Motorcycle police in Sydney, Australia (literally) targetting cyclists

[Drago]

It is a bit like punishing someone for breaching health and safety by not wearing goggles by throwing chemicals in his face? You attempt to injure someone because they're not wearing something to prevent injury. In what possible world can that make any sense?

I betcha adherence to rules on the wearing of safety goggles would rise to 100% after a few episodes of that. That's the bone advantage of swift and firm enforcement.

It used to be said that Australian police were the best that money could buy.

In the interests of balance I lived there for a year and had no issues personally. The odd routine check/breathaliser -all done in perfectly ok and cival way

Until you do blow over limit, and once charged get punched a few times in the kidneys to encourage you to go guilty in Court. That's why so few people plead not guilty over there. They'll be charm personified.... until they actually catch you being naughty.

 

[Profpointy]

I betcha adherence to rules on the wearing of safety goggles would rise to 100% after a few episodes of that. That's the bone advantage of swift and firm enforcement.

there is that. They could enforce having smoke alarms by setting light to houses without 'em too. Hanging and flogging's too good for 'em

 

[Drago]

It's like cutting the hands off shoplifters - right or wrong, it's proven to cut down reoffending.

 

[machew]

All crime is committed by the living therefore living is a crime

 

[Profpointy]

It's like cutting the hands off shoplifters - right or wrong, it's proven to cut down reoffending.

At the risk of being slighlty serious - not that's different. A very (excessively?) serious punishment for a crime is one thing but punishing people for a safety breach by making it more dangerous is just bizarre. It rather reminds me of road-rage behaviour - another motorist does something dangerous so to teach 'em a less you respond by doing something even more dangerous

 

[snorri]

Whether you like it or not if the law is to wear a helmet (I have no idea but it reads that way) riding on footpath, which again logically is illegal, failing to stop on direction of a Police officer, what is the officer supposed to do, follow the cyclist home?

Yes, if he could not stop him without using undue force, which he appears to have done in this case.
Would the motorcyclist have rammed a pedestrian, car or HGV in similar manner?

 

[Inertia]

All crime is committed by the living therefore living is a crime

 

[Arrowfoot]

The guy probably must have given him the finger in the past and dashed off in one of the alleyways. Its hard to chase down a cyclist and there are no identification plates to issue a ticket. I am sure that the a Traffic Police on a bike have got far more interesting game besides chasing errant cyclist on safety issues.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Would the motorcyclist have rammed a pedestrian, car or HGV in similar manner?

I have no idea, if you wish to pay my airfare I'm happy to go ask him for you

 

[Drago]

At the risk of being slighlty serious - not that's different. A very (excessively?) serious punishment for a crime is one thing but punishing people for a safety breach by making it more dangerous is just bizarre. It rather reminds me of road-rage behaviour - another motorist does something dangerous so to teach 'em a less you respond by doing something even more dangerous

its starting to go off tangent, but if the punishment is unduly harsh and stops people breaking the law, then why not? We all know the consequences and should be accountable for out actions. That's why I avoid smuggling drugs into Malaysia or go shoplifting in Iran.

If you're a law abiding citizen then does it really matter how harsh a penalty may be, because as an upstanding well behaved member of society you'll never commit the crime so won't receive the punishment?

 

[Profpointy]

The guy probably must have given him the finger in the past and dashed off in one of the alleyways. Its hard to chase down a cyclist and there are no identification plates to issue a ticket. I am sure that the a Traffic Police on a bike have got far more interesting game besides chasing errant cyclist on safety issues.

I tend to think that's just the kind of thing the police would do. Even over here we've had police stopping cyclists and lecturing them on helmet wearing which isn't even a legal requirement in the first place. I recall a lady on here (or on ctc.forum) complaining of being grabbed by a police officer in order to be so lectured. Stopping people to hand out tickets - yes I believe that - and they love petty rules in Oz, whatever the (considerable ) merits of the place and its inhabitants

 

[Profpointy]

its starting to go off tangent, but if the punishment is unduly harsh and stops people breaking the law, then why not? We all know the consequences and should be accountable for out actions. That's why I avoid smuggling drugs into Malaysia or go shoplifting in Iran.

If you're a law abiding citizen then does it really matter how harsh a penalty may be, because as an upstanding well behaved member of society you'll never commit the crime so won't receive the punishment?

yebbutt when the punishment is doing more of the very thing the law is meant to stop uou doing it's rather peverse

 

[Drago]

Eh? The copper was wearing helmet?

For the record it is harsh, and I don't agree with disemboweling motorists for parking offences. Conversely, I have no sympathy for those who break the law in harsher regimes and suffer a hefty dose of unpleasantness as a result. It was his choice to go lidless in a country where the police are, by western standards, known to be rather heavy handed. Nobodies fault but his.

 

[glenn forger]

Australian old bill:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/11/n...-illegally-spying-on-a-private-facebook-page/

 

[jonny jeez]

You attempt to injure someone because they're not wearing something to prevent injury.

Is that what the copper was doing, I read it that the copper was attempting to stop a cyclist who was breaking the law and refusing to stop. I don't suspect they were attempting to injure.

Either way, none of us know what actually happened so its all a bit of a waste of attention.