Reflection

I have been unable to post any ride info for the last few months due to my lack of riding. This was and still is due to me not having a valid license for the period March 1 to August 1. It sucks big time, however, it is totally of my own doing. As we enter the best time of the year for riding, I have been reading many posts on various forums about rides that I would do if I could and thinking to myself that I need to have a serious re-think of the way I behave when on my bike. I do not consider myself to be a reckless rider - I do not put other road users at risk. However, because I was on the road every day for my commute to and from work, I considered myself to be more of a target for law enforcement than a weekend-only rider would be.

My biggest downfall has been getting booked for speeding - when it has happened I have never argued the point, nor have I been riding at outrageous speeds. Nearly every time, I seem to have been focused more on the road ahead of me than my speedometer, especially in the dark. Obviously the consequence of doing this is that I would lose track of how fast I was travelling, and when I rode into a speed trap, well you know. Perhaps I need to consider purchasing a GPS that warns me when I exceed the posted limit - I really don't know how good they are, but aside from that, it is going to require a conscious effort from me to not only watch the road, but also watch my speed.

I have always been a firm believer of making sure you know what is around and ahead of you when riding - now I need to change that a little. It won't be easy, but I don't want to go through this length of time not riding again....ever!!

It is all only talk at this stage - the proof will come when I am back on the road.

WHEELS ARE ON FINALLY....

We Deserve Better From The QPS

Why do they never want to listen? Why do these regularly ignorant traffic cops refuse to listen to anything from you when you are pulled over for breaking a traffic law whilst trying to protect yourself? The last time I was booked was in early March - it was one of these occasions.

I was riding to work and pulled up at traffic lights next to a car. I was watching this bloke because I could see he was playing with his phone. When the lights turned green the driver of this car decided to pick up his phone and try to text someone - in doing so his car swerved from his lane into the left lane where I was and then across into the lane to the right of the one he started in!! My natural instinct was to get away, and do so in a hurry. It just so happened that I was in the cross hairs of a coppers speed gun at that exact time.

The first thing he asked me after pulling me over was "Do you have any medical reason for breaking the posted speed limit?". WTF?? Doesn't life preservation count?? I tried to explain to this prick-in-blue what had previously happened, but he was not interested at all . He simply said to me that "That is no reason to break the speed limit".

Now, let me tell you something - whomever is trying to spread this bullshit about making roads safer by setting up more speed camera locations is totally ignorant. Had I been listened to, I think I had a fair case - the fact of the matter is that this prick-in-blue (and he was a first class prick) did not want to listen to me. I felt I was protecting myself from being hit, but not in a "legal" way - I will be the first to admit that I was speeding as I did directly to him, however, my life is far more important than breaking the posted speed limit!! The majority of Queensland Traffic Police treat all motorists the same, which is totally wrong - us riders deserve a little bit of leniency in situations like the above. We don't have the luxury of more than a ton of metal protecting us.

So, if you are serious Mr Commissioner Bob Atkinson, pull your head out and tell your enforcers to use a little common sense, because the Queensland Police Service is fast becoming the Department of Revenue for our state government and loosing a lot of respect with motorcycle riders!

Pull your head out Bob!!