2 people at work got booked this week for piddly offences:

1. $260 - Entering a car park through the exit. (didn't cause any delay to anyone)
2. $90 - Crossing road on red man

They must have been standouts. Cops generally are too busy to worry about pissy little stuff like that. Although I have picked up a couple off the road (one is a couple of pieces) walking when the red man said stop. You gotta wonder how hard it is to comply though?

regards

Old Hutcho

Councils are going hardcore in Vic

In 6 months I have had
1 - Parking for 2 hours 19 min outside my own house in an outer suburb. The sign was a 2 hr limit. I had evidence that it was 2 hours 19 min. I wrote in and got off this one
2 - Parking with kerb side wheels on the concrete gutter outside my house again. (Parking on road reserve was the fine). I wrote in admitted I had done the wrong thing and that it was on my birthday, providing proof of my birthday with a scan of my licence and I asked for leniency and got off this one
3 - Backing onto grass in a park reserve to do a three point turn. (Parking on reserve was the fine). They had a picture of the grass after I backed over it with no marks or damage evident? I didn't get out of that one.

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/victoria-police-rewrite-speed-rules-...

POLICE today admitted not having made public which speeding motorists are eligible to apply for warnings to get off fines.

Speed camera commissioner Gordon Lewis today criticised the secrecy which has surrounded the police official warning policy surrounding which speeding motorists can get off with warnings instead of fines.

While welcoming the recent decision by police to finally reveal its full policy on which motorists are eligible to apply for warnings, Mr Lewis said it should have been made public years ago.

The Herald Sun today revealed Victoria Police has just rewritten its rules to alert thousands of motorists they are eligible to apply for official warnings.

Its rewritten rules now state motorists caught doing between 10 and 14km/h over the limit can be warned instead of fined if they haven't been nabbed in the previous three

years.

The published force policy previously said only those busted doing less than 10km/h over the limit, and who hadn't been fined in the previous two years, were eligible to apply for an official warning to escape being fined.

Victoria Police traffic Supt Dean McWhirter denied increasing the number of motorists who can apply for warnings to include those travelling up to 14km/h over the limit was a new policy.

But he agreed it had not previously been published.

"As part of a recent review process to update the information available to the community it was recognised that this aspect of the policy had not been included on the Victoria Police website and appropriately it has now been updated," Supt McWhirter said.

Mr Lewis today said it just wasn't good enough that up until October 24 this year the force had only published half of its official warning policy, the bit relating to warnings for people nabbed doing less than 10/kmh over the limit.

"When I first became aware of the additional basis for an official warning on the Victoria Police website, I thought it was a sensible extension to the policy that was already published there," Mr Lewis told the Herald Sun.

"However, I was surprised that Victoria Police had not issued some press statement in relation to the publication of this additional policy rather than rely on motorists reading its website.

"However, it seems that this recent addition to the Victoria Police website is the best argument yet for total transparency when dealing with the motoring public.

"The publication of this additional basis for granting a warning in lieu of a fine, while claimed to be longstanding police policy, has not been published since I was appointed Road Safety Camera Commissioner in February 2012.

"Its recent publication was the first time my office knew about it.

"Significantly, there is still no reference to it on the Department of Justice website,

http://www.camerassavelives.vic.gov.au 

"While Victoria Police, in its discretion, can adopt any criteria it wishes in establishing internal policy for substituting a warning for a fine, it should publish its entire policy for motorists to seek a warning instead of being fined."

Mr Lewis criticised the force for not previously telling thousands of busted motorists they were eligible to apply to have their fines scrapped.

Mr Lewis said it was unsatisfactory that a major part of Victoria Police's official warning policy for speeding motorists had been kept secret for years.

He was commenting after the Herald Sun alerted him to the recent decision by the force to

publicly reveal its full policy for the first time on which motorists can get off with just a warning.

"To apply for an official warning if you are caught travelling between 10 and 14km/h over the limit you have to know such a policy exists," Mr Lewis said.

"I was not aware such motorists could apply for warnings so it is fair to assume most motorists didn't know either.

"If Victorians are to have faith in the traffic camera system then it must be transparent.

