| Author | Message | ||
     Thespive |
So I am driving home from my LA office to my Huntington Beach home (48-miles) and I am on my Buell. Leaving LA, I almost get hit by two LA motors playing chase through traffic, and come up on a CHP slick top, before waving to a motor on the 405. As soon as my mirror is clear, I pick up the pace a little bit, trying beat traffic home and get home before any more police try to run me off the road. As I am cruising in the carpool lane, I see another motor behind me with no headlight, so I back it off a little bit and keep a watchful eye on him. As we turn the corner there is a giant piece of retread in our lane so I stick out my foot to point it out, and as I look back to see if the motor sees it, he speeds up to almost 100. So fast that I barely had time to wave him by me. Before I realize it, I am handlebar to handlebar with him and he is squeezing me out of the carpool lane and in to traffic in the fast lane, I try to readjust so as not to cut off a car and he motions for me to pull over. With the flow of traffic going 75-80mph, he drops me to 55 as we cut across all lanes of traffic to the shoulder - very dangerous. Side by side he points to where he wants me to pull over so I oblige. Keep in mind he has his headlight turned off, and never turned on his red and blue lights. At this point he has just scared me to the edge of the road. As I pull over to a stop, I shut down the bike, lower the kickstand and dismount, pulling my gloves from my hands (at this point I am sure he realizes I am not a squid, as I have all of my gear on, including a backpack with my laptop, stuff from work, etc.) The conversation begins... "You are a firefighter??" Hold on let me take my helmet off, I'll explain. "Why does your plate say CTY HERO?" (Removing helmet...) No, sir, not a firefighter, but I used to work for a police department. The plate says CTY HERO because the model is a CityX and the color is Hero Blue "Do you know how fast you were going?" Honestly no, it was just such a nice day, I was just cruising and enjoying it, anxious to get home to my pregnant wife. "You were going 82, you need to slow down." Yes sir, I apologize about that. Obviously I didn't realize I was going that fast because I saw you behind me AND pointed out the debris in the roadway so you wouldn't hit it." "No problem. Do you know how long I was behind you?" No, but like I said I knew you were there for a while. Why else would I have pointed out the debris or waved you by when I saw you coming up fast." (Hand over CDL without waiting for him to ask.) "I was behind you since the 710 interchange, following you the whole way." Well,once again, I really apologize for that. It is just such a nice day. "No problem. Is that see through plastic on your bike here?" (Ears perk up, showing an interest in the Buell - thinking to self "sell him on the Buell, use the power of the mass centralization speech to disarm him.") Yes sir, it sure is. if you notice, this is the air box here, and the fuel is actually in the frame. That along with the underslung muffler and oil in the rear swing arm give this bike a great low center of gravity. Thats good for cornering, it isn't really a super fast bike, but it is fun to ride. "Hmm. Well I am going to give you a warning today, but you need to slow down." A warning, wow, thanks sir, I really appreciate it. Like I said, I was just enjoying the ride. BTW, you have a headlight out. "No problem. The headlight isn't out, it was just turned off. Take it easy getting back on to the freeway." Yeah I know it is a mess here. Thanks again sir, ride safe. (Motor shoots off, presumably after the next poor bastard.) Slowly I put my gear on, and head home - a bit slower. So there's my story, I can't believe I actually got a warning today from a CHP motor, almost unheard of. Whoever that cop is, other than scaring the crap out of me initially, he was pretty cool and I appreciate the warning. I haven't had a ticket since '99 and I have never been pulled over on one of my bikes... well until today. I am not sure if it was my demeanor, my full riding gear, my reasonably stock bike, my pointing out the debris in the roadway or a combination that saved me from getting scratched today, but I'd like to think it was the mass centralization speech. Thanks Erik!!! --Sean (Message edited by thespive on May 02, 2007) | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
What's this crap about him trying to force you off the road like that though? I'd have a very BIG problem with that. Kinda pissed me off reading it. | ||
| Thespive |
Yeah, that part certainly wasn't cool. He could have literally reached over and grabbed my handlebars, we were that close. Seriously, I thought I was going faster than 82, but the flow of traffic was 75-80, so I wasn't going a whole lot faster. I was just cruising, not cutting in and out or anything. Just trying to get home. It surprises me that he didn't use his red and blue lights too, it was a strange deal, but what am I going to do, I am just happy my record is intact and he is on to someone else. --Sean (Message edited by thespive on May 02, 2007) | ||
| Xbullet |
i agree with Tx... don't know what that's about, but i guarantee if an Atlanta moto-cop tried to FORCE me to the side of the road while on my Buell.... well... i'd outrun his roadking ridin' @ss.  but seriously...that doesn't sound cool at all. woulda been a good time to have a rearview camera. congrats on the intact record! (Message edited by xbullet on May 02, 2007) | ||
| Terribletim |
Cool story, funny how they act different when you act a bit nice. I had one stop me on my Harley doing around 80 in a 35 (not sure how fast I was going, wasn't looking at the speedo). After a brief chat about "cool bike", "nice day", "no traffic" & "having fun" he gave me the "slow down" speech and we went our separate ways too. Best part was, I had just got done reading this article about how to act when stopped by a cop. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I got clocked in a wheelie by a chp at 55 mph on my ZX-11. The guys I was with ran and I pulled over. Rather than the big misdemeanor ticket he just gave me too fast for conditions, traffic school. CHPs in SoCal are much cooler than cops anywhere else I've lived. Especially compared to the southern ones who really seem to enjoy pushing people around. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Oh yeah, I guy I worked with got clocked doing 130 in a 35 in Huntington Beach. He showed the cops it was a Two Brothers, made for magazines, turbo'd ZX-9 that he only had for one night, due to his job. He got off with a warning! ps, the guy that got caught is the same dude that built the ZRX1200 powered chopper that was in one of the magazines a couple months ago. Apparantly it is pretty funny when the guys with the $35000 S&S choppers want to race him. | ||
| Thespive |
Some cops respond to the magazine thing, some don't. I have used it and it worked, when it mattered. Usually HB cops are the worst - argh. My favorite ticket from HB was for a vehicle I didn't own and wasn't in. I had one of GM's media fleet H2s and the detailer got pulled over. Since the accessory lights didn't have covers he wrote a ticket for owners responsibility with my name on it because me stupid detailer gave him one of my business cars that was inthe console. Worst thing about it was it had MFG plates! Basically it was •••••• police work because the HB motor never even ran the plate, he just wrote it up. Do you know what it is like to go in to the PD and complain about a ticket to you for a vehicle you don't own and weren't in. Try explaining that one! Eventually it was dismissed, "In the interest of justice." No shit. --Sean | ||
| Tank_bueller |
BTW, you have a headlight out.  | ||
| Thespive |
Well, I thought it was funny.  --Sean |
