Police harassment, UK style

[Graeme Dods]

I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -

http://groups.google.com.au/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/5003d128c107683f/d02d6d955060f2aa?hl=en#d02d6d955060f2aa

http://tinyurl.com/3639pe

Lovely outcome! On that subject though, does anyone know of the laws
regarding what Australian police can and can't ask you for if you're
stopped by them and what (if anything) you can ask for from them?

Graeme

[treadly&me[_17_]]

Pppppwhhahaahahahahahahaah! Classic!


--
treadly&me

[rooman[_122_]]

Graeme Dods Wrote:
> I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2hx54x
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3639pe
>
> Lovely outcome! On that subject though, does anyone know of the laws
> regarding what Australian police can and can't ask you for if you're
> stopped by them and what (if anything) you can ask for from them?
>
> Graeme
From Vic Legal Aid:
http://www.vla.vic.gov.au/upload/cl.police_powers.pdf
Generally the police do not have the right to demand your name
and address

without a reason. The police must tell you why they want your
name and address.

You can ask for their reasons.

*Note: *The police have the right to demand your name and address
without a reason

when you are:

• driving a car, motor bike, boat or push bike

• on the tram, train, bus or on public transport property. Ticket
inspectors (people

who work on public transport checking that everyone has the right
ticket) can also

ask for your name and address.

• in a hotel or licensed premises (a place where you can buy
alcohol). Staff in a

hotel or licensed premises can also ask for your age.

It is a criminal offence to refuse to give your name and address,
or to give a false

name and address to the police or public transport officers. You
can be fined for

these offences by a court.

The police must also tell you their name, identification number,
the name of the

police station where they work and their rank. The police must
give you this

information in writing, when you ask. This information may be
useful later.

The police can be fined for not giving you their name,
identification number, police

station and rank. You need to make a complaint for this to
happen. A lawyer can help

you do


--
rooman

[MikeyOz[_56_]]

Graeme Dods Wrote:
> I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -
>

Now that was very good.... "Sgt....."


--
MikeyOz

[Donga]

On May 7, 4:10 pm, Graeme Dods > wrote:
> I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -
>
> http://groups.google.com.au/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/50...
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3639pe
>
> Lovely outcome! On that subject though, does anyone know of the laws
> regarding what Australian police can and can't ask you for if you're
> stopped by them and what (if anything) you can ask for from them?
>
> Graeme

It seems like the poor ******* was trying to check a possible bike
theft, and got sidetracked by a smartarse.

Donga

[Graeme Dods]

On May 7, 3:42 pm, Donga > wrote:

> It seems like the poor ******* was trying to check a possible bike
> theft, and got sidetracked by a smartarse.

The possible bike theft angle only comes in fairly late on in the
conversation, after the "you shouldn't be in that lane". Some numpties
in the UK police do have a fairly uninformed view of what cyclists are
allowed to do or where they are allowed to go. They tend to go by "gut
feeling", e.g. there's a cycle path therefore you must use that rather
than the road. The only difference between them and the general public
is that the police have the power to "enforce" their opinions as if
they were law.

I'm all in favour of police having powers to address genuine problems,
but I'm even more in favour of the public knowing where those powers
begin and end so they know if they're just being hassled for the hell
of it.

Graeme

[Donga]

On May 7, 6:43 pm, Graeme Dods > wrote:
> On May 7, 3:42 pm, Donga > wrote:
>
> > It seems like the poor ******* was trying to check a possible bike
> > theft, and got sidetracked by a smartarse.
>
> The possible bike theft angle only comes in fairly late on in the
> conversation, after the "you shouldn't be in that lane". Some numpties
> in the UK police do have a fairly uninformed view of what cyclists are
> allowed to do or where they are allowed to go. They tend to go by "gut
> feeling", e.g. there's a cycle path therefore you must use that rather
> than the road. The only difference between them and the general public
> is that the police have the power to "enforce" their opinions as if
> they were law.
>
> I'm all in favour of police having powers to address genuine problems,
> but I'm even more in favour of the public knowing where those powers
> begin and end so they know if they're just being hassled for the hell
> of it.
>
> Graeme

Seeing a guy in work clothes and boots riding a nice racing bike would
make me think theft.

I don't think a fella who 'teaches' police can be too clever in trying
to catch them out, do you? I wouldn't read too much into this boastful
little tale.