"Police not telling people for years they were eligible to apply for official warnings instead of fines is unsatisfactory."

The old public policy - which will continue to apply in addition to the new written rule - allowed 63,907 speeding motorists to avoid fines in the past year.

Making public the availability of warnings to those travelling up to 14km/h over the limit will allow thousands more to wriggle out of speeding fines.

More than 166,000 motorists were fined for exceeding the speed limit by 10 to 14km/h in 2012-13.

Police received 170,000 requests for internal reviews of speeding fines last year, resulting in 51,000 official warnings for offences below 10km/h over the limit and 8400 for motorists nabbed doing between 10 and 14km/h over the limit.

A 2006 Auditor-General's report recommended that Victoria Police should more widely communicate the availability of official warnings for speeding.

It said doing so would help build community confidence in the speed enforcement program.

Supt McWhirter told the Herald Sun Victoria Police had recently updated information on the

Victoria Police website relating to speed camera, traffic, crime and other infringements.

"The website has been updated to provide contemporary advice to the community on their rights and responsibilities when receiving an infringement," he said.

"One of the updates included publication of the Victoria Police policy position for an official warning for an offence of 10-14km/h over the speed limit.

"The general criteria where an official warning may be issued is:

• Hold a current driver's licence, including probationary or current learner driver's permit;

• Have not been issued with a speeding, other traffic infringement or official warning with the previous three (3) years;

• Have an alleged speed between 10 and 14 kilometres per hour over the speed limit; and,

• Do not deny that you committed the offence.

"This is not a new policy position. Victoria Police have applied the policy when considering requests for an internal review and have publicly acknowledged the existence of the policy. "However, the policy has not previously been published.

"The Traffic Camera Office receives in excess of 250,000 requests for internal reviews annually and issue approximately 40,000-50,000 official warnings."

keith.moor@news.com.au

I remember few years ago a parking inspector was already writing up a fine as my friend was walking from his car to the ticket machine. We were swift to tell him off for trying to pull a sneaky on us.

know of a some people got booked for some 3 sec rule for stop signs when they stopped briefly and safely moved off coz it was clear.

there is no such thing as 3 sec rule and the cops made that one up.

also my mate got booked last year for being in the right lane when he was overtaking a long truck. That one is complete BS!

I know of another fellow vw owner that got hammered by a cop for going though a yellow light at 80k in an 80k zone, the poor kid firstly didn't run any red lights, no red light was even involved and went though the yellow obviously coz he wasn't able to stop safely being a stock vw with stock brakes. he got a full car inspection and the cop got very aggressive when he asked to check the engine number and the guy popped the boot at the rear. Cop thought he was trying to be a smart ass. This was completely uncalled for behavior.

another guy I know got hammered but some cops of illegal lowering of his car when in fact it was factory lowered and only 15-20mm lower that stock. He knew this well and pointed out to the cops that they were incorrectly stating made up laws and the cops left lol. They were obviously trying to play him as a fool and fishing for their daily fine target numbers.

They make laws for a reason.

Most people that get booked for piddly offences have failed the attitude test.

I love how everyone whinges about cops and the law, but take them away and the world would go to shit. Yeah some cops are pricks, but i've been pulled over and questioned and iv'e never had a problem or a fine for that matter. I recently got off for doing 12km/h over the speed limit because of my clean driving record. If you don't want to get harassed or get fined, don't draw attention to yourself or break the law. I get no problems with parking inspectors either, but i guess it could depend on which council they're from.

As a delivery driver i'm always parking in "no standing, no stopping, 2 minute drop-off" spots all the time, or with 2 wheels up on a curb. If an inspector walks past they usually ask me how long i'll be, and i'll say 30 seconds, and they'll say no worries. But i think my local inspectors let it slide because us delivery drivers usually tip them off about idiots who park in loading zones or block driveways, which they then walk over and fine.

I totally agree with the "crossing road on red man" fine. Everyday i'm stuck at green lights thanks to multiple spastics who decide to cross the road when the red man is flashing or red, usually with their head buried in their mobile phone. The fines should be increased or the law should be changed so that if you cross on a red man and you get hit by a vehicle, it's the pedestrians fault and they can't sue. I'd love to run some of these idiots down just to give them a lesson in road rules and mobile phone etiquette.

