To The Good Highway Patrol On M5

[nathen]

I think you'll find that there are plenty of cops around like that - problem is that the first thing cops do is general duties - including traffic - so a fair percentage of the cops doing the pulling over are young dumb and full of --- you get the idea. Once they've been on the job a while they tend to tone down and are pretty reasonable.

And I agree that attitude is the key - a mate of mine is pretty high up in the AFP, once over a few beers he told me about the 'A' rule. If you ever find yourself with getting a defect notice - don't give atitude - if you do, the paperwork they send in to the RTA has a little 'A' in the corner to let the inspectors know that the owner gave the cops a hard time, which means the inspectors tend to tear your car apart looking for stuff wrong with it.

If you get busted doing something silly - take it on the chin, have a chat to the cop - let them know you don't resent them doing their job - it IS worth your while to do so.

at the same time there are a heap of smart ass coppers.

a few years ago when my wife was my girlfriend she owned a gemini..

we where coming back through nowra (southcoast nsw)and she got pulled up by a moterbike patrol

cop was a real asshole!!!

he pulled her over for the placement of the numberplate!!!!

and the fact a p plate was missing off the back..(this is 8 odd years ago now)

lucky she had a spare as it had fallen off.

any way she bought this little bog filled gemini off her brother .

and when doing change over had taken the car to the rta.during the change over a rta bloke came out to the car with her to fit her cutom plates...

and he told her she had to move the numberplate from where it was as it was in the wrong position and was to be moved onto the bumper bar in thr reeces for it.

the rta guy was right.as that model gemini had the big Expensive Daewoo fgemini sighn between the lights and number plate on bumper bar...

any way back to the officer..he pulled her over and argues the point with her and the misses tells him sorry you are wrong..just as she said that the same model gemini drove past and she points it out to the officer...

after arguing for the next 5 min he rights out a ticket for the number plate..

misses was very upset and asked him for his badge number ..

so she headed off to the nowra cop shop and filed a complaint...

must of been a bad day for the guy becouse there was already 3 complaints made that day about him...

in the end the misses wrote a letter and chatted to the rta about the problem and got off...

[Iconic Bionic]

I think you'll find that there are plenty of cops around like that - problem is that the first thing cops do is general duties - including traffic - so a fair percentage of the cops doing the pulling over are young dumb and full of --- you get the idea. Once they've been on the job a while they tend to tone down and are pretty reasonable.

And I agree that attitude is the key - a mate of mine is pretty high up in the AFP, once over a few beers he told me about the 'A' rule. If you ever find yourself with getting a defect notice - don't give atitude - if you do, the paperwork they send in to the RTA has a little 'A' in the corner to let the inspectors know that the owner gave the cops a hard time, which means the inspectors tend to tear your car apart looking for stuff wrong with it.

If you get busted doing something silly - take it on the chin, have a chat to the cop - let them know you don't resent them doing their job - it IS worth your while to do so.

The AFP have nothing to do with traffic law enforceement as this is the individual States responsiblilty. The AFP wouldnt know how to write tickets and a defect notice would boggle there minds. They only deal with Federal law and offences against the commonwealth, but definately not traffic.

[KryZak]

For the safety of the police officer and yourself. Standing on the road at any time can be dangerous, and the police officer has a duty of care when he has stopped you. Also for the officer he only has to worry about himself and not you if you stay in the car. A police officer should not even approach you if you get out of the car but should direct you back into your car failing this if you want to push the point failing to obey a reasonable direction ( Sir get back in your car ) is an offence and then he could approach you and arrest if necessary. Also jumping out of your car is an aggresive move at the best of times and the police officer does not know why you have gotten ou of the car it could be to elude him, to attack him etc etc etc, all these thing s are important and you only have to look back a couple of years to see police getting shot, run over and attacked when doing vehicle stops.

While I can completely understand the above, I dont think an experienced HWP cop would worry about it unless you got out in an agressive manner. I have been told by a few officers (I know quite a few, both in VIC and WA) that you automatically get brownie points if you get out of the car and have your licence out already.

I know a guy who got off a speeding fine for getting out. In the pissing rain. He got out and went around to the back of his car, and the cop met him there. Apparently the cop just went "what the hell are you doing getting out in this rain!?!" my mate just told him that it was a respect thing, that he had made the cop get out in the rain to write him up, so he should be out in the rain too! The cop thanked him, commented on his attitude and let him off with a warning! My mate was about 22 at the time, about 2 years ago...

[harvyk]

The AFP have nothing to do with traffic law enforceement as this is the individual States responsiblilty. The AFP wouldnt know how to write tickets and a defect notice would boggle there minds. They only deal with Federal law and offences against the commonwealth, but definately not traffic.

Except in Canberra, AFP also double as the ACT's general Police

[Iconic Bionic]

Except in Canberra, AFP also double as the ACT's general Police

Also in Jarvis Bay, being the home port to the ACT.

But I did miss that bit, though generally AFP are Federal Agents, ACT Police are a subsidary of the AFP and reffered to as ACT Police. Basically the AFP tender for the role and merely oversee its running.

Edited 08/08/07 09:12 AM by Iconic Bionic

[renster]

Got pulled over last night by highway patrol went thru orange light a little fast,

got out and spoke to police man , who was in F6 Typhoon pursuit car,

He showed me the brakes brembro's and we had a talk on the performance of both vehicles and I was breath tested..

and off he went (rather fast)

So I think the Turbo both got me pulled over and also got me into a pleasing conversation which ended up not costing me a $

So was happy....

Will put lotto ticket in this weekend they I may have a Phoon of my own :-)

SO I reckon always get out and try to be polite.. can pay off

[Beaker]

Also in Jarvis Bay, being the home port to the ACT.

But I did miss that bit, though generally AFP are Federal Agents, ACT Police are a subsidary of the AFP and reffered to as ACT Police. Basically the AFP tender for the role and merely oversee its running.

We are getting a little off the subject, but territory policing as the ACTs division is called, is still entirley AFP. Officers from the territory police can be sent to international policing duties, I know several forensic guys who work in the ACT, but went to Bali after the bombings.

[Iconic Bionic]

We are getting a little off the subject, but territory policing as the ACTs division is called, is still entirley AFP. Officers from the territory police can be sent to international policing duties, I know several forensic guys who work in the ACT, but went to Bali after the bombings.

So did forensic police from the other states. Your point is?

[oldskool]

should you get out of the car when you have been pulled over, or stay in?

this is a really valid question.....although I hav e never been pulled over for speeding/ burnouts etc (im 27 and a sensible driver)I have heard both sides.

ie: you get out of the car - so the officer sees you at a face level so they cannot start the conversation with a dominant role.

ie: you get out of the car - so the officer sees you at a face and can see yopu are an honest decent person who may have been slightly? over the limit speeding an may let you off.

[Slymeat]

this is a really valid question.....although I hav e never been pulled over for speeding/ burnouts etc (im 27 and a sensible driver)I have heard both sides.

ie: you get out of the car - so the officer sees you at a face level so they cannot start the conversation with a dominant role.

ie: you get out of the car - so the officer sees you at a face and can see yopu are an honest decent person who may have been slightly? over the limit speeding an may let you off.

In NSW the police officer should not even approach you until you return to your vehicle and sit down there are road rules and there are protocols, getting out will only slow down the procedure. A good HWP officer should follow the protocols and ask you to return to your car seat and close the door before approaching. Cars unfortunatly have alot of hazards involved with them and the person that does not want a police officer to approach and look into the vehicle (( possibly ) <<< in brackets) has something to hide or is ( possibly) setting a trap.