Traffic Stop

[Rodgera]

Returning home from a restaurant, two friends and I were stopped by a
police officer. As the driver handed his license over, he asked the officer
if he had been speeding.

"You were doing just under 60 in a 50 zone, but I'm not going to give
you a ticket," the officer said.

We were puzzled when he asked my friend to open the trunk, and more
puzzled when he asked him to go around to the back of the car with him.

"I've got a burnt out taillight," the officer stated.

"Oh, no! Not again!" he exclaimed. "I just replaced one a few weeks ago."

"No, no," the officer corrected. "I've got a burnt out taillight on a
car exactly the same as this, and I was wondering if you'd show me
how to change it."

[Allan at Wallan]

I did a "burn-out" in front of our policeman
and he did give me a ticket.

Not consistent are they?

Allan

[Dengue]

That brought back memories. In my late teens, around the late 1960's, I had a 750cc Harley WLA45 that had 600 miles on the odometer when I bought it. Dismantled it and did it up in black and chrome with white pin striping, looked magnificent.

I used to ride often from Sydney over the mountains to my cousins' places in Blayney and Orange, and used to get the crap frightended out of me when the BMW Police bike used to sneak up beside me unannounced and pull me over, nearly every trip. Those BMWs were dead quiet, but would never had heard them with the V twin Harley muffler and the helmet.

All they wanted to do was look the bike over, have a chat about it, and send me on my way

[doug3030]

All they wanted to do was look the bike over, have a chat about it, and send me on my way

yep, thats hlow it happened in the days of good, old-fashioned policing. It worked. They scared the crap out of you. you tried not to bring yourself to their attention again. If they did book you, you knew you damn well deserved it and copped it sweet. People had respect for the police.

Nowadays, we all know its all just about revenue raising, even though they deny it. So it isnt a deterrent any more. You just pay the fine, accept it philosophically, jump online and tell everyone what a bunch of ^*%#*'s the cops are and go back out and do the same thing tomorrow, with full knowledge its just a numbers game. Nobody respects the cops any more.

[Dengue]

In my era in the 60's in Sydney, the Police controlled Kings Cross, and we were all the safer for it - they didn't take nonsense from anyone. They were really big, hard men, led by Bumper Farrell who ran the legenday 21st Division in Darlinghurst until it was disbanded. I have been told by a mate who was there at the time how they literally threw trouble makers full toss into the back of the paddy wagons - you would heard the crunch when they hit the back of the wagon when they landed. You knew it was on when the 21st Division arrived. They didn't muck about

When you look at the physical size of the police we have now, the small men and women that are allowed in the Force on patrol, and all the political correctness that goes on, is it little wonder the crims, bikies and the druggies now control the Cross, and it is not a safe place any more.

Ah, for the good old days !

[RETIRED]

yep, thats hlow it happened in the days of good, old-fashioned policing. It worked. They scared the crap out of you. you tried not to bring yourself to their attention again. If they did book you, you knew you damn well deserved it and copped it sweet. People had respect for the police. People then had respect for themselves and others property back then as well.Times and everything else has changed.

Nowadays, we all know its all just about revenue raising, even though they deny it. So it isnt a deterrent any more. You just pay the fine, accept it philosophically, jump online and tell everyone what a bunch of ^*%#*'s the cops are and go back out and do the same thing tomorrow, with full knowledge its just a numbers game. Nobody respects the cops any more.

I have to disagree.

I would not like to be a policeman for all the tea in China.

They have to treat everybody the same whether you are a crim or a law abiding citizen because they don't know whether or not the bloke driving the Ferrari in the the Gucci suit is going to pull out an uzi or not. They can't tell the good guys from the bad any more.

They get abused by all and sundry and people wonder why they have a bad attitude. I would.

