Highway Patrol program

[Blitzen]

I have a hell of alot of respect for cops...I have alot of friends, including my ex girlfriend who are cops, and I am looking to join a police force (Fed Police at this stage), but just like any job, you get the bad cops ruining the reputation of the good...Its just the way it is.

9 times out of 10, if you aren't a **** to a cop, they won't be a **** to you... I would be ****ting broken glass if I had to tell some parent that their 17 year old daughter had been killed by a drunk driver...Something I would never want to wish on my worst enemy...The first time my mate did it, he threw up for 10 minutes after doing it.

[Spyda]

I've never met a highway patrol person who wasn't a ****, normal coppers I've never had a problem with, but highway patrol, whether you're in trouble (or not!) are always ****s.

I know a couple of general duties cops who fully support this opinion too.

LOL @ People calling this a general coment.

Ive talked to 7 or 8 regular cops and 2 sargents about high way patrol and they all say the same thing, there ****s and even as regular people they are wierdos. Most of them also say they have some sort of mental issue because they spend their long shifts driving alone. Damn if i had to drive 9hrs a day by myself id be a bit off my nut too.

.....but the job needs to be done by someone even if it is by retarted wierdos.

[GTom]

LOL @ People calling this a general coment.

Ive talked to 7 or 8 regular cops and 2 sargents about high way patrol and they all say the same thing, there ****s and even as regular people they are wierdos. Most of them also say they have some sort of mental issue because they spend their long shifts driving alone. Damn if i had to drive 9hrs a day by myself id be a bit off my nut too.

.....but the job needs to be done by someone even if it is by retarted wierdos.

LoL, NSW HWP must be better then VIC HWP then

[Blitzen]

LOL @ People calling this a general coment.

Ive talked to 7 or 8 regular cops and 2 sargents about high way patrol and they all say the same thing, there ****s and even as regular people they are wierdos. Most of them also say they have some sort of mental issue because they spend their long shifts driving alone. Damn if i had to drive 9hrs a day by myself id be a bit off my nut too.

.....but the job needs to be done by someone even if it is by retarted wierdos.

Hahahaha...My cop mates have said the same thing!!

[The_Hawk]

It's draconian government policy I have a problem with, not the employees made to enforce it.

That more of my problem with it. As with all things, there are a minority of bad seeds who ruin it for everyone... on both sides of the law.

The second biggests problem to the stupid policies is the media's coverage of the accidents and the reporting of "statistics" that always seem terrible.

When it comes to stats, give me a data set then tell me what you want to say and I'm sure I can provide you with something appropriate. Everything can be slanted for a purpose.

But lets consider a few of the basics...

There are more people and more cars on the road.
Is it a surprise there are more accidents?

P platers now drive for 3 years instead of 1.
Is it a surprise there are more P plater accidents?

[Mrk_Mickey]

That's standard practice. They are trained to do it that way to minimise idiots trying to hit them while they are on the road.

Really? I think that's well silly. I was waiting with my workmate in a car for what we timed as 7 minutes with a row of at least 12 cars behind us, blocking two intersections. I don't see how that's fair, safe or could be called ''standard practice'' if the policemen's jobs are to encourage safety on the road.

But lets consider a few of the basics...

There are more people and more cars on the road.
Is it a surprise there are more accidents?

P platers now drive for 3 years instead of 1.
Is it a surprise there are more P plater accidents?

It's so true! But there's just never going to be anything done about it because nobody with authority is willing to accept those facts have anything to do with it.

[GTom]

Really? I think that's well silly. I was waiting with my workmate in a car for what we timed as 7 minutes with a row of at least 12 cars behind us, blocking two intersections. I don't see how that's fair, safe or could be called ''standard practice'' if the policemen's jobs are to encourage safety on the road.

The vehicle provides a buffer between traffic and the police on the road speaking to the driver of the vehicle.

It's not silly if your life is at stake...... The road is a dangerous place. I've almost been hit (on purpose) a few times.

[mfl]

The comments expressed are secondary to the issue which is an inexperienced driver driving at excessive speed.

Excessive speed is relative to the road conditions. Italy and France have 130km/h speed limits on their highways and 110km/h on their country roads, which have substantially more traffic on them we do.

Germany's highway are un-restricted, with advisory limits of 130km/h.

In Australia all we can manage is 110km/h on freeways and 100km/h on country roads. More and more safety enforcement is simply more and more cameras and bugger all driver training. as always the easy way out and the aim is to raise revenue.

As for the nsw hwy patrol, yes some are civil and others definitely aren't, I have always been polite to police officers and more often then not the same respect is not returned and I am a middle-aged bloke in fairly modest cars.

In the Marrickville area where I live, I can be stopped up to 4 times a week for rbt, and their lack of civility is amazing - including 1 hwy patrol guy shouting at me to pull out my license from the passenger side of the car while make a big show of checking my rego sticker - a bit of civility never hurt.

yes cops have an absolutely rotten job, but it doesn't mean they treat everyone like a crim.

and as for road safety - speed in itself doesn't kill, but in-appropriate speed by drivers who have never been taught how to drive certainly will.