People should get booked for these types of offences

1. $260 - Entering a car park through the exit. (didn't cause any delay to anyone)
2. $90 - Crossing road on red man)

more often!

I'm sick of waiting in my car, with a green light, while arrogant pricks thinks they are safe walking thru a flashing or solid red light!

So are you saying everyone should be allowed to enter through the exit at a car park , or just you?

if it was Sydney there has been a blitz on the radio that the police were targeting pedestrians

Got to admit in Sydney someone needs to belt pedestrians over the head

I was in Wynyard / York St area at evening peak hr the other night just after that lady was threaded through the axles of the bus
People just running / walking indignantly in front of busses exoecting not to be run over

Man - I would hate to be a bus driver

govt / country is broke..... need money anyway they can get it. from the public to pay their debts their salaries their perks, their full pay retirements at whatever age and the mistakes they make while they are running the coutry

I've never really had problems with cops as I've never been booked for something I didnt do. I've been let off a fine and given a lecture for not carrying a licence (the only id I had on me was my work security pass). I've had the speed I was doing recorded at a lower level than I was actually doing to save my licence.

I have been woken at 3 in the morning by police who were looking for the prostitute who lived in the seedy flat before me. I suspect they were after a freebie sex or freebie drugs. When my girlfriend at the time called the police station the following day they said no port kembla police were on duty that night. We should have took down their number.

I tried to report a cop for doing an unnecesary burnout. Guy did a smoking U turn and had a slight lose and almost jumped the median strip. That could have ended badly. But the guy at the station didnt want to know unless I made a formal complaint and I wasnt prepared to do that.

At the scene of a fatal racing accident where I knew the person, the traffic investigation woman got out of her car a said "OK lets see who we can get". To me that was insensitive and unethical. It indicated she was looking for any angle to blame someone rather than find out the cause of the accident. But thats pretty much society in general these days. You dont take your kid to hospital for a broken arm, you take him to a lawyer. She proceeded to measure a set of skidmarks that could have been from any car. My name (as the organiser) sat on the coroners desk for 2 years before being cleared which wasnt pleasant.

Thats only a couple of bad people who I have come across in 43 years. The chances of coming across bad centrelink/council/rta/builders/motorsport officials is far higher.

I have to say though, I get cranky with them setting up a radar in a place where I would get fined for stopping. I assume the reason you cant park on a footpath because it is unsafe to make pedestrians walk around and obstructs vision for people exiting driveways. I can park on a median strip because presumably it isnt safe. So why can they park a police car there.

not going to read all this as I assume its all the same.


If you fail to drive within the law then expect to get done. Drive an Import jap car, and expect to get harrassed......the VW world has it easy, thats why I'm back :P

boozo is dead right, do the right thing and its happy days?????
do the wrong thing and you get on here and sookup

P.S.how come a lot of these stories start with "ive got a mate"

I've only ever gotten fined when I deserved it. I will admit that, I broke the law and that is that.

With that said, police today should hang their heads in shame. They are just corporate machine used to generate funds for the government, they don’t give two shits about the community.

Speed cameras are bullshit money making machines, they don’t help road safety, if anything in my experience they only cause more problems (Peoples slamming on brakes at the last second, even when they arent speeding, because of the fear of getting a ticket anyway and not being able to beat it), not to mention a majority of the time they are set up illegally (usually parked across footpaths or verges).

I know I am not alone in my feelings towards police, and I know a lot of good, hard working honest people who feel the same way. Police really need to pull their heads out of their arses and reconnect with the community around them.

People always say "you have nothing to fear if you have done nothing wrong", the problem is that the police are treating us like we are always doing something wrong...

Maybe if they had actually been police, and policed, we wouldnt need these VLAD laws and we wouldnt have one of the largest drug hubs (Gold Coast) in Australia (Which, ironically, about a week after the VLAD laws came in, it came out that there were about 4-6 officers involved heavily in the drug trade on the coast. More recently, the detective in Sydney that killed the asian fellow).