[cava]

In my era in the 60's in Sydney, the Police controlled Kings Cross, and we were all the safer for it - they didn't take nonsense from anyone. They were really big, hard men, led by Bumper Farrell who ran the legenday 21st Division in Darlinghurst until it was disbanded. I have been told by a mate who was there at the time how they literally threw trouble makers full toss into the back of the paddy wagons - you would heard the crunch when they hit the back of the wagon when they landed. You knew it was on when the 21st Division arrived. They didn't muck about

When you look at the physical size of the police we have now, the small men and women that are allowed in the Force on patrol, and all the political correctness that goes on, is it little wonder the crims, bikies and the druggies now control the Cross, and it is not a safe place any more.

Ah, for the good old days !

I used to knock around with Bumper's son, through a friend, back in the day.

Division 21 was notorious for using plain surfie panelvans. If they saw ANY group of teens/adolescents together - they would pile out of the panelvans and beat them up for no reason. Totally illegal, but the net result was, that youth were banished from the streets.

[doug3030]

I have to disagree.

I would not like to be a policeman for all the tea in China.

I would have to disagree that you are disagreeing.

There is no way I would be a cop either. And yes, back in the day people did indeed have respect for the property and rights of others. I agree with you 100% . But what caused the shift in the public perception of the police force and the way the job is done? I never said that the cops are bad, and I do not envy their workplace conditions. The ready availability of weapons does indeed make their role more dangerous than a soldier's in a combat zone. It is not just here in Australia but a world-wide trend.

All I was saying is that the way it was done 40 years ago worked and the role of the police commanded respect. Somewhere somehow since then something went horribly wrong and in that time all around the world it seems to me anywat, that the focus has shifted from effective law enforcement based on common sense and has been replaced by a nanny state issuing fines to raise revenue to fulfil government funding shortfalls and everyone can see its not reducing crime or reducing the road toll, its just raising revenue. The cops are just tax collectors

[rustynail]

In my era in the 60's in Sydney, the Police controlled Kings Cross, and we were all the safer for it - they didn't take nonsense from anyone. They were really big, hard men, led by Bumper Farrell who ran the legenday 21st Division in Darlinghurst until it was disbanded. I have been told by a mate who was there at the time how they literally threw trouble makers full toss into the back of the paddy wagons - you would heard the crunch when they hit the back of the wagon when they landed. You knew it was on when the 21st Division arrived. They didn't muck about

When you look at the physical size of the police we have now, the small men and women that are allowed in the Force on patrol, and all the political correctness that goes on, is it little wonder the crims, bikies and the druggies now control the Cross, and it is not a safe place any more.

Ah, for the good old days !

The Cross!? Who cares less about the Cross, it's suburbia thats the problem now. You know what to expect in the Cross, but getting the external decor of your suburban home "upgraded" with bullet holes is a bit beyond young fellas letting off steam. The cops have lost control of the streets and now spend their time annoying the crap out of Joe Average because the big game has got to hard for them. My late father was a cop and retired at 65. There aint too many of them do that any more. He used to shake his head at some of the antics and would mutter, "Its only a matter of time."

[A Duke]

The good old days.
We are just getting old and Grumpy.

[Dengue]

T. He used to shake his head at some of the antics and would mutter, "Its only a matter of time."

What did he mean by that, please rustynail?

[Gra]

I used to knock around with Bumper's son, through a friend, back in the day.

Division 21 was notorious for using plain surfie panelvans. If they saw ANY group of teens/adolescents together - they would pile out of the panelvans and beat them up for no reason. Totally illegal, but the net result was, that youth were banished from the streets.

People had respect for the police.

and people wonder why

[rustynail]

What did he mean by that, please rustynail?

The new methods of policing were being introduced about 30 years ago. The Police Force was rebadged Police Service and it all became a much more softly softly approach. The crims loved it - the cops had to play by the rules, while the crooks made up their own. Dad could see that this trend was only going to make policing of a city an impossible task. And that was coming from a cop that was dead straight and as hard as a bulls forehead.