Mike_Byron wrote:
Lets be a bit fair here. Police have a number of duties to perform and the bottom line is the protection and safety of the community. Also they are not in the police force for long before they have to attend some pretty gruesome events.
Most station police have enough other duties to manage without pulling over cars unless there is something about the car or the driver and the driver's driving manner that attracts their attention. At that point a minor thing like a mirror is probably their way of telling the driver that a change of attitude is needed.
Roadside RBT is a good way to assess a relatively large number of drivers and their cars in a short time. A clean well maintained car driven sensibly that complies with all the regulations (including registration, licence, sober drug free driver etc) usually doesn't attract police attention.
However, police officers have lives and personal interests as well. I have been pulled over in the mini simply because the policeman was interested in the car for the cars sake and wanted to have a chat about it from a historical perspective. I am also sure that while he was chatting and inspecting the car, his police eye would have noted any anomolies and he would have commented had their been any.
Mike
+1
Everyone has an interest, and im hoping we are all good at our jobs/profession too
Police are not the enemy, neither are roadworthy inspections. Hiding a car that is not legal is the enemy. I too have attended way too many gruesome road traffic accidents in the course of my profession - not all involving modified cars, but a significant number for me to remember the event.
I have been driving weird, unmodified, some say 'old lady' cars for 25 years (not as long as some have been driving very modified cars I admit) and have only ever been pulled over for RBT, or to have a chat about my funny old cars. Its amazing how many Police Officer's Dads, Uncles, Granmas, Crazy Aunt Marys used to drive a car like 'that'. I dont find that a problem.
I will however admit that once AND only once was I berated by a very young police officer, who clearly didnt want to be on RBT duty on that Friday night, that my rego sticker was not placed in the correct location on the front screen (it is on a kerb side fixed or hinged window) and that my interior rear vision mirror was not in the correct location (anyone that knows a Citroen will understand its fixed to the window just above the dash and not hung fron the roof). I thanked him and said I would attend to the problems as soon as bought some glass glue for the mirror and I paid for a new sticker from the RTA office. (The rego sticker is still on the kerb side fixed window as I believe it can be and the mirror is in its original ADR approved location just above the dash).
Ah humans dont you just love them!