[schoona]

I wonder how much the speed vs time over the same distance counts.

Ie, travelling faster gets ou off the road quicker > less fatigue, greater rotation of cars driving. Think of it like turnover at a restaurant.

Or bore people travellign at 100kmh from newcastle to bourke and kill them from complacency?

Coupled with better driver training I think this is the better way to go rather then heavier policing like this...

Atm I have no licence form stupidity/lack of prioritising/not understanding the consequences of my actions. It has certainly taught me a strong lesson.

In the end, the rules are the rules I guess, no matter how much you think they should be different. And Mr poloice officer always have it over oyu. I have only noted one pleasant copper in my short time driving. >10 were douchebags.

It's also amazing how many governing factors/legislations/rules/laws/guidelines there are in the free democratic world. It's looking more and more like a dictatorship (not quite as extreme but you ge the point). How many things/praftises can you actually do that aren't controlled by someone else in one form or another. Walk on the footpath provided. cross the road where we tell you to, dont play golf on this field, etc etc...



/rant

[schoona]

Excessive speed is relative to the road conditions. Italy and France have 130km/h speed limits on their highways and 110km/h on their country roads, which have substantially more traffic on them we do.

Germany's highway are un-restricted, with advisory limits of 130km/h.

In Australia all we can manage is 110km/h on freeways and 100km/h on country roads. More and more safety enforcement is simply more and more cameras and bugger all driver training. as always the easy way out and the aim is to raise revenue.

This is true.

As for the nsw hwy patrol, yes some are civil and others definitely aren't, I have always been polite to police officers and more often then not the same respect is not returned and I am a middle-aged bloke in fairly modest cars..

My old man is 59 and most have had a fairly tight belt with him.

In the Marrickville area where I live, I can be stopped up to 4 times a week for rbt, and their lack of civility is amazing - including 1 hwy patrol guy shouting at me to pull out my license from the passenger side of the car while make a big show of checking my rego sticker - a bit of civility never hurt.


yes cops have an absolutely rotten job, but it doesn't mean they treat everyone like a crim.

They picked their profession. Being a cokc must be a required skill for the nsw police then? Just becasue im an apprentice doesnt mean i spend the weekend high as a kite, my packet on grog, swear and smoke all the time and nail 3 women on a friday does it ?

and as for road safety - speed in itself doesn't kill, but in-appropriate speed by drivers who have never been taught how to drive certainly will..

True again

[GTom]

It's not always the best to compare driving conditions in a totally different country. Yes I agree that 110 is a pretty dodgey speed limit to have 130km in some areas would be better.

However there are other things that come into play. Most of the Motorways overseas are classified off limits to cyclists. Ours are open for cyclists, and this next one might sound a bit racists but it's not. We have a very high multicultural society and different races have different driving styles, hell NSW even allows the test to be taken in several different languages!

There is no centralised driving training structure each person can be taught completely differently to the next.

You can give as much driver training as you want it won't stop people from acting like idiots on the road.

You can call cops cocks all you like but when you end up needing their help "unfortunately" their profession requires them to help you.

[schoona]

It's not always the best to compare driving conditions in a totally different country. Yes I agree that 110 is a pretty dodgey speed limit to have 130km in some areas would be better.

However there are other things that come into play. Most of the Motorways overseas are classified off limits to cyclists. Ours are open for cyclists, and this next one might sound a bit racists but it's not. We have a very high multicultural society and different races have different driving styles, hell NSW even allows the test to be taken in several different languages!

There is no centralised driving training structure each person can be taught completely differently to the next.

You can give as much driver training as you want it won't stop people from acting like idiots on the road.

You can call cops cocks all you like but when you end up needing their help "unfortunately" their profession requires them to help you.

Well I guess like anything it's a compromise. There is no compromise in this circumstance though??

Better road planning/management should allow for the cyclists to ride in safety and confidence. The reasons they ride down the F3 are either leisure or training. Therefore they don't NEED to be there, though are catered for, as they should. I guess I'm trying to say, all parties needto be given a fair go of the funds and make the compromise.

Why we need RACV/Vicroads/RTA is beyond me, make it a national policy, with that many people driving interstate, it only makes sense. Centralised under one system would surely save on infrastructure costs etc also. Plus drivers know what is expected of them.

No driver training wont stop people acting like idiots, bu you could redefine the "idiot behaviour". Sure drifitng/burnouts/racing etc will still stand, but speed limits etc, it's all in what you have been made to believe is "how it has to be"

And the cops, I have had 3 mates with cars stolen, 2 were burnt out, and 2 were alarmed. The best the boys in blue could say was

"Pay your excess and see what the insurance company can do, we can't help you here". And not exactly politely either. I'm sorry, that is an example of "rather hunt speeders". These are 1-3rd year apprentices, therefore not exactly cashed up to just replace a pulsar or commodore like that, or come up with the 1500 excess to access the insurance claim.

