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My weekend "incident"

KennedyFXR

Member
I just wanted to let you know about an incident tonight. I was pulled over by a state trooper, while riding in town. The reason he stated that he pulled me over was a "turn signal violation". Anyhow, he ran my license and registration, all was clear, as it should be. When he returned from his cruiser with my things, he told that he was out to pull over all motorcycles, even for the most minor violations so that he could check for the endorsement on the licenses. He told me that he'd pull over bikes for going 5mph over the speed limit, so he could check if the rider had an endorsement, but that he'd only ticket if the rider was going in excess of 10mph. Other than that, he said he only gave out warnings as long as there was an endorsement and the rider was legal (intoxicated, suspended, etc.).
The real kicker though, before he let me go, he told me that he would "feel a lot better" if he went ahead and breathalized me before he let me go. And we all know how the consent laws with that work, it wasn't an issue for me, because I had not been drinking, but for him to decide it would make him feel better by testing me, talk about some baloney.... Besides, what probable cause did he have?
After the BAC test, he told me I was free to go, I thanked him for his service, and told him to stay safe. I managed to hold back the (Edit) within from asking "so, do you pull over every car you see with the smallest violations just to be sure the driver has a license, and then when all said and done, breathalize them too, just so you can "feel better"?"
Its just not right that they are singling out motorcycles like that.
For those of you in Indiana and Illinois, I have contacted Rod Taylor at ABATE Legal, and have had positive response from him.
So, everyone, ride safe, and ride legal, it seems they are out to get us.

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 
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Well, you never stated if you were at fault for the signal violation. I doubt anything can be done, as the trooper stated, he's only pullling over those bikes that are in violation, regardless of the violation. Personally, I don't like any type of 'profiling', but in this case the trooper, according to your account, is only profiling violators.

Note: You may want to re-read the forum rules related to foul language. Just saying.
 
I do not believe that I was in any violation, I always signal with the blinkers, and always hand signal.
To me, it seems they are starting to single about people on bikes.
 
when my license expired and i needed a new one i had to take the safety course (i highly recommend it).. one of the guys had been riding for a while with out an endorsement. he got stopped and the officer told him that about 85% of riders do not have a endorsement in TX. they were going to start enforcing this, he was told that the officer could impound his bike and put it up for auction and he would not be able to get an endorsement for 5 years.

dont know if it is true or not

but sounds like the officer was checking on the endorsement to me
 
I have a couple of friends that are cops in massachusetts. In the spring they do pull over bikes for minor violations to check their licenses. The reason is in MA there are MANY riders that go from year to year on a motorcycle permits that needs to be renewed every year. They never take the actual license test.....just keep riding on annual permits. They are looking for the riders that "forget" to renew their permits! There is a reason behind pulling over the bikes in the spring......up here in MA anyway. As long as you are riding legal you have nothing to worry about anyway.
 
In case you haven't been following this in most of the motorcycle mags and the AMA newsletter and mag, the Federal Govt. has made money available to states for motorcycle only check points and stops, several states have already taken the money and are doing this. They say they are doing this for our safety. I'm sure there will be a court case soon for profiling. Be safe out there and don't give them any more reason than they already have to stop you.
 
Another big thing is helmet checks in the helmet law states. They will pull you over for something like a turn signal violation and then check your helmet to make sure it is DOT approved. It is easy picking for the LEO's now since people are anxious to get out.
 
WOW!Reading thes posts is an eye opener.I thought only england was in the persecuting minoritys game.Seems to me,riding a bike over there is like being a gun owner over here..whatever happened to the land of the free!?Surely theres a data base the police have access to for licences and so forth,england has one,and the cars have a plate reader and they can tell you in a second wether or not the vehilce is insured,taxed,stolen or anything else you care to name.
Germany goes one step further.The system they have flags up out of date tax/mot,insurance on vehicles so they can actively seek them out and when they catch them,they scrape off the tax and mot stickers on the tag,so you cant ride.You get issed with your tags when you prove you have insurance,and the tags them selves are your evedence of insurance.I've seen police takeing the tags off of vehicles because the insurance flagged up.
No such thing as driving an unlicenced , uninsured tax dodgeing,void mot vehicle on the roads over there. And no need to pull anyone over unless they have screwed up somehow.
 
But what the guys above are talking about is the individual driver's license that must have a motorcycle endorsement separate from the car driver's license. In Texas, I have a Class CM where the "M" stands for motorcycle on my driver's license. They have to actually check who is riding the bike to see that they have the appropriate endorsement on their license.

TQ
 
The two things I really have problems with
1) They seem to be singling out motorcycles... you don't see/hear of them pulling over cars just to check for valid drivers licenses.
2) He had ZERO probable cause to breathalize me. The law says they must have probably cause. What really (EDIT) is, if at the point he told me he wanted to administer the BAC test to me, if I refused, its an automatic 6 month license suspension. Again, I blew, I had nothing to hide, I hadn't been drinking, but what was his probable cause, aside from him "feeling better"...

Please read and understand the info in this link...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 
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