Donga

[Graeme Dods]

On May 7, 7:00 pm, Donga > wrote:

> Seeing a guy in work clothes and boots riding a nice racing bike would
> make me think theft.
>
> I don't think a fella who 'teaches' police can be too clever in trying
> to catch them out, do you? I wouldn't read too much into this boastful
> little tale.
>
> Donga

I would. Perhaps it helps that I've read uk.rec.cycling for years and
have seen many of his postings. He's a long time contributor who is
well known as URC's cycling policeman and not given to idle boasting
or fanciful tales.

Graeme

[EuanB[_50_]]

Graeme Dods Wrote:
> On May 7, 7:00 pm, Donga > wrote:
>
> > Seeing a guy in work clothes and boots riding a nice racing bike
> would
> > make me think theft.
> >
> > I don't think a fella who 'teaches' police can be too clever in
> trying
> > to catch them out, do you? I wouldn't read too much into this
> boastful
> > little tale.
> >
> > Donga
>
> I would. Perhaps it helps that I've read uk.rec.cycling for years and
> have seen many of his postings. He's a long time contributor who is
> well known as URC's cycling policeman and not given to idle boasting
> or fanciful tales.
>

I concur, and don't forget that cycling in normal attire is more
prevalent in the UK than it is here.


--
EuanB

[rooman[_126_]]

EuanB Wrote:
> I concur, and don't forget that cycling in normal attire is more
> prevalent in the UK than it is here.
"wataboutthawerkers?.....!!...."
yeah...toss the lycra.... I like the visual of steel cap boots ,
overalls and a four corner tied hanky on your head( a la Charlie Blake
:D ) ...see a few like that ..(sans hanky) around Port Melb/Docklands
now and then

...everyone ride in whatever...just ride, and keep the nice plods
guessing...


--
rooman

[Nick Payne]

One of the riders I used to race against in the 1980s in the Vets club here
in Canberra was a police Commander in the AFP (fairly senior, not very far
from Commissioner level). He was riding his bike home from work one day when
a passing motorcyclist kicked him. He noted the license plate, rode home,
rang work to get the address associated with the license, changed into
Uniform, went round, and arrested and charged the rider...

"Graeme Dods" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -
>
> http://groups.google.com.au/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/5003d128c107683f/d02d6d955060f2aa?hl=en#d02d6d955060f2aa

[EuanB[_54_]]

rooman Wrote:
> "wataboutthawerkers?.....!!...."
> yeah...toss the lycra.... I like the visual of steel cap boots ,
> overalls and a four corner tied hanky on your head( a la Charlie Blake
> :D ) ...see a few like that ..(sans hanky) around Port Melb/Docklands
> now and then
>
> ...everyone ride in whatever...just ride, and keep the nice plods
> guessing...

There's a guy who rides down Nepean in Blundestones on a nice bike, Keo
pedals too. Asked him about it and he reckons they work just fine.
Fair turn of pace too (by my fat commuter standards).


--
EuanB

[treadly&me[_19_]]

Nick Payne Wrote:
> He noted the license plate, rode home,
> rang work to get the address associated with the license, changed into
> Uniform, went round, and arrested and charged the rider...

Again: Pppppwhhahaahahahahahahaah! Good one.


--
treadly&me

[treadly&me[_20_]]

Donga Wrote:
> Seeing a guy in work clothes and boots riding a nice racing bike would
> make me think theft.

I see your point and that's where the cop seemed to start out but it
sounded like he just couldn't resist getting distracted, throwing his
weight around and being a bully.

But it might not have had anything to do with suspecting theft. He may
have thought that a bloke in boots was just a plonker and didn't
"deserve" such a slick ride (remember he claimed to be a cyclist
himself)--hence the attitude about getting out of the right-hand lane.

Donga Wrote:
> I don't think a fella who 'teaches' police can be too clever in trying
> to catch them out, do you? I wouldn't read too much into this boastful
> little tale.

Yeah, maybe the cyclist was being a bit of a smartarse but (for better
or worse) cops have to deal with that every day. It doesn't give this
guy the right to abuse his authority, which I think was the point of
the story. And let's face it, the cop did walk right into it: the
cyclist really hadn't done anything wrong.


--
treadly&me

[hippy[_31_]]

Graeme Dods Wrote:
> I thought you guys might appreciate this from uk.rec.cycling -
> http://tinyurl.com/2hx54x
> http://tinyurl.com/3639pe
>

Lov-er-ly! :D

hippy


--
hippy