There are that many people bashed and having drinks spiked in maitland at the moment, they could save a lot of problems/deaths/injuries/strain on hospitals if they were out there policing rather then sitting in an SS....

[GTom]

Well I guess like anything it's a compromise. There is no compromise in this circumstance though??

Better road planning/management should allow for the cyclists to ride in safety and confidence. The reasons they ride down the F3 are either leisure or training. Therefore they don't NEED to be there, though are catered for, as they should. I guess I'm trying to say, all parties needto be given a fair go of the funds and make the compromise.

Why we need RACV/Vicroads/RTA is beyond me, make it a national policy, with that many people driving interstate, it only makes sense. Centralised under one system would surely save on infrastructure costs etc also. Plus drivers know what is expected of them.

Your theory may work in some respects with if you give them something they will come. When the M7 was built a purpose built cycle network that ran adjacent to the M7 which cost an additional 7 mil (or 30 I can't rememeber exactly) to build gets no use at all, you still drive along the M7 and there they are riding on the breakdown lane.

Epping Rd narrowing gave away 1 full lane to cyclists, the NRMA did a month study and for the amount it cost to reconfigure the road to allow cyclists this lane it cost the tax payers something along the lines of $143ooo/ cyclist

Roads are managed this way - Not all roads belong to or are managed by the RTA. Most within your area fall under your local council. To help maintain roads some can be handed over to the RTA every 5 years (since I last checked) to help with funding the maintenance for the road.

You then have the RTA which looks after the bulk of the arterial roads, Static Enforcement, Traffic Management etc etc.

Then you have federally funded roads on top of this.

You would have even more problems with maintenance of roads then what you would have now.

No driver training wont stop people acting like idiots, bu you could redefine the "idiot behaviour". Sure drifitng/burnouts/racing etc will still stand, but speed limits etc, it's all in what you have been made to believe is "how it has to be"

It all comes down to what is safe. I don't need to believe I see most of it first hand.

And the cops, I have had 3 mates with cars stolen, 2 were burnt out, and 2 were alarmed. The best the boys in blue could say was

"Pay your excess and see what the insurance company can do, we can't help you here". And not exactly politely either. I'm sorry, that is an example of "rather hunt speeders". These are 1-3rd year apprentices, therefore not exactly cashed up to just replace a pulsar or commodore like that, or come up with the 1500 excess to access the insurance claim.

There are that many people bashed and having drinks spiked in maitland at the moment, they could save a lot of problems/deaths/injuries/strain on hospitals if they were out there policing rather then sitting in an SS....

I believe it all comes down to politics, it's a double edged sword take away resources from HWP (which is a specialised unit within the Police force to look after the rules on the roads) and bolster numbers for GD etc. then you have people complaining that the rules aren't being enforced etc etc.. and vice versa.

[schoona]

Good debate

I'll be feeling the consequences of my actions ofr the trest of the year. I hope that when I'm back behind the wheel I'll be a "changed man". In saying that I'm known as the unlucky one, as in normally sensible, out of line a bit and im the one that got pinged.

In any case, neither side of the "line" thats 3km wide and is grey, black and white either side, there are problems. It doens't look right having men in suits telling the country what is wrong with it and implementing laws to "change the behaviour". Look at the WA hoon laws on golfmkv.com. Very poor legislaiton.

Other points to note, say a region has a higher number of aged residents. There will be higher numbers of bowling clubs/rsl's/croquet lawns etc to cater for that populus.

It's a little bit skewed, but I can only speak from around here. I would be happy to pay to go to a racetrack and have some fun, not have to worry. Unfortunately it is that hard to implement it becasue it encourages hoon behavior. The best option for us was oran park, which is in the middle of being sub-divided. Leaving EC. Newcastle should be able to have something to cater for enthusiasts of this nature. As for the "hoons" in sydney, melbourne and brisbane who have greater access to a track, I cant speak for them obviously.

Sure the initial cost would be high, but offset tha with hopefully less personnel/equipment/planes required and offer the service at a reasonable rate and it will pay off, eventually.

All those toll roads, we pay taxes when we work, the roads cost more, we foot the bill. With better management/efficiency of funds it could be avoided in having toll roads. Ie, minimise the defence budget, deviate from america to minimise risk > invest in the countries infrastructure instead, then worry avbout making enemies...

[GTom]

I'm not having a stab at you, I just don't like it when people brand the cops in such ways.

I too don't agree with toll roads! $5 to use the M2, that's nuts! However that's something the government really has no control over. The tollways (apart from the M4 as of the end of this week) is in Private hands.

Although I don't agree the government should foot the bill for a race track, and to tell you the truth I find it a piss poor excuse for "hooning" on the road. I troll other forums outside the VW forums and take for instance that guy drifting around the RNP. Those forums, most people were supporting the idiot and blaming the government that it doesn't make drifting tracks. WTF!

Goes back to your last comment why should the government invest in a purpose built track when there are numerous other projects it could spend it on.

Choosing the correct one is where the problem is!