To anyone who thinks police have a benign attitude to motorcyclists anywhere in OZ in 2014/15 I say, good luck. Check the link above.
In Victoria in 2014 police are pulling over "just about every bike they see". This harrasment is covered by a thinly disguised bike safety lecture, often given by a non-expert constable reading a script. It happened to me in January. See earlier blogs. It's been coming for years and facilitated by real terrorist threats, rider apathy and sellout bike reps.
Since then the Independent Riders Group (IRG) has had complaints about riders being pulled up for behaving in a completely legal way on a completely legal bike while cars whiz by. One bloke was stopped for nothing and finally given a ticket for an obscured number plate where about 2 mm of the tail of a Q was covered by the edge of the holder where the screw fitted!
Another Melbourne rider was pulled up for having a helmet camera. Bicyclists are encouraged not only to use helmet cameras but to present the footage as evidence against car drivers in court. Police it seems do not want motorcyclists filming what happens to them when a car driver does the wrong thing or when a non-expert constable reads from a script to show the passing public police in action.
Motorcyclists are bailed up by the road for all the drivers to see the police doing something about their fabricated bikie menace. Like I said, it was done to me.
In some cases when the riders does not please the officer a trivial charge is issued. The obscured number plate, mentioned above, is a favourite. It doesn't seem to matter if the plate is obscured. The rider probably won't be able to afford the day off work and a lawyer so they let it slide. If a rider does decide to fight for a fair go, the police bring in the best they have in their legal department. They don't like to lose face to a bikie.
Most riders don't contest unfair tickets so police book more riders.
In spite of the 60 million tourist dollars the Phillip Island Moto GP bring to the state police blitzed the blue blazes out of touring riders.
With the warmer weather there will be more bikes on roads around the country and with Christmas coming up there are more events including lots of TOY RUNs. The police media units will probably push antibike propaganda like the Crikey.com item from 2006 below. So, careful who you talk to at your next gathering of riders, it could be the start of your own personal police file.
There's more at www.facebook.com/independentridersgroup
Damien
IRG