Glad some of you have had positive experiences, I find the majority snidey bully boys who have a poor grasp of the law !

. I do the right thing and object to having to waste my time o the side of the road explaining that I am doing nothing wrong and that they are wrong ...... Funny how I am not allowed to walk away from them, but they walk away when they feel they have wasted enough of my time !

The question was :- Are NSW cops on a revenue drive before EoFY?......Answer :- ....Most likely.

And they wil l'most likely' start again on the 1st of July.

Try not to be too helpful with their efforts.

I did a return trip from south western Sydney to Bowral yesterday and drove through 5 radars. 4 Police and 1 private.

Like anything i suppose you just get your good eggs and bad eggs. I've been in trouble with a traffic copper in the past but the other week was really happily taken back when in Coolum the local copper walked passed wishing everyone a good morning and chatting to the business staff and locals including visitors such as myself and my partner. Just being friendly, and it instantly extinguished any sense of intimidation from myself as a law abiding citizen and developed respect. A perfect example of community interaction at its simplicist.

Maybe the big city cops just develop a different culture in the police. I guess constantly dealing with twats on a daily basis (due to population density) it'll wear anyone down.

thats because he was on foot, it's no the road where the warrior comes out.

Like bones... I've done my fair share of wrong, and have copped it on the chin.....but when 3 cars and 7 cops are there to book an import driver while 2 mins away a violent domestic is unattended......thats wrong.


end of every month is the worst time, they have a quota to fill and will get it any easy way they can. IMO its all about people not doing there job properly so they don't have to do their job to the full extent......especially in government jobs.

my boss's mate had a minor front hit by his mistake at an intersection, his and the other driver were sorting out the details out of the way on the side of the road. no big deal right, all good!

next thing a cop drives past and stops over and asked what was going on, the guy said they had a minor one and said he accidentally ran in the other other guy. cop booked him there and these without any actual proof other than what the guy admitted. even the other driver that got his was telling the cop its was sorted and didn't need a fine for what purely an accident.

wtf? now can they be allowed to do that.

I was booked on the long weekend for exceeding the speed limit.

The undercover car was behind me for 1km of the 1.5km I had driven after leaving my home.
I sped for 50m, uphill, approaching a pedestrian island so I was watching for people not my speedo. I slowed to within reasonable speed after the island and hadn't been speeding prior (I use cruise control by default because it's a stupidly signed 50zone) he pulled me up 200m later. I was sure it was a random pullover and I had done nothing wrong.

Yet he booked me, no warning, I told him I doubted I was speeding.
He gave me attitude and tried to push my buttons asking if I'd had a big night (it was 11am on Sunday), he took 20min to right the ticket and I'm sure he was off his head on speed or coke or something based on how fast he spoke.
He returned and breath tested me a second time (I had only 3 drinks over 24hrs and the last was 9hrs earlier??)

I was in a Holden Captiva with my 11yo daughter in the passenger seat, she couldn't understand a word he said either.
I will be writing a letter to let me off, damned if I'm going to incur 6points for nudging the limit because I was concerned for pedestrians.

Before this happened, earlier that day, I had driven past 4 marked cars and overtaken one that was driving too slow - without incident. I think I just had a pig of a cop, dosed up on wowey sauce and no sleep for 2 days.

I don't buy into the revenue raising conspiracy. I'll take a fine if I deserve it but have only ever had 3 speeding fines in 23 years (1mil km) and I always drive 10 over (excluding school zones).

Pretty serious allegation there brother. If anything you said is correct, then I suggest, no I demand, as a citizen of NSW that you rid this state of cops on "Wowey sauce"? and high on speed and coke. Obviously speaking fast is a clear symptom of drug use. So is mumbling. The Commissioner is vitally interested in ridding those cops on drugs who go round, high, booking motorists. Let us all know when your letter goes and and how you go. No really, I could do with a good laugh.

regards

Old Hutcho

Imagine if there were no cops, that'd be mad fun.......

Yep. Until your sister got raped by bikies and there was no one around to do anything about it but you, or your kid got skittled by somebody driving at 150 past his school. Fun alright.

regards

Old Hutcho