 122. Zippin' faster than I probably should... I see the front of a cruiser... I see the lights go on.

"Crap," I think to myself.

I pull over as soon as I see the lights and cop pull out, I figure it's best to acknowledge my mistake.

I pull over, turn off the bike, put up the visor and wait.

He comes up we exchange pleasantries:

"Know why I pulled you over?"

"Probably because I was going a little fast."

"Yeah, I clocked you at 62 on my radar. Have you been pulled over for anything recently?"

<pause> "Yeah, I was pulled over a couple months back in my car. In Uxbridge."

"You were pulled over? But in your car?"

"Yup."

"Ok."

He goes to run my license and stuff... and it takes a looooong time. At this point, I'm thinking... was the speed limit 50mph? Or 40? Man, this fine's going to hurt.

Anyway, after what seems like forever (if anyone's been pulled over, you know what I mean). He comes up and says, "I'm going to cut you some slack this time and just give you a warning, because you were honest about your last stop. Just take it easy, especially on a motorcycle. There's been lots of accidents lately."

"Thank you. Have a great day."

=

SO I guess that shows that not all Asians will get ticketed for speeding.



HP

[markbvt]

You definitely got lucky. I got pulled over my first time on a bike a little over a week ago. The irony was, I was test riding a used Triumph Sprint RS and was literally just heading a few miles up the road and back. Well, that bike's a lot faster than mine, and having wind protection and a liter-sized inline triple engine, all my usual ways of judging speed went out the window. And unfortunately, as I was enjoying what I thought was a moderate-speed ride, a statie went by in the opposite direction. I looked down at the speedo, saw I was doing 80-something (in a 50), cursed, and looked in the mirror -- sure enough, his lights were on, and he was turning around. So I did the same as you -- pulled over, turned the engine off, and waited for him.

When he got out of the car I immediately apologized and explained I was on a test ride and didn't realise how much faster this bike was than mine; he said he'd follow me back to the dealership and then decide what to do. So he did, he went inside to talk to the owner, at some point he told me he hadn't decided yet whether to arrest me or not, then finally he ran my license and saw that I'd only ever gotten one ticket in Vermont in the ten years I've lived here, and that was in my car. So he said he wouldn't arrest me and wrote me a ticket for 81 in a 50. Hefty fine (though not as bad as they are in upstate NY), but thank god, he cut me slack on the points and only gave me 2 (it's usually 8 for 31 over the limit).

I'm actually kind of glad in a way that it happened, because it convinced me that I'm not cut out to own a sportbike. I love the feeling of going fast, and on my Bonneville I get that feeling at sane speeds. On a sportbike at 70 I feel like I'm standing still.

Someone once said, "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow." I couldn't agree more. My Bonneville's plenty fast to get me in trouble if I'm not careful, but it's not so fast I'll get in massive trouble without even noticing.

--mark

[Currently]

SO I guess that shows that not all Asians will get ticketed for speeding.



HP

You mean just your attitude got you out of a ticket! */sarcasm off

Don't say that to Kham!

BTW ... That is the exact routine I pull every time I see blue lights.
The second the lights come on, I pull over as fast as I can.

He asks me why I got pulled over and I tell him with lots of yessirs and nosirs.

13 out of 14 times, I ended up with either a verbal or written warning.

Good Job!

[hqp921]

Mark, I've been pulled over in upstate NY... going home from Ithaca (I went to Ithaca College). Pulled over by a State cop on... route 79... if you've ever been on route 79, you know that there's absolutely nothing on that road. To top it off, I was pulled over in Triangle. I think you sneeze, and you go through Triangle. Pfft.

=

Yes, I think attitude goes a long way.

Plus... I had all my gear on (textile jacket, mesh overpants, gloves, helmet), and a bright orange safety vest. I also had my tankbag and my shoes bungeed behind me (I was on my way home from work) On top of that, I'm sure the dude, got a kick out of my name: "Hung"... I mean, c'mon, a guy named Hung with a bright orange safety vest on a sportbike? How often does THAT happen to a cop?

HP

[jimaug87]

Good news. Glad to hear you got off.

I was pulled over once on my bike and I got a stern verbal warning. I was doing almost 80 in a 55, and he just yelled at me for being young and stupid.

Cop: what the hell are you doing? does this thing have emergnecy lights?
Me: no sir.
cop: why the hell are you going so fast?
me: honestly, I'm late. it's not an excuse, just a reason. i know. I'm sorry
cop: I'm going to be here most of the day, don'tr let me see you doing this shit again
me: yessir. sorry

[Crash Dummy Denno]

ive been pulled over 3 times and received 3 tickets (im very polite)
my little sister has been pulled over 9 times and received 0 tickets


strange

[hqp921]

ive been pulled over 3 times and received 3 tickets (im very polite)
my little sister has been pulled over 9 times and received 0 tickets


strange

Maybe she has nicer cans than you...

HP

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Maybe she has nicer cans than you...

HP

you're better than that man


shake your tailfeather

[hqp921]

shake your tailfeather

what?



HP

[KillBill]

I think being polite does go a long way. However i think timing also has a lot to do with it. If you get that cop......fugetta bout it

[markbvt]

In my case, I think being super-polite and cooperative saved me from a night in jail. Also probably helped with the points.

--mark

[Slyder]

it really depends on the cop that pulls ya over. some hate us completely regardless of how nice and honest we are. sad but true. Officers that ride themselves seem to be more lenient I've noticed.

I was out in the sticks away from houses and people and kids. I got pulled for 72 in a 50 (also noticed his radar was reset to 0) and he writes me a ticket. Same cops pulls the girlfriend (cute blonde) at the time over in her car...20 mph over the limit, IN the middle of town...25mph speed limit. I get a ticket. She does not. Interesting... I really hope if I get pulled again, it's that officer because I'll mention that. I'll then go on to thank him for writting that speeding ticket up as an operating without registration (he called my plate in wrong, initially)

I think they like to single people out by the color of their bikes / gear too. in 05 me and 2 others get pulled. I was second in line, but was going 86mph...according to him. the guy in front was going 76. guy behind me 74...in a 50 zone. That prick was asking me how fast I was going, I said I didn't know. He said he clocked me at 86...and I said I wasn't going 86. he said "i thought you didn't know how fast you were going" I replied I know I wasn't doing 86. the prick knew that I knew that he was lying to me.

Anyhow, I get the ticket (written for 80mph, not 86) and the other two, get no tickets. He called them "mr ....." and wouldn't acknowledge me by name.
friggin prick.
if I was going 86mph like he said, i'd have passed the guy in front of me or slammed into him.
cops can be pretty stupid at times.
my only explanation....he didn't like the color blue.

why would he not write 3 tickets?
I already know why he'd lie to me....because he can get away with it.